New Greek restaurant hosting grand opening in Swindon

The Greek Graze Co has been serving customers for the last week ahead of the big day.

The idea for the business started during the pandemic lockdowns, when Amber Mitchell began preparing and selling homemade platters based on her own family's recipes for Greek food and adding her own twists to burgers and gyros.

The Greek Graze Co founder Amber Mitchell with business manager Zachary Ockwell and her executive chef/uncle Steven.

The Greek Graze Co (Image: The Greek Graze Co)

This proved to be so popular and sold out so often that the 28-year-old struggled to keep up with demand, so she put the idea on the back burner and returned to her office job.

While catering for the occasional event, Zachary Ockwell suggested they buy a unit and set up a brand.

Amber had tried to find a suitable space before with no luck, but her new business development manager had worked at Basepoint Business Park in West Swindon and learned that a unit was available.

Amber Mitchell outside the unit housing her new business (Image: Amber Mitchell)

After three weeks of renovation, the kitchen and restaurant is ready to go, with front of house staff and four chefs - including Amber and her uncle - helping to keep things running.

Amber said: "We've had a lot of customers already, which is great, it's going very smoothly.

"Some are repeat customers from the lockdown days. Most order online and come here to collect, and we get walk-ins from other businesses in the area.

The Greek Graze Co (Image: The Greek Graze Co)

"It's great having a professional kitchen - before I could do 10 meals a day, now we can serve 20 in an hour.

"I've been cooking all my life and been part of a large Greek family. The recipes have been handed down from my Cypriot grandparents who moved to the UK, or I make up my own.

"There was a gap in the market for this sort of freshly made Greek food and people love it."

The empty space has been transformed (Image: Amber Mitchell)

A five-out-of-five food hygiene rating and a sharp rise in the business' social media followers from 1,400 to 2,000 certainly bodes well for the future.

The Greek Graze Co is open seven days a week from midday, serving meals, snacks and deli items while also arranging catering for corporate events.

Amber is already thinking ahead to what the next steps for the business could be, potentially opening a second restaurant in Bristol and maybe even turning it into a franchise.

For more information, visit The Greek Graze Co's pages on Facebook and Instagram.

The Greek Graze Co (Image: The Greek Graze Co)

Amber Mitchell and her cousin Tori (Image: Amber Mitchell)