Sankey and Singh to set up Scots venture

The manager of one of Scotland's most highly regarded independent restaurant groups has left to set up his own restaurant.

James Sankey has worked for restaurateur Andrew Radford for seven years, most recently as group manager of the Atrium restaurant in Edinburgh and Radford's Blue Bar Cafés in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Sankey has teamed up with Tony Singh, former head chef on the Royal Yacht Britannia, for the new venture, to be called Oloroso.

The duo wants to open the restaurant on the third and fourth floors of a listed building in George Street, Edinburgh, owned by Pearl Assurance.

Sankey said: "We have exclusivity on it and basically we just have to firm up on the funding."

The pair are being backed by a team of private investors.

They estimate the property, which they plan to lease, would cost £1m to renovate.

If their plans go ahead, Oloroso would have two floors. On one would be a bar and 200-seat dining area, where the average food bill is expected to be £15-£20 per person. Above this would be a mezzanine floor seating 70, with a private 20-seat dining room. The average bill here would be £35-£40. There would also be a 60-seat roof terrace.

Sankey and Singh hope to open the restaurant next spring.

by Louise Bozec louise.bozec@rbi.co.uk

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 31 August - 6 September 2000