A luxury new floating restaurant and wine bar is preparing to launch on the Trent Mersey canal network, bringing intimate dining experiences to the water.
The Duchess Cruises, based at Kings Bromley Waterside & Marina near Lichfield, is the new venture from Lorraine Thomas, who is turning her passion for hospitality, baking and creating memorable experiences into one of the region’s most unique leisure venues.
Following a full renovation, The Duchess narrowboat has now been returned to the water and she will be officially unveiled at her opening event in the coming weeks.
Lorraine, who is an experienced baker, said she loves catering for people and the tranquility of canal life so it seemed like the perfect venture – although it had been a longer and more difficult journey than planned!
Designed to cater for just 12 guests at a time, The Duchess Cruises is aiming to offer a more exclusive and refined cruising experience than traditional canal trips – serving delicious brunch, elegant afternoon teas, stylish cocktail and canapé evenings and planned private hire events.
Lorraine, who has more than 25 years’ experience working with people and delivering exceptional customer service, said she wanted to create something that felt special, relaxed and completely different from a typical restaurant or bar setting.
She said: “The idea behind The Duchess was to create an experience people genuinely remember – not just somewhere to eat or drink. We wanted it to feel intimate, luxurious and welcoming from the moment people step onboard.
“Everything is designed to feel personal. The food is homemade and hand-crafted, the atmosphere is cosy and every cruise is about spending quality time with friends, family or loved ones in a completely different setting.
“There’s something magical about being on the water. Life slows down a little and people properly switch off. We want friends and families to make their wonderful memories on board The Duchess and can’t wait to finally open.
“With a capacity of just 12 it will be special – we aim to attract couples, friends and families and look forward to welcoming birthday parties, baby showers, hen celebrations, business outing events and visitors looking for unique experiences in Staffordshire and the West Midlands.”
The food will be made-in-house and freshly prepared by Lorraine, including hand-crafted desserts, pâtisserie-inspired treats as well as favourite savoury indulgences.
Lorraine added: “The launch also reflects growing demand for experience-led hospitality and social occasions, with more people seeking memorable days out rather than traditional nights out.
“I know the majority of my friends would opt for an afternoon event rather than partying late into the evening these days so those people are definitely our target customers.
“I will be doing a soft launch event for friends and family ahead of the official opening, helping the team fine tune the experience.
“People are looking for experiences they can share together and talk about afterwards. We want guests to step onboard and instantly feel excited, comfortable and looked after.
“It’s been a huge amount of work getting to this stage but seeing the vision become a reality is incredibly rewarding,” Lorraine added.
Further launch announcements and competitions will be released through The Duchess Cruises social media channels in the coming weeks.
For more information and to book visit the website https://www.theduchesscruises.co.uk/ or follow https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571098715278 or email theduchesscruises@gmail.com.
