Published September 15th, 2020
A Cornwall-based restaurateur is preparing to launch a brand new venture at North Quay Hayle, in west Cornwall, which will be opening on Wednesday 22 July 2020.
Sam Sheffield-Dunstan has evolved her vision for Lula, a beachside shack in Hayle, which was already months in the planning before lockdown began. It will be the sister brand of Amélie, the popular harbourside restaurant in Porthleven which recently reopened after a full refurbishment.
It has been a challenging nine months for Sam, after being forced to close Amélie in October 2019 following a kitchen fire, and having her plans delayed for Lula due to the restrictions surrounding COVID-19.
Located on the edge of the beach overlooking Hayle Harbour, Lula will serve a takeaway menu with a focus on locally-sourced seafood and ribs.
Sam said: “I couldn’t think of anywhere better to open my second venture. The renaissance of Hayle means there is significant investment and development taking place around the harbour at the moment, and there is a real buzz about the town.
“I’m excited to be one of the first places to open within the North Quay development, and I can’t wait to start welcoming customers.
“Opening a new restaurant at the time of COVID-19 is challenging, but it has encouraged us to be innovative with how things are going to work from day one. We have thought about everything from social distancing measures to our environmental aspirations in order to keep both our staff and customers safe.”
The menu features dishes such as lobster tail mac and cheese, buckets of crab claws, rack of ribs with slaw and fries, and the shack’s signature crab boil. Daily specials on whole crab and lobster will also be available, depending on what is brought in on the local fishing boats each day. Other dishes on the menu include fresh mussels, and a surf and turf platter of crab, calamari, ribs, and a selection of sides.
Sam continued: “Lula will be a fun and informal space to come and eat. The east coast American-style menu is very accessible and works well in this seaside setting. It really showcases the beautiful fresh flavours of our locally-sourced Cornish produce.
“We will have tables available for people to dine with us and enjoy our fantastic position on the edge of the Hayle Estuary, and our great location also means people can easily take their food to be enjoyed on the beach with views out over St Ives Bay.
“Sustainability has also been a big consideration for us. Operating as a takeaway, we wanted to make sure all of our cutlery and crockery could be safely disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way, so everything is completely compostable and biodegradable.”
Feast nights with live entertainment are planned to be at Lula most Friday evenings throughout the summer, with dishes such as Cornish lobster cooked over coals, served with hand-cut chips and aioli.
Future feast nights for this summer include firepit lamb, Lula’s sticky ribs, paella, Thai seafood curry, ‘vegan on the beach’, and its signature crab boil.
Lula will be open seven days a week from 9am to 9.30pm. For further information, visit lulashack.co.uk.
