Inside look at Whittles restaurant and bar in Broadstone

Restaurant and bar Whittles is located in Station Approach, Broadstone, and boldly opened during the pandemic in September 2020.

Two months of early business was managed before restrictions meant the restaurant suffered from stop start trading until May of last year.

Since then, Whittles has gone from strength to strength.

Whittles restaurant and bar in Station Approach, Broadstone

At the helm is Conor Knight, an ambitious young entrepreneur with a love of the area he was born and raised in.

Having attended Broadstone Middle School and Corfe Hills School, Conor soon set about beginning a career in business.

He told the Daily Echo: “I’m Broadstone through and through. My great grandparents had a dance school in York Road so there’s so much history for me in Broadstone. It isn’t just an old town at the back of Dorset, it is the place to be and I really do feel passionately about that.”

Learning from his business savvy parents, Conor was completing a finance apprenticeship during the day and working in a Wimborne pub at night aged 17. It was there that Conor met and became friendly with his future business partners.

Conor said: “I was always a little apprehensive as to how people would take to having a boss that’s so young. But it’s one of those things where I believe in myself, I believe in what we do and if I can find people who believe in me then we should create something special.

Conor Knight, director of Whittles restaurant in Broadstone

“When I introduce myself to customers as director, they’re like – ‘What?’, it is comical and they often ask if I’m still at school.”

Whittles is described by Conor as a “1920s décor themed restaurant offering a bar concept, a lounge concept, and an à la carte dining concept”.

The menu is modern European and a traditional Sunday Roast is offered every week.

Despite early fears the restaurant wouldn’t be in keeping with the area, Conor says the clientele is “diverse amd exciting”. He said: “It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what we do because of the different services we offer.

“With head chef Stephen Goswell and senior chef de partie James Rockett on board, we've really utilised the reviews and feedback to create a menu we're proud of.

“People might say it’s jack of all trades, master of none but when you’re in a small town you’ve got to try and grab everything and everyone you can.

“The community really has accepted us, and we couldn’t ask for any more.”

Whittles restaurant and bar in Station Approach, Broadstone

Whittles host various events, which Conor says routinely sell out within 24 hours. Previous events have included a pink rosé garden event, a Peaky Blinders themed night and a New Year’s Eve party.

The next event will be on Valentine’s Day which, again, saw its table allowance sold out in less than 24 hours. A special Mother's Day offering will also be available in March.

Visit whittlesbroadstone.co.uk for more information, or visit @whittlesbroadstone on Facebook and Instagram.