NEW LOOK
Opulent and decadent surroundings make for a unique dining experience at the recently rebranded Yu Copster Green. Libby Faulkner catches up with manager Steve Goodwin-Allen to discuss the sophisticated new look. Photography: Robin Lyndon
Award winning Chinese restaurant Yu first opened its doors as Yu & You in 2004 and has gone from strength to strength. Now in its 14th year, it seemed the right time for a few adjustments and a smart rebrand to Yu Copster Green, in keeping with the popular and well established Yu Alderley Edge in Cheshire.
“We didn’t want to change things dramatically because we have loyal customers who have been coming here since the start and love things the way they are. However we knew some small changes could make a big difference. The entire restaurant has been re carpeted as well as new wallpaper and new bathrooms to make sure we can offer the best dining experience,” says manager Steve Goodwin-Allen.
The most noticeable change is the removal of the DJ booth in the bar area – this has been replaced by an impressive wine room to accompany an equally impressive wine list.
“We wanted to bring more sophistication to the restaurant. The new wine room means we can carry a bigger and better selection of wines. We can also offer food matching wines and have a good balance of high end to less expensive options that are all still great quality.”
Another new feature is a Dim Sum Sunday Lunch offering. This is a first for the restaurant having never opened during lunch time service. The Sunday lunch will be a mixture of small plates that are ordered to arrive as and when they are ready, making for a really relaxed dining experience.
“We have been so excited to launch the Sunday menu as it’s something we have never done before. We will be open from 12.30 right through to 8pm with the lunch menu running until 5pm. We wanted to make sure we provided it throughout the day giving people much more choice and flexibility. You can have as much or as little as you like.”
As well as adding the new Sunday menu Yu Copster Green has brought some of their winning dishes from the Alderley Edge restaurant to add their popular established menu.
“We have so many traditional dishes we would never change, and our refurbishment has meant we can really focus on making those winning combinations even better. However, there are some things that people seem to really love in Alderley Edge so it makes sense to bring those over to Copster Green as well. One of the main additions is champagne miso black cod, which has been a huge hit, so we couldn’t wait to bring it over here.”
The team have also brought over some of the interior ideas from Alderley Edge such as mosaic walls and LED ceiling lights, while still maintaining a private traditional Chinese dining experience. They have added more tables and now take maximum bookings up to 14 as opposed to 24, which ensures every member of a large party gets the perfect meal.
“We were very pleased to be awarded Best Chinese restaurant in the North West at the British Chinese Food Awards last year and really want to build on that success. We feel it’s key to maximise what we already have in place with our exquisite food and drinks menus rather than adding too many new options.”
The £300k investment in the refurbishment of Yu Copster Green has transformed the restaurant into the perfect, relaxed setting for dinner or Sunday lunch. The award-winning food and streamlined seating, go hand in hand to create a memorable dining experience.
The new Sunday Lunch Dim Sum Menu runs from 12.30pm through to 5pm when the normal a la carte menu will commence.
The full updated menu will feature on the website
Yu Copster Green
500 Longsight Road
Blackburn BB1 9EU
