Turtle Bay creates 50 jobs with opening of new Huddersfield restaurant

Turtle Bay, the Caribbean restaurant and bar brand, has now opened its first restaurant in West Yorkshire, creating approximately 50 new jobs in the process.

The 8,634 sq ft restaurant, which underwent an extensive £800k refurbishment programme, is located on the corner of King Street and Cross Church Street in Huddersfield.

The 190 cover venue has undergone an extensive programme of refurbishment over the last three months, which has seen the former Cotton Factory site transformed into a themed restaurant and bar with a state of the art kitchen housed in an authentic Caribbean style ‘shack’.

The new restaurant also includes a central cocktail bar that offers over 40 different varieties of rum and a selection of spirits and beers.

The launch of Turtle Bay’s Huddersfield venue follows the restaurant family’s first venture into Yorkshire in August, marked by the opening of a restaurant in York city centre. Further openings are planned for Leeds and Harrogate later in the year.

A spokesperson for Turtle Bay said: “The reaction towards our Huddersfield launch has been extremely positive and we are very excited about what the future holds in our newest location.

“Huddersfield is a vibrant town with a diverse range of cultures and communities, and judging by the fantastic turnout at our launch party, I believe that our laid back ethos of delivering great food and good times will ensure that we fit right into the local dining scene.”

The restaurant family, which first opened in Milton Keynes in 2010, has created a total of 50 full and part-time jobs, following 500 initial applications for a variety of roles including waiting staff, bar managers and chefs.

The official opening was marked with a VIP launch party, which was attended by figures from the town and the Afro Caribbean community, as well as local food bloggers and business people.

The Mayor of Kirklees Councillor Paul Kane, who attended Thursday’s launch event, commented on the employment opportunities that Turtle Bay has created in Huddersfield.

He said:“It is fantastic that such a well-established company has chosen Huddersfield as its newest location, and even better that 50 new jobs have been created for local people in the process. I wish Turtle Bay well and I’m sure that the fantastic food and party atmosphere will do very well here in Huddersfield.”

The restaurant’s opening hours for the restaurant are: Sunday-Wednesday (11.30am-11pm); Thursday (11.30am-midnight); and Friday & Saturday: 11.30am-1am. Under-18s are not permitted after 9pm.