Ambitions to put hidden gem firmly on the culinary map

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Mark Jones, head chef at Merchants, 62 Castle Street My Dream Job
RUSTLING up delicious dinners for politicians and executive directors is all in a day’s work for chef Mark Jones.
Originally from Devon, Mark has lived in Liverpool for the last 14 years and leads the kitchen team at Merchant’s Bar & Restaurant in 62 Castle Street, a chic restaurant, bar and cocktail lounge in a Grade I-listed building in the city centre.
With over 25 years’ experience, Mark is no stranger to the demands of a busy kitchen and, in his role at Merchants, he caters for diners in the restaurant, as well as private parties, intimate dinners and weddings.
Mark takes pride in his ability to cater for all tastes and, when you take a look at his CV, it’s easy to see why his menus feature dishes and flavours from all four corners of the globe.
The talented chef began his culinary career in Plymouth, where he gained his City and Guilds qualification, and worked around the UK before taking a dream job in the Caribbean.
As he explained: “Over the course of 10 years, I worked in Westminster, Brighton and Manchester Business School, then I took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a chef in a luxury hotel resort in Bermuda.”
Cooking local specialities in the Caribbean helped Mark to develop a globally-inspired palate. And, with a clear flair for creating dishes inspired by far-away lands, Mark’s next job saw him move to Australia, where he became a chef de partie in Sydney’s iconic Opera House.
Here he discovered what it was like to cook in a premium, world-class restaurant and, by cooking exceptional cuisine for the opera house’s notable clientele, Mark soon became an outstanding chef in his own right.
He said: “It was an amazing experience and really gave me an insight into international cuisine. I was there for three years before I decided to come back to the UK, as I knew it was a time in my career to head to somewhere like London, where I could really show diners what I could do.”
Keen to build on his already impressive experience, upon his return to England, Mark worked in the Lanesborough Hotel, a five-star hotel in Knightsbridge, London, with a Michelin-starred restaurant.
The Lanesborough Hotel is famed for its culinary excellence and, during his time there, Mark helped cement the restaurant’s outstanding reputation.
Having worked in some of the finest kitchens in London, Australia and Bermuda, Mark’s CV now had all the ingredients to see him take the next move in his culinary career. And, following his time in London, Mark has ran the kitchens of numerous exceptional restaurants across England and France – with his culinary creativity recognised by the Good Food Guide during his time at the Grand Hotel, a five-star hotel in Eastbourne.
“I love a challenge,” added Mark. “And, throughout my career I’ve tailored menus for highprofile events across the world – from the Labour Party Conference to fashion shows – and designed and opened kitchens, including Liverpool’s Private Members Club, Metro Restaurant.”
Now, he is serving diners luxury dishes at Merchants and hopes to establish the chic citycentre restaurant as one of the best on the Liverpool scene.
He added: “I’m happy to be in Liverpool, I love the people here and, out of all the places that I’ve ever worked, Liverpool tops the list as the nicest.
“This is such an unique restaurant and it really is a hidden gem on the city’s dining scene.”

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