The phased reopening of Weston College’s new-look Winter Gardens has begun, with its Italian Gardens-facing café having opened on Monday – and a seafront restaurant not far behind.
The college bought the site from North Somerset Council for £1 in January 2015, and it was formally handed over in May last year. Since then work has been taking place to completely revamp the site.
A state-of-the-art law and professional services academy has been created and the ballroom is also being restored to its former glory.
At the rear of the Winter Gardens, the café has been completely revamped and will open to students and the public.
And later this month, the new restaurant Lasseter’s will open in place of the former Tourist Information Centre, offering fine dining with a sea view.
David Newman, who grew up in Weston, is the restaurant’s new head chef and said he wants to welcome people to Weston with locally-produced, value-for-money food.
MORE: Take an exclusive look around the Winter Gardens with the Mercury and Weston College.
He said: “Good food makes people happy, and the key to good food in my opinion is making the dining experience special.
“A big part of this is the food, but there are other aspects which make a meal great.
“At Lasseter’s, we want the food to be accompanied with natural and memorable service, great views of Weston’s bay, and we want the food to tell a story.
“Another important factor is ensuring value for money.”
The restaurant is named after the Weston College Group’s principal and chief executive Dr Paul Lasseter Phillips.
Dr Phillips has been in charge of the college since 2001 and has overseen a huge amount of change, including the introduction of University Centre Weston (UCW) and the development of the Winter Gardens.
MORE: Read about the history of the Winter Gardens here.
The ballroom will have a huge impact on the town and bookings have already been made for the space, which plans to play host to a number of different functions. Particular attention has been paid to the acoustics of the room, as well as new windows and flooring.
UCW’s graduation ceremony is set to take place on September 23 and this is the date the ballroom is set to be completed by.
As well as this, the college is planning a full-scale grand opening in January.
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