The interactive new restaurant where you are the chef!
Published Thursday 25 March 2021 at 17:47
All-fired up: New steak team plan big changes to town centre restaurant
Renowned restaurant chain The Firepit Restaurant & Cocktail Bar have announced exciting plans to take over a key Blackburn Town Centre venue, creating up to 30 new jobs.
Andrew Novak, founder of the first Firepit restaurant in Rossendale, is bringing the theatrical restaurant concept to Blackburn’s award-winning Cathedral Quarter.
Council leaders say they will be thrilled to see the ‘Firepit ignited’ when lockdown restrictions hopefully ease in May.
The Firepit brand was developed to be a social experience, since the age of mankind the firepit has been the centre of social circles. Whether gathering around the firepit to cook or to stay warm, it is where people came together. The idea of expanding our vibrant and unique social experience throughout the north is something I am really passionate about
said Andrew.
Restrictions have meant the team won’t fire up the grills until May 17 at the earliest, when indoor hospitality is allowed to open up.
The venue, formerly A Mano, will have space for up to 100 diners when the restrictions are lifted.
We think it is going to look great and we’ve already had a lot of positive feedback,” Andrew added.
Andrew, who is married with three children, at the sprightly age of 39, seems to know what people are looking for, having expanded the chain out of Rossendale recently to St Anne’s, Southport and now to Blackburn.
We are more than just a steakhouse because we want to provide a bit of something for everybody from vegetarian meals to peri peri chicken and our top shelf specialist cocktail bar.
Their specialist steak-on-a-stone is cooked at your table on a 350 degree Lava rock, which holds its temperature to do its job at the table.
Cooking your steak this way at your table allows you to enjoy every mouthful cooked exactly how you like it.
It’s the interactive environment that people love. It brings that bit of theatre and atmosphere to your table. It is like being at one really big BBQ where you have control of the cooking of your own food!
Andrew said.
He added:
The council have been really helpful and accommodating making everything feel right about coming here. The location, the size, the transport links, being right next to the train station, bus station, the Mall shopping centre and with the new cinema opening soon, it all helped us to make the decision to invest in Blackburn and keep to our growth plans. I hope people will support us.
Deputy Council Leader and Executive Member for Growth and Prosperity, Cllr Phil Riley, said:
This is absolutely brilliant news for the borough. It shows a real vote of confidence for the town’s growth by a high value operator. These are challenging times for the sector but we will continue to work hard to enable these businesses and others to prosper in Blackburn and Darwen.
Cllr Riley added:
When the lockdown lifts, we are confident due to the work that has been going on behind the scenes over the past year and beyond that we will start to see a real growth in the hospitality and evening sector in Blackburn. That has been our ambition and continues to be so.
The opening of the town’s new cinema will complement this welcome new addition to help bring a real buzz to town.
This project, which has been many months in the planning, is the perfect culmination of the Firepit’s vision which promises to bring together incredible food, cocktails, great beer and talented live music entertainer’s right in the heart of Blackburn.
We look forward to working with Andrew and his team and wish him the very best.
The Firepit will specialise in stone-cooked steaks and will serve a selection of homemade burgers, ribs, and a range of vegetarian dishes. The stone-cooked steaks are designed to be healthier and also avoid too much oil and smoke affecting the flavour of the meat.
They also pride themselves on sourcing produce locally wherever possible.
The Pit Stop takeaway service providing food and cocktails in a pouch has helped keep the businesses going throughout the pandemic.
Andrew, a former Haslingden High School pupil, added: “I just can’t wait to get everything open, our team back to work and start to rebuild once again.”
The new restaurant will:
– Employ between 20-30 staff to cover brunch and evening trade
– Be fully redecorated with Firepit branding and new colour new schemes
– Create a bigger kitchen area
– Build a beer cellar
– Add additional ventilation
The restaurant aims to open with a soft launch to ensure Covid secure measures. It is hoped a grand opening party can happen when the Government further ease the restrictions. Something for us all to look forward to!