Established in 2010 by North West bar and restaurant group Living Ventures, The Alchemist brand has 12 venues across the UK. In 2015, Palatine Private Equity backed a buyout. Tony McDonough reports
Owners of the Alchemist bar chain are to open a second outlet in Liverpool – launching Aether at Liverpool One in the autumn.
Established in 2010 by North West bar and restaurant group Living Ventures, The Alchemist brand has 12 venues across the UK. In 2015, Palatine Private Equity backed a buyout of the chain.
Aether will be adjacent to The Club House on Chavasse Park and the owners says its concept will be based around the Alchemist brand with a focus on cocktails and live music. It will add to the city’s existing Alchemist Bar in nearby Brunswick Street.
Opening in September, Aether will “capture the glamour of a bygone era” and feature 21 cocktails focusing on the elements. It will also include an immersive performance area for artists from neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop genres. Additional alfresco seating for will overlook Chavasse Park.
Earlier this year Alchemist secured a £16m funding package from Santander to support further expansion across the UK.
Alchemist managing director, Simon Potts, said: “The Alchemist is a great brand that continues to grow at a sensible rate – there’s a really exciting pipeline of openings for the core business and a clear strategy for expansion.
“We’re an entrepreneurial team at heart though and when the opportunity to do something a little different presented itself we wanted to take that challenge on. We look forward to introducing the new concept later this year.”
Steven Connolly, estate director at Liverpool One, added: “Aether is a very exciting concept that will add something quite special to Liverpool One‘s thriving evening economy.”
The announcement coincides with Food Glorious Food, a month-long celebration of food at Liverpool ONE, which began on June 14 and will run until July 15.