Award-winning Wellingborough restaurant Ember leaving Nene Court location as it looks to expand into larger premises

Ember, which has been located at Nene Court since 2022, has announced the restaurant is on the move and searching for bigger premises so its innovative dining experience can be elevated to the next level.

Owner James Peck said: “Nene Court has been our home for three years and our team has huge appreciation and gratitude for how Wellingborough has embraced our restaurant.

“We hope we have made our customers and the town proud of what we’ve achieved as a small business.

“We’ve now outgrown our space at Nene Court and feel our business must evolve and expand our offer if we’re to keep Ember burning brightly for years to come.”

It comes as the lease date for the current venue expires in summer, with an ‘epic’ final dinner service planned for June.

Until then, the restaurant is operating as normal.

The restaurant, based in an old gaslight factory, has gained popularity over the years with diners who can sit and watch chefs serve up small plates cooked on an open fire.

In such a short space of time, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, scooping accolades such as OpenTable Top 100 Restaurants and Great Food Club Awards Restaurant of the Year.

Talks are now ongoing with venues in Northampton town centre to find a new home as the operation gets set to scale up for 2025.

James, who also owns The Four Pears pub in Little Houghton, added: “The fact we’ve outgrown our space is testament to our loyal patrons and our hard working team who continue to push Ember to be as special as it is today.

“We’ve been absolutely blown away by the outpouring of support on social media, it’s been really overwhelming to see how many people love Ember.

"Now, we want to be able to feed our consistent waiting list which has been staring at us for three years in a larger venue.

“Ideally we’re looking at Northampton town centre for our new home and we are in talks with interested parties there.

"Though if you believe you have a space that might be of interest to host our bigger restaurant, please get in touch by contacting [email protected].”

The announcement follows the news that Number 13 Bar, which had been part of the same group, is undergoing a change of ownership.

James said: “As we get set to depart Wellingborough, we felt it made sense to separate the identity of the businesses in readiness for our move to Northampton.

“We know how loved the cocktail bar is, it’s such a beautiful space. We wish the new management every success.”

Team Ember now continues to plan ahead for a memorable 2025 summer of growth and innovation.

As well as a larger venue, food festivals, fire-cooking masterclasses, dinner parties and pop-up events are now in the works.

Their sister restaurant The Four Pears has also installed a brand new garden, centred around an outdoor ‘destination’ kitchen, giving a nod to Ember’s magic.