New restaurant a huge hit in Drogheda
WITH stunning interiors and a mouth watering menu, The Boyne Pantry is a welcome addition to the North Quay in Drogheda.
The new restaurant opened its doors to the public just three weeks ago but is already proving a huge hit with Drogheda locals.
The eatery is the brainchild of Amanda Irvine and Jackie Newman who between them have more than 50 years’ experience in the catering and hospitality industry so it’s no wonder the new enterprise has been such a success from the get go.
Amanda is originally from Newcastle but moved over to Ireland 17 years ago. Married with two daughters, she admits the hospitality industry is in her blood as she has worked in it for 26 years and many of her family are also involved in the trade.
Jackie has also had a lifelong career in the industry, starting work at the tender age of just 13. With more than 40 years’ experience and a mother who also worked in hospitality, Jackie admits it’s something she’s passionate about.
The local woman, who lives in Ballsgrove, has worked in a number of top hotels around Ireland including Citywest and the CityNorth. Jackie is married with two daughters, one grandchild and another on the way.
‘I’m so glad to be back in town , we feel as if we’ve always been here. The support and the welcome we’ve received has been overwhelming. We’ve had so many people wishing us well.’
The pair worked together closely for a number of years and became friends. Late last year, they realised it was time to make a change and launch their own venture.
‘We had a lot of local support and encouragement and we just decided it was the right time. Then we found this little gem,’ said Jackie.
‘In February this year we decided to go for it,’ added Amanda. ‘We looked at a few places and we were offered a few places as well because people knew our background and knew we would make it work.’
The decor in the new restaurant is elegant, cosy and stylish with a grey and mustard colour palette, lots of warm wood and funky, industrial lighting.
Amanda and Jackie revealed they had a shared vision for what they wanted and are thrilled with how it has turned out.
‘It’s a listed building and we wanted to keep that cosy, vintage feel but give it a modern twist at the same time,’ said Amanda.
‘It has turned out even better than we thought it would,’ added Jackie. Jackie explained using and sourcing local produce was also hugely important to them and they went to meet their producers direct.
‘Our head chef, Lisa, is absolutely passionate about food. She likes change and to keep things fresh so we will be change the menu regularly and will have lots of seasonal specials as well,’ said Jackie.
The Boyne Pantry is open seven days a week with an A La Carte menu on Saturday night.
‘We have a wine licence and we are hoping to extend our opening hours over Christmas depending on bookings,’ said Jackie.
Both women agreed top quality customer service is of paramount importance and said the staff at The Boyne Pantry are all second to none.
‘We have fantastic staff, a really great team and we’ve worked with a lot of them for years now,’ said Amanda.
‘We’ve a great team and there is a real family atmosphere. Our staff are very important to us we couldn’t do this without them.’
They also expressed their thanks to their families, customers, friends, suppliers and everyone who has helped to make their dream a reality.