Cumbrian cool

With its vibrant colour scheme, a relaxed atmosphere and quirky design features, Foundry 34 in the tourist town of Penrith is the kind of place most twenty-somethings would give their right arm to be seen in. But as 23 year old Daniel Harding sits back in one of the restaurant’s many comfy sofas to enjoy a drink he’s not doing so as a paying customer, but as the owner.
And a well earned drink it is as that, because it’s taken Dan three gruelling years to turn what was once a single storey fish restaurant and takeaway into an ambitious four storey venture comprising not just a 72 seater fish restaurant but a lounge bar, a takeaway, six hotel rooms and an apartment. In that time he’s also won Young Fish Frier of the Year and had to keep an eye on his other thriving business, Angel Lane Chippie.
“Initially when the restaurant came up for sale my dad and I went to take a look purely out of interest. Located just five minutes away from Angel Lane it was our competition after all,” explains Dan. “While the takeaway was working well, it was clear that the fish restaurant wasn’t and we knew if we took it on we would have to make some massive changes if we were to increase trade.”
Not daunted by the size of the project, Dan purchased what was then known as Scott’s Fish Bar in 2008 with his father Dave. With planning permission to gain, builders and contractors to source, and finances to arrange, the pair decided to keep the business open for as long as possible. Finally in January of this year, it was closed down completely while the major works took place. It was a period that tested Dan and his father to their limits. “There were so many challenges from getting the builders and materials on time to jobs being bigger than we initially thought to underestimating the amount of materials we would need. And everything seemed to take a lot longer than we anticipated, for example the planning permission. Because we are in a conservation area, we had to come up with a design that the town planners would be happy with and this took some time.”
But in March the takeaway, named Sandgate Friery, opened followed by the brasserie and lounge bar in May. And while Dan may only be young he certainly doesn’t lack experience or ideas.
“During my time as Young Fish Frier of the Year I put a lot of miles on the clock and I took in ideas all the time from other shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels and bars. I would always take photos of things I liked and things I thought would work and then I just put them all together.”
From the flock wall paper to the high backed chairs and the chandelier made from wine glasses, this place has Dan’s enthusiastic and youthful spirit stamped all over it. And there’s more still to come as Dan’s just placed an order for an ethanol fire, a feature which in the past has been the preserve of five star hotels, private property developers and high- end restaurants. Running off alcohol-based substances, it gives a real flame with none of the mess, odours or smoke associated with a conventional fire, and you just know it’s going to look absolutely stunning.
The concept that is without doubt having the biggest impact on trade, however, is Black Rock Grill’s (www.blackrockgrill.com) hot lava rocks – stones which are heated in an over to 430°C, then taken out to the customer sizzling hot where they have a unique dining experience by cooking their very own cut of meat at the table to their liking. Because the rock has such an intense and unique heat, it seals in the flavour instantly giving the very best flavour from the meat. “It’s become our signature dish and it really is going down a storm,” says Dan. “It’s a real focal point of conversation and on our opening night all 27 stones were taken. No-one else is doing anything like it round here; I think the nearest place is Whitby. You need these quirky things to make a difference above the rest.”
Dan’s even introduced a dedicated Thursday steak night whereby customers can enjoy a rump steak on a stone at a fantastic price of just £10. And if that doesn’t bring the customers in then one of the many other events – like fajitas night or wine and dine Tuesdays and Wednesdays where two people can get two courses and a bottle of wine for £30 – are sure to. In fact, with all this going on it’s a wonder Dan manages this new venture and Angel Lane Chippie, but he does so extremely well and that’s partly down to Dan’s fastidious organisational skills and also down to a good team.
“It’s not easy leaving it in the hands of someone else as it was my first business but I’m very lucky to have Dean [Chappelow] over at Angel Lane, who’s pretty much taking care of that. Having said that I’m still there three or four times a week to take care of anything that might arise. It’s really a matter of having your eye on the ball and not taking it from one business to focus on the other too much.”
Dan isn’t afraid to admit he has found his new venture more challenging and a lot more involved than his smaller outfit at Angel Lane. “There’s a lot more paperwork involved, and more structures in place. For example, we sell alcohol here so that’s something we’ve had to get used to. We’re involved in Pub Watch in which we work together with other licensees sharing information on known troublemakers.  If someone gets banned from one place they get barred from them all, so that’s something we have to stay on top of.”
Another side of the business Dan’s had to get his head round is introducing a menu that matches the standard of the restaurant he has created – something he’s achieved by employing two fully trained chefs.
Basing the menu on seasonal and local produce was always a goal of Dan’s not only because it keeps a menu fresh, but also because it builds relationships with smaller suppliers and supports the economy around him. ”Penrith is suffering in a big way at the moment due to some massive developments and the two main arteries into town have road works on them. It’s really affected trade as no one can get in and a lot of businesses are suffering.”
Fortunately for Foundry 34, farms and cottage industry are plentiful in Cumbria, which means the restaurant has not been short of suppliers that can meet Dan’s aspirations. As a result his two chefs have successfully crafted a menu made up almost entirely of local and seasonal produce, including things like asparagus, Cumbrian cheeses and local corn-fed chicken.
“We’ve actually just changed the menu today because some things we use have gone out of season like asparagus and rhubarb,” he adds.
Just as much care and attention is taken when it comes to the fish with only sustainably sourced species from the Barents Sea on the menu. And you won’t find anything on sale with an MSC rating of four or higher. All the potatoes are locally sourced and are chipped and peeled on site. “I’ve actually used accords this year as I’ve found maris pipers to be really bad – full of marks and not frying as well. A lot of people I’ve spoken to have said the same this year so I think accords could easily replace pipers. They are very tasty and have very few marks on them, if any.”
A lot of the ingredients and equipment Dan uses here have been tried and tested at his Angel Lane Chippie. For example he uses Middletons batter (www.middletonfoods.com) and fries on a Kiremko (www.kfeltd.co.uk) high efficiency range. “I’ve been really impressed with the efficiency of the range as you can actually touch the flu and it’s never hot. High efficiency is all about recycling the heat, so there should be very little heat waste. But I’ve tested a lot of others that claim high efficiency and the flus are always hot.”
It’s quite remarkable speaking to Dan.Listening to his knowledge of ingredients and  equipment and his passion for quality, you quickly forget that he is just 23 years old. He has a wise head on his shoulders and a great eye for a business opportunity so I would keep your eye on this one. I don’t think Dan is finished building his empire just yet!