Dining as usual as themed city restaurant is sold off

Jun 28 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

The Strawberry Pennypolitain, prepared at the Alma De Santiago, Penny Lane, Liverpool _158

JUST days after a Liverpool company snapped up prized city restaurant Alma de Cuba, it has bought its sister restaurant and bar Alma de Santiago.

Last night it was business as usual at the eaterie just on Penny Lane under its new owners, TGI.

Director Chris Wainwright confirmed the deal with previous owners The Korova Corporation, headed by businessman Rob Gutmann.

TGI, established to run the Latino-themed restaurants plan to roll out the Alma brand across the north west.

Alma de Santiago is in the heart of one of the city’s biggest student residential areas, just down the road from where John Lennon and George Harrison went to primary school, in the former Dovedale Towers pub.

Earlier this week, the venue was hit by a flooded basement, but Mr Wainwright stressed that had no impact on the completion of the sale.

“We are delighted to have Alma de Santiago in our ownership as a complement to Alma de Cuba,” he told the Daily Post.

“Our intention is to run it primarily as a restaurant offering Spanish and Mexican food in a Latino environment. It is a beautiful building in a really good location.”

Alma de Cuba was created within what had been one of the city centre’s oldest churches, the 18th St Peter’s Church, which had gradually been losing its congregation.

It retained its stained glass windows and marble plaques, and quickly became a “must visit” restaurant in the city.

The Korova Corporation will continue as owners of the city centre Korova bar and music venue, bars and restaurants at Negresco in Lark Lane, as well as the former Elephant public house in Woolton, where a trendy eaterie and bar has been created.

No price has been disclosed for the latest sale, and Mr Gutmann has given no explanation about the reason for letting go of his two Alma restaurants.

In 2006, Mr Gutmann’s Lyceum Group company sold off his famous Albert Dock venues – Pan American and Blue – to Lancashire-based JI Entertainment for around £3m. It was then he bought what was Dovedale Towers, converting it into Alma de Santiago.

Dovedale Towers, a popular venue for weddings and parties in the 1960s and ’70s, has had an interesting history. There are claims that when it was being used as a church hall it hosted a concert in 1957 by John Lennon’s band, The Quarrymen.

One local resident says the building dates from the 19th century when it was the home of Andrew George Kurtz, an art collector who died in 1890.

In the Ordnance Survey map of 1905, it is marked as Grove House, Home for Incurable Children.

In the 1940s, local people say it was known as Cadby Hall, possibly a sports and social club for the food and catering company J.Lyons, with the adjacent football ground which is now claimed as a village green.

larryneild@dailypost.co.uk