Barnacle has dropped anchor in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter, a modern brasserie led by Paul and Harry Askew. Set within the Grade II listed former School for the Blind on Hardman Street, we celebrate the city’s maritime soul with seasonal, sustainable, field‑to‑fork menus crafted by Paul alongside Merseyside’s finest producers and artisans. Inspired by “Captain Barnacle Bill” our story unfolds based on the cultural influences which he brought back from the voyages and posts held around the world.
• Three sheets to the wind • Three sheets to the wind • Three sheets to the wind • Three sheets to the wind •
William ‘Bill’ Henry Askew left Sunderland and went to sea at 14, posted to HMS Conway before training as a Master Mariner with the Blue Star Line, based out of Liverpool. For forty years he sailed the world at the height of globalisation, bringing recipes and cultural influences from across the globe back to his home in the UK. His travels by ship earned him the nickname ‘Barnacle Bill’, and his generosity, love of stories, ‘grogg’, and good food shaped everyone around him.
That spirit lives on in the heart of Liverpool’s evolving food culture, inspiring his son, Chef Paul Askew, and grandson, Harry Askew, who together opened Barnacle in Bill’s honour, with the goal of recreating the cuisines of Bill’s life at sea through fresh, seasonal ingredients from the region.
Founded on Duke Street in 2021, Barnacle has hosted pop-ups across the city, from the Ropewalks’ finest food and drink market, to Exchange Flags, and recently the Royal Albert Dock, before finally settling into its home at The School for the Blind.
Inspired by “Captain Barnacle Bill”
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