Waving off Weavers

It started life in the 14th century as a chapel belonging to one of Diss’ prominent weavers’ guilds. Since then, it’s served as a butcher’s shop, retail store, collar maker, grocer, and silversmith. And for the last 34 years it’s been one of Diss’ most popular and iconic eateries, run by locals Katrina and William Bavin. As the Bavins prepare to retire, we celebrate 34 years of Weavers Wine Bar & Eating House.

No April fool William Bavin opened Weavers on Wednesday 1 April, 1987. Having trained at Norwich City College, William worked in the catering industry all over the country but returned to his Norfolk roots to take on his final project. After completely refurbishing the restaurant, including exposing and treating all the timbers, he opened the doors to Weavers Wine Bar & Eating House. “William went to Norwich City College to do his catering qualifications and worked in Scotland and London before returning to Norfolk to work in hotels in the mid-80s,” said Katrina Bavin. “He had always wanted to have his own place and when the building came up for lease it seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally realise his dream.” Katrina joined him on his dream path 10 years later. “I did a hospitality degree at the University of Portsmouth and went on to train at the Savoy in London,” said Katrina. “This was followed by a number of years working in London hotels. The pull of my hometown and wanting to work with William brought me back to Diss and Weavers, and we've run the restaurant together ever since. With him behind the stove and me out front.”

Come for the food, come back for the friendship And they’ve been firm favourites with Diss gourmands ever since. “We’re lucky to have had so many loyal regulars,” said Katrina. “It’s this that has helped us run a successful business in the town for so long. We love the fact that we know so many of our customers well. We’ve helped them celebrate special occasions, date nights, works dos, birthdays and nights out with friends. And they’ve become so much more than customers. To us they’re now very dear friends. Running a business in a small town is special. There's something lovely about knowing everyone and them knowing you. The last two years have shown us the value of having a loyal customer base. And we can't thank them enough for the amazing support during the pandemic and indeed for all the years prior.” With fabulous food, an intimate and historic setting and warm and welcoming hospitality all on the menu, it’s no surprise people have been coming back for more. “Our most popular dish has been our chicken liver starter, “said Katrina. “We serve it at the table straight from the pan. It was on the very first menu Will produced and

has been on the menu every day since. Will is very proud of the dish and its legacy. Our Pavlovas are pretty legendary too. We always have one on the menu and over the last 30 years have filled them with all sorts. We’ve gone from the more traditional vanilla ice cream with honey and raspberry sauce to brown bread ice cream with Earl Grey tea syrup and Jaffa Cake ice cream with orange sauce.”

Good times and great support And let’s not forget the team who’ve kept everything running smoothly. “Without a good team working alongside you, you're nothing,” said Katrina. “You can't run a place like Weavers without professional, dedicated people who love what they do and work hard for a common cause. We’ve been able to employ many excellent people over the years. And they’ve helped make Weavers a success.” But, despite working hard, there’s also been time for a good knees-up. “We've had some great New Year’s Eve parties,” said Katrina. “We’d serve an 8course menu and then everyone is up and dancing until the small hours. Our Beaujolais Nouveau nights have always been great fun too. Every year, we sample the new Beaujolais, dress up and have lighthearted competitions and activities. These often require lots of imagination with Playdoh or pipe cleaners or making up songs or limericks!”

Time for a new challenge All good things must come to an end, and at the end of September the Bavins served their final Pavlova. Retirement and new challenges beckon. But that’s not the end of Weavers. “We love Diss. We love that everyone knows everyone else and that it has a lovely community spirit,” said Katrina. “Even though we’ve retired we’ve bought a home in town - we didn't want to leave a place we love so much. It needs lots of work doing to it to make it a home so it’s our retirement project! Weavers is selling as a going concern, and we’re pleased that it will stay as a restaurant for the local community. The new owners are lovely. We wish them every success and hope they enjoy running Weavers as much as we have for the last 34 years.”