Paul Kitching - restaurant 21212, Edinburgh - to open 20 May
09
The official opening date of Michelin-starred chef Paul Kitching's new restaurant 21212 has been confirmed
as Wednesday 20 May 09.
For Paul it's
the culmination of his dream to set up 21212 and run it in his own imitable
style. When it opens in the third week of May facilities will include three
luxury bedrooms, a 38 seater restaurant, bar, reception area and private
dining. In terms of contrasts it's night and day in comparison to their
eponymous restaurant Juniper. The listed Georgian townhouse over four floors is
light, spacious and airy whereas Juniper was an onstreet property which was a
former an estate agents. The couple and their business partners* have invested
£4.5m into the project and have been heavily involved in restoring the elegant
townhouse to its former glory since inception and although they have retained many
period features they primarily wanted to transform the restaurant into a 21st century environmentally friendly restaurant.
A glance at the menu carefully constructed and
considered by Paul shows that he is
staying true to his modern French style of cookery which he championed at Juniper
but with a more grown up approach to his menu combinations. For £60 per person
the dinner menu consists of an exciting combination of dishes prepared by Paul and his team of eight chefs, which includes his
sous chef from Juniper Kate Johnston. The five course gourmet menu consists of
a choice of two dishes on the starter, main course and dessert courses, hence
the restaurant's name. The lunch menu priced from £20 per person offers diners
the flexibility to choose from a 2, 3, 4 or 5 course menu. It's also a marked
departure from other restaurants as there won't be a separate a la carte or
taster menu - just a well thought out combination of exciting flavours for each
course.
When asked about the vibe of his new establishment
and his hopes for the future he advised. ‘When we left Juniper we were looking
for a new challenge. Edinburgh where we had
spent some considerable time in the past was the ideal place for us and Katie
who is originally from Scotland
has been a delightful tour guide and we have been enjoying exploring the city
and the rest of Scotland
together in what little spare time we have had over the past couple of months.
To new diners coming to the restaurant that are unfamiliar with my style of
food I don't have a uniform style of presentation on the plate and my dishes
are a composition of flavours that make the whole dining experience. In the
past I have been called experimental but I would say that my dishes are
intricate, feminine, interesting and vibrant in colour and they are delicately
assembled with a build up of flavours. Each course is made up of a variety of
components that could be represented in isolation but I think that new diners
will find the food interesting and seasoned Juniper regulars will find our new
venture a refreshing take on his original style and one that they will enjoy. For
us as well as the food - it's always been about the whole dining experience so
from the décor to the added extras in terms of to the service it's about our
style and attention to detail and we think that will shine through'.
Bookings are now being taken on [email protected] and from 27 April phone reservations can also be made for the restaurant and
bedrooms - on 0845 22 21212**.
Bedrooms,
which are priced from £250 per night can also be booked. 21212 will open five
days a week -Tuesday through to Saturday for lunch and dinner with meals served
between 12.00 -1.45pm and 7.00-9.30pm.
For further details contact Su
Hesketh or Michelle Nelson on 0131
311 7050 or email [email protected] or [email protected]
Just a selection
of dishes that will be available
Creamy swede soup,
cauliflower and white truffle puree, sesame seeds and granny smith apple
Beef fillet
assiette of protein, hazelnut scone, feta cheese and dried onions
White asparagus
and caramelized onions and brazil nuts walnuts and broccoli
Individually
glazed lemon tart, champagne and carrot sorbet, ginger Anglais
Paul Kitching: Paul began
his career in catering aged 20. He has worked at some of the countries finest
establishments including Restaurant 74 in Canterbury
and Gidleigh Park
before taking up his first head chef role at Nunsmere Hall in Cheshire. He is best known for attaining his
own Michelin star at Juniper, Greater Manchester in 1997, which he was to hold
for over 11 years until he decided to move to Edinburgh in late 2008 to open up his new
restaurant venture with his partner Katie O'Brien. While Paul's culinary
creations have previously yielded unexpected combinations the deep thought
given to the balance of each dish ensures flavours that complement rather than
compete and meals that are memorably exciting. Juniper received accolades and
praise from fellow chefs and reviewers alike and was called ‘The Shining Star
of the North' by Gordon Ramsay. Under Paul Juniper became the North West's only
4AA rosette restaurant and Greater Manchester's only Michelin-starred
restaurant and ranking in the top 20 restaurants in The Good Food Guide and
England's Restaurant of the Year in 2003.
Katie O'Brien: Katie grew up on the North East of
Scotland and was involved in the catering industry from an early age. Her first
key role was Restaurant Manager at Nunsmere Hall Hotel & Restaurant, where
she first met Paul Kitching. Other promoted roles at establishments including
Michelin starred Hambleton Hall in Rutland
followed before she returned to working once again with her partner Paul at
Juniper. Katie's personality and past experience shaped Juniper into a
restaurant with a friendly, unpretentious and informal feel.
*Business Partners - Paul and Katie are both business partners in 21212 along
with Joan Revie and Jackie
Campbell - full biogs can be provided if required.
"Paul is pure talent, driven by a great creative energy;
a powerhouse of the North" Gordon Ramsay
Paul's cooking
"successfully delivers precise technical execution, with innovative sometimes
daring combinations of top quality produce with outstanding flavours."
"Juniper is a
unique restaurant with a unique chef. He's very driven and he's a very intimate
guy with his food. He's a one-off
Just reading
Juniper's constantly changing menu will either produce a grin or a frown of
bafflement. The combinations are unlikely, though far from random
Asking why Paul Kitching cooks weird is like asking why Jimi
Hendrix played weird. Because it was the fresh and exciting and daring thing to
do
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