Richard Muir buys Manchester seafood restaurant Livebait

Richard Muir, owner of Edinburgh's Café Fish, has bought seafood restaurant Livebait in Manchester from Paramount Restaurants.

The deal marks the first for Muir's new company SBG Restaurants, which he has set up with William Rollason the former executive chairman of Paramount. The company plans to acquire further restaurant sites in major UK cities, including Glasgow, Leeds and London.

SBG Restaurants will continue to operate Livebait under its current name and guise, with the team, led by general manager Ellen O'Donnell, remaining at the restaurant.

Executive chef Dave Spanner will join the existing kitchen team. He will launch a new menu in the New Year with an added focus on shellfish and grill dishes.

The restaurant, which is housed in a stunning Grade II listed building on the edge of Manchester's Albert Square, will undergo a complete refurbishment next spring.

Muir commented: ""e know the Manchester restaurant scene very well having been involved in business within the city for many years - Livebait is a great restaurant in a fabulous location and we look forward to re energising the offer and providing something a little more funky."

Muir currently owns the Café Fish restaurant in Edinburgh. He was previous managing director of Sodexo's UK corporate business, which included the management and development of Gary Rhodes' restaurants. He also bought and redeveloped the Carmelite Hotel in Aberdeen.

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By Kerstin Kühn

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