Breda Murphy to expand frozen foods business

Award-winning chef Breda Murphy is to close her restaurant to focus on her growing frozen foods business which launched during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The move includes expanding into larger premises to allow her team and production and fulfilment facilities to grow in line with demand.

Following her role as head chef at the Inn at Whitewell, Breda launched her own restaurant in 2006 alongside husband and business partner Guy Purves.

The restaurant won entry into the Hardens and Michelin Guides and was awarded AA Rosettes for culinary excellence. It was voted Restaurant of the Year 2019 by Lancashire Food & Drink Awards and best contemporary British restaurant in the UK by LUXlife magazine 2020. 

In 2020 Breda launched a home delivery service offering restaurant-quality food and during lockdown extended this offering to include frozen meals.

Breda said: “The concept was to offer busy working families like ours an affordable restaurant quality experience in the comfort of their own home. In the current cost of living crisis, not everyone can afford to go to a restaurant; therefore, Guy and I wanted to recreate that experience without the associated cost of dining out.” 

Since 2020, Breda’s restaurant quality meal service has seen a year-on-year growth of over 80 per cent. Customers can call in or ‘click and collect’ from the Whalley-based Pantry or order online for nationwide delivery. Breda’s meals can also be found in food halls and farm shops across the region.

Breda added: "These are exciting times for us, as we are planning to increase our frozen food range, recruit more staff and partner with more hand-selected retailers in the coming months. Whilst exciting, this does mean we have taken the decision to close the restaurant side of the business to concentrate fully on our frozen food range and catering.

"Although this decision brings sadness it also allows us to concentrate on new beginnings and we are hoping that the loyalty, love and support we have received over the past 17 years will travel with us."