OUR STORY
On March 1st 1935, Maurice Markovitz bought The Courtyard building, in which our restaurant and rooms are located, from Tideswell and Miller's Dale Coal and General Merchant’s Company Ltd for £1,200, meaning that he was able to branch out into supplying hardware and building materials, adding to his existing bicycle and repair business.
Maurice never married or had children but his nephew Brian joined the business in 1953. By 1995 the growth of the company resulted in a move to larger premises in Tideswell, but ownership of this building was retained. From humble beginnings, the Markovitz Group now operates nationally, trading from 25 depots.
It is unlikely that Maurice envisaged the future of either the builders’ merchant's business, or that those original premises would involve a transformation from a general hardware store to an award-winning restaurant with rooms!
The Merchant’s Yard restaurant, named with a respectful nod to the building (and the company’s) history, opened in November 2015 and remains family-owned and operated by Maurice's great nephews. We are delighted with the addition of our beautifully appointed bedrooms, carefully designed as a natural extension to our much-loved restaurant and offering the perfect base from which to explore the stunning setting of the Peak District National Park.
Our restaurant itself specialises in a selection of dishes using fresh seasonal produce from local suppliers, and our rooms offer a luxurious and tranquil retreat in an ideal location.
Our restaurant and rooms are dressed with authentic memorabilia from the near-100- years trading of the original business. If you would like to know more about the history of the building or the company, please do not hesitate to ask one of our team.