Derby restaurant visited by Wayne Rooney celebrates 10th anniversary

A family-owned Derby restaurant that frequently sits in the top 10 list of eateries in the region, and has been frequented by Wayne Rooney is celebrating a milestone anniversary.

Seven Restaurant Derby opened in Pride Park ten years ago and has built up a reputation for its stellar cooking and fashionable dining venue.

Fighting for survival in the hospitality industry appears to be the norm, however, Seven Restaurant in Derby has continued to flourish. The restaurant sits in the top 10 eateries in Derby, with its 20 most recent TripAdvisor reviewers giving it a top five-star rating. 

Read more: Food and drink news in Derby

The eatery is the brainchild of entrepreneur Helen Salloway who is a trained chef.

She wanted to open the first independently-run restaurant in Pride Park to support the growing business community there with a relaxed gastro experience from breakfast through to dinner.

Her plans were endorsed at the time by Derby City Council who backed the business under the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund initiative which aimed to support growth and job creation through a mix of loans and grants.

Today, Seven continues to be popular with business people but also the wider community from Derby and beyond.

It offers delicious dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, alongside an extensive drinks menu and outstanding customer service.

Helen was joined in the business by son Campbell in 2015.

The family also opened the White Hart in Duffield five years ago and both venues are now supported by a team of nearly 100 people.

Helen said: “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since we first opened Seven which has achieved way beyond our expectations and I like to think that we have had a big impact on the restaurant scene in the city.

“My original goal was to have a restaurant in Pride Park where people could meet up or work, enjoy contemporary yet affordable British fayre, and benefit from free parking, wi-fi access, and conference facilities.

“The local business community embraced our concept from day one but we are so much more than that, we have a really eclectic customer base and now, post Covid, are busier than ever.”

Campbell Salloway said: “With three private dining and event spaces, we have people of all ages regularly coming for a quiet meal right through to celebration parties from baby showers to milestone birthdays and anniversaries.

“The common thread enjoyed by all our customers is that they choose whatever they want rather than being governed by the time of day.  

“Therefore, our team of chefs is flexible to customers’ needs – whether that's an early or late breakfast, coffee and cake, afternoon tea, a light bite or a three-course meal.”

‘There’s always room for expansion’

With 10 years under their belts, Helen and Campbell continue to be on the lookout for the right venues to expand their casual dining concept.

'Instrumental for casual dining'

Helen said: “We are always open to expanding in the right premises and location and we continue to invest in our current sites to keep them fresh.

“Pride Park has changed so much over the past ten years and is now seen as a leisure destination as well as a place to do business.

“Seven has been instrumental in changing the way people in Derby think about casual dining. We are determined to remain at the forefront of this as lifestyles continue to change and the city carries on evolving.”