The Bluecoat restaurant: Anything but old school

Apr 8 2008 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

Laura Davis checks out an old favourite with a new look

FOR me, it was a single piece of quiche on a rare occasion when we bought food from inside, rather than taking a picnic into the garden.

For you, it may be chocolate cake and filter coffee with the girls or a big pile of salad for a New Year’s detox. It’s fair to say that most people have a first memory of the Bluecoat cafe.

For 27-year-old John Hollywood, it was the first taste of sweet strawberry jam intermingled with the rich heaviness of cream and the satisfying flouriness of a bite of scone.

This is not only his first memory of the Bluecoat, but also one of the first times he can remember savouring the flavours of food and drink – a passion for taste that led him to a career in restaurant management.

After a spell working in five-star hotels in London, Berkshire and the Lake District, he has returned to his Merseyside home to become general manager of Upstairs at the Bluecoat, the new restaurant that replaced the cafe during the School Lane cultural centre’s recent £12.5m development.

"My mother used to take me to the Bluecoat. One of my first-ever memories of food and drink was going to the cafe for afternoon tea. It was probably the first time I’d ever had scones and jam and clotted cream. I distinctly remember the garden," recalls John, who grew up in Wallasey where he has now returned to live.

"The Bluecoat is the only reason I’ve come back really. I’ve got family and friends I’ve missed, but professionally I wouldn’t have come back for anything less than the Bluecoat. I’ve been trying to come back to Liverpool for a while, but there haven’t been any establishments I could justify my CV to.

"My memories of the Bluecoat were always fond. It’s like a complete circle in a way."

The new restaurant, which seats 80, has taken over the entire top floor of Liverpool’s oldest building. The huge glass windows leave little space for artwork, but there is a cormorant – potentially Liverpool’s newest Liver Bird, not far from what is believed by some to be the city’s oldest, on the gates outside – created by local artist Alex Finlay.

The launch menu includes potted Morecambe Bay shrimps with lemon mascarpone and sour dough bread, caramelised onion & Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire tart with tomato dressing, Hesketh Bank salt marsh Lancashire hot pot, Ribble Valley pumpkin & sweet potato pie and English cheeses with Cain’s Ale chutney and rustic breads.

The menu will change with the seasons every three months or so.

Key to its success, John believes, will be the focus on locally-sourced ingredients. Fish is sourced and delivered to the restaurant each day from regional suppliers, including Neaves of Lancashire, vegetables come from recommended farmers, and the choice of cheeses is managed by Peter Pendrill, locally dubbed the "cheese detective" who sources from small farms.

"The food and beverage scene has really swelled. Thanks to Mr Ramsay and other famous chefs in Britain, it’s become a popular modern thing to like fine wines and food. We not going for Michelin stars, but we’d like to promote local food. From day one, we’ve said ‘let’s keep it local, let’s keep it simple’," explains John.

"We could easily get our lamb from New Zealand but we’re not, we’re getting it from Hesketh Bank. Probably not as many people as should do know what we’ve got on offer in terms of local produce in the North West.

"We’ve made the restaurant very casual, very welcoming, we don’t have dress codes. If people come in, relax and say ‘we’ll be back next week just for a cup of coffee’ then we’re doing our job. We’ve already got regulars and we’ve only been open four weeks."

Children are also welcome and are actively encouraged to experience new food with the opportunity to try smaller portions of all main course dishes.

Being family-friendly is important to the Bluecoat, John says, but a main draw will certainly be the building’s history.

"Bluecoat in my eyes is as important to Liverpool as the Liver Buildings or the two football teams. It’s part of the culture of the people – people have come back and mentioned ‘I remember getting engaged here’, ‘I remember going here on my first day out with my girlfriend’s parents’," he says.

"Everyone’s got a story about the Bluecoat, it’s got a place in everyone’s hearts."

lauradavis@dailypost.co.uk

Investing in the past, the present and the future

THE Grade I-listed building that houses Upstairs at the Bluecoat was built in 1717 and was formerly a school.

Its recent redevelopment included a new wing that had been previously unused after suffering extensive fire damage during World War II.

The refurbishment was paid for by a £3.6m grant from Arts Council England’s capital programme, almost £3m from the European Objective 1 programme, just over £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and an investment of £2.5m from the North West Development Agency.