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In April 1984, Adam and Mandy Jones took over the ‘Little House Café’, repainted the dark brown exterior in green and renamed it ‘Granvilles’. The ‘toasties’ there were already legendary, so for the first year, they decided to keep things pretty much as they had been, but it soon became clear that Stone needed something more.
They removed the old railway-waiting-room furniture upstairs, obtained a licence, installed a small service bar in the corner, at the top of the stairs and the restaurant was born!
A chance conversation with the neighbour and they managed to purchase the much larger building to the left. Initially taking over just the part of the building that included the dry cleaners, they were able to create the Cocktail Bar area downstairs.
They also knocked through the back of the building and found a 4-foot deep ‘garden’ that no one had set foot in for at least 40 years! Who would have believed that could become the tranquil, flower-filled space now enjoyed by so many?
The first, brick bar was built in the area now occupied by the sideboard and coffee machine; the first musicians had to play in a small recess opposite the bar.
In 1990, they acquired all the ground floor previously occupied by H.G.Paints & Wallpapers, enabling them to extend the downstairs area and construct the stage so a greater variety of musicians could be booked. And a very successful appearance by George Melly and John Chiltern’s Feetwarmers heralded the start of one of the most famous and well renowned live music venues in the Midlands, attracting a multitude of world-famous performers including Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazzband, Chris Barber & His band, Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Ronnie Scott, Humphrey Lyttleton, Stan Boardman, Paul Boardman, Digby Fairweather & His Half-dozen, King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, Georgie Fame, Jess Roden, Alan Price, China Crisis, The Temperance Seven, Alan Hull and Ray Clements from Lindisfarne, Zoot Money, Sonja Kristina of Curved Air, Ruby Turner, Screaming Lord Sutch, Marie Wilson, Giles Hedley and many more!
With the restaurant upstairs and regular live music downstairs, some diners felt they were missing out on some of the lively atmosphere, so having firstly created the gallery above where the bands play, it seemed an obvious progression to move the restaurant downstairs too!
The upstairs is now an extra bar area open at weekends but has also become a popular choice for private parties and private dinner clubs with its separate kitchen area.
27 years on & Granvilles has evolved into one of "Staffordshire's BEST KNOWN RESTAURANT AND MUSIC VENUE" and has welcomed
thousands of customers of all ages throughout the last two and a half
decades, including such celebrities as Sir Cliff Richard, Lulu, Jasper
Conran, Paul Jones, Billy Bragg, Feargal Sharkey, Ian Duncan
Smith, not to mention such celebrity chefs as Paul Rankin, Mary Berry, James Tanner, Anthony Worrall-Thompson and The Hairy Bikers!
Granvilles has been closely
involved with many aspects of Stone life including the
annual Food & Drink Festival and in helping with the development of the now hugely
successful Farmers' Market, held every first Saturday of the
month.
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