A CATERING company from Grange has taken a leap of faith and opened up a new restaurant.

Catering specialists, Karen and Phil Rhodes embarked on a new challenge earlier this summer and decided to open a restaurant in South Cumbria. 

Dozens of invited guests turned out for the launch of Terrazzo, including Mayor of Kendal Chriss Hogg, chairman of Kendal Futures, Peter Hensman, and Derek Armstrong, South Cumbria director of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce.

The venture began in June this year, when Mr and Mrs Rhodes started work on Terrazzo - a Mediterranean-themed restaurant - in K Village in Kendal. 

The pair already owned Karen Rhodes Catering, a successful wedding and events company in Grange, but were eager to try something a little different. 

Mrs Rhodes said: “We expected several months of hard graft before the restaurant became viable, but it has been an immediate success, attracting office workers, mums with their children and diners all day long."

The food features shared platters of Greek, Italian, Spanish and Lakeland food, with customers able to mix and match to make up their own menus.

The Lakeland platter of black pudding, scotch eggs, Holker game pie, Morecambe Bay shrimps and Cumberland sausage has proved to be particularly popular.

Mrs Rhodes said: “Everything is locally sourced from fell bred lamb and beef, smoked products from Cartmel valley smoke house, game from the Holker estate and Flookburgh shrimps.” 

Mandy Dixon, manager of K Village, believes it is a great addition to the complex.

She said: “A catering offer was seen as absolutely vital to improving footfall to the centre as well as the time they spent shopping here.

“It is an essential part of marketing to the group travel trade.

Miles Allen, director of Lou Kendal, which bought K Village out of administration in June, said: "Opening the restaurant is the first step in K Village’s regeneration.”