Andreas Antona closes Purecraft in Nottingham
The bar launched in March 2016 with former Restaurant Sat Bains chef Andrew Smith heading up the kitchen, but shut its doors on 30 July.
Purecraft is the brainchild of Antona, the chef behind Michelin-starred Simpson’s in Birmingham and The Cross in Kenilworth, and Purity Brewing co-founder Paul Halsey.
Halsey told BigHospitality the business had struggled financially in Nottingham, but was performing well at its original Birmingham site, which opened in 2014.
“It wasn’t working out commercially in Nottingham, whether that was down to the location I’m not sure,” says Halsey.
“The Purecraft concept works really well in Birmingham, but Nottingham is a very different city with a lot of student-driven offers which aren't our game."
Further expansion
He added that the group was now considering opening more sites in the Birmingham area.
“We’ve realised we probably need to stay in our heartland going forward,” says Halsey.
“There are a couple of other sites we are looking at but our ultimate aim is to focus on the current Birmingham bar for now.”
Purecraft's menu includes a number of beer-infused dishes such as scotch egg with Purity Beer ketchup; lager-battered fish and chips; and beer brined chicken.
The group has previously run guest chef nights with Adam Bennett from The Cross in Kenilworth, and is planning to further collaborations with chefs from Andreas’ Michelin-starred restaurants next year.
