Fish but no chips as Michelin-starred chef Andrew Pern opens new restaurant in Whitby

Andrew Pern, who runs the Michelin-starred Star Inn at Harome and York’s Star Inn The City restaurant, will take over the town’s tourist information building for the new brasserie-style fish and seafood establishment.

Mr Pern, who was born and raised in Whitby, and played for the town’s rugby club, won a pitch to Scarborough Council to take over the building on building on Langborne Road, close to the harbour and overlooking Whitby Abbey.

He said the new restaurant, to be called The Star Inn The Harbour and due to open next spring, would cater for tourists and locals alike, and showcase the region’s finest fresh fish and seafood.

It will be his fourth Yorkshire eaterie, following the recent opening of Mr P’s Curious Tavern, near York Minster.

He said: “Opening a place in my home town has always been something that I’ve thought would happen one day.

“I have always championed all that’s great and good about Yorkshire, at my restaurants and even on television, such as when I represented the North East in the BBC Great British Menu.

“The North Sea is a massive part of my kitchen larder; the quality of the fish and shellfish is the envy of the world. At Whitby it will literally be on my doorstep.”

Mr Pern says he hopes to work with Yorkshire Coast College to offer opportunities and possible apprenticeships to its students.

The Pern family’s roots with Whitby span the generations. His grandfather, Ron Cordingley, taught at Caedman School and his paternal great grandfather started the town’s first medical practice.

Derek Bastiman, leader of Scarborough Borough Council said, the proposal from Mr Pern and his business partner Mike Green stood out from rival bids for the old tourist building.”

He said: “The Yorkshire coast is thriving and without a doubt, The Star Inn The Harbour matches our ambition for improving further the area’s attractiveness and vitality.

“It is a hugely exciting development, which should be seen as fabulous news for Whitby, after all, there are not many chefs of Andrew’s calibre that hand pick a coastal town to set up business in.”

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire added: “Our coastal towns are seeing a real renaissance at the moment with significant investment, all of which will not only benefit everyone who lives there, but also the millions of visitors who come to explore our beautiful coastline. With staycations becoming increasingly more popular, Whitby has huge ambition to continue to thrive as a top holiday destination.”