Bottle & Thyme toasts opening night success at Elder Way

Chesterfield’s award-winning independent bar and restaurant, Bottle & Thyme has made the move to Elder Way. The move has created six new jobs and prompted seven-day opening for the business.

The family-owned and run business has transformed the flagship corner unit of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way into a restaurant, private function room which seats up to 40 people, and bar, with additional outdoor space for dining and drinking.

The new function area, The Glass Room, hosted a wedding on the first night of opening and is already fully booked throughout September.

A 10-year lease on the 3,153 sq ft unit was agreed with Jomast in June. Since then, the frontage and interior of the unit have undergone a complete transformation.

The relocation to Elder Way has tripled the size of the business. The separate bar area has enabled owners Hannah and Gavin Grainger to expand Bottle & Thyme’s wine and cocktail menu. And just a month before opening, the couple welcomed baby Ellis to their family.

Gavin explained: “Because of the size of the unit we have been able to zone it internally which has ensured that it still feels intimate. It looks fantastic. Hannah and I are delighted at how everything has gone. The move has been really well received by our customers. We’ve had lots of bookings for the restaurant and function room. We’ve really hit the ground running.”

The new private function area, known as The Glass Room, caters for functions of up to 30 guests, Hannah explained: “Being located a short walk from the town hall, there is high demand for micro weddings, and this is already showing in the number of booking we have taken for The Glass Room. It’s a lovely space and something which Chesterfield didn’t have.”

Mark Hill, Jomast’s Commercial Property Director said: “We are delighted to welcome Bottle & Thyme to Elder Way. Hannah and Gavin have transformed the flagship corner unit of this iconic building, helping further bring our joint vision to life. Together with neighboring tenants, Premier Inn and Hotpod Yoga, Bottle & Thyme are creating a new leisure and hospitality quarter in the heart of Chesterfield. It is a very exciting time for this iconic site, and we are talking to a number of future potential tenants keen to take advantage of all that the town and the building can offer their businesses.”

Gavin and Hannah now plan to add further to Chesterfield’s food and drink offering. They have retained Bottle & Thyme’s former location on Knifesmithgate. The premises are now undergoing a. transformation into a charcuterie, cheese and wine bar, called Elder, which will open later this year.

The relocation of Bottle & Thyme to Elder Way follows the opening of Hotpod Yoga in Unit 7 in April earlier this year.

Chris Wilkinson, owner of Hotpod Yoga Chesterfield, said: “Everything is going really well with the unit and business. The location is brilliant. We get lots of walk-ins and enquiries from people who are passing. It’s brilliant to welcome another business to the Elder Way. There’s a really supportive business community developing here. We are already working with Bottle & Thyme on events for later in the year.”

Five units now remain available at Elder Way with joint agents WSB Property and FHP, reporting strong interest from a number of operators.

For enquiries or further information about the units, visit www.elderway.co.uk.

To find out more about commercial property opportunities in Chesterfield, visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/