A husband-and-wife team have left senior roles at a Michelin-starred Newcastle restaurant to launch their own fine dining venue in Durham.
Jake and Laura Siddle are set to open Faru after building successful careers at House of Tides. Jake worked his way up from chef de partie to be head chef for five years, while Laura – who was part of the team when House of Tides opened in 2014 – was front of house manager.
Working alongside founder Kenny Atkinson, Jake and Laura supported House of Tides in its achievement of a Michelin Star and four AA Rosettes in their time there.
The couple – who met at House of Tides and married last year – are now embarking on the creation of Faru, on Durham’s Silver Street, which will offer a seasonal tasting menu created with local and British produce – with the blessing of their mentor and friend Kenny.
Work is underway to create the restaurant, which was previously a Mountain Warehouse store. It will have 10 tables with an open kitchen set against a stained glass window which was discovered during the building work.
“After we both worked our way up through the ranks at House of Tides, then got married last year, we thought about what came next for us. We wanted to have our own restaurant one day, so decided now is the time,” said Laura.
“We have spent a lot of years learning the ropes and working alongside Kenny, helping the business grow and being part of such a brilliant place, and thankfully he is really supportive of what we’re doing.
“There is a gap in fine dining provision in Durham, and the high street isn’t what it used to be, so we hope Faru will help to draw people back into the city centre, or to stay for lunch or dinner during their visit.
“This is something we really want to do, and while Covid was a reason not to open a leisure business a couple of years ago, and now the cost of living crisis could be another reason – you can always look for excuses not to do things, but we want to be brave and go for it.”
“We wanted to use Old English in tribute to us being in Durham, and Faru – or ‘journey’ – is a word I think really resonates with everything we are doing,” added Jake.
“Laura and I are on our journey, and this is the next step, which is a massive one for us to take but we can’t wait to open. When people come to dine with us, we hope they are on a journey of their own as they move through the menu.
“We are really grateful to Kenny for his role in our journey – so many things in our lives wouldn’t have happened if not for him, and we’re really looking forward to the weeks and months ahead as we finally open our own restaurant.”
Jake and Laura have been supported in the acquisition of their premises by the real estate team at Sintons, with solicitor Sam Watts acting for the couple.
