Are you a budding Banksy?

ARTISTS from Somerset who like to create their masterpieces on walls are being invited to contact us this month (June, 2014) to help decorate some partitioning.

We want to find youngsters keen to make their mark using aerosols on screening put up as work begins on our new restaurant.

Norma Moore, our Restaurant Coordinator, explained: “We’ve got quite a bit of boarding going up to help cordon off the area that we’re working in and we’re looking for youngsters, and anyone older too, from 15 years plus, who might like to help decorate the boards using aerosols, so in a graffiti or street art style, featuring flowers, birds, bees, butterflies and ladybirds, in fact anything gardening or outdoors related.

“We’re happy to provide the materials people need and to give those who come to do their artwork here a free lunch. We’d be delighted if they were happy to have details of who they are with their work and we could create a mini street art gallery on the boards, but if they wish to remain anonymous like Banksy, then that’s fine too.

“Anyone keen to be involved should call me at the garden centre on 01823 412 381 or email me at n.moore@monkton-elm.co.uk as soon as possible. Initially we’d love to discuss ideas for the artwork and how the artist would envisage it, and then take it from there.”

We were given the greenlight to revamp and expand our Four Seasons Restaurant to meet growing customer demand last year.

Norma added: “As a family-orientated garden centre, we understand how important it is to serve our visitors and their families with the food and refreshments they would like, in an environment to match.

“The next chapter in our story is our new restaurant, which will open next year. It will seat 350 people and our chefs will prepare food for diners on-site in our new kitchens.

“It represents a wonderful addition to the eateries in Somerset, as we will be able to offer lunch at any time of the day, times when people want it and not just serve it between 12noon and 2pm. The menu and options will also be very interesting and when we’re done we’ll be offering our customers some of the best catering in the county.”

The 950 square metre development, which is approximately double the size of our current restaurant, will be officially opened in the spring.

Our Managing Director, Mike Lind said: “There is much to look forward to but as we embark on our new restaurant development, we do anticipate some disruption and we apologise for this. However, we are creating a vibrant new space for our customers to enjoy when they visit in the future and it’s something we think the short-term upheaval will more than make up for.

“During the development of the project, the current restaurant will continue to operate as normal and customers we hope will be largely unaffected by the building work, which will extend across the top section of the outside plant area. We will take all steps possible to minimise any inconvenience and we’re keen for customers to be involved in the development so have commissioned some boards to be erected to show them our plans.

“In the meantime, our current restaurant space will still be operational, albeit with a reduced number of tables, for teas, coffees, cakes, snacks, breakfasts and lunches, and our wonderful Pondside Café will also be open too for everything apart from breakfasts and the larger lunches.”

Photograph caption: Restaurant Coordinator, Norma Moore with some of the boards that need to be filled with street style artwork.