One of the UK’s leading restaurant design agencies to work on Hoylake’s Beacon Arts Village

One of the UK’s leading restaurant design & fit out companies has been chosen to project manage and deliver stunning interior and kitchen designs for the multi-million pound revival of an historic Wirral town hall.

Dawnvale Group is renowned for creating award-winning restaurants and bars for the hotel and leisure industry and has been appointed to design and fit out the restaurant, bar and atrium cafe planned as part of The Beacon Arts Village in Hoylake, Wirral.

The company, which was established in 1994, also has a burgeoning reputation as a trusted advisor to local councils as well as cultural and destination management partners and is a passionate champion for the regeneration of Northern towns.

Dawnvale will work closely with The Beacon’s integrated project delivery team to deliver the vison for the project led by building owners Hylgar Properties to ensure that the venue will have a first class operation as well as having splendid interior design.

The project to convert the seaside town’s 122-year-old civic building into a two-screen cinema and 18 creative studio and retail spaces for artists and makers started at the end of 2019. It follows the successful application for £3.64m grant funding from the government’s Coastal Community Fund, which is designed to help coastal communities flourish and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.

Dawnvale’s task is to make the new destination operate at optimum efficiency, supplying the right equipment, the perfect operational layout for each of the outlets and everything staff will need to provide a first class customer experience.

In addition to the kitchen and bar designs, Dawnvale will manufacture and install equipment, provide interior design technical support and coordination, and supplier, subcontractor and product sourcing.

Nationally Dawnvale Group has worked with The Alchemist, TGI Fridays, Red’s True BBQ and The Botanist as well as delivering Choababy in Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester; Sky Garden in London; the Pilots Bar & Kitchen at Heathrow Airport; and Levi Roots Caribbean Smokehouse at Westfield.

In the North West, among the outstanding outlets the group has been responsible for are Yee Rah Bar & Grill and the Palm Sugar Lounge in Liverpool ONE; Romazzino and the Residents Restaurant & Bar in Nantwich; The Antrobus Arms in Northwich; Chilli Banana in Wilmslow; Rumba in Congleton; and the Holiday Inn Central Park, Gusto, Artisan and Mackie Mayor in Manchester.

Neil Guest, managing director, Dawnvale said: “We have fit out and designed interiors for everything from chain restaurants to independent hotels and this historic building is a very exciting project for us. In each project we immerse ourselves in the vision so our design works for the client and the customer and looks beautiful and is comfortable.

“The Beacon is a sensitive restoration project that will bring something truly magical to Hoylake and Wirral and we are delighted to have been asked to join the team.  It’s extremely important to this community and is in a much-loved building and so we want to help create a special place that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

“From our very early meetings we have absolutely bought into the ambition that Hylgar and Hoylake Village Life want to achieve. All those that are working on this project understand that it is more than just the usual and for all the right reasons we want it to be as good as it possibly can be.”

Dawnvale will also support the on-going maintenance of The Beacon’s kitchen equipment and fittings. 

David Burke of Hylgar Properties, said: “It is incumbent on us to deliver value for money on this project and in every conceivable measure we are doing that. The key to this is the way we have been building an integrated team from the start because this approach has repeatedly demonstrated that a culture of collaboration is more effective at producing effective results and providing best value over the whole life of the project.

“It’s a pragmatic way of working together to find ways of delivering the project to the required quality, within budget and within programme; an approach that is crucial during historic building works. We have built an expert team, with everyone having integrated knowledge of The Beacon in its entirety, each bringing their own skills and merit.

“Dawnvale Group has enormous experience of managing schemes like this and there are very few companies out there who have the expertise to deliver the type of food and beverage outlets we want to provide.

“What we have particularly been impressed with is that although some of the work has been with well-established chains they still provide an independent and bespoke feel because of their attention to detail and the high quality finish that they guarantee.

“Fitting out the likes of The Alchemist or TGI Fridays is further evidence of their project management and delivery skills and they have never delivered a project late, which is almost unheard of in the industry. We are delighted to have them on board.”

The first phase of works on the 1898 building includes internal and external demolitions and construction, including new roofing. The restaurant, with a newly built commercial kitchen, the bar/pub, and a newly-formed covered courtyard with new commercial kitchen space will be on the ground floor. The first floor will consist of a two-screen cinema and refurbished creative industry office/studio spaces. 

Phase two of the project is planned by spring 2020 when the building will be fitted out. In subsequent phases in addition to the 18 retail units, upper floors of the development will provide 40 apartments, using private funding.

The project will create more than 140 jobs during design, construction and operation, and is set to open to the public by the end of 2020. Last month leading Liverpool-based hospitality consultancy, Lucky Penny was appointed to deliver and partner operate the three food and beverage outlets. 

Since 2012, the Coastal Communities Fund has invested £228 million into 395 projects UK-wide.