Issue 35 autumn 2022 - Flipbook - Page 42
Renovation and repair on the
menu for landmark building
A new high-end restaurant is set to open in Grantham following restoration and repair of the
town’s historic Grade II listed Westgate Hall.
The vital work is being made possible with a £300,000
grant made through the Grantham High Street Heritage
Action Zone programme, funded by Historic England and
South Kesteven District Council.
The grant will provide for urgent repairs and necessary
improvements to bring the former corn exchange, which
dates from 1852, back into use.
The remaining repair costs will be funded by the property
owner, while the new tenant will support financing new
décor, fixtures and fittings.
Restaurateur Ade Adeshina, who has previously worked
for top chefs including Gordon Ramsey and Marcus
Wearing, is behind the project. He hopes to create a new
destination eatery along the lines of his successful fine
dining restaurant The Chubby Castor, near Peterborough.
His current venture has already been recommended in
the prestigious Michelin Guide and has received two AA
Rosettes.
The 70-seater restaurant will include a large private
dining room, cocktail bar, lounge and open kitchens. It is
being designed to be respectful of the historic building,
with minimal alterations.
It is expected the business, once fully open, will create 30
jobs and act as a “destination venue” for Grantham,
attracting people to the area, supporting the visitor
economy and enhancing and diversifying the evening and
night-time economy of the town centre.
SKDC Leader of the Council Cllr Kelham Cooke
said: “Preserving historic buildings is vital to understanding South Kesteven’s heritage. In addition, it is an
environmentally responsible practice.
"Westgate Hall is of both architectural and historical
interest, which regrettably has deteriorated over the years.
We are fortunate to be in a position to help support the
preservation of this landmark building.
“We have been in long conversations with the owner and
know the new tenant is prepared to invest in this venue,
which will undergo work from later this year for opening
in the first part of 2024.
Below, Westgate Hall exterior