ALL ABOARD THE LOVE TRAIN AS BRIDE AND GROOM VOW ‘ I CHOO !’
WIRRAL ’ S BLACKBERRY GROVE LAND TOP CHEF
W L NEWS
ALL ABOARD THE LOVE TRAIN AS BRIDE AND GROOM VOW ‘ I CHOO !’
WIRRAL ’ S BLACKBERRY GROVE LAND TOP CHEF
Two AA rosette award winning Andy Jones has been appointed Head Chef of Independent Bar Eatery Blackberry Grove in New Brighton .
Jones ’ s former roles include Head Chef at Crabwell Manor in Chester , Head Chef and Operations Manager at The White Mare in Cumbria and most recently Head Chef at The Royal Oak in Kelsall , Cheshire .
Most couples opt for a fancy car or even a horse and carriage as their wedding transport of choice , but Steve and Shirley Davis wanted something a little bit different – a Merseyrail train .
The couple made sure their wedding got off on the right track by hitching a ride on a specially commissioned service to the ceremony and then back to their reception in Port Sunlight .
Steve , who has worked for Merseyrail for the past 32 years , is a station retailer at Port Sunlight in Wirral and wanted to incorporate his muchloved job into his big day .
Stephen Bradley , Head of Stations at Merseyrail , said : “ Stephen , or Sumo to his friends , has been working for Merseyrail since October 1984 and works in our ticket offices on the South Wirral . Sumo is a big character both within Merseyrail and with our customers with his one liners and his awful jokes ! Stephen approached me earlier this year to advise me he was getting married and that he would like to surprise his soon to be wife by having the station decorated . We decided to do a bit more than that and arranged free travel for 50 of his guests and greeted them with champagne and flowers . We received lots of great comments from our customers about how the station looked and Stephen and his wife seemed really happy with our efforts .”
The couple and their guests travelled from Port Sunlight to the registry office before returning on the train for their reception at a location near to the station . Steve and Sheila are now enjoying a well-deserved honeymoon !
Having worked with Marco Pierre White and Jean Christoph Novelli amongst other high profile chefs , Andy brings a wealth of experience to the relatively new establishment on The Wirral . The appointment clearly shows the ambition of owner Joanna Jones , “ We are delighted to welcome Andy as our new Head Chef and we are all looking forward to working with him . He is a well-respected chef who is vastly experienced , something which was very important for me going forward .”
Blackberry Grove opened their doors in October 2015 , with their mission statement being clear , ‘ We have something for everyone ’. In addition to their vast array of meat dishes , they are well known for their imaginative vegan and vegetarian cuisine as well as their extensive gluten free menu . Within five months of trading , Joanna and the team were recognised by winning the ‘ Outstanding Customer Care ’ award at The Wirral Tourism Awards 2016 . In November 2016 , they were shortlisted and named as one of the best 20 places in the country for people with food allergies to eat out at ( Free From Eating Out Awards 2016 ). Most recently they were recognised nationally again when shortlisted at The Casual dining Awards 2017 , down to the final four with three London eateries for ‘ Best New Dining Concept ’. Joanna adds , “ We ’ ve had a great start in these past 18 months , we ’ re ready to step it up a gear now . We are ambitious in cultivating young talent here at Blackberry Grove and we are confident that Andy will underpin our ambitions with his foundation of knowledge that can cascade to our less experienced members .” Featured in The Good Food Guide of Cumbria 2015 , Andy says , “ For me it was about coming back to the area , being close to family and very importantly , working for someone whose ambition matches my own . Jo is hungry for success , like myself , and hopefully we can make a great team and put Blackberry Grove on the Culinary map . I ’ m really looking forward to getting started .”
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