Two familiar faces have taken the helm of one of Newport’s most historic venues.
The Queen’s Hotel on Bridge Street in Newport has recently relaunched its refurbished bar and brasserie specialising in high-quality food, drink and functions.
Iain Jackson & Darren Jones (white shirt)
Head chef and general manager Iain Jackson is well known in the area after previously running the kitchens at the Priory Hotel in Caerleon, Rougemont School in Newport, and most recently the Custom House in Penarth.
Meanwhile, hotel manager Darren Jones is a former professional footballer who had three spells at Newport County AFC during his career, as well as stints with Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town and Forest Green Rovers.
The pair are determined to give the historic venue, which dates back to 1863 and has links to the Chartist movement, a new lease of life.
The Queen’s has recently launched a tapas menu that is available Monday to Saturday and is aimed at office workers and others looking for something quick and different in their lunch breaks.
Ingredients are sourced from a Spanish supplier, and it is the authenticity of the food offering that also drives Iain’s brasserie menu, currently available from Wednesday to Saturday (Sundays are reserved for traditional roasts), cocktails, and luxury afternoon teas.
“We are all about good, healthy food done right,”
says Iain.
“Everything we serve is cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients from local suppliers, and that includes all our seafood, meats, and fruit and vegetables.
“We have a patisserie chef on the team so there is nothing served here that is pre-packaged or pre-prepared.
“It’s all about the ingredients; taking the best produce we can find and letting it do the talking on the plate.”
Functions are another key service offered by the new-look Queen’s and a recently refurbished events room can host weddings and other family milestones, as well as corporate and charity days.
As well as the bar and brasserie, the Queen’s also provides office space for a number of local firms and organisations, including the tech fashion firm Brand Lab.
The hotel side of the operation will eventually boast 29 rooms, as Darren explains:
“The hotel is undergoing extensive refurbishments at the moment, but we already have guests in the rooms we have completed.
“We’re a 5-minute walk from the rail station and that makes us a great choice for visitors, particularly those who are here for rugby weekends and the like.”
The Queen’s is currently offering local firms 10% off in the bar and brasserie on production of a leaflet being distributed among the city centre business community.
