Foodies will be able to purchase produce used in the kitchen of an award-winning restaurant when a new shop opens today, Wednesday 3 May.
Lunar Storehouse, at World of Wedgwood, will give customers the chance to see and purchase food used in the kitchen of Lunar, a fine-dining restaurant founded by entrepreneur Craig Wilkinson and two-star Michelin chef Niall Keating.
It will be based next to Josiah & Co, a shop showcasing local artisans, which has just moved into bigger premises on the site in Barlaston, near Stoke-on-Trent.
The two businesses will work together offering quality products such as dry aged meats available to order, exclusive caviar and truffles. Lunar Storehouse will also promote local suppliers from the Staffordshire region.
Niall, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, who won the BBC cooking competition Great British Menu in 2020, said: “I am so pleased to be able to get started on this project, to be able to celebrate our fantastic suppliers, the area and give a new angle to experiencing what you taste in the restaurant.
“Hopefully it gives people an opportunity to appreciate the quality and source of their meat and produce.
“I see this as only the beginning stage and I look forward to taking people on this journey with us. We hope to be able to provide customers with more and more unique products from the Lunar kitchen over time.”
Plans for the store’s future include expanding Lunar specific products as well as curated food packages with recipes. There will be workshops held in the space in collaboration with Josiah & Co on a range of topics from butchery to flower arranging and many more.
Laura Cook, from Josiah & Co, said: “It’s been a great project to work on, bringing another unit to World of Wedgwood championing local supply.
“It’s a great addition to Josiah & Co and follows the same ethos. Really looking forward to developing Lunar Storehouse with Niall and the team to deliver exciting events, workshops, networking and more.”
Lunar’s name is taken from The Lunar Society social network of the 18th century, which Wedgwood founder Josiah Wedgwood was a key member of.
The 120-seater venue was given a gold award and placed 43rd on a list of the UK’s top eateries by restaurant and venues guide SquareMeal earlier this year.
It was also crowned The Best Independent Restaurant and Best New Tourism Business in the county at the 2023 Enjoy Staffordshire awards, reported by Daily Focus here.
