Ordering starters comes under starter’s orders at Roodee restaurant

May 5 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

RACEGOERS attending this week’s meeting at Chester can now either splash their winnings or drown their sorrows at a new restaurant.

In a joint venture between the racecourse and Heathcotes Outside, the glass-fronted restaurant – called 1539 – will be open all year round.

It gets its name from the year racing first took place in Chester during the reign of King Henry VIII, and offers panoramic views over the Roodee.

The restaurant, which opened just days before the start of the racing season on Wednesday, was the brainchild of Chester racecourse chief executive Richard Thomas.

He said: “We are in a fantastic location and believe the racecourse really lends itself to a restaurant of this calibre.

“We are proud to have been able to turn this project around so quickly.

“What makes 1539 so special is the fact that it will be open all year and not just on race days.”

The restaurant is spread over two floors, with an outside decking area, and caters for more than 200 diners.