Peak District family keeps it local from farm to plate

A family of butchers are keeping their produce local from farm to plate by opening a new restaurant in the heart of a market town.
Ed Armstrong and Carl Riley in Riley's Restaurant on Bridge Street, Bakewell.Ed Armstrong and Carl Riley in Riley's Restaurant on Bridge Street, Bakewell.
Ed Armstrong and Carl Riley in Riley's Restaurant on Bridge Street, Bakewell.

The Armstrong family, who own New Close Farm Shop, in Granby Road, Bakewell, have teamed up with top Peak District chef Carl Riley to open Riley’s wine bar and restaurant, in the former Le Mistral premises in Bridge Street, Bakewell.

The butchers are already renowned in Bakewell for selling quality meat in their shop supplied by their own farm, in Over Haddon.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We rear the animals and we have our names on it from start to finish really,” Ed Armstrong, a third generation butcher who works in the shop with his brother Tom, said.

The family business was started by Ed’s grandfather in Sheffield.

Now his parents, Jim and Gill Armstrong run the family farm, supplying meat to the shop.

Ed explained: “We have diversified from a retail butchers into a bit more catering and we thought why don’t we get a chef involved.”

Hide Ad

Carl was previously head chef at the Peak Edge Hotel, at Stonedge.

He also worked at The Chequers Inn, at Froggatt.

Hide Ad

Carl is now head chef at the new restaurant, which is named after him.

Ed continued: “It’s our steaks cooked by a good chef, - so you can’t really go wrong.”

As well as the restaurant, Riley’s has a wine bar, which people can pop into for a coffee or a drink without having a sit down meal.

Hide Ad

The business officially opened over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and has so far received a good response from customers.

Ed commented: “We have got some good feedback on the food and we have had a good bank holiday weekend, because we went in at the deep end.

“People seemed to come back.”

He continued: “It’s a nice atmosphere.”

“It’s English food with a bit of a twist.

“It’s nice restaurant food.”

Riley’s opens for coffee from 9.30am and stays open until the evening.

For more information on Riley’s visit the website, www.rileys-bakewell.co.uk

Alternatively, call 01629 815613.

Related topics: