Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2013 winners – Franck Raymond to open Augustine Kitchen – The Gainsborough Bath Spa to open Spring 2014 – The Cottage in the Wood: best view in England – Take guard! The Cricketers opens its doors – Creative Taste success at Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2013 winners
Leading architects, interior and lighting designers, and hospitality operators from around the world gathered 12 September to recognise the latest innovative and inspiring designs to be found in the food and drink establishments in the UK and abroad. Now in their fifth year, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards received 670 submissions from the UK and 60 other countries.
Höst in Denmark, by Norm Architects, took home the award for ‘Best Restaurant’, one of the most anticipated categories of the night, with the equally coveted award for ‘Best Bar’ going to Foster + Partners for the Atrium Champagne Bar at the new ME Hotel in London.
The awards ceremony included a unique pop-up bar and restaurant concept, the Box Project, featuring four different themed bar areas created by past ‘Best Restaurant’ and ‘Best Bar’ award winners’, using only white products supplied by sponsors and partners of this year’s awards.
To symbolise the fifth year of the awards, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’ own team of event partners designed the fifth box project, which was purpose built as the main ceremonial stage and pop-up food space.
This year’s winning entries were chosen by a judging panel of renowned personalities in the world of design, food, hospitality and lifestyle including Mourad Mazouz, Restaurateur, Sketch; Tamara Lohan, Founder and CTO of Mr & Mrs Smith; Sandy Suffield, Creative Director of Wolff Olins; David Kester, Director at Thames & Hudson; and Stephen Alden, CEO Maybourne Hotel Group.
The UK winners included
Atrium Champagne Bar (London) – pictured at top
Bubbledogs (London)
Apero (London)
Baroosh (Marlow)
Burgers & Cocktails by Giraffe (Castleford)
Jamie’s Italian (Gatwick Airport, Horley)
Kerbisher and Malt (Ealing, London)
Newman Street Tavern (London)
Piccolino Cicchetti (London)
The Corner (London)
The Lost and Found (Birmingham)
The Roxy (London)
Tramshed (London)
The Wahaca Southbank Experiment (London)
View the winning projects here
For more information about the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards click here
Franck Raymond to open Augustine Kitchen
This October, the upcoming dining district of Battersea will see a new French bistro arrive courtesy of Franck Raymond. Augustine Kitchen, named after Franck’s grandmother, will serve up French-style tapas and some more classic dishes, with a focus on produce from the Evian region where Franck was born.
Formerly head chef at London institution Mon Plaisir in Covent Garden, Franck Raymond has had a passion for French food throughout his life, having worked at a number of well known French restaurants during his career. He worked in Geneva as Head Chef at Le Marignac for three years achieving two Michelin stars, before setting up his own restaurant Le Cheval Blanc in Evian. He then sold up and moved to England where he worked for Marco Pierre White at the Oak Room and Titanic as Executive Sous Chef, followed by a position as Head Pastry Chef at Kensington Place before moving to Mon Plaisir in 2003.
In his latest venture, Franck will showcase truly authentic French dishes using produce from the Evian region. Some of the fish will be brought in fresh from Lake Geneva, depending on availability. Augustine Kitchen will have an intimate family-feel with a focus on good quality produce and wine. Franck has hand-picked his producers to ensure the very best quality, including charcuterie from Monsieur Colliard and fish from Monsieur Mouchet Anyhy sur Leman, a fourth generation fisherman.
Based on Franck’s own design, the 60 cover restaurant will be simple and elegant, with rustic oak tables in the main restaurant area and mismatched, reclaimed wooden and marble tables in the bar area. Behind the bar, the handpicked selection of wines will be displayed in open racks to give a typically French charm to the restaurant.
63 Battersea Bridge Road, Battersea, SW11 3AU
For more information about the Augustine Kitchen click here
The Gainsborough Bath Spa to open Spring 2014
YTL Hotels has an exciting new project in the historical UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath:the gainsborough Bath Spa, which opens Spring 2014, and will be the newest addition to the YTL Hotels portfolio of luxury properties, and the company’s first Classic Hotel in the United Kingdom.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa will set a new standard for luxury accommodation in the City of Bath and have the exclusive privilege of being the only hotel in the UK to have direct access to natural thermal waters.
Made up of three beautiful historical buildings, each with a Grade II listed Georgian façade; the site of The Gainsborough Bath Spa has enjoyed an interesting history. The property was originally built as the United Hospital in 1824, with designs by renowned architect John Pinch. In 1932, the Hospital closed and the property became home to Bath College until 2005.
The site’s redevelopment by YTL Hotels has included the refurbishment of the main wings of the Gainsborough Building, the construction of a new wing on Lower Borough Walls and the redesigning of the neighbouring 17th century Bellotts annexe, linked to the Gainsborough by a newly formed tunnel. The lower level of the property will be home to the Spa Village Bath and thermal pools.
Located over two floors, the 1,300 square metre Spa Village Bath will have direct access to Bath’s celebrated waters through three therapeutic pools. Designed with the Roman history of Bath in mind, the pools are set within an atrium flooded with natural light. YTL Hotels’ highly acclaimed Spa Village brand remains true to the philosophy of honouring wellness traditions of the locale, which will be interwoven with its Malaysian roots at Spa Village Bath.
The elegant interiors of The Gainsborough Bath Spa have been carefully designed by Champalimaud Design, one of the most highly regarded hotel design firms in the world, known for their award-winning work on properties such as The Carlyle in New York and The Dorchester in London.
The 99-room hotel is ideally located along Beau Street, minutes away from the city’s historical attractions, shopping and restaurant districts, and directly opposite the Thermae Bath Spa.
For more information about the Gainsborough Bath Spa click here
For more information about the YTL Hotels click here
The Cottage in the Wood: 30 rooms + best view in England
The Cottage in the Wood —a unique hotel and restaurant in Worcestershire, dubbed ‘The Best View in England’ by the Daily Mail, and a destination of choice for Margaret Thatcher, is for sale.
Located high in the Malvern Hills, a designated area of outstanding beauty, The Cottage in the Wood enjoys panoramic views of the Severn Valley, to the West of the Cotswolds.
As well as its panorama, the hotel is equally famous for having been a favourite of Margaret Thatcher, who regularly visited The Cottage in the Wood to relax, particularly during her later years.
The hotel has three buildings with 30 en-suite bedrooms. In the main house, the recently refurbished, award-winning 2 AA Rosette Outlook Restaurant may be found — aptly-named owing to the stunning views provided by the large Georgian windows. The restaurant offers a wide range in high-quality food, and boasts a very extensive wine list. Also within the main house is a bar lounge, a boardroom and seven double bedrooms.
Four further rooms are within the adjacent Beech Cottage, originally a woodman’s cottage which pre-dates the main building by over 100 years. The remainder of the rooms are within the third building, The Pinnacles, named after Pinnacle Hill which lies beyond. Arguably the best views of all are to be enjoyed from the balconies and patios of bedrooms in this impressive three-storey building.
Gavin Wright, Director of Christie + Co is handling the sale. He says: “Hotels with great features, stunning scenery and the highest possible endorsement do not come on to the market too often. This is a genuine retirement sale after 26 years of ownership by the Pattin family. We are expecting high levels of interest in this landmark hotel — from both experienced operators and small hotel groups looking to expand.”
Christie + Co is seeking offers in the region of £1,950,000 for the freehold.
Take guard! The Cricketers opens its doors
‘The Cricketers’, a new pub on Kew Green, will bowl over Richmond residents when it opens its doors for the first time on 9th September, following an extensive £260,000 refurbishment.
The pub – previously known as the Rose & Crown – remains under the guidance of Spirit Pub Company, but as ‘The Cricketers’ it will bring a new and exciting experience to Richmond, all delivered with the truly great standards expected of a trusty great local pub.
Part of Spirit’s new Premium Pub concept
The pub is the second to be opened as part of Spirit’s new Premium Pub concept following the successful launch of the George on Havestock Hill in London earlier in the year.
The menu boast its own independent flavour, offering new and exciting dishes developed by new Head Chef, Tracey De Villiers, and General Manager, Paolo Corgiolu, both of whom have a wealth of hospitality experience.
General Manager Paolo Corgiolu said: “We’re really excited to bring The Cricketers to our guests, having created what we hope is exactly what they are looking for in their local pub as well as attracting guests from further afield to taste our food and enjoy the modern surroundings.
“We hope they will feel at home with its country feel as well as proud of their local town’s rich sporting history that will be on display within the pub. With a wide selection of delicious food and drink on offer, there’s something for everyone at The Cricketers.”
The Cricketers, 79 Kew Green, Richmond TW9 3AH
020 8940 2078
For more information about The Cricketers click here
Creative Taste success at Dulwich Picture Gallery
Creative Taste, the heritage and visitor attractions division of caterer Creativevents, has relaunched the Picture Gallery Café at Dulwich Picture Gallery, following a stunning makeover.
In May 2013 Creative Taste won a six year £3.8m contract to provide catering services at Dulwich Picture Gallery Café together with hospitality for events in the Gallery and its gardens.
60% increase in public-catering revenue
Dulwich Picture Gallery Café reopened this June and it has benefited from a fresh new look with stylish furniture, contemporary mono resin flooring and a bespoke display unit that forms the bar for evening occasions. Since reopening this summer, Creative Taste and Dulwich Picture Gallery has seen its partnership rewarded by an early 60% increase in public catering revenue.
Zoë Watts, Creativevents’ recently appointed business development director said: “Our mission at Creative Taste is to add innovation to catering in public spaces. We have enjoyed a great summer at Dulwich already. Our pop up Citroën Van and ice-cream trike has been a massive hit with families visiting the gallery over the school holidays.
“We are looking forward to nurturing more new relationships with the Gallery’s Friends and the local community, helping to expand on the venue’s weddings, corporate and social occasions’ business for 2014.”
Dulwich Picture Gallery Café features freshly cooked dishes with seasonal ingredients. “You can enjoy a really good morning coffee and a pastry, an enticing brunch and afternoon tea as well as delicious Sunday roasts at the weekend,” explains Zoë. “The ‘Little Gallery Menu’ is proving very popular with our younger guests and they like being able to have small portions of the grown-up choices as well.”