Hadleigh’s Jet Lounge restaurant begins next chapter under new husband-and-wife ownership
A husband-and-wife duo, making their first foray into restaurant ownership in Hadleigh, say they are confident and excited for the future, despite the challenging landscape for the hospitality trade.
Jet Lounge on the High Street held its first day of trading under new owners Daniel and Tia Farthing on Saturday.
Based on an airline theme, Jet Lounge first launched in 2018, offering homemade foods, brunches, afternoon teas, wines and beers.
Having served as head chef and manager at the restaurant for the last two years, Daniel was offered the chance to take over by previous owner Gary Newley, who is stepping back to pursue other ventures.
“I jumped at the opportunity, because it’s every chef’s dream to have their own business,” he told the Free Press.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. I’ve been in catering for about 15 years and now is probably the worst it has been, because of the way the current climate is.
“It’s definitely a gamble, but I know the customer base is already there and the brand is already there. It’s just about tweaking things.
“This will be the first time running a restaurant for me and my wife. It’s a learning curve and an eye opener to see how much it costs to run a restaurant, but I’ve got past the scared feeling I had at the start, and now I’m feeling confident.
“It’s the growing costs of everything that is the biggest challenge. It’s quite scary how much food prices have risen, and also the costs for people at home means the money to be able to go out and have a meal is sort of disappearing.
“One of the things I would like to do is claw some of those customers back. Already, the word is getting out. I’m really excited and looking forward to it.”
Prior to joining the team at Jet Lounge at the end of the Covid-19 lockdown, Daniel began his career with a four-year stint at the Boathouse in Dedham.
He then took a catering role at Hollow Trees Farm in Semer, before going on furlough when the pandemic hit.
Setting out his vision for the Jet Lounge going forward, Daniel explained that a key goal is to enhance the evening dining experience in Hadleigh.
This includes regular destination nights, a concept in which the restaurant will select a particular country and focus on its cuisine.
He added: “I’ve got to be clever with what I do with the menu. I want to bring the size of the menu down, but make sure there’s an option for everyone.
“In Hadleigh, there’s not many places to go for a good fresh evening meal for a good price, so that’s one thing I will be taking on Thursdays and Fridays and with these destination nights.
“The response from the community has been huge. It’s quite mind-blowing, really.
“We’ve had someone come from Felixstowe who had heard about us and just wanted to give us a try, and I’m hoping there will be lots more people like that.”
The current opening times for the Jet Lounge are between 9.30am and 4pm from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm on Saturdays, and 10am to 3.30pm on Sundays.
It also holds evening dining during its weekly ‘Friday Night Flights’, as well as select events.
To contact the business, telephone 01473 828592 or go online to jetlounge.co.uk.
