The Ivy Stratford Opens in Former Debenhams: 154 Seats

The Ivy has opened in Stratford-upon-Avon, in the former Debenhams building on High Street. The building at the entrance to Bell Court has stood empty since Debenhams pulled out in 2020.

The restaurant’s own page now reads “Now open at 33-35 High Street”. It is the Ivy Collection’s first brasserie in Warwickshire and its 47th restaurant. The company announced in August that it would open in September.

What the Ivy says it brings

The company’s announcement lists:

• seating for 154 diners inside
• an outdoor terrace for 12 more
• all-day dining seven days a week, from breakfast to evening
• a dedicated pre-theatre menu
• more than 100 new local jobs

The Ivy names its general manager as Richard Chiswell and its head chef as Marc Chiong. Both previously worked at The Ivy Temple Row in Birmingham, the company says.

Opening hours

Those are the hours on the restaurant’s page today. The page says the main restaurant, terrace and toilets are fully accessible. It gives the phone number as 01789 653570 and points drivers to Arden Street car park, about seven minutes’ walk.

How the empty Debenhams became four units

The district council granted planning permission on 25 September for application 26/00553/FUL. It splits the old store into four shop or restaurant units, with new shopfronts and outdoor seating for the largest one.

The officer’s report confirms The Ivy is the occupier of that largest unit. It also says the occupiers of the three smaller units, which face Taskers Way, “are unknown at this stage”. By the time of the decision, the report notes, the Ivy unit was “substantially complete” and no significant work had started on the other three.

The report is frank about the design. The council’s urban design officer raised concerns, including that the main door sits off-centre under the windows above. The case officer found that would cause “moderate harm” to the building’s design. But the officer gave more weight to the length of time the unit had been empty and to “the significant job creation” from The Ivy, and granted permission.

The permission comes with conditions. These include:

• no lighting on the Ivy unit’s building or shopfronts, because lit frontages are not a feature of High Street
• deliveries only between 7am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday, with none on Sundays or bank holidays
• limits on noise from kitchen plant, tightening after 11pm and again after 1am
• odour control equipment kept running to the maker’s instructions

Nobody objected. The town council made no representation, and no residents wrote in, the report records.

A separate listed building consent, 26/01197/LBC, was granted the same day. It allows the building to be separated inside from 3 and 4 Wood Street. One application is still open: 26/02055/ADV, for the fascia signs, a projecting sign, window vinyls and awning adverts. The council’s target date for deciding it is 4 November.

The site already had permission, first granted in 2022, to demolish and rebuild it with shops and a hotel. This application took a different route: reusing the existing building rather than knocking it down.

Food hygiene rating

The Food Standards Agency lists The Ivy Stratford Upon Avon at 33-35 High Street as “awaiting inspection”. That is normal for a newly opened business. We will report its first rating when the council publishes it.

What it means for you

• It is open now. Bookings are taken through the Ivy Collection’s website or by phone.
• The High Street gap is partly filled. The old Debenhams frontage was boarded up for several years, as the planning report notes.
• Three more units are coming on Taskers Way, with no tenants named. They can be used for anything in Use Class E, which covers shops, cafes, restaurants, gyms and offices. A pub or bar would need a fresh application.
• More town centre parking news is due. The council’s Cabinet meets on Monday 5 October to decide on demolishing the Windsor Street car park and three neighbouring buildings. Our parking guide lists the other car parks.