The team at Olive Tree have been working on a secret project which we are now excited to reveal. Our restaurant and kitchen are having a complete refurbishment! We will be closed from 4th May for the magic to begin, reopening to the public with our new look on Monday 18th May.

Laurence Beere and wife Helen bought the hotel in 2003, and the restaurant refurbishment was the first project they undertook as new owners. Laurence says: “It was a great learning process for us and was a big step forward at the time in how we wanted to change the look and feel of The Queensberry Hotel and The Olive Tree Restaurant. However over the years, as we have grown ourselves, and with the experience of owning the business for the last 12 years, we have regularly felt that there were aspects of the restaurant that given the chance again we would do differently.”

The Olive Tree are working with Interior Designers, Absolute to bring a relaxed elegance to the restaurant, to feel appropriate for the quality and style of food. Laurence explains: “We wanted the restaurant to have a richer more opulent feel to it, without being stuffy or over fussy. We want the restaurant to embrace and reflect the quirkiness that the hotel and particularly The Old Q Bar do. We are a serious restaurant that does not take itself too seriously.”

Absolute were also the interior team behind The Old Q Bar which was refurbished 4 years ago and have worked with the hotel for the past 5 years on their rebrand, brand management and marketing.

As well as refurbishing the restaurant, the hotel are also undertaking a complete refit of the kitchen, so that Chris Cleghorn and the team have a state of the art modern facility that will be a much-improved working environment for both the Kitchen and Front of House teams.

Head Chef Chris is looking forward to the new look facilities: “We believe that today guests want to experience the finest quality ingredients prepared with excellence but served in a relaxed and contemporary venue. Eating and drinking should be fun! The quirky twists that the new look restaurant has incorporated alongside the style and comfort are a perfect complement to the food, wine and drinks that we offer.”

If you would like to be one of the first to experience Chris Cleghorn’s fine dining in our new restaurant, click here.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new look Olive Tree!