Belfast’s Stove Bistro celebrates first birthday

The two Simon’s, Toye former executive chef at Deanes and McCance owner of Ginger Bistro, have firmly established the Stove Bistro as one of the City’s top eateries.

Adhering to Covid-19 restrictions, the upstairs, well-spaced, clean-wood restaurant, in the heart of the Ormeau Road, has become renowned for its fantastic local seafood, delectable meat dishes as well as an exceptional vegan and vegetarian offering.

And the effort and outstanding offering haven’t gone unnoticed with Stove Bistro having just been announced as finalist in the ‘Best Eatery/Coffee Shop’ in Belfast Chamber Business Awards.

The dynamic duo launched the restaurant in the midst of the pandemic, and despite all the challenges over the last 12 months, they haven’t looked back.

Seeing the restrictions of the pandemic more as a challenge than an obstacle, Simon Toye, said: “Opening a new business is challenging enough let alone opening a new business during a pandemic.

“We opened very much in the eye of the storm and we were forced to close within four weeks, it was absolutely shattering.

“However, instead of seeing it as a challenge, we saw it as an opportunity and the down-time allowed us to perfect our menus, to reach out to our customers to let them know we were here and our huge focus on sourcing the freshest local produce from Northern Ireland.

“When we were able to open the business for a second time, we were more than ready, and the response has been absolutely fantastic.

“We now have a solid team of staff and a chefs including myself, creating delicious fresh food to cater for all palates, food intolerances and preferences.

“Simon McCance has owned and operated Ginger Restaurant for almost two decades, and he brings all his business knowledge and expertise to the table, where I do the cooking.

“It is a partnership that is working very well, and we are excited about the future.”

Paying tribute to the hard work and commitment of their staff and dedicated customers over the past year, Simon Toye concluded: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers who have supported us over the past year and those who have yet to visit us.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you