Restaurateur will open eco-eaterie in heart of Edinburgh

The former owner of one of Edinburgh’s best-known restaurants is making a comeback a year after his long-running venture went into administration.

Andrew Radford won a string of awards with The Atrium, above the Traverse Theatre, and sister restaurant Blue, before their sudden demise.

But now he has snapped up a 19th-century former theatrical prop and costume store close to his previous stomping ground, and plans to transform it into a new restaurant.

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He has also unveiled plans to grow fruit and vegetables at the back of the premises, as well as to set up his own on-site smokehouse, butchery and bakery.

The building on Lady Lawson Street, latterly used as The Red Door arts centre and previously as a timber yard, dates back to 1895 when it was opened by the owners of the Royal Lyceum and King’s Theatres. It was also a paint store for House of Fraser before it became a timber yard in the late 1950s.

The currently-derelict warehouse is also near to Edinburgh’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant, Castle Terrace.

Mr Radford and his wife Lisa will be at the helm of the business, with his two sons and daughter all expected to work at Timberyard.

The Atrium, and sister restaurant Blue, closed suddenly after 18 years last February during which time it was named best newcomer in the British Catering Awards and the UK’s independent restaurant of the year.

Mr Radford was also the first chef in Edinburgh to win a “bib gourmand” honour from Michelin, and was also named Scottish chef of the year.

However, the economic downturn and delays in reopening the refurbished Usher Hall, were blamed for the demise of The Atrium.

Just weeks after its closure, chef Neil Forbes was named the best in the country at the annual Scottish Restaurant Awards.

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Mr Radford said he had looked at sites across Edinburgh over the last year to try to recreate the “essence of Atrium and Blue”, as well as matching modern standards of sustainability and environmental awareness.

The ground-floor restaurant will be able to accommodate around 80 diners, with a planned outdoor courtyard capable of housing another 40.

A private dining room for 14 is also planned, while a large first-floor room may become a Fringe venue.

Mr Radford said: “This just seemed an unmissable opportunity to create a new and very special restaurant in a hidden gem of a building unspoilt by development.

“We’ve agreed a long lease with the owners of the building, the family who ran Lawson’s Timberyard, and took possession of the building last week. We expect to be working on the refurbishment for around 100 days to get it ready for opening.

“A big part of what we’ll be doing is to try to make sure that the food will be butchered, smoked, baked and where possible, grown on the premises and supplied by people who care, small, local, artisan growers, breeders and producers.”