FOR Matt Rayson running his own restaurant was a childhood dream.
"I've wanted to own a restaurant since I was about five or six years old,” he said.
“Sometimes I think about what I would do if I didn't do this, and I don't think I would know what to do.
“It’s just something that I love doing and I love seeing people’s faces when they dine here and say how good it is.”
Carlisle born and bred, Matt studied a degree in catering at Carlisle College, meeting restaurateur and chef James Hill and working for his fine dining restaurant, Bijou, located in the city’s Historic Quarter.
"That's where I learned a lot of my trade from,” said Matt. “I took a lot from him and fine dining was everything that I knew and we've come here and put a casual spin on that.”
Bijou changed its name to Number 34 and Matt bought it from James in June 2016 to create the Old Bank.
The restaurant employs a team of around 12, with capacity for 15 covers, plus 12 more in a private dining area.
The building was formerly the home of the Bank of Carlisle and Cumberland in the 1800s and various businesses before becoming a restaurant.
Matt describes the Old Bank as gastropub-style, casual dining but with a fine dining influence in a relaxed atmosphere.
Dishes on the menu currently include thick cut gammon steak, fried in butter and covered in maple syrup as well as the array of local, seasonal produce on its 1833 tasting menu.
"The food is my take on different kinds of classic dishes really," said Matt.
“People can come and choose from something a bit more casual to eat or they can have a seven-course taster menu as well. I wanted it to be affordable so that people can come more often.
"My pleasure in doing this is obviously having my own business but also seeing and hearing what people say about it, that's where I get my drive from.”
Since he entered the restaurant trade, Matt says the diversity of food on offer in Carlisle has grown massively. “There is a range of different restaurants these days and the scene has increased five or 10-fold,” he said.
“If you can cement yourself with a good name and produce good service and good food that people want to come back for then you will do well.”
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