The Suntrap “secret garden” restaurant many don’t know exists

Tucked away in Liverpool city center you’ll find a restaurant with a ‘secret garden’ that many people don’t know exists.

Free State Kitchen opened on Maryland Street in 2013, serving American classics “with a contemporary twist.” Husband and wife Kate Hughes and Gary Williams, both 42, quit their jobs in sales and urban planning to open the restaurant, inspired by their travels across the United States.

Kate runs the front of house at Free State Kitchen, while Gary runs the kitchen. The menu consists of a wide selection of burgers, from chicken and beef burgers to vegan and gluten-free options, which have been rated among the best burgers in the UK. The menu also includes a wide variety of other American-inspired dishes, such as hot buffalo wings, Boston clam chowder and cream cheese.

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Kate told the ECHO: “We were inspired by the places we went when we were in the States. At the time, there was no place that offered the same quality American-style burgers without being gimmicky.

“We took something that we experienced in the States and simply replicated it in Liverpool without being cliché. We wanted something that was quite humble, without being in your face.”

Walking past Free State Kitchen, based just off Hope Street, you’d have no idea of ​​the huge garden hidden behind. Going to the garden is a family affair, with Kate’s mother looking after the plants.

The restaurant also grows its own fruit and vegetables, from herbs and tomatoes to apples that are used to make homemade apple pie in the fall months.

Kate said: “I passed this location every day on my way to college and had no idea it was here. People in their 70s said “I’ve been passing this way for years and I didn’t know it was here”. You can see it from the road.

“When we found the location, we were like, ‘We’ve got to make this work.’ Where are you going to get such a space in Liverpool or any other city?

“We’re a restaurant garden, so we offer the full service you get in a restaurant in a garden setting. I spent a lot of time gardening. It’s a true labor of love. When you get the first cracks of the sun you are very busy.”

Kate said the key to serving up some of the country’s best burgers is consistency in the production process and fresh produce, with fresh bread, potatoes and fresh beef delivered to the restaurant every day.

Since the restaurant first opened, it has witnessed the growth of the Hope Street area, where the arts and culture scene has been accompanied by a growing food and drink destination. Two pubs – the White Hart and The Engineer – opened on Hope Street this year. Asian fusion restaurant Liu Shi also opened in February at 60 Hope Street, while the Philharmonic Hotel opened for guests just before Christmas.

Kate said the restaurant has benefited from new businesses opening up in the area, where a nice neighborhood has been created with each location looking after the other. The close proximity of the city’s universities attracts lunchtime lecturers, while the Philharmonic Hall and Everyman Theater attract guests for a pre-theatre dinner.

For the past 11 years, Free State Kitchen has welcomed clients to their first dates who have since returned to hold their wedding reception at the venue. Kate added: “We are grateful to all our regulars for all their support over the years. We have people who started dating and ended up having wedding parties here and they come with babies and second children. They became ours. extended family.”

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