Cheers to Vandal - first birthday celebrations at town centre bar

The town centre venue opened its doors on September 22 last year serving food and drink at The Treasury Building on Palmyra Square.

Vandal customers will receive free tea and coffee with any dish between 10am and 11.30am, two hours of bottomless brunch for the price of 90 minutes and free fizz when two people dine from 3.30pm onwards.

Happy hour has doubled and will run between 5.30pm and 7.30pm with free fizz and canapés, cocktails will be two for £14 throughout the day and a pint will cost £3 when ordered with a burger or a steak.

Owners Jenny and Matthew Carey – Matthew is also head chef – and general manager Michael Butler have more than 15 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and opened Bold Street House, also on Palmyra Square in 2019.

They wanted to open another venue in the town centre offering “something a bit different”.

Here, in our latest Food and Drink feature, Jenny tells us about opening Vandal - and before that Bold Street House - and their celebratory plans for today and the next few months in the run up to Christmas.

Vandal is one of the 12 shortlisted venues in the running for our final Best of 2023 award - Best Restaurant.

Click here to see the full shortlist and vote for your favourite restaurant

If you would like to appear in our food and drink feature, email heidi.summerfield@newsquest.co.uk

The open kitchen

What’s the name of the bar and restaurant?

Vandal

What’s the address?

The Treasury Building,

Palmyra Square (next door to the Parr Hall)

Are you the owner/manager?

Yes, I own it alongside my husband and head chef Matthew Carey and general manager Michael Butler.

Chargrilled lobster tail served with garlic butter

When did you open the business?

September 22, 2022

Are you local to the area? Did you grow up here?

I’m from Scotland, my husband is born and brought up in Warrington.

Tell me a bit about your business

We are a bar and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a fabulous cocktail menu. We have a bottomless brunch menu available Friday Sunday and also offer a lunchtime quickie menu on Thursdays and Fridays from midday which is £7.50 and perfect for anyone out for a quick break from the office or for a more relaxed lunch pre or post shopping. We have a fabulous rooftop garden and a great open kitchen where you can sit for drinks or to eat while watching the chefs cooking up a storm.

The rooftop terrace is a suntrap

Tell me about the food you offer

We serve small plates, steaks and burgers. The small plates are the perfect size to have as a starter if people want a more traditional style of dining or they can order three or four small plates each to share and try a whole selection of things. Our meat all comes from the Isle of Man and is incredibly tasty.

Why did you decide to open your own business?

We have lived in Warrington for a while now and we felt that while there are lots of great food options available, there wasn’t anything that was a bit different. It’s predominantly Indian, Chinese, Italian and Spanish and while we do have a fabulous grill menu, our small plates menu offers something a bit different. A modern British twist on tapas I guess. Matthew has a huge passion for great quality ingredients and beautifully presented food so we jumped at the opportunity to open a restaurant in The Treasury Building.

What’s your business background?

We have all been in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years and prior to opening Vandal in 2022, we opened Bold Street House, also on Palmyra Square, in 2019.

450g dry aged sirloin served with hand cut chips

Why this type of business?

We have a passion for service and hospitality. There is nothing quite like the feeling of your bar or restaurant being full of people, all having an amazing time. The feedback we have received has been incredible and it is what drives everything we do.

What makes your business different to others in the same area/field? What sets your business apart from your competitors?

Nothing is too much trouble - we go out of our way to make sure everyone’s expectations are not just met but exceeded. The food, the service and the atmosphere are things we constantly strive to be the best at.

Why do loyal customers return to your business?

Service and attention to detail. The food menu is changed regularly so people have plenty to choose from. I think the fact that it’s owner-operated means that we aren’t relying on anyone else to deliver our idea of excellence. Matthew designs and cooks every dish alongside our incredible team of chefs and Michael and I are present front of house with our team who spend a lot of time training and developing.

The rooftop terrace is a popular destination for customers day or night

What’s happening with the first birthday celebrations?

Today, Friday, September 22 we turn one and will be celebrating with some serious deals and discounts available throughout the day and night, so that people can come and join us for some birthday fun!

🍾Breakfast - get free tea and coffee with any dish from 10am-11.30am

🍾Bottomless Brunch - get 2 hours for the price of 90 minutes

🍾 Free Fizz - Get a free bottle of Prosecco between any 2 people dining from 3.30pm onwards

🍾 Happy Hour - 5.30-7.30pm - free fizz and free canapés

🍾 All day - 2 cocktails for £14

🍾 Any pint £3 when ordered with a burger or steak!

Santa Maria cocktail - gin, campari, cointreau, fresh lemon and gomme and served with a smoke bubble

What do the next 12 months have in store? Any plans?

We are gearing up for a busy Christmas and New Year with most weekends already incredibly busy. We have Beth from The Priory Flower Company in doing some wreath making workshops and Lorna from ‘I Made That Bag’ to do a stitch and sip workshop - perfect for Christmas presents or a little personal treat. We are also planning to have a teepee up on our roof garden from mid October so that will be the perfect spot for Christmas party drinks. Otherwise,.Vand it’s just business as usual with some great events thrown in.