This week sees The Alchemist in Spinningfields celebrate five years in business. The first of Living Ventures’ inventive cocktail bars, with a focus on molecular and scientific concoctions, The Alchemist really pushed the boundaries with their distinguished team of mixologists.
Mixing unexpected ingredients with unconventional equipment and remarkable craftsmanship has led them to create cocktails worthy of the name – 813,013 to date to be precise!
The Alchemist opened in early December 2010 as a Siberian chill descended on a somewhat different looking Spinningfields than that of today. At that time there were few retail outlets or dining options on the `Avenue` yet The Alchemist blazed the trail, becoming a destination venue from the outset. The consistent success of this hospitality hub has meant they were able to double the capacity of the restaurant in May this year and they are proud to have done over 279,000 covers since opening.
Today The Alchemist is a stand-alone business under the Living Ventures’ umbrella. It has five sites nationwide (two in Manchester, two in Leeds and one in London) with a turnover of £11million in the last financial year, and employing over 250 people.
Simon Potts, Managing Director of The Alchemist said: “The Alchemist has been a great success from the minute we opened the doors; the original site was the spark for the Spinningfields we now know and love and was instrumental in attracting the huge array of drinking and dining brands to the area. We were delighted to be able to create a bigger and brighter venue earlier this year and continue to lead the way with our innovative and inspiring cocktails”
The business has been recognised as one of the fastest growing privately owned companies in the UK in the Sunday Times Fast-Track survey (ranked 20th in 2014).
There are ongoing plans for expansion into other UK cities and the brand has attracted an injection of private equity funding through Palatine Private Equity alongside associated banking facilities from Santander which have put in place the necessary funding to expand the business significantly over the next few years.
As The Alchemist brand goes from strength to strength, so do the efforts of the management team to ensure that the exceptionally high standards are maintained and a level of individual identity is achieved for each restaurant and bar, according to its location.
