Husband and wife team open new restaurant in Heswall

Jan 19 2011 by Jane Clare, Birkenhead News

IT'S that time of year. After weeks of eating and drinking comes January, the month of waistband tightening and low carb lunches.

Nova, which launched in Heswall last week, has kick-started with a healthy menu to help diners stay trim in the new year. Nova is Slovakian for “new” and is fronted by husband and wife team, Moyo and Jana Benson, who have already built up a strong reputation within Wirral’s dining community.

Moyo, who is originally from Nigeria, trained at Telford College, in Edinburgh, and had cooking posts at two of the city’s five star hotels, including the Balmoral and Caledonian Hilton Hotel.

His career highlights include working for Michelin-starred establishments in Jersey and London, in addition to working for such famous names as Pierre Koffman.

He moved to Wirral eight years ago, where he met his wife Jana.

Moyo said: “Opening the restaurant was a very overwhelming experience. It is something we had been planning for over two years so actually going ahead and doing it was very daunting but extremely exciting at the same time.

“We have had an excellent response so far, which fills us with great confidence, as this is our first business venture.”

Nova is unique in its offering with a range of bespoke dishes, created by Moyo, one of which he has chosen to share with us here.

Moyo said: “The avocado confit is a tasty vegetarian dish, full of all the right vitamins and minerals, and good for those wanting to start the New Year with a balanced diet.”