A contemporary, casual dining restaurant has opened in the heart of Moy, showcasing a unique flair and flavour that has been influenced by years of experience and valued village residents.
The new ‘V’ Restaurant not only occupies the premises of previous Michelin accredited restaurant Chapter V, but shares the similarity in name. And yes – we have had clarification – it is pronounced ‘five’ with the V representative of the roman numeral for the number.
Opened just three short weeks by business partners Ian Hiland and Ryan McKeag, V Restaurant on Killyman Street draws on its owners’ combined 28 years of hospitality experience to bring a refined taste of Irish cuisine to its clientele.
Speaking to Armagh I, General Manager Ryan talked us through his background: “I’ve been in hospitality for about 16 years now. I started in Yellow Door, Portadown doing outside catering and then I moved to the Courthouse, Lurgan for about seven to eight years.
No stranger to front of house, Ryan worked his way through the ranks from Barman to Bar Supervisor before taking on an Assistant Manager’s role at the renowned Clenaghan’s outside Moira. There, he eventually took on the full day-to-day running as Restaurant Manager.
Added Ryan: “Ian has also been in hospitality for 12 years and has worked in The Plough and The Hillside in Hillsborough, The Pheasant Restaurant, Annahilt, Mulholland’s on the Square, Dromore and Clenaghan’s as Head Chef.”
Ian is now acting as V’s Executive Chef curating an exciting new menu for hungry patrons that showcases his years of fine dining experience.
And, he hasn’t designed the menu without help!
Ryan said: “We sat down a few times, and we even had input from people in the Moy for what they enjoyed and wanted to see and at the minute it’s going well!”
Prior to opening the pair had ambitious plans to begin a creative cocktail and catering business that would see the restaurant experience brought into the home.
However, as Ryan states “we skipped a few steps” when they saw the stunning turn-key Moy property come up for sale.
“It sort of came from nowhere,” said Ryan. “We just went after the restaurant because it was turnkey, and everything was ready to go. We loved the Moy when we visited it previously, the people were brilliant and it’s just a fantastic area in general.”
Within their team of 14, Amy Letman – Ian’s partner – also plays a crucial role managing the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages to keep everyone up to date with all the latest dishes, news and offers.
V’s doors are now officially open to the public on Thursday and Friday 5 – 9pm, Saturday 1 – 9pm and Sunday 1 – 6 pm.
And that dream of creative cocktails and cuisine has not been dulled. Ian and Ryan have plans in the works for a potential upper floor cocktail bar to be developed in time for summer serving their own recipe cocktails alongside tasty small plates.
You can find more information and make a reservation today via V’s Facebook page or online booking system.
