Moureen’s career takes her from chalkboard to cheese
Nov 15 2007
by Michelle Rushton, Liverpool Daily Post
Michelle Rushton meets MOUREEN NOLAN, owner, OSQA restaurant and deli
SPENDING 29 years of her working life in education gave Moureen Nolan plenty of food for thought.
And last July, having spent 12 years at St Edward’s College, she performed a complete career U-turn – leaving her role as deputy head to pursue a new venture as a restaurateur.
Having devised a restaurant-meets-deli concept which allows food lovers to experience gourmet food at home, Moureen launched OSQA, which serves a fusion of English, Mediterranean and pan-American cuisine, and is the latest addition to Liverpool’s eclectic dining scene.
It was a brave move for Moureen, who had enjoyed an illustrious career in education which started when she qualified as an English teacher at Liverpool University. Moureen took up her first teaching post at St Joseph’s Comprehensive, Widnes, in 1978.
She went on to join St Edward’s College in 1995 as head of sixth form, where she showed a real commitment to ensuring pupils gained a first-class educat- ion. This resulted in her promot- ion to deputy head in 2004.
But, by the turn of the millennium, Moureen felt she had achieved her industry goals and began to consider her career options.
Her thoughts turned to her other passion – food. Never a cook but a consummate foodie, Moureen would regularly dine out, building an enviable resumé of restaurants she had visited. It was this love of great food that provided the impetus for her new career.
Moureen has spent the last five years juggling her role as deputy head teacher and planning the launch of top eatery OSQA. Having found the perfect location in Oldham Square, hiring top chef Lloyd Chen and creating a magnificent dining venue, OSQA restaurant and deli finally opened its doors to the public at the end of July.
Moureen explained: “I’d achieved everything I’d set out to do in education and needed a new challenge. On the surface, the two industries may seem very different, but in reality the skills required to make OSQA a success are similar to the ones I have spent the last 29 years perfecting.”
City centre dining is becoming exceptional in Liverpool, and this increasingly high standard spurred Moureen on.
She said: “Being passionate about your work is vital – I love good food and providing a great restaurant experience for my customers. I get a real buzz from knowing that people have had a great evening.”