Operator sought for ‘unique’ opportunity on Isles of Scilly

The new restaurant will be part of Harbourside, a major development owned by the Duchy of Cornwall on the island of St Mary’s, the largest of the five inhabited islands. The site is described as a ‘blank canvas’ and it will be targeted at multi-faceted businesses which can include café, bar, restaurant and retail elements.

The new business will include a retail or takeaway outlet on the quayside level, and a restaurant and bar space with 50 to 100 covers on the first floor which will offer views over the harbour.

The site will also include living quarters with two bedrooms for the operator, and five bedrooms which can be available for live-in staff.

Land agent for the Duchy of Cornwall Chris Gregory said: “We are looking for an operator who will bring the Harbourside development to life.

“We want an operator to make it a catalyst for the production of more first class ingredients on the islands and, with state-of-the-art facilities and smart training programmes, we want them to bring new skills to the Scillonian food and drink supply chain.”

Island location​

St Mary’s, where Harbourside will be located, is the ‘commercial and administrative centre’ of the Isles, which means it sees a great deal of tourism.  

However, Gregory said that the aim is for the development to be more than a ‘visitor attraction’ to the island community. 

“The concept starts with transforming a building that had become largely redundant, and the overwhelming aim is to use the opportunity to bring as much benefit to both the tourism and agricultural sectors as possible,” he explained.

As the building will offer built-in living accommodation for the staff and operator, the Duchy of Cornwall believes it could be a ‘life-defining’ opportunity for a new operator, or an ‘interesting addition’ to the portfolio of an established operator.

The Duchy of Cornwall is interested in hearing from potential operators before the 2015 holiday season and will look at joint venture proposals and alternative business models.