New tapas bar to open in former Stray’s building in Middlegate, Newark

The brainchild behind a new tapas bar has a bold ambition to be the ‘biggest and most successful venue’ in Newark town centre.

Ambitious Lee Haig has jumped at the chance to be the operations director at a yet-to-open tapas bar — Lock and Key — in Middlegate.

The bar will share the premises with Polly’s Kitchen, which opened in December last year in the premises formerly occupied by Stray’s.

Lee’s experience ranges from construction and engineering to education and hospitality — and he was offered the opportunity to turn his hand to the tapas bar about a month ago by Adam Docherty, the owner of the building and its businesses.

“This will be the biggest and most successful venue in Newark,” said Lee.

He is hoping to create a community hub — offering not only good food and drinks, but also music and a good time.

The name Lock and Key was inspired by the town’s history as Lee wanted something that related to the river and the Civil War.

“When I moved to Newark 14 years ago, I came here for a coffee and I just fell in love with the building and now a two-year plan that I had to have my own business just happened in about two days,” he added, “This is an opportunity of a lifetime, it’s not about the money, it is that this is what I am good at.”

Lee is waiting on an alcohol licence for the new venue and would be willing to occasionally open the tapas bar earlier for people who work antisocial hours.

Mondays will be reserved for hospitality workers as most hospitality venues close on a Monday.

Live music in the courtyard, charity stalls and sound baths all feature in Lee’s vision for the future of a venture — with hundreds of hours already spent on getting the space ready to open.

They are now just waiting for Newark and Sherwood District Council to approve the premises licence to be able to open their doors to the public.

The cafe is currently open 9am to 4pm and the tapas and bar space should be open from 6pm until 11pm Monday to Thursday and from 6pm to midnight Friday to Saturday.