MasterChef: The Professionals contestant and The National Chef of the Year 2020 semi-finalist, Nat Tallents, is set to helm the kitchen of new The Box Kitchen & Bar. Having postponed its original May 2020 opening date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new dining experience will now launch on Friday 25 September with an exclusive preview weekend for a select few Plymouth residents, before opening to all on 29 September.

The new destination restaurant will open within The Box; a £44m cultural and heritage attraction based in Plymouth.

Opening as part of the Mayflower 400 commemorations, the museum celebrates Plymouth's rich historic and cultural make-up.  Paying homage to Plymouth's heritage, the restaurant's menu draws inspiration from around the world, while produce remains from nearby coast and countryside.

The striking restaurant will provide diners a safe, socially distanced setting to enjoy a selection of dishes that embrace local and fresh ingredients from around the region. The new space will feature a vast backlit bar, floor to ceiling windows and historical figureheads that have been retrieved from a flotilla of Royal Naval ships suspended from the ceiling. This modern and unique restaurant is far from a museum amenity; it's an attraction by itself.

Previously executive chef of The Plume of Feathers in Cornwall, Nat Tallents will oversee The Box Kitchen & Bar. The new dining experience will take advantage of the wide-open space, using both inside and out on the patio to provide diners a safe, spacious environment. The kitchen will initially serve breakfast, lunch, coffee and cakes, before launching their evening menu from mid-November.

The breakfast menu includes a Mexican-inspired breakfast flatbread, as well as items like pancakes with maple syrup and smoked bacon. The lunch menu includes a beetroot and halloumi burrito and Devon beef minute steak.

There are plenty of vegetarian, vegan and dishes that cater for a range of allergies.

Nat Tallents said: “The Box Kitchen & Bar will be everything the community space around it represents: welcoming, fun and hospitable, with great food and drink made with the best seasonal produce we can source. I'm extremely proud to be a part of this exciting new chapter and can't wait to welcome our first guests in September.”

“And what's even more exciting is that come November, we will be launching our evening service which will be a whole new experience within itself.” reveals Nat. “We want to create a destination dining venue, where people are drawn in by the quality and exclusivity of our menu, curated wine and drinks list to match, and the unique opportunity of sharing that experience during the twilight hours onwards alongside the incredible figure heads”

The museum's unique space offers the perfect setting for exclusive private gatherings, weddings and Christmas parties.

The Box Kitchen & Bar will be open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 – 4pm. For more information, visit www.theboxplymouth.com | 01752 304774 | Twitter, Facebook & Instagram - @boxkitchenbar

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 Notes to Editors

For further information, high resolution images or additional expert comment, please contact RAW Food & Drink PR:

Scarlette Matthews - scarlette@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk Tel: 07855880758 @RawSW

Natalie - natalie@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk Tel: 07742340553 

About Fosters Event Catering – the independent caterers behind The Box Kitchen & Bar

Fosters Event Catering has a long history and heritage operating as a family business for over 60 years from the city of Bristol, providing quality event and retail catering across a wide geographical area. Fosters currently caters for over 500,000 guests annually from its 14,000sq ft central production unit and head office in Bristol.

Fosters Event Catering produce menus that reflect the highest quality of fresh and locally sourced produce, a total understanding of what is `on-trend` and an acknowledgement and understanding of the need that all visitors and guests, irrespective of their dietary requirements, are catered for to the same high standard.

About The Box

The Box is the largest multi-disciplinary arts and heritage space to open in the UK in 2020.  As a key element of Plymouth's 'Resurgam' programme, its launch now symbolises Plymouth's recovery and sets the direction for positive change in the local economy and life of the city as it moves through the COVID-19 pandemic.  Originally three separate buildings, The Box's ground-breaking design has completely transformed, extended and combined Plymouth's former City Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library building and St Luke's Church to create a cutting-edge, interactive cultural centre with 13 new galleries and exhibition spaces, a striking elevated archive, learning and research facilities and a brand new public square for Plymouth.

The Box is led by Plymouth City Council in partnership with the University of Plymouth and the National Museum of the Royal Navy. It is supported by a range of funders including Plymouth City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. www.theboxplymouth.com

In preparation for opening, The Box has put a number of safety and social distancing measures in place to help visitors feel as comfortable as possible. These include:

•       Free admission by advance ticket only, with an easy to follow booking system at www.theboxplymouth.com (tickets can be booked from 10 September)
•       Reduced capacity and clearly marked one way systems in key areas of circulation
•       Increased invigilation by staff and volunteers
•       Hand sanitising facilities and enhanced cleaning
•       A temporary reduction in on site events alongside an enhanced digital offer