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A self-professed foodie, who moved to the island as lockdown struck, is opening a new second-hand furniture-filled restaurant which aims to promote sustainability and give back to the community.
‘The Pavilion’ is the creation of Zara Kramer (30), who moved to the island at the beginning of the pandemic.
Based at the former Henley's tucked behind Liberty Wharf, the restaurant will be open weekdays from September offering all-day brunch, followed by light bites and cocktails.
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As a self-professed ‘foodie’, Zara had always dreamed of opening a restaurant. With plenty of time to think during lockdown, she decided to make this dream a reality.
Zara said: “During covid, loads of people had that moment to reflect on what matters to them. We had a baby so were definitely looking for something to fit around our new lifestyle.”
When the Henleys site came up, she jumped at the chance to rent it.
Pictured: The Pavilion will be located at the former site of Henleys at Liberty Wharf.
Zara explained that the restaurant site is a “unique location”, meaning that they have to “cover all angles” of service.
She said: “We have to do the grab-and-go in the mornings for the office workers, bistro-style service for all day brunch and then cocktails and light bites in the evenings.”
“We want people to feel equally as comfortable having a meeting, bringing their family, or having a date at The Pavilion. It really should feel inclusive to everyone.
“We’re coming in with quite a fresh vision. We’ve spent a lot of time designing a space that people feel comfortable and welcome in. We really want it to feel like a ‘home-from-home’ for office workers.”
The restaurant will also offer corporate catering and space for private events.
Zara has previously worked for many global brands helping them to reduce their environmental impact. It is therefore no surprise that sustainability is one of the values at the heart of The Pavilion.
“My knowledge of environment impact is something unique that I will be implementing at The Pavilion,” she explained.
“We’re focusing on sourcing locally and not using plastics. As far as possible, the restaurant interior has been sourced second-hand from all over the UK.”
The Pavilion has also teamed up with local hives to offer Jersey Honey on their menu, and the coffee they are using is sourced from a social enterprise in South London.
For every pallet of coffee they buy, the Old Spike Roastery will train a homeless person off the street to become a barista and then place them in a local coffee shop.
Pictured: The Pavilion's pancakes with fresh berries and Chantilly cream.
Zara said: “Every single aspect, from the cocktail list to the menu, is all quite unique so hopefully when it all comes together it will be an exciting offering. The environmental aspect is also throughout every single thing that we’ve thought about which is so important in this day and age.”
The restaurant has also decided to partner up with local charity, Caring Cooks.
Taking inspiration from larger chain restaurants, there will be certain dishes on their menu which include a 25p donation to the charity for every portion ordered.
The Pavilion will also be hosting Caring Cooks events for free to ensure that it’s “more than just a financial partnership”.
The restaurant also aims to be “inclusive” to those with dietary requirements, with around half of The Pavilion’s launch menu being vegetarian which Zara says “links to the environmental aspect”. Almost all dishes can also be made gluten-free, and there are also vegan options on the menu.
Pictured: Almost half the dishes on the menu, including the pea and herb smash, are vegetarian-friendly.
Although it has been a lot of work juggling builders, electricians, and plumbers, Zara is thankful that she hasn't encountered any "major hiccups" along the way.
She added: “Staffing is obviously quite difficult in Jersey - everyone seems to be struggling with it at the moment. We’ve actually been really lucky that some great people have just stumbled across us at quite an early stage.
“I think people are always keen to work somewhere new, and we have the added bonus of offering more social hours as we are closed on weekends.
“We’ve got two great chefs that we’ve been working with for the last few months on menu development and stuff. They’re chomping at the bit to get going and get open; I think they’re so fed up with cooking in my kitchen at home!
“We’ve also got a brilliant restaurant manager who has worked at loads of different places on the island, so I think we’re only looking for one waitress now to complete the team.
“We just can’t wait to get started!”
All-day brunch will be served at The Pavilion from 8:00 to 15:00, then light bites and cocktails from 15:30 to 19:30.
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