The names of a highly anticipated relaxed bar and grill, finer dining restaurant and exciting events space at Nottingham’s The Island Quarter have been revealed.
Canal Turn, which is set to open later this year, is the first phase of The Island Quarter and will pay homage to the site’s eclectic past and the pioneering local Victorian businesspeople who thrived on what was known as ‘the island’ back in the 1800s.
Canal Turn’s ground floor, including an outdoor plaza that will boast a large stage area for live entertainment, has been named Binks Yard after Mr Henry Binks, a Victorian beer retailer based on the site in 1895.
Meanwhile, the sophisticated but approachable dining offering on the first floor has been named Cleaver and Wake, which will be led by MasterChef: The Professionals winner, Nottingham-born Laurence Henry. Cleaver and Wake is named after two entrepreneurs who had a lace dressing shop on the site – in almost exactly the place where the restaurants will be situated.
The name is further reflected in the second-floor events space – Upstairs at Cleaver and Wake, a 250-person venue for meetings and celebrations.
Laurence Henry, head chef of Cleaver and Wake, said: “After many months of discussion and deliberation, I’m incredibly excited to be able to share the name of the restaurant I’ll be leading. Being involved in all the decision making from the beginning, such as the names, employees and the food offering, which we firmly believe needs to be rooted in Nottingham, has been a fantastic experience. I can’t wait to reveal more about our plans for the space before the opening later this year.”
John Whitehead, food, beverage and events project director at Canal Turn, said: “We are delighted to finally announce the names of the new spaces opening soon at The Island Quarter. From the outset, we have believed it is important to have meaning behind what we’re creating on site and have conducted extensive research to incorporate the area’s heritage into its future.
“As the ground floor drinks offering will be dedicated to locally brewed beers and cask ales, our research highlighted Henry Binks as a prominent beer retailer, which we thought was the perfect way to bring the past into the present.
“Similarly, Nottingham is known for being makers of fine lace and we wanted to mirror this luxury in the name of our finer dining option by incorporating the name of a former maker and finisher that was situated on the edge of the site. We can’t wait to share this exciting vision with the people of Nottingham and beyond when we open our doors. There is an extensive recruitment programme underway to fill a number of roles for both venues.”
The Island Quarter was once home to the Boots headquarters that set up on the site in the late 1800s. At this time, ‘the island’ was flanked by canals, which gave it its name and was buzzing with busy businesses – from glove maker start-ups to a cotton factory.
The opening of the first phase of Canal Turn marks a huge step forward in the wider plan for the 36-acre site. The restaurant and events venue will be followed by the construction of phase 1B, which includes a 223-room hotel, 247 residential apartments, co-working space and further food and beverage outlets. The hotel will be operated by IHG, which is bringing its Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suits to the site, creating more than 700 jobs in the process.
