Roux Scholar Harry Guy to open first solo restaurant

Harry Guy, winner of the 2016 Roux Scholarship, is to open his first solo restaurant at the Wildes Chester hotel in summer 2022.

Named X by Harry Guy, the restaurant will seat 50 covers and serve British dishes, working with suppliers and farmers particularly in Cheshire.

Guy won the Roux Scholarship while working as support and development chef at the Eden Hotel Collection in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and his prize included a stage at three-Michelin-starred Saison in San Francisco with chef Joshua Skenes.

He has more recently worked as operations manager at Simon Rogan's London restaurants Roganic and Aulis London.

The restaurant space at X is described as "invitingly dark" to create a sense of "escapism" for guests.

Guy said: "I am essentially creating my perfect restaurant; from the dishes that I have had brewing in my mind for years to the look and feel of the space itself. I am also in the process of forming a great team of people from the ground up, creating something that feels really special. Right now I couldn't be more proud or more eager to get the doors open.

"For me, it's all about the guest's journey; as soon as they step into the restaurant, I want the outside world to fade away and for them to feel totally immersed in the experience. From the atmospheric interiors to the food itself and how we serve it, I want to create a place where people can feel totally comfortable but enjoy something outside the ordinary.

"After working in some of the best kitchens in the world, I'm now ready to do things my way and have big ambitions for X."

The restaurant will open within Wildes Chester, an 18-room boutique hotel complete with rooftop pool, sauna and terrace, which is also opening in summer 2022.

The Wildes Group has a growing portfolio of hotels, restaurants and spas in the North West which include Van Dyk hotel in Chesterfield.