DINE & STAY AT THE STOREHOUSE
Originally built as a store for curing herring and pork, The Storehouse Restaurant with Rooms, on the corner of Bridge Street Wynd, is one of Kirkwall’s many hidden gems. What was once a derelict B-listed building has been transformed into a quirky restaurant with eight luxurious bedrooms, by husband and wife team, and owners of Judith Glue and The Real Food Café on Broad Street, David Spence and Judith Glue.
The unusual building, with its three large wooden door entryways flanked by stone steps, began life around 1880.
It has taken on many roles over its 140-year history, with its previous owner, George Leonard, using it as a printworks and stationery storage facility. But, in recent years, the fascinating building lay in a state of neglect — that is, until David and Judith bought it in 2011.
The building had changed very little since 1880. Inside, layers of history had built up over the years — from graffiti on the walls, left behind by the old paperboys, to an assortment of unusual objects, including original printed sheets from the Orkney Norn book — and David and Judith wanted to incorporate as much of this history as possible into the final result.
Funding from the Kirkwall Townscape Heritage Initiative, supported by Orkney Islands Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland, allowed the couple to develop the building sooner than they’d originally thought possible. Within 16 months, The Storehouse was transformed.
Now its ground floor forms an extensive restaurant, with an added private dining room and casual eating and drinking area, while upstairs hosts eight unique ensuite bedrooms.
Judith’s own quirky eye for design shines through, with the interior throughout this old storehouse paying homage to its history. The attention to detail is astonishing, and everywhere you look there is something new to see.
The visuals aren’t the only delight, however. Sample fresh, wholesome food from across Orkney in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, whether you want to dine in the restaurant, or cosy up with a drink by the log fire in their casual seating area.
This year, the Storehouse has been joined by a new head chef and manager, Gayle Grieve. Bounding off the success of her pop-up evenings in the restaurant, Gayle brings the experience of running her own catering business and part-time restaurant to the Storehouse table.
The buzz of a busy kitchen is like music to Gayle’s ears, and she loves nothing better than whipping up family-friendly meals from high quality ingredients. Her ethos is definitely to keep things simple, using the best local fresh ingredients, while pushing the boundaries with flavour and techniques to make her food have extra local touches, often making her own chutneys, oatcakes, bread and beremeal bannocks. Emilyn, Gayle’s husband, is a scallop diver, and freshly caught Orkney scallops are always on the menu.
The Storehouse is licensed, and everyone is welcome, including children and your canine friend.
It is also available for wedding hire, bespoke to your needs. Host your wedding meal in style at The Storehouse Restaurant, or book the entire venue, including rooms for your big day.
If you like what you see while you’re there, there’s also a shop on site concentrating on uniquely made items for The Storehouse. So if you want to take the décor with you after your stay — you can!
Awaiting you upstairs is the comfort and style of The Storehouse’s luxury rooms. There are eight gorgeously furnished ensuite rooms on the upper two floors — all with lift access. Clean, fresh and full of the Orkney character, many of the materials used to furnish the rooms have been recycled from the original building.
Book online directly to stay with The Storehouse