Renowned South African chef Ernst van Zyl has announced that he will be launching his new restaurant Klok in Stockport. Ernst, along with his partner Liz Kellett plan to open the restaurant later this year or early 2019 and are crowdfunding towards its refurbishment.
Klok which means clock in Afrikaans in a nod to both the building’s as well as Ernst’s heritage will be situated in the historic building which was previously a jewellery and watch shop Winter’s and will be a fine dining restaurant. Ernst has revealed that it was love at first sight when seeing the building for the first time. “We fell in love with the building the second we walked through the door. There are only about four of those style clocks left in the whole of the UK. It’s not working at the minute but plans are in place to get it ringing again.”
The new eatery will serve five or nine-course tasting menus as well as an a la carte offering and will consist of a 46-cover dining room and an open kitchen.
Ernst previously ran the Hanging Gate Inn in Cheshire and The Lord Clyde in Kerridge, just outside Macclesfield, where he achieved three AA rosettes.
The restaurant will initially be open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday and for lunch from Thursday to Friday.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Ernst revealed why he had chosen Stockport as the location for his new restaurant. He said “We were looking around a few of the suburbs and we put the question to Twitter, where shall we look, and a lot of the responses said Stockport. We immediately loved it. The old town with the market and the church is beautiful and Where the Light Gets In has made many people take note.”
He continued “We love the regeneration plans that have been outlined for Stockport and we want to be part of that wave. It’s a beautiful space in a beautiful street in a really beautiful area.”
