A new restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open in Westhoughton at the end of this month – promising to bring something ‘different’ and ‘unique’ to the area which is fast becoming a popular food and drink destination.

Loft 24 will be opening on February 28 on Market Street and will offer a range of small plate dishes and a large cocktail menu.

The eatery, which has already been well received by the community, will also be hosting soft open days so people can provide feedback before the official launch.

Matthew Oliver, 34, manager of Loft 24, said: “We are opening a new restaurant and cocktail bar whereby we will be focussing on small plate dishes.

“We have recruited a really good chef so he has come up with a menu focussing on fusion dishes so there are going to be some really unique dishes on offer which you don’t really see in most restaurants.

“Some of these unique dishes include ‘Pistachio is the King’ and that is king prawns in a pistachio sauce crumbled with bacon bits and we also have coconut lamb meatballs which is personally one of my favourites, so they are lamb meatballs with a coconut cream sauce, they are beautiful.

“We will also have a range of unique cocktails that we are creating, we have teamed up with a company based in Manchester called My Bartenders event and they have helped us to design a cocktail menu.

“So, we will be offering some unique cocktails as well as unique food.

The Bolton News: Inside Loft 24Inside Loft 24 (Image: Matthew Oliver)“I can’t believe how positive the responses have been so far from the community, we have not had one negative comment, everyone seems quite excited.

“The official opening date is February 28 but before then we are doing soft openings from February 21 to 24 where we are offering 50 per cent off the food bill in return of some feedback.”

Matthew will be running the business on behalf of his sister who is the owner.

He will be working with a former colleague Dom Rog who will be looking after the social media, marketing and cocktails and has a 25 per cent ownership in the business.

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Matthew said he wanted to step away from his previous business venture and put in his time into Loft 24.

He said: “I have been in the food industry for about four years now but it has been working in takeaways, I own a few of the Fireaway Pizzas and I am looking to leave as I just want to support my sister with this venture.

" I just think Loft 24 is something we can make a really big thing of as it is something different and something unique.

“I am really looking forward to focussing on this instead.

“I am really excited for this new adventure, especially with it being something so different, we are just really looking forward to seeing what everyone’s reactions will be and hopefully we will do quite well and people like what we are offering.

“Loft 24 is located on Market Street above Fireaway, and we are currently working on separating it from Fireaway so there will be two entrances, one for each eatery.”

The Bolton News: One of the cocktails on offerOne of the cocktails on offer (Image: Matthew Oliver)Loft 24 will also be partnering with two local businesses - Milk Maids who will be supplying the ice cream on the dessert menu and The Bolton Gin Company who will be supplying some of the spirits that Loft 24 will be using for their cocktail menu.

Soft open dates are February 21 to 24 and guests can book via Loft 24’s social media pages.

Loft 24 will be open Wednesday and Thursday 12pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to midnight and Sunday will 12pm to 9pm.

The eatery is also hoping to rent out the space on Sunday afternoons for events including Christenings and more.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.