The Galley

Officially opened on Friday , The Galley is a new addition to the Chester and Ellesmere port dining scene. Situated on the South Pier road , close to the Boat museum, the restaurant boasts picturesque views over the Manchester ship canal and towards Stanlow. The Galley is marketed as ” a great place to eat, drink and enjoy” and replaces South African restaurant Jabula. Looking out to the water you can see passing ships, wildlife , planes coming into land, or enjoy the stark beauty of the nearby industrial landscape.

Manager Thomas Acton, 23 explained that The Galley is an independent family business.

“I took a year out of the trade and started to miss it. The opportunity came up to work with family again, and it was a great opportunity to be part of a family business. In this area there’s nowhere to go, the nearest restaurants are at Cheshire oaks. My background is hospitality. my family have been in it for 40 years/. I have been in the trade since I was 14, lived in pubs and ran restaurants. ” His family, including his sister Nikki run the Upton by Chester golf club, and prior to that the family ran The Frog on Liverpool road for 10 years. “My parents have been managers in the trade for 35 years across Chester and the Wirral.” he says.

The Galley has a team of 4 chefs, and has retained all the staff from Jabula that wanted to stay. Thomas says that the aim of the British themed menu, which will change regularly is to “provide quality fresh food using produce from suppliers we know and trust”. Local suppliers include Dave Joinson from Chester market who supplies meat to the restaurant. Thomas’ favourite dish on the menu is bubble and squeak hash, which is served with black pudding chips. “We have managed to create a menu that really works” he says.

Thomas says that ” the atmosphere, the view, the space” make The Galley stand out from the rest. . “Its such a small place, we don’t want to be doing cover after cover after cover, we want to truly look after our customers. We don’t want our staff to be robots, we like them to show initiative and flair . Our aim is to make sure the quality is right.”