08 Apr 2024
Six months after brunch and burgers diner Hatch relocated from Holywell Hill to a new home in Christopher Place Shopping Centre, its former premises has seen a new lease of life.
Opening a couple of weeks ago, Marmalade offers a stripped back breakfast menu with some grown-up twists on much-loved dishes, and is the first spin-off project from Hatch founder Chris Evans.
Despite featuring the same industrial vibe as its predecessor – with seats for 32 covers – Marmalade is striving to do something noticeably different from Hatch, instead of simply catering for its overflow.
Chris explained: “We had four years left on the lease, and lots of interest in taking it over, but the more people approached us the more we realised we should keep it, apart from the fact that it’s in a great location and has a sentimental value.
“When Hatch was our only business the need to make it financially profitable resulted in us pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved in a kitchen that size, to ensure we had a broad appeal to families and young people.
“Marmalade is much more my choice of what I want to eat, using ingredients we couldn’t use in the past. We want to make it clear that this isn’t a second Hatch, so we’re not using the main brand for marketing and hope it will grow naturally.”
Highlights include posh BLT, which has the addition of scallops, and scrambled eggs on toast featuring French salami, comte cheese and truffle oil.
Meanwhile, the relocated Hatch remains as busy as Chris wants it to be, despite the challenges of a bigger site: “It’s the difference between driving a Skoda and a Ferrari, if you take the corner wrong in the latter you’re going to end up going off the side of the road!
“Its reputation is built on key dishes like the sweetcorn fritters and waffle chicken, which account for 50 per cent of food sales, and we’re consistently trying to find the next star of the future.”
