New wine bar and bistro to create 20 jobs

Joe Wilson, who owns the Hunday Manor Hotel, at Workington, has developed the Tithe House site, next to Mitchells Auction House on Station Street. It will be called Frederick’s.

The venue will accommodate 110 people and open from 9am until late, seven days a week. It includes a room which holds up to 40 people and can be used for private dining.

Mr Wilson, who lives in Cockermouth, and has employed three chefs, said: “We will be serving morning coffees, light breakfasts, lunches and snacks throughout the day. There will be tapas, pizzas, steaks, a real mix of food.

He added: “I have been wanting to do something like this in the town for many years but never had the opportunity. It’s something fresh and totally different for the town, the sort of place you can wander down to any time of the day.

“We are aiming for a soft opening next week.”

Workers have been on site since January last year. He added: “I’m just pleased to get it finished. There have been issues and when the floods came we decided there was no point in rushing things.

“The town is picking up now, which is great.”

Mr Wilson is also developing the upstairs of the 7,400sq ft site which used to house the JobCentre.

He added: “We are currently dividing it into four separate spaces to let, for offices or small businesses.”

Mr Wilson has been in the hospitality trade for 27 years. He has taken on a fellow hospitality veteran, Nikki Bruno, to be the front of house manager at Frederick’s.

Mr Bruno, 60, lives in Cockermouth, where he ran his own restaurant, Nikki’s, in Kings Arms Lane, for seven years. He has also worked at Allerdale Court Hotel, the Hundith Hill Hotel and Hunday Manor.

He is Italian and came to Cumbria 41 years ago to learn English. He met Barbara, his wife, and decided to stay. The couple have two grown-up children.

Mr Bruno said: “I’m looking forward to opening. Frederick’s is catering for everybody, and a bit different. A lot of people have been asking me when it will open.”