Nottingham vegan tapas restaurant given drinks licence after promising to be sophisticated

Liam Russell of 13th Element

 

By Andy Topping, Local Democracy Reporter


A new vegan tapas restaurant has been granted a licence to sell alcohol ahead of its launch.

The 13th Element restaurant pledged not to attract “lager louts” or play “boisterous” music as it was granted the licence at a Nottingham City Council panel on Tuesday (July 13).

Situated on the site of the former Impasto restaurant, on Castle Boulevard, the business expects to be open later this year.

Under the licencing agreement, it will be allowed to sell alcohol until 11pm, seven days a week.

A nearby courtyard will also be used to seat up to 25 customers outdoors.

The outlet was set up two-and-a-half years ago and first became popular at the Nottingham Street Food Club, at Victoria Centre.

It was created by Liam Russell, from Bulwell, after he took on a plant-based diet following his dad’s death from heart disease in 2012.

Explaining his business model to councillors, Mr Russell said: “I started looking at the vegan industry and came up with the idea of 13th Element, introducing a passion for flavour and texture like nobody had ever experienced before.

“I went on a quest to see anything and everything in the vegan industry and came back with the idea of what it is now.

“We started doing vegan burgers to introduce the business, before experimenting with other dishes like small plates.

“It went down really well, but then we were hit by the pandemic, and we had to find some way of trading again.”

The business is currently delivering food from the Golden Fleece pub, on Mansfield Road, until its launch.

Mr Russell described the restaurant as “sophisticated” and promised good customer service. He says alcohol sale is not his priority.

“Having an alcohol licence is definitely important but we’re not a bar, we’re a food establishment first,” he added.

“We offer drinks with food. We’re not going to encourage people to just come and drink in our business.

“Maintaining noise within the building and outside the business won’t be a hard job because of how the business is set up and marketed to customers. It’s not one for loud, boisterous music and lager louts.”

Mr Russell initially applied for an alcohol licence until 11.30pm each day. However, this was met with several objections from people living nearby.

Concerns were raised over noise levels in and around the courtyard.

After conversations with neighbours, the business compromised on its licence application and settled on 11pm.

Councillor Toby Neal, chairman of Licencing Panel B at the city council, said: “The panel are minded to grant the application.

“We are satisfied that they are meeting the conditions of the licence and are grateful that [the applicant] spent a great deal of time talking with those who did have concerns around it and came to, what we believe, is a suitable compromise.

“The decision stands and we are happy to grant a licence.”

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