Scheduled to open next month, Salthouse Brasserie will focus on British cuisine and local ingredients, while also drawing inspiration from the grand cafés of Europe.
The project has seen a full refurbishment of the ground floor, including the creation of a new destination bar area – mirroring the strategy at The Angel, where the introduction of a large, standalone bar helped transform the business.
The opening is being led by Tom Slegg, who grew up in Ipswich before moving to London to oversee front of house at Arbutus and Wild Honey, before going on to open Picture, which grew to two sites.
Slegg returned to Suffolk in 2019 to build the F&B reputation at The Angel and is now looking to repeat that success in Ipswich.
“As an Ipswich lad it feels personal – the town gets some bad press,” he says. “There is a real opportunity to raise the bar, he adds, and the team is determined to do it in the right way: thoughtfully, consistently and with pride.”
“It is being built with talented local people who care deeply about Ipswich and want to create something the town can be proud of,” continues Slegg, who was recently promoted to F&B partner at owner Gough Hotels. “Most of the team have worked at the hotel for many years, and their passion and talent gives me great confidence.”
As with The Angel, the focus will be on “casual luxury” alongside all-day dining and a proper bar with a clear identity.
The food, Slegg says, is rooted in British technique and flavour. The kitchen will be overseen by Lewis Hood, another Ipswich local. Dishes will include a signature fishcake of hot-smoked salmon and haddock, caramelised sweetbreads on toast, spatchcock young chicken with chilli and herbs, and a regularly changing soft-serve selection.
The team will also introduce the Fish, Chips and Sips offer, which has proved successful at The Angel: beer-battered haddock and chips served with a glass of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée for £25 at lunchtimes.
An “Early Evening Express Menu” will run Monday to Friday between 5pm and 6pm, offering three courses and a cocktail for £35, and there will be a Sunday roast.
Later this year, eight bedrooms on the first floor will be removed to make way for a new spa.