Sommerville's Restaurant
9th September 2004
Today, 16th August, Quarriers, Scotland's leading care charity, officially opens its newly refurbished restaurant, Sommervilles. With the new look comes the addition of award winning chef Stephen Orr as head chef. Stephen, formerly head chef at Banknock's Glenskirlie House, will be leading the team to cook up a feast of delights at the Sommerville Weir Hall.
Situated in the heart of Quarriers Village Sommervilles, formerly Miss Forman's Pantry, has undergone major refurbishment and now offers a fantastic range of light meals, hot snacks and delicious desserts on a lunch-time menu and a temping range of afternoon tea specialities.
Stephen, said: "I am delighted to have joined the team at Sommervilles, this is a major change in direction for me and I hope to make the restaurant a real success for Quarriers."
What really makes Sommervilles different is that the restaurant also doubles as an educational/training project for adults with a disability. Scotland's leading care charity, Quarriers, devised this unique way of working to help people with a disability to achieve qualifications in the food preparation industry.
By working in partnership with James Watt College and Glasgow College of Food Technology, Quarriers has made a huge success story from the project which has so far led to around 15 people achieving and SVQI or II in Food Preparation, Bakery, Food and Drink Services and Kitchen Portering as well as literacy skills via Inverclyde Adults Literacy Project.
The restaurant, which covers 80m², caters for up to 40 customers and features an elevated eating area as well as a self-service salad bar.
Sommervilles was originally run as a coffee shop and named after Miss Forman - a Quarriers girl who initially became a maid to William Quarrier's family. She subsequently left to begin a new life in Canada. When she returned in 1930 she, became a housekeeper to William Quarrier's daughter, Mary Quarriers. Miss Forman became renowned for her home style cooking and baking and thus the village coffee house was named after her.
Quarriers provides support and care for adults and children with a physical or learning disability, for children and families facing poverty, family breakdown, exclusion and disadvantage and for young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or who are homeless. Quarriers also offers support to carers of all ages who need respite, advice or just a friend to listen, it also has the only residential epilepsy assessment centre in Scotland.
Quarriers has grown considerably since it was founded in 1871 by William Quarrier at Bridge of Weir, expanding to meet the needs of children, adults and families all over Scotland - and beyond. Staff numbers are now in excess of 1500, providing services across 80 projects in 100 locations - including Aberdeen, Bridge of Weir, Dumfries and Glasgow. Quarriers no longer runs orphaned children's homes.
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