Brighton chef Dave Mothersill to launch Furna later this month
Originally slated to launch in April but delayed due to various issues with the build, Furna will seat 26 in the main dining room and a further six covers in a subterranean PDR that will have its own kitchen and dedicated service team.
The restaurant will be priced in line with other high-reaching restaurants in the city, offering a regularly-changing tasting menu for £90 with wine pairing priced at £65.
Mothersill - who is best known in the city for overseeing the food across Razak Helalat’s Black Rock Restaurants Group and heading the kitchen at Ben Mckellar’s flagship restaurant The Gingerman - says the food will be modern British with some subtle Asian influences.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. A lot of work will go on behind the scenes but the food will be simple on the plate. We will be using some of the best suppliers in the country. Some of our produce will be sourced locally. But I don’t want to deprive myself of great produce just because it’s not from down the road.”
The space will blend classic and contemporary elements and will retain some of the Grade II-listed building’s original Regency features, including its distinctive coving and large window to the front that looks onto the ground of the Royal Pavilion.
The ground floor’s main feature will be a high-specification open kitchen to the rear that will feature some counter seating.
Mothersill's senior team is made up of Brighton and Hove-based chefs he has worked with before - Isobel Humbey is sous chef, Jessica Elliott is pastry chef, Ross Truman is general manager and Rosie Greene is bar manager.
Furna will initially be open Wednesday to Saturday for dinner with lunch served on Friday and Saturday.
“If we can build we will but starting out with six services a week makes sense as we can concentrate on the one team and all be here all the time. It also means three days off. We want to create a family vibe and bring back and front of house together.”
Originally from Yorkshire, Mothersill has been in Brighton for 20 years. He cooked at highly-rated vegetarian restaurant Terre à Terre before working for Mckellar at his The Ginger Pig gastopub in Hove.
He joined Helalat’s restaurant group in 2015 and opened both The Salt Room, on Brighton seafront, and The Coal Shed’s London outpost. In 2019, he left Black Rock Restaurants to oversee The Gingerman kitchen as head chef.
“This is a big investment for me and my business partner but we want to get it right. It’s been quite a journey to get to this point. I’ve been in Brighton for a long time. This project has come from the heart, it’s my vision and a showcase for what I can do as a chef.”
A full interview with Mothersill will be published later this week
