Head chef Richard brings the flavours of the world to Merchants

Merchants, the fine dining restaurant at Nottingham’s Lace Market Hotel, is well-known among gastronomes for serving high quality food in stylish surroundings. But now diners can look forward to even more new and innovative dishes made using local produce thanks to recently-appointed head chef Richard Donohue and his team. Taking inspiration from the time he spent travelling and working in countries such as Finland, New Zealand and the US, Richard combines classic European cookery with styles and flavours from around the world. The result of this has been the creation of a brand new menu at Merchants which includes dishes such as braised long horn of beef with cep (mushroom) puree, potato pudding, broad beans and bacon, cocoa paint and cinnamon sauce followed by chocolate and chilli mousse, lime puree and kaffir ice-cream. Richard, who first trained as a chef in Nottingham, said: “My style is a little bit different and the reason for that is that I have been travelling. I have seen lots of different styles and there was a natural evolution in my cooking. "I was working at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in New Zealand and there was a sashimi chef there who introduced me to wasabi ice-cream. In Finland there is a lot of smoked fish so there is some of that on the menu. There is also a bit of roe caviar.” This Valentine’s Day make a date at Merchants where you can sample the specially-designed tasting menu by candle light. Indulge your senses with black garlic mousse, miso brushed halibut and coffee and walnut crusted lamb cutlet. Or why not turn your visit into a mini break by booking a stay at the Lace Market Hotel? Not only can you relax in one of the luxurious rooms, you can also treat your loved one to champagne and canapés or afternoon tea.