FEATURE
Luck – Sean Wilkinson and Alan Robinson met when they worked together at Gisborough Hall but didn ’ t see each other for years until a chance encounter that heralded their business partnership .
Their catering careers continued successfully , with Alan spending two years at Redworth Hall and 12 at Crathorne Hall , including 10 as head chef .
But having not seen each other for ages , a chance meeting at the Frenchgate restaurant in Richmond 11 years ago saw them hook up again – “ and we ’ ve never been apart since ,” smiles Alan .
Two years ago , Alan was looking to step back from full-time chef duties . At the same time , Sean was working offshore , but wanted a land-based project .
They met up to chew the fat – and the Warehouse Kitchen and Bar is the result .
Sean had already set up the Absolute Dining catering company from a kitchen in a unit near the one they now occupy .
With neighbouring businesses intrigued by the delicious smells , they started making breakfasts to satisfy demand – and that demand kept growing .
Plans for a few tables and a small bar – they were going to call it Absolute Dine-in – were abruptly changed .
Sean ’ s partner , Pauline Williams , suggested that if they needed somewhere bigger , they could take over the two-storey warehouse she used for her Naio Nails business .
Plan hatched , from a blank canvas , they gave themselves 26 weeks to create something special .
Sean said : “ I wanted it to stay as a warehouse , so I just drew a plan on a white board and took it from there .
“ I draw things – I doodle non-stop . That ’ s how my brain works . It ’ s always visual for me – always .”
They built the roomy , well-equipped kitchen first , and for good reason . Sean , a professional chef for 30 years , explained : “ Most restaurateurs build the restaurant first , pack in as many seats as possible and leave the chefs with a shoebox , but we wanted our chefs to have room to work in .
“ In fact , the biggest investment has been in the kitchen because we ’ re chef snobs !”
The interior was then fitted out in eye-catching , eclectic and eco-friendly style , with “ reclaimed and scavenged ” materials including refurbished scaffolding boards for the bar tops and ripped up palettes for much of the woodwork .
Opening night , for friends and family , the lads recall , saw “ everything go wrong that could go wrong ” – but there was that initial “ wow ” factor that ’ s simply been added to over subsequent months .
Just over a year later , The Warehouse Kitchen and Bar is quite the success story , despite its unlikely location , with its 35 dedicated staff serving at increasingly busy mealtimes and at the various private functions that regularly book one of Teesside ’ s quirkiest venues .
There are comedy , biker and “ secret menu ” nights , as well as event catering through a “ Food Punked ” mobile catering offshoot .
But given that dad-of-three Sean , 51 , admits his brain “ ticks over 24 / 7 ”, they ’ re not stopping there .
They already make and sell cheesecakes , brownies and tray bakes , so coffee shops are a likely next venture .
And while the work to fit out and open up the upstairs was under wraps at the time of writing , sci-fi fans Sean and Alan have major plans to use the extra space in a quite unique and spacethemed way .
May the force be with them , you might say .
Alan smiled : “ Me and Sean are two completely different people , but we have similar interests and a passion for good food and service .
“ I ’ m kind of the yin to his yang – he comes up with the crazy ideas , I say , ‘ Hold on a minute ’ and then we find a happy medium !”
And so far , it seems to be working brilliantly .
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The voice of business in the Tees region | 81