Kervan Kitchen to open at £65m Colchester Northern Gateway development

Turnstone Estates has added Kervan Kitchen Restaurant Group to the line-up of operators at its £65m leisure development in Colchester, joining Travelodge, Hollywood Bowl, Puttstars, Greggs and Wendy's.

Kervan Kitchen was established in 2018 and is a casual dining restaurant offering Turkish cuisine across three sites in Essex: Gidea Park, Brentwood and Basildon.

The group has signed a 25-year lease without a break on a 6,000 sq ft store with work expected to start on site this spring.

Savas Firat and Maggie Themistocli, founders of Kervan Kitchen, said: "We are delighted to be joining the Northern Gateway scheme and are committed to delivering amazing, authentic Turkish food to our customers. With local jobs for local people at the forefront of our mission too, we look forward to bright future in Colchester!"

Councillor Sue Lissimore, portfolio holder for resources and deputy leader of the council, said: "This quality restaurant brand is unique to the county and adds to the diverse mix of food and leisure opportunities that will be available to the public. We'd love to hear from other regional food enterprises keen to build their presence in north Essex."

Chris Goldsmith, managing director of Turnstone Estates, added: "Kervan Kitchen is a strong regional restaurant group with a loyal following and complements the wider offer at Colchester. We welcome them to the scheme and are delighted that work will be starting on site very shortly."

Colchester Sports Park opened last year and work is underway on the leisure park, which is scheduled to open in autumn 2023.

Turnstone Estates was advised by Whybrow and Wareing and Partners.