Gale force winds and sheets of icy, horizontal rain may have battered the beautiful white façade of Saint Anne’s Square but all was cosy inside the henhouse as Dermot and Catherine Regan celebrated the opening of their fabulous new restaurant.
Since opening at the end of last year, the Potted Hen Bistro has gained rave reviews and is a sparkling addition to the restaurants, hotels and cafes that adorn the Cathedral Quarter.
Around 100 guests from the world of media, business and arts and culture were treated to Dermot’s delicious canapés including tiny chicken and chorizo burgers, samples of the Potted Hen’s famous chicken terrine and mini citrus meringues, washed down with fine wine and sparkling rose.
Among those attending the launch party on a blustery February evening was Belfast Lord Mayor, Pat Convery, leading wine merchant James Nicholson, Lydia Gamble from the Ulster Orchestra, Orla McGrady from Craft NI and celebrity wedding planners, Anthony Miller and Richard Jones (Ant and Dick).
Also present were Michelle Rutherford and Marc McCrae, from the Ramada Encore, Peter Jennings and Tony McCarthy from Saint Anne’s Square property developers, CUSP Ltd, UTV Business Editor Jamie Delargy, Irish News Business Editor Jamie Delargy and Glyn Roberts from the NI Independent Retail Trade Association.
A range of bluegrass and traditional tunes provided by the fiddles and guitar of the Carson family from Carrickfergus gave the evening a lovely, homely feel.
Owner and head chef Dermot Regan is delighted by the public response to his new venture. Many may regard opening a restaurant in the current economic climate as a gamble but he is confident that it is the right time and the right location in which to open his second eatery.
His other establishment, Oregano Restaurant in Ballyrobert, Co Antrim recently won a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand for the second year in a row and Dermot is rightly gaining a reputation for great food at reasonable prices.
He said: “We have been extremely busy since the new year which shows that despite the difficult economic situation, the Northern Ireland public love going out and enjoying good food and service. We would like to thank everyone, who came here tonight for their support and good wishes.”
