Derbyshire Times news bulletin with editor Phil Bramley
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Here's today's Derbyshire Times video bulletin.
00:03A prominent building in Chesterfield town centre,
00:05which has planning permission for nine apartments,
00:08has gone on the market for 350,000 pounds.
00:11The old church on Holywell Cross
00:13has most recently been run as Big Ball's pool and sports bar.
00:16Built in the 19th century,
00:18the building was originally a primitive Methodist chapel
00:20and closed in 1980.
00:23It later housed a YMCA, a cafe, and a recording studio
00:26before becoming a number of nightclubs,
00:28including Livingstones and Syn.
00:31Listed for sale on the MJB commercial property website,
00:34it is described as an established sports bar venue
00:37in an extremely prominent position
00:38in Chesterfield town centre.
00:40The fully fitted bar is a converted church
00:42with many interesting and attractive features.
00:45The property now also benefits from planning permission
00:48for conversion to form nine residential apartments.
00:51Plans have been drawn up for the apartments
00:53on the ground and first floor of the building,
00:55which also has a basement and a second floor.
00:59A new restaurant in Chesterfield
01:01has got off to a flying start
01:02after opening in the former carp department store
01:04on Elder Way.
01:06We caught up with Bottle and Time owners,
01:07Hannah and Gavin Granger, on their move across the road
01:10and the support they've had from the local community so far.
01:13I'm Hannah, this is Gavin, Granger.
01:16We've just opened our new venue, Bottle and Time.
01:19We had our venue across the road at 15 Nicewood Gate
01:24and we've just expanded to a new bigger premises
01:26on Elder Way.
01:28We got to the point in our old premises
01:30where we were just too small to be able to grow
01:33and to take in the extra customer base
01:35that we wanted to be able to serve.
01:37So we've taken the opportunity to expand,
01:39moved into one of the bigger units on Elder Way
01:43and it's meant that we've been able to offer
01:45more seats to customers, but also add to the business.
01:48So we've got an extra bar area.
01:51Private hire area.
01:52Private hire area, which has meant that we can offer
01:55a lot more that we wanted to be able to do
01:57in our old premises, but we just didn't have the space
02:00to be able to offer it.
02:02So we're really excited to see what else we can do here.
02:05So you've taken on more staff now?
02:07Yes, we've expanded I'd say by...
02:10About 30%?
02:1130% so far, but we're already recruiting at the moment
02:15for an events coordinator and some extra chefs
02:19just because we've been so much busier than we...
02:24We thought we'd be busy, but it has been unexpected.
02:27Really hit the ground running.
02:28Yeah.
02:30So we're already expanding our workforce,
02:32which is really exciting.
02:34The team have been working very hard
02:36to get the business ready and then to be working...
02:39And we are working with the customers.
02:41With the bigger numbers in a bigger venue.
02:44So everybody's needed a well-deserved rest at the minute,
02:47but we are taking more staff on and we're excited to do that.
02:51Yeah, we served things that we used to serve before
02:53in terms of like breakfast and brunch offering.
02:55We still get the small plates offering,
02:57but we're now like, we do double the numbers now.
03:00So you don't have to like be...
03:02Not be able to get in on a Saturday night anymore.
03:05The private hire areas have been a real plus for us
03:09because we've now got event space.
03:11So we can have like a 30th birthday with us, a wedding.
03:15We've got a few wedding reception inquiries through,
03:19baby showers, et cetera.
03:20And you've all got their own little private space,
03:22their own bar, a little courtyard on the side.
03:24So I feel that's a massive plus.
03:27Also the weekend, it's really good to have a bar area.
03:30So see quite a lot of people
03:32that were used to coming for drinks more,
03:33but then couldn't really get a seat at the bar
03:36and now started coming in here.
03:37So we get a lot more drinkers in here,
03:38like just having a nice like date night,
03:40cocktail or glass of wine.
03:42So yeah, I feel like we've got three different
03:45revenue streams now, which is quite great for us.
03:49We just want to mention how grateful we are
03:51for the support that we've had so far since opening.
03:53So we've had lots of our regular customers in,
03:56so lots of like old friendly faces,
03:58but also lots of new people trying us.
04:01It's been so lovely to meet everybody.
04:03Obviously I haven't been here as much.
04:04No, I've just been living and breathing it.
04:07But yeah, everybody's been so supportive
04:10and the feedback we've had so far has been brilliant.
04:13And as a town, it just feels,
04:15yeah, like just everybody's been behind us,
04:17which has been-
04:18A lot of comments saying it's like having a city venue
04:20in a town, which is, I think,
04:22Chesterfield's been crying out for something
04:24new and exciting.
04:25So hopefully this will be the start of maybe
04:28more development in this area.
04:29Really hope so.
04:30More people we speak to,
04:32but like people just want there to be
04:34more to go to in the town centre
04:37and to see that town centre come back to life really.
04:39So hopefully more people will come in
04:43and really build this up here.