January 24, 2014, by offcampus
Sobar – Nottingham’s Exciting New Venue
From Monday 27th January 2014, the East Midlands’ first ever alcohol-free bar and restaurant will be opening up in Nottingham city centre on Friar Lane. With an extensive menu of mocktails and delicious dishes, accompanied by regular live music and events, it’s a great spot for a night out as well as being the perfect place to pick up breakfast or pop in for some lunch during the day.
The project is the work of Double Impact, the Nottingham-based drug and alcohol charity, after it received a grant of £340,419 from the Big Lottery fund.
“Sobar is something completely unique. It offers a creative and amazing space for the people of Nottingham to enjoy where local talent can be showcased,” commented Graham Miller, chief executive of Double Impact.
“What I am most proud of is the core objective of providing extra support for service users on the road to recovery. The bar will provide lots of opportunities for people in recovery to gain valuable experience, training and employment as they work alongside permanent and voluntary staff.
Alex Gilmore, general manager of Sobar added:
“It is really exciting to see the months of planning and hard work come together. The venue is looking great and we have been working with the new team to ensure we are ready to open our doors at the end of the month, offering visitors a unique city centre venue to meet, work and relax.
“We have been lucky enough to receive help from the bar staff at one of Nottingham’s most popular cocktail bars. Henry, Polly and Christian from Boilermaker have designed the non-alcoholic mocktail menu and provided training for our staff on how to create the unique drinks. We hope you come down and give them a try!”
Sobar, which was made possible by the Big Lottery Fund grant, will operate as a social enterprise, where all profits generated will go back into the charity, allowing Double Impact to expand the range of recovery services on offer.
The bar and restaurant is located in the old banking hall at the former headquarters of Nottingham Building Society, which agreed to lease the premises at a reduced rate to homelessness charity Framework – which is already using the rear of the historic building as an advice centre for people at risk of losing their homes – and Double Impact.
Your Off Campus team have been lucky enough to visit Sobar before it opens its doors on Monday, and we were very impressed by the venue. It’s bright, modern and airy with a subtle industrial vibe to the interior and the drinks list is a very exciting prospect, with everything from vintage cordials to Peanut Coladas and Rainbow Road mocktails served with candyfloss and glowsticks. We can also put in a word for the Elderflower Shampagne, which was delicious.
There are loads of events coming up at Sobar, but here are a few to whet your appetite:
6th February: Quiz Night
11th February: Live acoustic music
21st February: Poetry and music night
Why not give it a go?
[…] January we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Sobar – Nottingham’s new alcohol-free bar and restaurant, run by Double Impact, a local drugs […]