Supper 08

ISSUE 8

Jason Atherton

The star chef on social dining and going global

Monica Berg

From Norway to her way, a career behind the bar

Robert Angell

Why timeless F&B design will always be in style

“Be noticed” “If we don’t get lost, we’ll never find a new route.”

— Jesse Kalisher

— Joan Littlewood

kalisher.com

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9/5/17 3:14 PM

CONTENTS

Setting

SPECIALS

Entrée 009

Starters

The Politics of Dining

Keepers Kitchen & Bar

SIPPING Cocktails 043

Hung Tong & Red Sugar

Appetisers 013

Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong

Trends and concepts impacting the world of

Momofuku

global hotel F&B

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Morelli

Pineapple Old Fashioned

081

Pulitzer Bar, The Pulitzer, Amsterdam

Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel 044

Seven Years in Tibet

082

The Thief Bar, The Thief, Oslo 046

Madame Butterfly

084

Po, Warehouse Singapore 048

Hotel Viu, Milan La Capitale

050

SERVICE

Drinks A Dead Rabbit in Claridge’s

Four Seasons Hotel Amman

The Future of the Bar is Now Main Course A Social Enterprise

086

Claridge’s, London

018

Botanist

Chef Jason Atherton discusses modern

Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

dining and why hotels are getting it wrong

Jean-Georges Beverly Hills

090

New Waves in Wine 096 060

What’s Brewing?

102

064

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills From Norway to Her Way

024

Nobu Shoreditch

Bartender Monica Berg talks culture clashes

Nobu Hotel Shoreditch

and gender labels

La Terazza

068

SIDES

072

Hotel Eden, Rome A Life Creative

030

Designer Robert Angell on why timelessness

La Dame de Pic

076

Events 114 Robert Welch 124

Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square

Petits Fours 129

will always be in style

The Washing Up The Importance of Being Noticed Branding design in Hotel F&B

036

154

Guy Heksch, Pure Grey

SPREAD An Estonian Exploration

051

003

Setting

“Being a chef is all well and good, but if you don’t learn how to make money from what you create then you’re nothing more than a good cook.”

Chef Jason Atherton on building a restaurant empire.

ENTRée

The Politics of Dining

W

e live in turbulent times. There’s perhaps not a period in

ethos attractive for two bartenders who had reached their zenith in their

history when this wasn’t true, but there’s little doubt that

native Belfast. It’s an idea that is under threat in an age more defined by

the status quo has shifted, and continues to shift, in ways

division and closing borders than big dreams.

that few would have predicted. Some would argue that

Conversely, anti-tourism movements are sweeping through some cities

politics is not a topic for the dinner table, and yet there’s no doubt that

– from Dubrovnik to Venice – and even turning violent, as in the case of

it’s having an impact on it – along with the hospitality industry as a whole.

Barcelona, where a coach full of visitors was attacked in July. Of course the

In the UK, Brexit continues to breed uncertainty. But even while

situation in Catalonia, one of the most popular travel destinations globally,

significant hotel projects are opening apace - the likes of London’s Nobu

is only exacerbated by an on-going tussle with the Spanish government

Hotel Shoreditch (p68) – the negative impact on the industry is already

over independence that sees armed forces on the streets, mass protests and

being felt.

images of bludgeoned residents beamed around the world. Operators are

According to a KPMG report, based on a survey of British Hospitality

getting jittery about what this means for visitor rates. This kind of disorder

Association members, citizens of other EU countries could make up ‘as

in traditionally stable regions means tourists now exist in an increasingly

much as a quarter of the 3 million workers in UK hospitality’. That includes

enduring state of angst, something industry intelligence platform Skift

25% of chefs and 75% of waiting staff. Now, net migration in the UK is

has billed ‘permanxiety’.

down and more EU citizens are leaving than arriving. For hotels seeking to

So where do we go from here and what do these global forces mean

staff their restaurants and bars with able, experienced and suitably trained

for the hotel F&B sector? Staffing shortages and tourism numbers are

people, that’s a problem. For those EU citizens embedded in the industry

undoubtedly two very different issues, but in the current climate the

and seeking to stay, a period of innovation-stifling ambiguity lies ahead.

problems with each are arguably fuelled by the same root: a sense of

When I sat with Chef Jason Atherton (p18), he lamented the current state

being unwelcome.

of affairs, saying, “Until the government really lays out what Brexit means

It’s little surprise that an unwelcoming environment is at odds with an

to us as an industry, it’s very difficult to see how we could continue to

industry so named because it is ‘hospitable’. Hospitality has always been

invest on a substantial level.”

a living example of how diversity breeds creativity and hotels in particular

Of course, the UK is not alone in its political upheaval. Seldom a day goes

have long provided a gateway for workers from other climes. When they are

by that President Trump doesn’t generate eyebrow-raising headlines and,

made to feel like pariahs the whole industry suffers. Perpetuate uncertainty

at the time of writing, a revised travel ban affecting eight countries is set

and, again, the whole industry suffers, for few things inhibit vision like

to come into effect - amid further protests and legal challenges. Whilst the

a lack of security.

ban is unlikely to have the same direct impact on hospitality as Brexit, it

For visitors, amid on-going political rhetoric, angry locals and

no less fosters a cultural perception off-putting to would-be settlers and

continuing concerns over issues like global terrorism, hotels more than

travellers alike; international tourism numbers in the USA are down. For

ever must provide convivial sanctuaries for those on the road – where the

hotels that rely on global guests spending in their F&B venues, it’s arguably

food is good, the drinks well made and where the service comes with a

only a matter of time before they feel the pinch.

smile that says, “we’re happy to have you”.

I recently met with Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry of New York’s Dead

So we do indeed live in turbulent times, but it’s in periods like these that

Rabbit bar, in London to oversee a pop-up of their venue at Claridge’s

the hospitality industry has a responsibility to live up to its name and

(p86). They documented their own ‘immigrant story’, leaving Northern

ensure that – whether serving or sitting - all feel welcome at the dinner

Ireland for New York in search of increased prospects in the industry. For

table, regardless of politics.

them, the USA truly was the land of opportunity - its open-for-business

Harry McKinley | Editor

009

THE BRIGADE

Editorial

Advertising

Finance

Editor-in-Chief

Advertising Manager

Finance Director

Matt Turner

Rachel Chadwick

Amanda Giles

m.turner@mondiale.co.uk

r.chadwick@mondiale.co.uk

a.giles@mondiale.co.uk

Editor Harry McKinley

Marketing

h.mckinley@mondiale.co.uk

Group Credit Controller Lynette Levi l.levi@mondiale.co.uk

Editorial Assistant

Brand Director

Group Financial Controller

Kristofer Thomas

Amy Wright

Sarah Miller

k.thomas@mondiale.co.uk

a.wright@mondiale.co.uk

s.miller@mondiale.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Ben Thomas

Design

Kerry Mountney k.mountney@mondiale.co.uk

b.thomas@mondiale.co.uk

Contributors

Accounts Assistant

Design David Bell

Corporate

d.bell@mondiale.co.uk

Angus Winchester

Production

Chairman

Anna Sulan Masing

Dan Seaton

Damian Walsh

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d.walsh@mondiale.co.uk

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Website designed and developed by

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14/03/2017 16:08

APPETISERS

Pop Stars

As a new generation of consumers comes of age, the

premium brand with a focus on hospitality.”

term ‘pop-up’ is notoriously ubiquitous, associated with

Allowing established hotels the opportunity to experiment

experiences characterised by surprise offerings, conceptual

with, and further determine, the makeup of their audience,

approaches and guerrilla-esque tactics. Be they limited

the pop-up concept has the ability to draw guests to a bar or

edition menus, themed events, or a series of close-knit

restaurant they might otherwise avoid. In the reverse, the

collaborations, pop-up merchants have aligned themselves

approach also lends names perhaps better known elsewhere

with a generation seeking new experiences as opposed

the chance to expand into markets untapped.

to the comfortable familiarity of an established offer.

The Dead Rabbit, Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry’s celebrated Irish drinking tavern, for example, took over the

“We’re a growing brand and pop-ups allow us the

bar space at Claridge’s Mayfair for a week, with the intention

flexibility to test concepts at a lower cost commitment than

of bringing New York’s finest to the London masses and

having a permanent space,” says Melanie Goldsmith, co-

recreating the bar’s 19th century aesthetic in a new setting.

founder and managing director of Smith & Sinclair, a studio

Behind the scenes, these events can create brand synergy

that has recognised this emerging market as a potentially

and generate wider buzz that benefits both bar and those

lucrative one. They create a range of experiences that can be

temporarily occupying it. British GQ’s GQ Bar at Rosewood

tailored to venues wishing to offer guests something out of

London made the hotel’s outdoor terrace its home for 3

the ordinary. “Pop-ups mean that you never get the same

months to support the publication’s F&B awards programme,

experience twice,” she adds.

giving guests a physical insight into the brand’s ethos. As

The studio’s edible alcohol shop on Carnaby Street –

a franchise it also holds a permanent location within JW

stocking cocktail flavoured candyfloss and fruit pastilles,

Marriott Marquis Dubai’s Entertainment Wing. Likewise,

amongst other delights – turned heads at the tail-end of 2016,

the popularity of Luke Dale Roberts’ pop-up restaurant at

whilst a collaboration with The Sanderson Hotel’s Purple Bar

Johannesburg’s The Saxon Hotel led to a permanent residence

and designer Philippe Starck resulted in the creation of The

thanks to the acclaim it garnered.

Flavour Rooms, a seasonal run at the Fitzrovia property that

With their limited runs and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it

blended bar, restaurant and event elements for an immersive

sense of exclusivity, the power of pop-up concepts could

hotel F&B experience.

prove a key element in the progression of the hotel F&B

“They’re an incredible hotel team that were open to

industry as it enters a period defined by shorter attention

exploring, so were aligned with our vision for the menu and

spans and in which new customers will be seeking new ideas,

target demographic,” Goldsmith continues. “Working with

new concepts and new venues, all of the time.

The Sanderson helped us to establish ourselves further as a

013

APPETISERS

Stars in Their Eyes

“We believe that the expectations from Michelin are at

a starred venue are likely to expect a very specific form of

odds with achievable profit margins and put an enormous

setting and menu. The system has far from grown stale,

stress on a small family-run business like ours,” says

but it has arguably slowed the rate of experimentation in

Wendy Matheson, co-owner of Boath House Hotel in

the context of ambience and service, with one false step in

Auldearn, Scotland, on the decision to request that its

these respects resulting in the loss of a star and, for many

Michelin Star rating be stripped. “The feedback we are

restaurants, the loss of revenue or perceived prestige.

hearing time and time again from our customers is that

For Boath House, the star was considered restrictive, with

they want an experience that is more informal and relaxed

the management team feeling that it forced them to cultivate

and this extends to the restaurant, the food and even how

a formal atmosphere despite guests wanting something a

it is served.”

little looser. Being stripped of the star by Michelin for not

Since 1926 the Michelin Star has been recognised as a

adhering to the expected setting could be perceived as the

near-universal indicator of quality. Awarded to outstanding

restaurant having tumbled in quality rather than overhauling

establishments overseen by the most esteemed chefs, it

its style. And so asking to be stripped allows them to revaluate,

signifies prestige, quality and the finest of fine dining.

reconnect and address guest feedback, keeping the spirit of

Recently, however, the rating has become more of a burden

the restaurant in mind as opposed to the award itself.

than a blessing for some.

014

However, Michelin now looks to be addressing these issues

Matheson and Boath House became the second in as

and tinkering with both its system and the perceptions of its

many weeks to air their displeasure with the star, following

awards. Two Singaporean food stalls made history in 2016 by

renowned three-star recipient Sébastien Bras’s request not

becoming the first street vendors to receive a star, hinting

to be included in the 2018 edition of the guide, whilst citing

that the association between the award and formal settings

the ‘great pressure’ of being involved.

may be coming to an end. Operating from modest shop fronts

“This has been a beautiful challenge, [and] a source of great

and selling at a fraction of the expected Michelin price, the

satisfaction with the evolutions that we have brought about,”

recognition of Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and

he told French news agency AFP. “But also a great pressure,

Noodle, and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle’s food over their

which inevitably accompanies the distinction of the The

atmosphere could signal a sea change, not just in Michelin

prestige and recognition associated with the star can boost

circles but for the restaurant industry at large. Now there

a restaurant to that elusive next level, providing a widely

is precedent, and now that the guide is actively seeking to

acknowledged platform on which to operate. However, the

redefine its system, we may see increasingly unconventional

lack of a competing award of the same measure has resulted

recipients of star ratings, or perhaps the emergence of a new

in something of a narrow scope, meaning that diners visiting

alternative to fill the gap.

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APPETISERS

Multi-sense and Sensibility

Following the implementation of a blanket multi-sensory

block, whilst the Asian inspired mix is served in fine china,

concept at Geneva’s Hôtel N’v’Y in 2011, the property

with the colour of the cup determined by how the bartender

reported a 12% increase in average rates, as well as a slew

perceives the mood of the guest.

of glowing reviews and a notable boost in Tripadvisor

At Bristol Harbour Hotel, meanwhile, Understory created a

ratings. Comprising sonic design by Béatrice Ardisson,

series of experiences titled Origin, Past, Future and Present,

a celebrated composer of ambient television music; art

comprising multisensory concepts built around the core

curation by architect Patrick Ribes; and an exclusive scent

ingredient of chocolate. Combining elements of tasting session,

by Isabelle Maillebiau, head perfumer at IPG fragrances,

theatre, tarot and psychology, guests were indulged with

the project proved itself more than just a gimmick, with

handmade artisan edibles whilst taking in stimulation from a

concrete returns.

wealth of sources, with the goal being to have them feel like

“Multisensory art can offer guests a once in a lifetime

Extending the sensory experience to include temporal and

an experience design studio. “It can communicate your hotel’s

narrative facets, as well as memory – with part of the event

ethos in a visceral, tangible manner that resonates emotionally.

taking place within the hotel’s converted bank vault, here

When hotels already pour such care and attention into the

repurposed as a memory vault – Understory’s work highlights

aesthetics of a reception, the scent of a corridor or the texture

that there is still unexplored ground to cover in this respect,

of wallpaper, multisensory art can stimulate and draw attention

and perhaps more than the five traditional senses to consider.

to these details, making for a more memorable trip.”

“At Understory we consider the senses as seven, not five,”

Where the dominant senses in hotel design remain the

Wheale adds. “We list them as sight, scent, touch, taste,

aesthetic and visual cues, designers and operators alike are

hearing, memory and emotion. If you ignore memory and

now seeking to excite the senses that often go unappreciated.

emotion when considering sensory design then your work will

F&B, however, is a very different sphere, and aesthetics perhaps

fail to resonate. The senses are also cross-modal, one sparks off

fall behind taste and smell in the pecking order of elements to

another or are combined into a singular experience.”

consider. So how to find a balance between the senses here, and to turn this into an element of both profit and intrigue?

Blending taste, smell and aesthetics with less tangible, more abstract elements, these programmes demonstrate

The Donovan Bar within Brown’s Mayfair introduced its

the creativity required in pulling off a multisensory concept

Around the Globe cocktail menu in 2016 as an experiment with

successfully. Any operator can pump scents into a room, or

these concepts. Comprising a menu presented on seven cards,

play music to fit a theme, but to keep guests returning and

each scented with an aroma representing a continent, guests

impressed, designers must now create truly multisensory F&B

smell the cards to choose a cocktail, which are then served

experiences, the kind that sees guests remembering lost senses,

in vessels from glass teacups to totem poles. The Antarctica

and which at the same time recalibrates the traditional five.

cocktail is based, suitably, around ice and served in a large ice

016

they were encountering chocolate for the first time.

experience,” explains James Wheale, founder of Understory,

SERVICE

“I don’t think the bar scene would have evolved in the way that it did if a generation of creative bartenders hadn’t found themselves working in hotels.”

Bartender Monica Berg on the impact of hotel bars.

SERVICE

A Social Enterprise Chef Jason Atherton discusses modern dining, hotels getting it wrong and why you can’t take a margin to the bank.

Words: Harry McKinley

F

igurehead of a restaurant empire that stretches

typical pursuits like watching television. Instead, he

from Australia to the USA - via Asia, the Middle

was conscripted into luggage carrying, washing up or

East and his native Britain – Jason Atherton

preparing toast during the breakfast rush.

is that ever so modern combination of chef,

At that time the prawn cocktail, steak dinner and

entrepreneur and media personality. He struggles

the stodgy pud were in fashion, and Atherton’s

to pass through any of his 17 restaurants without

mum was a dab hand at all, serving them up at the

eager diners interrupting him for a chat, a signature

guesthouse’s restaurant. It’s perhaps a far cry from

on a cookbook or the now essential selfie. When

the kind of cuisine he deals in today, but from an early

we meet him at London’s Pollen Street Social - his

age hospitality was ‘seeping into his blood’ and service

flagship standalone and first venue as an independent

with a smile was second nature.

restaurateur – we see this admiration in action. It’s at

“We’ve had a bit of a bad rap over the years,”

the tail end of lunch service and he is barely through

says Atherton, on the perception of modern British

the door when passing diners stop to offer their

hospitality. “People don’t want to serve. But all the

congratulations on a satisfying dining experience,

way back to Victorian times, British people had been

passing over still-fresh hardcovers for a scribble from

really good at hospitality. I just think we lost our way a

the writer. He takes it all in his stride, well-mannered

bit. Thank goodness it’s all coming back and we’ve got

to a fault and smiling as he thanks them for their

a lot of British sommeliers, British cooks and people

custom and expresses his hope to see them again.

who want to be good at service.”

It’s all part of the service game, something Atherton

For Atherton, good service doesn’t just seem to

is deeply familiar with having grown up in the world

be a matter of good business, it’s almost a cultural

of hotels. His mother ran a 35-bedroom guesthouse in

imperative; with the ability to deliver an enjoyable

Skegness; a seaside town on England’s east coast that

experience to others through care and attention

was once a popular destination for local holidaymakers.

something nearly lost to the passage of time. Here in

Everyone was expected to chip in, and as a child, and

the UK, at least.

then a teenager, Atherton was afforded little time for

“People have forgot that service can be a career,” he

019

says, gesturing at the primly dressed restaurant staff preening the space for the evening to come. “I know times have changed, but I moved to

‘rules’. Few things irk him more than inflexible dining experiences.

“If someone wants to have the tasting menu and their partner

London at 16 and was washing pots. Now we have restaurants all over

doesn’t, what’s the problem?” he says, exasperated. “I wanted to

the world.”

provide the service standard and the quality of food, but take all of the

Atherton chuckles when we bring up his spell in the Army Catering

fluff away. There’s nothing worse than getting a briefing about your

Corps. All eight weeks of it. Realising almost instantly that he loathed

meal and hearing about how the ingredients were grown by some crazy

being there, he convinced them to let him leave. “It’s amazing now that

man in the South Downs with 15 scarecrows. It’s cold by the time you

there were all of these principles I hated, like getting up early and being

get to eat it. So restaurants go through this whole rigmarole and most

told what to do,” he says, “but then you would have this very disciplined

people don’t care. If they’re interested, they’ll ask.”

lifestyle in a Michelin-starred restaurant that was very similar to the

Atherton’s easy, adaptable and guest-centric approach would change

army. The difference was I was creating beautiful food, so I was happy to

the dining landscape in the British capital and, by the time he had three

put up with everything else that went with it.”

standalone restaurants pulling in crowds, he was being tapped to enter

Before Atherton struck out on his own, he worked for some of the industry’s leading lights - the likes of Marco Pierre White, Pierre

the hotel sphere.

Berners Tavern, at The London EDITION, would go on to solidify his

Koffmann and Ferran Adrià. He credits them with shaping his cooking

bankability, but it also forced him to think about hotel dining in a way

style and teaching him about creativity in food. Gordon Ramsay – for

that he hadn’t previously. “You have Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott

whom Atherton oversaw the global expansion of the Maze brand – he

coming together for what was a new hotel brand at the time. They ate

credits for teaching him about business, even if previous headlines

all over London and tried countless menus, and ultimately decided

demonstrate that it wasn’t always plain sailing.

that what I was producing was what they wanted in their hotel, but in

“He taught me that being a chef is all well and good, but if you don’t learn how to make money from what you create then you’re nothing

an all-day dining version,” Atherton recalls. “At the time I remember wondering why they wanted me - this little chef with just three restaurants – but they felt I understood the London marketplace better than anyone else. So I set about creating a menu that means someone

“Any chef who tells you they don’t have an ego is lying, and it’s not that I need to feed it, but sometimes I do want to show off.”

could come in and have a slice of toast and a cup of tea in the morning, all the way through to afternoon tea, lunch and dinner. It had to encompass gastronomy but also cater to the guy who has just checked in and wants steak and chips, a glass of red wine and no fuss.”

He admits that at first he struggled and found the process more difficult than he imagined he would. Up until that point he was used to

more than a good cook,” he says. “I hate the term businessman. I prefer

sending out carefully considered dishes that catered only to those who

entrepreneur. But that lesson from Gordon has moulded how I think

chose to frequent his restaurants. But in a hotel, of course, one must

about my work and career; we have our own range of glassware with

cater for everyone, and whilst the fanciful can often be appreciated, it’s

John Jenkins, our own wine, we sell cookbooks, have restaurant brands,

also necessary to provide the basics when needs be.

work with hotel groups and consult.

“The business is much more complex than some people realise. When you buy a lease for a restaurant, you’re buying a piece of property and

I realised through thinking about hotel dining, is that you don’t need to.

your first boss is the landlord. Our rent here at Pollen Street Social is

That was a big learning curve for me; how to be restrained with food.”

half a million a year. So before I open that front door, I need to make

Today, Atherton has numerous hotel restaurants under his belt,

sure that I have £45,000 in the bank to cover the month’s rent. Then

including Kensington Street Social at The Old Clare Hotel in Sydney;

I’ve got to pay the staff, turn the lights on, buy produce, pay the linen

The Clocktower at The New York EDITION; and Marina Social at

company, replace broken items, cover the telephone bills, you name it.

InterContinental Dubai Marina. Whilst the latter is as popular as when it

If you’re not good at balancing the books then you won’t be in business

opened in 2015, he admits that he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the end

very long.”

result and is pushing for change.

Having spent years working for the behemoth that is Gordon Ramsay

020

“Any chef who tells you they don’t have an ego is lying,” he says, “and it’s not that I need to feed it, but sometimes I do want to show off. What

“I’d like to do a refurbishment as I don’t like the dining room,”

Group, it would be easy to assume that Atherton always had global

he says, with trademark honesty. “That was the first restaurant I’d

aspirations, but the dream was initially to open just one restaurant –

signed in Dubai and I was so excited, but in terms of look it could be in

which would become the one in which we’re sat. It would earn a Michelin

Nairobi or Moscow. I wish it could be more in keeping with the London

star within six months of opening and its success was in no small part

restaurants. For me, it feels too much like a hotel dining room. I’m not

thanks to Atherton’s rethink of what fine dining means in a modern age.

blaming IHG, or the owner [Select Group], as they’re all fantastic people

As he explains, before Pollen Street Social guests could rarely walk into a

to work with, I’m blaming myself for not keeping a tighter grip on what

Michelin-star restaurant and have a beer at the bar. They were perceived

I really wanted. We didn’t have enough control over the design there,

as formal spaces, bogged down in off-putting strictness and arbitrary

and I’d never let that happen again.”

SERVICE

Berners Tavern, The London EDITION

021

SERVICE

Marina Social, InterContinental Dubai Marina

Noting the need for distinctive design in hotel F&B, as opposed to

patch with Brexit, we’re still here, still paying our bills and we haven’t

generic interiors across brands, Atherton continues to show his sense

laid a single member of staff off,” he says. “We employ 1,200 people

for what guests these days want. Whilst he’s enamoured with Dubai,

and we paid something like £17million in tax last year. We’re a massive

describing it as one of his favourite destinations, when asked what

contributor to the system, which keeps everyone else in a job. But now

hotel restaurants can learn from standalones, he pinpoints it as being

we have to hold fort in London. Until the government really lays out

indicative of all that is wrong with the sector.

what Brexit means to us as an industry, it’s very difficult to see how we

“Hotels there have to stop opening a ridiculous number of F&B outlets. Guests aren’t looking for that. It’s a waste of money and it’s destroying the dining scene,” he says. “It’s also stifling creativity and

and threaten my business with so many unknowns.”

When Atherton talks about his business and the sacrifices it has

in what is still a very young city that needs fresh ideas.” He lays the

required, it’s difficult not to frame his endeavours as the archetypal

blame at the feet of the hotels, which should be looking to outside F&B

success story. He describes throwing his whole life into it and, even

professionals to develop their programmes. “Hotels go and employ F&B

though it came at a cost, he has no regrets. “David Beckham wasn’t a

directors, who are middle management, and most of the time they know

great footballer. He worked hard doing what he loved,” he explains. “I

nothing about F&B. This job is not about margins, it’s about hospitality

did 90 hours a week in the kitchen for nearly 20 years and that’s why

- creativity, great food and great service. Once you have all of those

I have the bank of knowledge that I have today. It’s why I can look

things pushed into your magic bubble, then you need someone smart at

at food in a different way from how someone else looks at it. People

the bottom to say ‘time to look at margins’. You can’t take a margin to

might say I’m crazy because I’ve never had a life, but once I found my

the bank, so it’s irrelevant.”

success, the life I have has been magnified a thousand times. It’s a

In terms of what’s next for the ever-expanding group, plans are afoot for ‘something big’ in mainland China in 2018. On home turf, however,

life that a boy from Skegness, who left school with no qualifications, shouldn’t be having.”

plans have ground to halt. A period of political uncertainty has swept the

With that our time together is up, and as Atherton gathers his

UK and Atherton is visibly piqued. After all, uncertainty is almost always

belongings and prepares to take the helm in the kitchens for dinner

bad for business.

service, we resist the temptation to have a cookbook signed or, heaven

“We have a really solid company. Even though we’re having a rocky

022

could continue to invest on a substantial level. I’m not going to expand

forbid, lean in for a selfie

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From Norway to Her Way Bartender Monica Berg talks culture clashes, labels and why breaking the law lead her to the career she loves.

Words: Harry McKinley

W

hen it comes to interviews at Artesian, at The

into a bar and describes how she was always drawn to social

Langham London, we’ve had an amusingly

roles. Her first job at 14 was working in an ice cream shop and

unfortunate run. Once stood up by Alex

by 16 she was a server for an events company. One night, at

Kratena, at the time head bartender, it was

18 (below the legal age for serving spirits in Norway), she was

a case of history repeating when his business partner and

accidentally put behind the bar. “I made my first gin and tonic

internationally-celebrated bartender Monica Berg failed to

and I just thought, I am home, I have arrived, this is where I

show on our originally allotted day. These things happen

want to be,” she says, laughing.

of course and, like Kratena, Berg was unfailingly polite

At 19 she spent a year in Greece, where the same age

and unendingly mortified that our first attempt fell off the

restrictions didn’t apply, returning to Norway when she could

schedule. Bartenders of this calibre are busy people these days

pursue her bar work in less clandestine fashion, alongside her

and, as they flit from continent to continent, project to project,

studies. Gradually, she says, she spent less and less time in

the occasional coffee morning is bound to get lost in the

the classroom and more behind the bar. “I worked everywhere

maelstrom. If nothing else, it’s given us a keen familiarity with

from nightclubs to dive bars, pubs to whisky bars, and

the bar that was once widely acknowledged as the world’s best.

eventually cocktail bars.”

“I haven’t actually been here since Alex left,” Berg notes as

In her mid twenties she accepted a role working for a

she pulls up a pew on our second go, hinting at the shift in the

bartending school and, at just 23, took over its running.

venue’s renown since Kratena, Simone Caporale and much of

Despite holding the position for five years, she was always

the wider team departed in 2015.

conscious of her age, being younger than the majority of those

She’s recently returned from Finland, but despite stepping

she was teaching. “For the first three years I did nothing but

off a plane the evening before, she’s found time this morning

read,” she explains. “I felt that if I could answer all of the

to regain some semblance of routine - a yoga mat dangling

questions, or at least try to answer all of the questions, then

from her backpack. Tomorrow she’ll be flying off again, this

age wouldn’t matter.”

time to Spain for a sun-soaked weekend and some downtime.

Hailing from Oslo, Berg believes she was destined to be a bartender. In her adolescence she rearranged her bedroom

Still hankering for the buzz of the bar, Berg left the school and returned to fulltime bar work. It was a changing time for the industry, with bar shows and competitions springing up,

025

offering an opportunity for bartenders to showcase their work and mix

people making it look easy,” she explains. “If you want to have a career

with peers on an international scale. She travelled extensively and it was

inside a hotel, you have to accept the fact that there is always going to

at her second Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans that she met Alex

be politics and there are a lot more skills needed than just to be able to

Kratena, her future friend, collaborator and business partner. This was

make drinks.”

2012 and eight months later she had shuttered her life in Norway and decamped to the UK, where she is still based today.

“It took me a long time when I moved to the UK just to learn how not

With her own bartenders, Berg proselytises the importance of taking joy in being ‘just a bartender’, particularly in environments that arguably cultivate creativity more than hotels. “It’s the only period in

to be Norwegian,” she says, on the Scandinavian British culture clash.

your career where you have the time to care only about yourself,” she

“Sometimes people perceive you as very rude, even though it’s not the

says. “If you want to be a bar manager, you have to accept that your

intention. In Norway we have a very practical, straightforward way of

time as a bartender is over and the focus becomes more on choosing and

thinking about things. If I need an answer, I’m used to being direct as

nurturing talent, and helping them become better than you. If you still

opposed to asking how someone’s weekend was first.” Chuckling as

have the ego and the drive, and want to make a name for yourself, then

she details the differences in social norms between her home and her

you shouldn’t be a manager.”

adopted home, it’s difficult to tell if she was simply misunderstood, or

Sat at Artesian, it’s hard not to note the importance of talent. With its

if her time in Blightly has softened her frank Nordic edges. Certainly she

elaborate, David Collins-designed interior, it’s undeniably a beautiful

seems more jovial than the average Londoner.

space, but since the departure of its core team, it has gone from the

Berg’s career has consistently moved in an upward trajectory and

number one spot with World’s 50 Best Bars – four years in a row no

is more varied than most. She’s worked with the likes of Thon Hotels,

less - to slipping off the list entirely. While its star will undoubtedly rise

was the bar manager at Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social and is

once more, it’s a lesson for hotels that attracting the right figures will

the creative force behind HIMKOK back in Oslo, to name a few. In

always be crucial for success, but that retaining them may require more

many ways she’s been front and centre of an industry that has evolved

flexibility than they’re known for.

dramatically since she first entered it.

“It’s not necessarily about the individuals, but the team is very important,” says Berg, now in slightly hushed tones, lest any of the hotel’s HR team be within earshot. “This bar is very decadent, but what

“I’ve been in this industry for a long time and so I know how it works. Working in a hotel bar is very different to working on the outside and it’s a double-edged sword.”

made it so special is that it felt like home, and that was down to the energy of the team. It could have been anywhere. In fact, a lot of the investment in hotel bars has not necessarily been in London, but in growing markets like Asia; markets that are attracting both local and international talent.

“Manhattan in Singapore is an incredible bar. The initial investment was, of course, on the design and the build, but they’ve also managed to get the right people, continue to train them, and also attract new people.

You could take that team and if they were doing a pop-up it still would

Artesian seemed the perfect spot for our rendezvous, not least because she once named it one of her favourite bars – during its heyday under Kratena and Caporale – but also because the hotel bar at large has seen a dramatic shift in perception, spearheaded by venues such as this.

“London has always been a centre for hotel bars, but it used to be very

It’s because they’re a skilled and passionate group.”

In her years in the industry Berg has developed her own take on what makes for successful training and progression. She’s a firm believer in not taking the easy path and in a combination of education and practical

stiff,” she says. “The first time I came to Artesian was before I knew Alex

experience. Too many bartenders, she believes, enter the industry with

and I remember feeling like I didn’t belong. But after the first half hour

their eye on immediate rewards. But to excel in the long term she thinks

it felt so much more relaxed than I thought it would, and it changed my

it’s important to take it step by step. “To be able to do the job you have

mind. The team at that time was part of a generation that made the hotel

to have at least a certain amount of time in most positions,” she says.

bar more approachable. There’s this mythical world of five-star hotels

“Even if it’s for no other reason than to be able to know when people

in London, but I don’t think the bar scene would have evolved in the way

are ripping you off, if you want to do your own bar in the future. It’s

that it did if a generation of creative bartenders hadn’t found themselves

surprising how many bartenders or bar managers don’t know how to

working in hotels.” Today, one of Berg’s favourite bars is The NoMad Bar

cost their drinks. I’ve also worked quite a few years cleaning, bar backing

at The NoMad Hotel in New York, which she describes as “a completely

or serving, and it’s all part of the job. If you only judged bartending by

different style of hotel bar.” For her it is practically perfect in every way,

the three or four hours a day when it’s busy and fun to work, then it

or the Mary Poppins of hotel bars if you will.

would be a walk in the park. So you need to read and gain knowledge but

Behind the scenes, however, Berg notes that the world of hotels

026

be an amazing experience, even if the concept were completely different.

you also need to be able to connect the dots, and this you can only get

is often very different in operations than the freer landscape of

through experience. As Alex always says, ‘you need the knowledge to

standalones. “I’ve been in this industry for a long time and so I know

know that a tomato is a fruit, but the experience to understand why you

how it works. Working in a hotel bar is very different to working on

don’t put it in your fruit salad.’”

the outside and it’s a double-edged sword. Whether it’s here at The

Berg speaks often about those that inspire her, or from whom she has

Langham or at The Savoy or The Connaught, you have very skilled

gleaned pearls of wisdom, but one in particular stands out: a former

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Ruby Reserve

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Photography: Addie Chinn

boss from her time working at a brewery as a teenager. “She was very

co-founded in 2016 along with fellow bartenders Alex Kratena, Ryan

make everything happen through sheer will,” explains Berg. “Even

Chetiyawardana, Jim Meehan, Simone Caporale, Joerg Meyer and Xavier

back then the brewing industry was very male dominated and everyone

Padovani. P(OUR) was envisaged as a programme to allow bartenders

respected her immensely.”

to share experiences, and includes an annual symposium which, for

The topic of women in the bartending industry has been covered ad

the past two years, has been held in Paris in conjunction with Cocktails

nauseam and at first we’re sure that Berg in particular must have had

Spirits. “We get to travel to a lot of places, we get to taste amazing

her fill of discussing it, seeing as she is often held up as the poster girl

things, and that’s not always the case for many bartenders. You reach

for gender success. But surprisingly it’s still an issue that resonates,

a point of experience in any profession where you can start giving back

for the simple fact that it’s still an issue. Whilst she describes the bar

to people that are less experienced,” she says. “Everyone is willing to

world as more open than others, there still isn’t parity in the wider

come and work for free because P(OUR) is always going to be unpaid

sphere of hospitality. She doesn’t feel that women, generally speaking,

and you have to be happy to give your time to other bartenders. We

are underrepresented, but the divide becomes clear when one looks at

wanted to create the symposium so we could discuss things that are

the upper echelons. “In the US, the majority of bartenders are female,

important to bartenders, but not necessarily linked to drinks, coffee or

believe it or not, but the higher up you go the less women there are. It’s

wine. There are other amazing bar shows that already do that and we

the same with chefs,” she explains. “50% of all cooks that go to culinary

wanted to create a space where bartenders could always talk freely and

school are women, but they represent only 13% of head chefs. Of the

not be restricted.” The result is a forum that looks more at social issues

really famous ones, it’s even less. You see ‘Chef of the Year’ awards

and concepts than the nitty-gritty of bartending. 2017 saw presentations

and then, alongside, ‘Female Chef of the Year’. So it creates an uneven

on the likes of diversity, motherhood and even on using mathematical

playing field, because why can’t a woman be Chef of the Year? For the

principles to look at the world differently. “The goal for the future would

first ten years of my career, maybe even more, I was just a bartender

be that POUR outgrows the initial people and that other bartenders

and then all of a sudden, as I gained more success, I became a female

globally can take it to be theirs,” she concludes.

bartender. I realised very early that perhaps you have to make conscious

028

Gender formed the theme of this year’s P(OUR), the initiative she

enthusiastic about being there and very solution oriented. She would

The future looks bright for Berg. A London bar with Alex Kratena and

choices. Because I like wearing dresses, once in a competition someone

Simone Caporale is on the cards, once the right location is found. Like

gave me feedback that I should stop looking like a girl and start looking

P(OUR) it will allow all of them to express themselves freely, but in the

like a bartender.” Change, she feels, will come and – despite the current

most tangible way possible for a bartender. But more than ever Berg is

sense that things are less than equitable – it’s only a matter of time

driven by a love of what she does. “If you didn’t love it you would just go

before the label of ‘female bartender’ falls away.

home, have a beer and stay with your family.” Instead, she’s off to Spain.

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A Life Creative Designer Robert Angell has spearheaded some of the most recognisable and visually-enduring hotel bars and restaurants of this generation, but despite being icons of our time, he discusses why timelessness is at the forefront of his work and why classic will always be in style.

Words: Harry McKinley

T

he Collins Room, at London’s The Berkeley, is a vision of cool grey, light-bouncing silver

Angell has always been interested in design, or at

and muted lavender. Part of a dramatic

the very least in creating things. Growing up on his

refurbishment – that also included the Blue

family’s farm he was constantly dissecting materials,

Bar, façade and lobby area - it plays host to the

as well as taking objects apart and putting them back

hotel’s fashionable afternoon tea, as well as its all-day

together again. At school he gravitated towards the

dining. It is named, of course, after the eminent David

arts and describes working with wood as the spark that

Collins – the designer who put the original Blue Bar

ignited his passion. He toyed with the idea of studying

on the map and was responsible for the revival of The

architecture at university, but decided the processes

Berkeley in the mid 2000s.

took too long, and so instead he opted for the relative

The Collins room, and freshly reimagined Blue Bar, are the work of his protégé, Robert Angell, who left

030

to the newness of what is happening today.”

immediacy of interior design. “There’s an impatience in me and I want to create instantly,” he says.

David Collins Studio in 2010 to start his own design

Long harbouring a desire to work in London, after

practice. In many ways it is a full circle for Angell –

a post-graduation stint in Leicester he moved to the

taking on a project that cemented his position as one of

big city and – through a recommendation from a

the foremost designers operating in the UK, but named

friend – found himself working with David Collins. He

for his former mentor. It seems a fitting spot to meet.

would stay with the studio for 15 years. “It was a really

“I was so proud when the owner asked me to do

beautiful part of my life,” he recalls. “It was very hard

this,” says Angell, gesturing at the busy space around

work, but David and I got on and we created amazing

us. “To get the opportunity, now David is gone, is very

things with the whole team there. He was a great

moving. I wanted to evoke the timelessness that he

mentor to me, and he used to say that I was a great

managed to bring to projects, but I also had to answer

mentor to the people who came through the studio.

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Collins Room , The Berkeley, London

“I think it’s important for design to wear in as opposed to wear out.”

Northern Ireland-based textile designer Jude Cassidy - is luxury, and designing every piece of furniture in here is luxury. We bring pieces that are individual and bespoke to interiors. It’s easy to pick stuff off the shelf, it’s difficult to design.”

From the Art Deco glitz of The Savoy to the easy comfort of New

We worked in a way that there were references to artists, sculptors and

Forest’s Lime Wood, Angell has worked extensively in hotels – providing

fashion, along with historic product, furniture and interior design. Up

F&B spaces that speak to their respective audiences. Certainly Angell

until probably the 80s and early 90s, no one really looked back in the

demonstrates a keen sense of the evolution of the industry and the shift

way that they do now.”

in hotel F&B from overt formality to a more relaxed and experience-

It was in 2010 that Angell decided the time was right to fly the

into account in his own work, blending dignified design with an air of

and so Angell’s move was a gutsy one. There was no guaranteeing

effortlessness. “People are working, chilling, socialising, even chatting

personal success at the best of times, but the challenge was even greater

people up in a space that everyone wants to be in,” he says, discussing

when purse strings were tightening across the hospitality industry.

the modern atmosphere of hotel bars and restaurants. “With The Blue

Nonetheless he says he had a “sixth sense that people were looking for

Bar and Collins Room, they’re formal spaces but people come to have

things to be done differently.” Early projects, like Chelsea’s Five Fields,

a good time. If you wanted to eat, for example, in the lobby or the bar,

help him define his approach and show the industry the kind of designer

you used to be told they’re not open. That mentality has changed. It

he was: luxury, naturally, with a nod to tradition but with his eyes on

allows all of the public spaces in a hotel to have an F&B angle, and that’s

the future.

exciting. We like being together, and creating that culture in hotels is

“I think it’s important for design to wear in as opposed to wear

amazing and a change from the ideas of yesterday.” For him, success in

out,” he says, “but luxury is a difficult word. For a start it’s insanely

creating that ‘buzz’ is down to attracting locals. “Getting them active in

overused. Luxury is simplicity of touch and details. Look at the handbags

your hotel restaurant or bar is key,” he says. “It’s the locals that have

in this room, they’re all stunningly designed but different. People

the charm, wit, knowledge and sense of fun that is infectious to other

are very aware of the detail of what they’re buying and what they’re

people, particularly guests staying at the hotel.”

spending their money on. So dyeing the yarn for each colour in the soft furnishings for this room and developing the fabrics specifically – with

032

driven approach. Understandably, it’s a transition he’s had to take

comfortable environs of Collins’ studio. It was a period of recession

Legs crossed, smartly dressed in a blazer and shirt, and sipping on a cup of tea from The Berkeley’s Wedgwood collection, Angell cuts

R E N A R T E G LO B A L H O S P I TA L I T Y S U P P L I E S A SINGLE WINDOW SOURCING OPTION TO A L L YO U R H O S P I TA L I T Y N E E D S O u r j o u r n e y h a s t a ke n u s f ro m a s m a l l o f f i c e i n D u b a i to m a n a g i n g exc l u s i v e d i s t r i b u t o r s h i p o f w o r l d re n o w n e d h o s p i t a l i t y b r a n d s i n t h re e c o u n t r i e s a n d t w o c o n t i n e n t s . W h e re v e r y o u a re i n t h e w o r l d , w e h a v e t h e h o s p i t a l i t y s o l u t i o n fo r y o u .

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C A N A DA • UA E • Q ATA R w w w. r e n a r te l l c .co m

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Kaspar’s at The Savoy, London

a rather British figure. There is little about him that is ostentatious

strident, clean lines of van der Rohe seen in the uncluttered way he

or crying to be noticed. On the one hand he’s perhaps the antithesis

deals with furniture or Johnson’s consideration for subtlety displayed

of some of his projects, spaces that capture the attention and beg

in the layered approach to texture – but these are combined with an

to be observed. On the other, he’s a fitting reflection of their quiet

understanding of genuine modernity; not just in design, but in how

sophistication, where even though the design flourishes may be

we live and behave. He discusses the need to take into account the

extravagant, one never gets the feeling his bar and restaurant projects

importance of social media, describing how each scheme should provide

are yelling too loudly. “I suppose we’re developing a style that becomes

guests with a reminder to take a snap. In a grander sense he’s cognisant

English,” he says, when quizzed on whether he considers his aesthetic

of the changing cycle of hospitality and the need to engineer longevity

to be influenced by his home turf. “Having learnt my trade here, and

into his work, without veering into visual territory that feels dated. It’s

knowing and reading about English designers - whether it’s Charles

a difficult balance. “You get a new opening one week and everyone is

Rennie Mackintosh, Terence Conran or Tom Dixon - I’m always

raving about it, and the next week those same people are somewhere

designing with those peers in mind.” Equally, he gleans immense

else,” he says. “I remember a time when there was a restaurant opening

inspiration from the great modernists; architects primarily, who

every week in London, and then once or twice a year there would be

were pioneering in their day but have come to define good design and

a big hotel opening. Now, you have half a dozen restaurants opening

contemporary standards. “I love Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson;

every day and a hotel opening every week almost. That’s the way the

everything about their approach and thinking. Van der Rohe is famously

world is changing.”

credited as saying ‘God is in the detail’, and I appreciate the notion that

openings for the brand, but he already has his eye on a future beyond

those icons of modernist design works in terms of what we know now. It

what is already on the books. “There’s a constant desire to do

probably wasn’t appreciated at the time, but their work has since come

something new and exciting over and over again,” he says, with a glint

to be seen as timeless and beautiful.”

of that child from the farm getting inspired by the objects around him.

Angell’s place in the vanguard of design is already assured. He may

034

Next for Angell is Principal Birmingham, the latest in a line of

everything should be planned out to the nth degree. Looking back at

“As designers it’s up to us to do something fresh and inspiring, but in a

call it good fortune, others may call it a result of his cultivated talent,

way that allows it to stick around for a while.” And whilst our tea may

but he has spearheaded the kinds of projects that carry legacy and,

now be cold, we suspect that destinations like Collins Room will be hot

unquestionably, prestige. His influences play out in his designs – the

for years to come.

As a brand for sophisticated table culture, TAFELSTERN’s strengths lie in its constant endeavour to create products of perfect shape and decoration. Developing diverse stylistic collections, TAFELSTERN is a problem-solver and consultant for the hotel and restaurant business.

www.tafelstern.com

TAF-17-013_ANZ_236x275+3_RZ.indd 1

23.05.17 13:04

‘The Importance of Being Noticed’ Branding design in Hotel F&B Words: Kristofer Thomas

B

e it a ubiquitous logo or unassuming

and the story behind the whole F&B concept,

typeface, the process of branding

we have to find the truth in the brand and bring

an F&B project can prove a vital and

the authenticity to life.”

fundamental ingredient in its success.

There is comfort in familiarity, and

The importance of quality fare in a restaurant’s

recognisable branding acts to build a

lasting success and prosperity cannot be

relationship with guests so as to keep a

ignored, though neither can the name, the

restaurant or bar fresh in their minds, whilst

interplay of colours within its venues, or the

also conveying key messages about the venue

font in which its menu is presented, all of which

and its values to those who encounter it.

play into the wider, complete experience, and

Hilton’s encircled H and Marriott’s red-dot M

work to form an identity. As a process, branding

logos, for example, act as shorthand for their

begins before a guest walks through the door,

values – uncomplicated, though heightened

and finishes long after they leave.

with elegant flourishes – whilst Shangri La’s

“When creating a brand identity we consider everything that a customer will hear, touch

opulence and Hong Kong origins.

and see,” says Steve Campion, director of

“We start by taking a holistic approach

DesignLSM. “It’s essential as it provides a

where we look at the client or even a specific

personality and a voice that reaches beyond

ingredient that transcends across the menu,”

the restaurant space itself.”

explains Dale Atkinson, Director at Rosendale

From the name of an establishment to the

Design. “Sometimes that ingredient can have

design of the monograms on its napkins,

a far-reaching effect on the restaurant itself.

branding studios consider F&B elements of

For example, if it is a fish restaurant then

all sizes and prominence, working to create a

sometimes we will even look at the name of

scheme that ultimately functions to generate a

the port the fish is coming in from, or the

consistent and engaging character.

name of the fishing boat that has caught

“There’s a fine line we have to tread,”

the fish. We then look at how they can then

comments Andrew Thomas, director of Inaria,

be used as a backbone for the overall brand

a luxury brand design consultancy. “Between

identity, which inevitably filters through to

marketing directors contriving a story versus

materials used on the fit-out, menu covers,

an owner who genuinely cares about the

or even fabrics on the chairs.”

prominence of the food, the quality of the offer

036

golden calligraphy-style S at once channels its

Within the context of both franchise

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Blackwood’s Bar and Grill

037

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Hawkers Bar and Brasserie

“ESSENTIALLY, WE WANT THE BRANDING TO EXUDE THE SOUL OF THE RESTAURANT”

relationship with the setting, but also instils the restaurant with its own distinct character. This dual personality is reflected in a name that offers two separate interpretations.

“When a Restaurant is in a hotel the task is

038

restaurant and independent boutique, this

and perceptions, so one must be very careful how

all the more crucial as there is a dual aspect to

design process seeks to immediately depict to

the branding will be received.”

consider,” Atkinson adds. “On one hand, you

guests what to expect from the menu, in terms

Under Rosendale’s direction, the branding

have the branding of the restaurant itself, but

of quality and content, but also the tone and

aesthetic of The Game Bird at The Stafford

one must also consider the branding of the hotel,

atmosphere, the expected clientele, and the

London combines contemporary exclusivity with

especially if that restaurant does not have a

way it seeks to present itself to an audience.

grounded authenticity. The setting, reminiscent

separate entrance and one must experience the

A vibrant, colourful menu design with playful

of a members club and underscored with rustic

hotel prior to entering.”

font and layout choices will tell a guest to sit

charm, utilises elements including handcrafted

DesignLSM’s work at DoubleTree by Hilton

back, relax and enjoy the ride, whereas cursive,

drinks trolleys and artwork by young British

Hotel London Kingston Upon Thames’ Hawkers

gold-leaf lettering would lean more towards

artists to root the venue in traditional culture,

Bar and Brasserie, meanwhile, saw the studio

classicism and formality.

whilst simultaneously generating a sense of

conduct a full reconnaissance visit of the London

“Essentially, we want the branding to exude

sophistication. Complementary to the wider

borough, as well as extensive qualitative and

the soul of the restaurant,” adds Jake Raslan,

hotel’s blend of Victorian grandeur and modern

quantitative research into demographics and

Rosendale’s Creative Director. “Everything from

comfort, as well as its history as the former

target audience, to ultimately create a specific

the wordplay and colour schemes employed to

residence of Lord and Lady Lyttelton, the

idea to design around. This took the form of

fonts and typefaces carry certain connotations

branding aspect of the design creates a consistent

elements related to the venue’s historical

“Flex“

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Hawkers Bar and Brasserie

namesake – Harry Hawker, an Australian

price point,” Campion adds. “It can be good to

“With Blackwood’s it was a gift,” Thomas

aviation pioneer – resulting in signage, menus,

have a restaurant with an independent appeal,

explains. “The fact the owner put in a Josper

stationary and other ephemera subtly inspired

which is separate from the hotel brand in

grill, which acted as a centrepiece of the space

by aircraft photography and Hawker’s notable

order to attract non-guests in. This requires

and a cornerstone of the menu, and the fact we

records. DesignLSM’s work here, again, helps

an investment in a strong identity with its own

had an element of history in Blackwoods and the

distinguish the F&B offering from the wider

unique back-story, allowing the restaurant to

charcoal, the two came together perfectly, and

hotel, a key element of its character.

have its own distinctive feel and setting itapart

that’s the kind of authentic story we look for.”

“We wanted to create something that had local appeal, so drawing from the location’s

be easy to miss the level of detail that goes

history was always on the table.” Campion

choices, London-based Inaria’s branding

into branding, the unsung hero of F&B design.

explains. “Kingston has a very rich but

duties for Blackwood’s Bar & Grill – within

Though one cannot taste or smell this element,

unsung aviation history, and this informed

Nira Caledonia Edinburgh – included naming

it nonetheless forms ideas, experiences and,

all of our design choices.” The identity of the

the venue, alongside collateral, strategy and

most importantly, memories. If a studio’s

space is perhaps best captured in its logo, a

identity elements. Drawing the moniker from

branding design can capture the essence of

circular, geometric motif inspired by aerobatic

Blackwood’s Magazine, a storied local journal

a setting through imagery and consistency,

manoeuvre diagrams, whilst the classic

of which building owner John Wilson was a

and materials not directly associated with

typography within channels a nostalgic feel,

major contributor, it further links to elements

restaurant design, then the venue will be

forming a whole that combines the scheme’s

such as the charcoal used to grill its meat,

gifted something truly valuable: its own unique

two most prevalent ideals.

and leads into secondary graphics such as the

character. And if this character is memorable,

calligraphy flames illustrated across menus and

then guests will return to it, like an old friend,

marketing materials.

time and time again.

give an indication of the type of F&B offer and

Stretching

further

When dining in one of these spaces it can aesthetic

“How the branding is executed can often

040

from other brands.“ beyond

Specials

“I think it’s important for design to wear in as opposed to wear out.”

Robert Angell on timeless F&B design.

STARTERS xxx

Keepers Kitchen & Bar Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel

The 182-room Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel has recently undergone an

space that benefits from rampant but curated eclecticism, with woods and

extensive refurbishment, reviving the Grade II listed building and seeing

metals softened by richly patterned textiles.

interiors almost entirely reimagined to place the hotel within the modern cultural context of the city.

Brand identity and graphic design was developed by London-based studio Mystery, and follows the same cues as Keepers Kitchen & Bar at

Ian Haigh’s Central Design Studio spearheaded the refurbishment,

Novotel London Tower Bridge – with the bee motif central, echoing the

addressing guestrooms, public areas and the hotel’s bar and restaurant,

honeycomb-shaped frame that covers one wall of the Bristol location and

Keepers Kitchen & Bar. Known for his love of artisan producers and

from which foliage hangs.

conveying a story within his work, Haigh used Bristol’s well-known street

Focusing on classic, crowd-pleasing fare, the menu primarily caters to

art scene, coupled with the historic Victorian architecture, as his main

the diversity of the staying guest – bouncing from continent to continent

inspiration and narrative for the design.

with the likes of sausage and mash sitting tooth by jowl with Italian pasta

The 108-cover bar and restaurant features bespoke furniture and

and falafel sandwiches.

lighting developed by CDS, along with antiques and vintage pieces handsourced from various flea markets over a six week period. The result is a

www.keeperslounge.co.uk

IN A BITE Covers: 108 • Interior Design: Central Design Studio • Owner: Amaris Hospitality • Operator: AccorHotels • Tableware: Goodfellows • Glassware: Artis Buffet: Merlin Buffet Systems • Brand Identity: Mystery

043

STARTERS xxx

Hung Tong & Red Sugar The Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong

The first hotel property in 20 years to be built on the Kowloon waterfront,

bold colour palette set against hexagonal parquet flooring.

The Kerry Hotel is an urban resort in an ever-growing metropolis.

The adjoining Red Sugar bar is decked with asymmetrical lounge seats and

Located in the historic Hung Hom, once home to Hong Kong’s dockyards,

Cadillac-inspired couches in a palette of oranges and marine greens, whilst

the 546-key development pays a nostalgic tribute to the city’s former

a bronze cocktail bar designed as a scaffolding structure and hanging

shipbuilding industry.

tropical plants convey a space that is at once luxurious yet industrial.

Designed by Hong Kong-based architect Andre Fu, Hung Tong and Red

Reinforcing the concept of urban al fresco, a garden terrace encompasses

Sugar are conceived as a stylish twofold dining experience. The culinary

steel planters, exposed aggregate and wild landscaping, whilst offering

offerings on level seven are a reflection of the heritage of Hung Hom, with

a 270-degree view over the Victoria Harbour and the modern day Hong

traditional Chinese dishes by chef Ken Yu.

Kong neighbourhood.

With ambitions to bring the city’s past alive, the 90-cover restaurant is designed as a modernist red brick pavilion set atop a vintage warehouse, featuring 60s metallic door frames, vintage-inspired leather chairs and a

www.shangri-la.com

IN A BITE Covers: 90 restaurant, 90 bar, 130 terrace • Owner: Shangri-La Asia • Operator: Shangri-La International Hotel Management • Interior Designer: Andre Fu (AFSO) • Architect: Rocco Design Architects • Menu Design: Go Public • Executive Chef: Matthew Bennink • Head Bartender: Joe Villanueva

044

JOHN JE NKINS ESTABLISHED 1901

BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES SUPPLIER OF CRYSTAL GLASS JOHN JENKINS & SONS LTD T/A WILLIAM YEOWARD CRYSTAL HAMPSHIRE ENGLAND

a perfect cocktail…the perfect glass NYEWOOD, ROGATE, PETERSFIELD, HAMPSHIRE GU31 5HZ Tel: 01730 821811 Email: office@johnjenkins.co.uk NEW YORK SHOWROOM, 41 MADISON AVENUE, 13TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10010 Tel: 1-800-818-8484

www.johnjenkins.co.uk

STARTERS xxx

Momofuku Las Vegas The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Momofuku at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is the latest opening for

Chang and Executive Chef Shaun King have collaborated on a menu that

the 13-strong group of restaurants founded by Chef David Chang. The

draws upon multiple international cuisines, including American, Korean,

Las Vegas outpost is designed by the Toronto-based DesignAgency, in

and Japanese. Constantly evolving, the menu features steamed buns,

collaboration with Momofuku, and draws inspiration from Las Vegas while

noodles, and meat and seafood intended for sharing. There are also riffs

still being rooted in the design tradition of the Momofuku restaurants in

on classics, from prime rib to surf and turf – interpreted with fried chicken

New York City, Sydney, Toronto, and Washington, DC. Custom neon signs

and caviar.

greet guests on arrival to the Peach Bar, whilst the main dining room

“Our arrival in Las Vegas has been a long time coming,” says Chang,

features an industrial mix of glass, white oak, raw oiled steel, and concrete

“and we’re stoked to have landed at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

- elements mirrored at the group’s other locations. Artist David Choe, a

The restaurant is a fun, celebratory spot, where there’s something for

friend of Chef Momofuku, created a five-panel mural for the dining room,

everyone, from splurging to having a quiet mid-week dinner.”

representing both Chang and Choe’s love of dogs. A raised private dining room, lined with custom carpet that includes the Momofuku peach logo, overlooks the Las Vegas strip.

www.vegas.momofuku.com

IN A BITE Covers: 200 • Executive Chef: Shaun King • Interior Design: DesignAgency • Architecture: Marnell Architecture • Tableware: Rosenthal Sambonet, Kwan Ju Yo • Glassware: Ravenscroft, Zalto • Cutlery: Arthur Krupp • Barware: Cocktail Kingdom, Koriko, Korin

046

9. – 13. 2. 2018

Can form and function embrace one another.

Do we want diverse or diversity when we dine.

Can you feel quality with a touch of your hand.

Dining is the sense of companionship – a place where creativity is lived, where diversity pulsates.

Ambiente, the show.

Information and tickets at ambiente.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83 info@uk.messefrankfurt.com

STARTERS xxx

Morelli Hotel Viu, Milan

Design Hotels member Hotel Viu is the latest addition to Milan’s newly

well as local artisans and carpenters, who were commissioned to create

revitalised Porta Volta neighbourhood. In the bold exterior, Architects

key pieces inspired by quintessential Italian design.

Arassociati Studio sought inspiration from this urban regeneration,

Chef Giancarlo Morelli oversees the hotel’s multifaceted F&B

rendering the façade in sustainably-sourced wood, metal, and bronzed

programme, which includes a 42-cover gourmet restaurant, Morelli; an

glass, composed of undulating patterns of indentions and projections

80-cover mixology food bar, Bulk; a 14-seat chefs table, Kitchen; and a

that define each story. It provides a clear statement of intent from the

rooftop terrace with commanding views across the city.

hotel, where the same commitment to design and narrative plays out in the F&B spaces.

Arassociati and Nicola Gallizia Studio were entrusted with interior design, which is defined by a tonal colour palette and contemporary

At Morelli, design is intended to play a supporting role, with a warm, ambient style that is inviting to diners but which doesn’t distract from the cuisine – itself refined and using only a few carefully selected ingredients, with an emphasis on Italian produce and classic techniques.

textures. Parquet oak wood floors contrast with light colours and bespoke fabrics, exclusively created for the hotel by Venetian textile company Rubelli. The furnishings come from furniture design studio Molteni&C, as

www.hotelviumilan.com

IN A BITE Covers: 42 (Morelli), 80 (Bulk), 14 (Kitchen) • Executive Chef: Giancarlo Morelli • Head Bartender: Mattia Pastori • Interior Design: Arassociati Studio, Nicola Gallizia Studio • Tableware: Villeroy & Boch • Glassware: Zafferano • Cutlery: Mepra • Drinks Suppliers: Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Bacardi

048

STARTERS xxx

Photography: Richard Waite

La Capitale Four Seasons Hotel Amman

A city built on white stone, Amman has seen meteoric growth since it

lavender, taupe and black.

was named the capital of Trans-Jordan in the early 20th century. Four

Guests are greeted at the table by custom teak wood design, mid-century

Seasons Amman, perched atop the highest of the city’s seven hills, sits

inspired lounge and dining chairs and plush sectional sofas, anchored by

in the 5th circle neighbourhood between Al Sweifiyah and the financial

teak planters filled with greenery. An extension to the restaurant, the

district of Shmeisani.

terrace encompasses a vertical herb garden featuring fresh herbs used in

Blending timeless elements with modern details, Four Seasons Amman has re-invented the traditional French brasserie, with a 230-cover restaurant, La Capitale, and adjoining bar boasting a farm-to-glass inspired serving.

Designed by AvroKO, La Capitale features a southern French inspired interior that draws upon provincial ambiance, whilst original architecture

dishes by Chef de Cuisine Arthur Vonderheyden, whilst offering sweeping views of Amman.

The cocktail menu showcases Jordan’s first farm-to-glass cocktails using artisanal French spirits and liqueurs, and served in glassware from Schott Zweisel. La Capitale’s twist on the classic martini uses a small batch of French gin and dry vermouth, infused with Jordanian olives and dill.

boasts neoclassical details highlighted within the custom floor mosaics of white Arabescato and Marquina marble, and upholstery in tones of

www.fourseasons.com

IN A BITE Operator: Four Seasons Hotel Amman • Owner: Hani Al Qadi & Basem Malhas • Interior Design: AvroKO • Tableware: Villeroy & Boch • Glassware: Schott Zwiesel • Cutlery: Sambonet • Menu Design: Brand Bureau • Lighting: DJ Coalition Lighting • Furniture: Goodshop • Graphic Design: Brand Bureau • Styling & Art: AvroKO • Bar Equipment, Menu Development, Liquor Selection: Proof & Co

050

An Estonian Exploration

SPREAD

Wild forest red currants

A clash of old and new culinary cultures define Estonia; a nation rich in history and tradition but with innovation at its core.

Aiming not just to document but also to elevate, we explore the simple beauty of core elements in Estonia’s multilayered food tapestry, with a focus on classic produce and products.

To complement the purity and simplicity of the chosen objects, images are inspired by traditional still life paintings.

Dramatic lighting evokes an aesthetic originating in Northern European countries, where the winter sun provides a soft light that is contrasted with dark surroundings.

The almost architectural rise and fall of food objects is inspired by the towering, fortress-like Old City of Tallinn and a modern twist on medieval aesthetics.

Moss From the Old City walls of Tallinn

Sea buckthorn jelly

Sea buckthorn powder

Estonian rye bread Wood foraged mushrooms

Cured meat

Organic pear

Dried blueberry powder

Concept: Studio AppĂŠtit Creative direction and photography: -ISM by Studio AppĂŠtit www.studioappetit.com For more information on Estonia: www.visitestonia.com

Organic apple

Forest mushroom collection

Dried Estonian herbs

Teaspoon with traditional amber inlay

Marzipan

Cured meat

Smoked fish

Estonian root vegetables

Raw honey

Almond coated triangle pastry

In juxtaposition to the clean and curated settings, we step into a raw and rural stage on this Estonian exploration: a visit to the forest, to nature, and a wilder assemblage that represents tradition in the heart of a contemporary context.

Local potato salad with green peas, cooked meat and boiled eggs

Vintage Estonian tableware private collection

A museum glass display cabinet features three exquisite traditional Estonian glasses, typically embellished and engraved with nature symbols such as wheat, leaves and florals.

Sea buckthorns

Hand cut crystal glassware

INTRODUCING T-COLLECTION...

Scandinavian design is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality that emerged in the five Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark.

Scandinavian design tries to humanize by the use of natural materials such as wood, glasses, leather etc. and to democratize by the use of innovative techniques to make objects in series at reasonable prices because it believes that beautiful and functional everyday objects should also affordable.

Inspired by this design idea, Tiger has launched series of products under T-Collection such as induction chafing dishes, rectangular carving station with its new heating lamps, juice dispenser and buffet display wooden trays and risers at competitive prices.

Tiger proposes a whole new collection of buffet items to bring a nice touch of modernism and simplicity into your buffet scene.

www.tigerhotel.co.kr

Adv_Supper-Magazine_Trim-236x275mm_6.indd 1

07/09/2017 09:48:31

Botanist Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

Words: Lauren Ho

O

ccupying a 48-storey James Cheng-designed

includes the design, but the entire concept development

tower along prime waterfront real estate in

and strategy. “It’s important to open a restaurant that

Downtown Vancouver, the Fairmont Pacific Rim

resonates with the market,” explains Stanghetta. “ So we

is, arguably, the slickest hotel in the city - not

corral the management team, we get consultants to look at

least for its heaving lobby that has become a local hotspot to

the positioning strategy and the narrative for the restaurant

see and be seen.

and then we develop the idea from there, bringing the right

It’s hardly a surprise though, considering its owner is Westbank, a local property development company, whose

The result, which now also includes an intimate champagne

projects – spanning residential, commercial, hospitality

bar and Vancouver’s first cocktail lab, takes its cues from

and public art – have played a significant role in defining

its location: fresh, clean and wholesome, with a good

Vancouver’s skyline. Known for its progressive approach

dose of Stanghetta’s strong modernist sensibility. “It’s a

towards creating a city for the people, its line-up of

reinvention of the Pacific Northwest,” he says. As such, the

upcoming ventures includes the permanent adoption of

bar is swathed in grey, monolithic terrazzo, reminiscent – as

Unzipped Wall, the installation designed by Danish architect

Stanghetta points out – of Vancouver’s rocky, mountainous

Bjarke Ingels for London’s Serpentine Pavilion last year; and

landscape. In contrast, the restaurant, inspired by the region’s

a new curvilinear building by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma,

lush tree-filled greenery, has a horticultural bent with lots

due to open in 2020.

of florals, in muted pastel hues and an abundance of live

Its latest pursuit targets the local dining scene, with

plants. “Wherever you are in Vancouver, the horizon provides

the re-launch of the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s restaurant.

a backdrop of mountainous rock and trees,” says Stanghetta.

Aiming to draw the public in with an accessible destination,

“There’s a trend for colour-blocking at the moment, so our

Westbank has wisely tasked the king of restaurant cool, Craig

version was to create something a little more nuanced and

Stanghetta and his design studio Ste. Marie for the job. The

transitional within each space and, on a grander scale, ‘block’

man behind some of Vancouver’s most fashionable dining

the actual areas by creating this distinct binary look.”

rooms, including Kissa Tanto - a sexy Japanese-Italian

060

people in as necessary.”

The concept extends to the food, which, like the interiors,

joint that has recently been crowned Best New Restaurant

is also fresh, clean and wholesome. “It was the design of

by the country’s definitive culinary guide, Canada’s 100

the space that got me interested,” says Mexico-born chef

Best - Stanghetta has, for his first hotel project, given

Hector Laguna. “When they approached me, they said

the space the full Ste. Marie treatment, which not only

they needed food to match the interiors. The look of the

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Photography: Ema Peter

061

xxx

Charred octopus Photography:Luis Valdizon

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Photography:Ema Peter

restaurant is exactly my way of seeing food, so it was an easy decision.”

brains behind the restaurant’s stylised logo, inspired by its mezzanine

Previously the sous chef at celebrity cook David Hawksworth’s

location at the top of the hotel’s lobby stairs; Laguna’s skilful plating is

restaurant in the Rosewood Hotel, this is Laguna’s first solo gig. It is

helped along by earthy dinnerware from ceramic artists Jane Herold and

clear he has embraced a similar honest and simple philosophy for his

Amber Kendrick; and a line-up of presentable staff are styled in custom-

food, using seasonal, locally sourced B.C ingredients to whip up pretty

made outfits, such as fashionable one-piece jumpsuits or voluminous

modern Canadian plates, such as the charred octopus with asparagus,

neoprene skirts, by Eli Canter of New York-based uniform company

cauliflower, kohlrabi and spicy chorizo; or delicious hand-cut tagliatelle

Lady and Butler.

with morels, mushroom ‘soil’ and salty crispy Piave cheese.

The cocktails, meanwhile, are the vision of Creative Beverage Director,

What was once a staid, run-of-the-mill hotel restaurant has been transformed into a humming destination from the time the first plate

Grant Sceney, who has literally cooked up a series of nature-inspired

of smashed avocado and eggs is served in the morning, to the final

chemist-like libations from a show laboratory, that is decked out

nightcap in the evening. This is surely down to Westbank’s smart,

with state-of-the-art industrial kitchen equipment such as a rotary

progressive thinking and, as Stanghetta and Laguna both remark, the

evaporator for distilling and vacuuming, and centrifuges to separate

company’s support and trusting attitude. It’s no secret that the success

ingredients of different density. No doubt, delivered to a chorus of

of a hotel is not determined by the sales of its rooms anymore. And

‘ooohs and aaahs’, guests can expect whimsical tipples with names such

while Vancouver might have some of the best independent restaurants

as Candy Cap Magic – a vermouth, mushroom rye and spiced maple

available, up until now, the city’s hotel F&B options were lagging. Up

concoction – served in a gold-framed vitrine complete with a bed of

next, Westbank and Stanghetta join forces once again, this time for the

moss and a whiff of smoke for added drama.

overhaul of the Shangri-La Hotel’s restaurant. Watch this space.

Needless to say – and as Stanghetta frequently reiterates – it’s all about the details. Local brand identity outfit Glasfurd & Walker are the

www.fairmont.com/pacific-rim-vancouver

IN A BITE Covers: 108 dining room and garden, 18 private dining • Operator: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts • Owner: Westbank and Peterson Group • Interior Design: Ste. Maire Design • Brand Identity: Glausfurd and Walker • Executive Chef: Hector Laguna • Head Bartender: David Wolowidnyk • Creative Beverage Director: Grant Sceney • Wine Director: Jill Spoor • General manager: Shon Jones-Parry • Tableware: Golem Design, Union Wood Company, Hastings Brass Foundry, Jane Herold and Amber Kendrick • Glassware: Spiegelau • Cutlery: Robert Welch • Uniforms: Lady and Butler Collections

063

A Taste of Waldorf / Jean-Georges Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills

Words: Kerstin KĂźhn

T

here are few other hospitality brands in the world quite as synonymous with universally celebrated culinary creations as Waldorf Astoria. From cocktails like the Martini, Rob Roy and Tequila Sunrise, to dishes like red velvet cake, eggs benedict, Thousand Island dressing and the eponymous

Waldorf Salad, over the past 120 years the luxury hotel chain and its iconic food and beverage inventions have stood for timeless elegance and sophistication.

So when Waldorf Astoria holds a contest to seek the next new cocktail and dish to enter the ranks of these renowned delicacies, the pressure is on. Add to that a judging panel made up of three-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and food industry heavyweights such as Padma Lakshmi - plus the backdrop of the latest jewel in the Waldorf Astoria crown of hotels - and the recipe for success may just be complete.

This was the scene at the Taste of Waldorf event, hosted by the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles. Bringing together chefs from five Waldorf Astoria hotels around the world, teamed up with five Rising Star finalists from the coveted James Beard Foundation’s annual awards, the event formed part of a month-long celebration marking the opening of the stylish new hotel.

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Winning dish: beet-cured trout and tempura shrimp

065

The task this year was no easy feat: the teams of chefs were asked

be guaranteed, their inventiveness certainly befits the launch of the

update to the time-honoured ritual. The challenge was not only to

Waldorf Astoria Hotel Beverly Hills.

expand the bar offering beyond traditional drinks and appetisers, by

A decade in the planning, the $200m hotel is designed by renowned

creating two small bites that pair perfectly with an original cocktail

French architect Pierre-Yves Rochon - whose other projects have

and mocktail, but also to incorporate innovative themes that mirror the

included the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence, The Peninsula Shanghai,

sophisticated and modern style of each Waldorf Astoria property.

and The Savoy in London - effortlessly marries contemporary luxury

Innovative small plates incorporated delicacies such as foie gras and

with old Hollywood glamour. Despite its size – the 12-storey hotel

lobster, with dishes ranging from seared scallops topped with Beluga

features 119 guest rooms and 51 suites – the Waldorf Astoria Beverly

caviar; to Kobe beef carpaccio with shaved white Alba truffle. Meanwhile

Hills holds a unique sense of intimacy, with cosy public areas offering

Waldorf Astoria bartenders assisted their chefs by creating inventive

sumptuous respite from the hustle of nearby Santa Monica and

drinks to match. There was the Supermoon cocktail, featuring squid

Wilshire Boulevards.

ink, Paniolo whiskey, pineapple, lemon and vanilla; the Sun King, with

The culinary side of the hotel too, reflects a modern interpretation of

passion fruit snow, finger lime caviar, lemon confit and vodka; and the

Waldorf Astoria history. Helmed by Vongerichten, the food and beverage

Prommer de Parfum mocktail, featuring gala apple, bergamot essence

programme not only marks the celebrity, three-Michelin-starred chef’s

and cedar tea.

inaugural partnership with Waldorf Astoria but also his first venture on

The winning combinations were created by Michael Zachman, executive chef at the Waldorf Astoria Park City in Utah, who had teamed

the west coast of the USA. His offering at the hotel is threefold: there is the bar, comprising

up with James Beard finalist Alex Bois. Their beet-cured trout on sweet

a lively yet intimate cocktail lounge, located adjacent to the main,

potato blini with cucumber, dill and smoked trout roe, matched with Rye

signature restaurant Jean-Georges Beverly Hills; and the Rooftop

& Shine Prosecco with hibiscus and roasted rice; and spicy Togarashi

restaurant and bar on the 12th floor.

prawn with lime and ginger Yuzu pickled pear, paired with a ginger Yuzu

066

dishes among the list of famous Waldorf Astoria creations may not

to turn happy hour into the ‘Fifth Hour: Bar + Bites’, a contemporary

The latter’s sweeping views of the surrounding hills and the Golden

Asian Pear Mojito mocktail will now be featured on menus at 26 Waldorf

Triangle, including the world-famous Rodeo Drive, are matched by

Astoria properties worldwide. And while an eternal legacy of these new

an accessible menu that delivers informal yet elevated small plates.

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Avocado carpaccio pizza

Inspired by the flavours of Latin America and Southeast Asia, mixed

elevated casual fare focused on fresh, local ingredients. Thus he has

with California cuisine and a touch of New York flair, it’s already a hot

chosen not to impress with haute cuisine and fancy table theatrics but

spot for locals and serves ubiquitous Los Angeles crowd pleasers like fish

to present an understandable, simplified though elegant, savoury menu

tacos, tuna tartar and beef tenderloin with crispy potatoes, chimichurri

created as much as possible from the rich local bounty - such as Santa

and lime. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a limited part of the

Barbara sea urchin, Monterey calamari, and seasonal, organic farmers

menu is also available to hotel guests choosing to dine poolside – the

market produce.

only pool menu in the city curated by a Michelin-starred chef.

But it is downstairs in the main restaurant that Vongerichten

With the help of executive chef Steve Benjamin (from L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas), Vongerichten’s Beverly Hills menu aims

really dazzles his Beverly Hills diners. Somewhat rare in Los Angeles’

to please all palates. While a touch of luxury remains – there are

restaurant scene, the palatial dining room - appointed with luxurious

‘Caviar Creations’ and a nine-course tasting menu – the overall focus

white leather, gold metallic and oak touches, combined with cathedral-

is simplicity, with dishes ranging from sushi to pizza and angel hair

high ceilings - sets the stage for the chef’s cuisine.

pasta with tomato sauce, as well as an entire section devoted to ‘simply

Based on his immense worldwide experience, Vongerichten has created what might be described as a ‘Best of Jean-Georges’ menu,

cooked’ pieces of protein, with not a carbohydrate in sight.

Vongerichten’s west coast debut not only makes the new Waldorf

selecting and picking from his huge repertoire of recipes and what he

Astoria hotel complete but also reflects his longstanding world expertise.

considers his universal hits, including toasted egg yolk with caviar and

He delivers serenity, skill and, without fanfare, a cuisine created with

black truffle pizza.

quality, timelessness and sophistication, just as Waldorf Astoria has

A savvy restaurateur, whose empire spans four continents,

done for the past 120 years.

Vongerichten understands his local Los Angeles crowd, where the white tablecloth fine dining seen in New York or Paris is less of a draw than

www.waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com

IN A BITE Operator: Hilton Worldwide, Waldorf Astoria • Owner: Oasis West Realty, Alagem Capital Group • Interior Design: Pierre Yves-Rochon Inc. • Executive Chef: Steve Benjamin • Tableware: Bernardaud • Glassware: Luigi Bormioli • Cutlery: Cristofle

067

Bluefin Tuna Tataki with ponzu and wasabi salsa

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Nobu Shoreditch Nobu Hotel Shoreditch, London

Words: Harry McKinley

L

ooking at Nobu Shoreditch from the outside,

the brand in Europe, but across town in West London

one might think that a small cruise ship had run

two standalone restaurants have proved enduringly

aground – its affluent passengers apparently

popular, despite being less than 10 minutes walk

unfazed and spilling out to revel in the

from each other. By those standards, Shoreditch, in

increasingly polished delights of the neighbourhood.

the east, might as well be a different country, and it

Great steel beams jut backwards from the building,

remains to be seen if the area’s markedly dissimilar

and overhanging floor slabs form a tiered effect.

- but increasingly less so - audience will take to the

Combined, they evoke the streamlined image of a

brand with quite the same enthusiasm. However,

vessel that could at some point raise anchor and

other recent openings in the neighbourhood,

plough on down Willow Street. It’s the work of Ron

including The Curtain, The Ned and Devonshire Club,

Arad and Ben Adams Architects; the former known for

show that Shoreditch has cast off the last vestiges

flagrant creativity, the latter for clean functionality.

of its shabby-but-cool past and is now firmly on the

The interplay been those two forces is evidenced in

mainstream visitor trail. Even locals are now more

the final result, which Arad has publicly described as a

likely to work in banking than the creative industries.

‘relaxed version’ of his original scheme.

The arrival of Nobu in some ways highlights

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa founded his eponymous

Shoreditch’s ascension to peak gentrification – with

hospitality group with actor Robert De Niro in 1994,

the price of a meal for two at Nobu easily running

and whilst the focus was originally on standalone

into three figures.

restaurants, the opening of the first Nobu Hotel

Malibu-based Studio PCH helmed the design of

in Las Vegas (2013) marked a new branch of the

the restaurant, having worked on numerous other

business and an opportunity for Matsuhisa to deliver

Nobu venues internationally. Located in the hotel’s

an entire Nobu lifestyle that stretched beyond the

basement, the 340m2 space seats 240, including

dinner plate. Still, of course, F&B plays a dominant

an 18-seat chefs table and 10-seat sushi bar. Like

role and few, if any, Nobu hotel guests would book to

the rest of the hotel, the South American influences

stay without sampling the restaurant.

are relegated to the cuisine and the vision is one of

Nobu Hotel Shoreditch marked the first opening for

muted minimalism. Sleek wood and bronze detailing

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Photography: Claire Menary

are definitively Japanese in feel – with intricate joinery reflecting a

comfort food they can expect from dishes grounded in Japanese cuisine

sense of the Far East. More London, there are hints of Shoreditch’s

– portion sizes aside. The distinctive combinations are its signature and,

industrial energy in the exposed concrete walls and pillars. But these are

thanks to the brand’s growing ubiquity, difficult for others to emulate

just hints, and on the whole the restaurant is as manicured as a bonsai.

without being noticeably contrived.

Guests arrive via a grand floating staircase, from which they can

The hotel worked with The Drinks Club on its alcohol programme,

observe the orderly rows of diners below. Five-metre tall glass doors

securing rare Japanese whiskies, including a Hibiki 30-year-old. In

to the outside terrace allow light to flood into what could otherwise

total the bar carries over 700 different spirits – all high-end and some

have been a claustrophobic dining room, expansive ceiling height

exceptionally sought after. Sakes are from Hokusetsu, and the supplier,

notwithstanding. At the core of the space is the bar, realised in a

JFC, assisted in the training of staff to bring them up to speed on this

trapezoidal shape that adds an additional layer of dynamism to a design

most Japanese of beverages. Elsewhere, Boutique Brands helped the

that is elsewhere focused, almost exclusively, on straight lines and

hotel in the creation of its own liquors for cocktails, whilst also selecting

soothing uniformity. Whilst other Nobus have played with eccentricity,

brands for the back bar from its niche portfolio, including Sette Vie

and even extravagance, in their interiors – think Nobu Doha at the city’s

Amaretto. On the wine front, Bibendum Wine supplied the hotel’s

Four Seasons – London has clearly dictated a sharper approach; the

diverse collection which includes a bottle of Screaming Eagle 1998.

virile modern architecture of the Square Mile within touching distance.

Chef Matsuhisa made his name, of course, through his distinctive

For Nobu Hotels the future means expansion and, whilst London was the brand’s first European outpost, a recent opening in Ibiza has put the

fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine, with other South American

flag firmly in the sand. To come, a slate of openings from Riyadh and

influences thrown into the mix. At Nobu Shoreditch the menu doesn’t

Marbella, to Toronto and Barcelona. And whilst the brand may be known

stray too far from the established. The Black Cod Butter Lettuce, a

for its very particular concept, it is also demonstrating that it’s capable

much-vaunted global favourite, retains its hallowed position, alongside

of enough diversity to sustain a future beyond the Black Cod.

the likes of dainty tacos with salmon and avocado, tempura shrimp and a searingly spicy Beef Toban Yaki. Nobu delivers to guests the closest to

www.nobuhotelshoreditch.com

IN A BITE Covers: 240 • Operator: Nobu Hospitality • Head Sushi Chef: Noriyoshi Teruya • Tableware: Nobu Matsuhisa Original • Uniforms: Ted Baker • Drinks Suppliers: Boutique Brands, JFC, Bibendum

070

absolute l ifestyle

BESPOKE HIGH TEA STAND

INFO@ALHKG.COM HONG KONG | AMSTERDAM | DUBAI HEAD OFFICE 7/F UNIT C, TUNG KIN FACTORY BUILDING 196-198 TSAT TSZ MUI ROAD QUARRY BAY HONG KONG

La Terazza Hotel Eden, Rome

Words: Renate Ruge

T

here’s an orange glow as the Roman sun

scientifically tested nutritional dishes to feed

and culture. The restoration of Hotel Eden

spreads a warm tangerine hue across

the body’s physiological needs.

maintains the property’s Roman essence

the terracotta rooftops that bask in its glory. Expansive panoramic vistas wrap

whilst offering guests a luxury experience

conceivable dish: Sous vide, sauce extraction

enriched by contemporary styling and state-

around Hotel Eden Rome, sweeping from Villa

units, ovens of every kind - including

of-the-art facilities.”

Borghese down the Spanish steps skirting

patisserie and a Morello Forni pizza oven - a

around the top of the Pantheon and out to the

blast chiller, an ice cream machine, pressure

architects Bruno Moinard and Claire Betaille

mighty Colosseum. Vatican City feels but a

cooker and induction plates. All state-of-the-

is tasteful at every turn. When pressed on

stone’s throw away and the dome-shaped roof

art. It’s nirvana for cooks.

the size of the new kitchen, General Manager

of St Peter’s crowns this spectacular cityscape.

White hatted chefs move like a well-oiled

The hotel’s design, devised by French

Luca Virgilio concedes that Ciervo had to make

This is no ordinary ‘room with a view’, this

machine under Ciervo’s scrupulous planning

a very good case for his expansion, thereby

is a kitchen with unrivalled views and, unlike

and direction. He likens the team’s efficiency

losing rooms in the process. Room numbers

its luxury hotel contemporaries around the

to that of a Ferrari: Italian, sleek, power-

were cut from 121 to 98 – also to allow more

world, found on the seventh floor, not buried

driven and stylish, which is all very much

space in each – and 33 of them are now suites.

away in the basement.

reflective of the new incarnation of Hotel Eden

It’s a wonder the resident chef has managed

Decorated Dorchester chef Alain Ducasse

Rome itself. The elegant grand dame, built in

flew in for the reopening and was suitably

to snag this incredible culinary space. “My

1889 perches in a superb setting, on the hill

impressed, the 600-strong party with 10,000

chefs need light and space to cook,” Michelin-

where Julius Caesar lived, surrounded by the

canapés going out without a hitch. “He walks

starred Executive Chef, Fabio Ciervo assures.

verdant gardens of Ludovisi, Borghese, and

the talk,” adds Virgilio of Ciervo.

“The view really is a treasure.”

Malta villas.

If he weren’t a world-class chef, who trained

072

In the kitchen there’s a station for every

Hotel Eden has played holiday home to

When the hotel closed for business between November 2015 and April 2017 the core team

at l’Ecole Lenôtre before a stellar 22-year

heads of state, royalty and showbusiness

were retained. Ciervo spent his sabbatical

international career working for Adriano

icons like Isabella Rossellini, Martin Scorsese

learning how to make fine dining healthier,

Cavagnini at Grosvenor House Hotel; Michel

and Ingrid Bergman. Bought by Dorchester

studying a Masters in nutrition, now revealed

Roux at the Waterside Inn; and learning from

Collection in 2013, it has undergone an

in the new menus of the hotel’s signature

gastronomic alchemist Heston Blumenthal

extensive restoration using architects and

rooftop restaurants, Il Giardino Restaurant and

and celebrity chefs like New York’s Thomas

interior designers who have worked on sister

Bar, and La Terrazza..

Keller, Fabio Ciervo could have been a sporting

properties: Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and

sensation. Training since age 14 he draws on

The Dorchester in London. Chief Executive

peaceful contrast with the rich opulence of the

the discipline of an elite athlete every day.

Officer Christopher Cowdray says, “Our hotels

entrance, completed in a more contemporary

Sport was the inspiration in his search for

strongly reflect each destination’s character

idiom by design studio Jouin Manku. Pretty

The rooftop dining spaces make for a

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Crispy red mullet

Fresh pasta with crab extract

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Spahetti with pecorino

leaves made of glass climb up peaceful pale

art and innovation to create perfect harmony

green walls in the ‘garden of Eden’, and a small

between exceptional food and a healthy

open-air terrace with tiny olive trees atop each

lifestyle.” The philosophy is to explore the

cooked for 72 hours, is sumptuous, with a rich

table. Here al fresco apperativo and bellinis

world of ‘arte culinaria’, combining ingredients

jus poured from a jug and served with crunchy

mixed in large jugs are served. Little wonder

in unexpected ways. “My philosophy is built

sticks of green and white asparagus - cooked

legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini famously

on five pillars: innovation, flavour, science,

for 40 seconds exactly.

chose this suntrap spot for his interviews.

wellbeing and beauty.”

La Terazza is all about the future of modern

Freshly juiced ‘shots’ refresh the palate and

found that ‘wow’.”

Presentation is meticulous. The braised beef,

For dessert ‘yoghurt and organic milk’ (flash frozen in the blast chiller) is a healthy take on

dining – cutting edge and dramatic. The dining

while the dishes may look and sound simple,

ice cream and accompanied by a Frascati sparkle

room has a simple, elegant style, providing

flavours are profound. The ‘extraction of mixed

(Frascati Cannelino, Villa Simone, 2014).

a hushed backdrop as the food takes centre

herbs’ starter distills the essence of a wild-

stage. Tableware too is understated: glasses are

meadow salad in a test tube.

Riedel, cutlery from Ercuis and with Saladini steak knives.

The signature dish, Cacio e Pepe is a neat

As many pavement trattorias in Rome jostle for business, with menus serving variations of ‘nonna’s recipes’, Ciervo trailblazes ahead,

knot of pasta, lightly tossed in pecorino,

reimaging the classics: “There’s no time to

topped with Madagascan wild black pepper and

waste, we need to embrace innovation and

place setting. Napkins are soft Italian linen by

flavoured with rose buds. To elevate the floral

move forward to keep our customers happy

Pedersoli and diners have a choice, white or

aromas, steam spills out of a small glass pot

by nourishing them.” The tasting menu at La

wheat-coloured, depending on which better

and a heady delicate scent of roses emanates.

Terrazza is called ‘Rome My Way’ – apt for a

A single white porcelain apple sits at each

suits their outfit.

Service is seamless. The sommelier has been

“I wanted to give this classic Roman dish a new twist,” says Ciervo. “I spent about three

with the hotel for 20 years and dishes are

months testing different versions of Cacio e

pioneering - as Ciervo promises, “inspired by

Pepe with a different spice every day until I

chef carving his own path in a city and hotel steeped in tradition. www.dorchestercollection.com

IN A BITE Covers: 44 • Owner: Dorchester Collection • Interior Design: Jouin Manku • Architecture: Bruno Moinard, Claire Bétaille of 4BI and Associates Executive Chef: Fabio Ciervo • Restaurant Manager: Paolo De Cicco • F&B Manager: Daniele Colombo • Linens: Pedersoli • Uniforms: Maurel • Glassware: Riedel Cutlery: Ercuis, Saladini • Tea and Coffee Pottery: Richard Ginori

074

www.pordamsa.com @pordamsadesignforchefs Pordamsa @pordamsa

Pavilion 9 D08

La Dame de Pic Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square

Words: Harry McKinley

T

en Trinity Square is one of those buildings

the restaurant’s dedicated off-street door - the

that sums up the longstanding prosperity

grandeur level is high and a palpable sense of

of the British capital. An arresting Beaux

expectation created. The restaurant was designed

Arts behemoth designed by Edwin Cooper,

by Bruno Moinard of Paris-based architects 4BI

it was formerly the Port of London Authority

and, for the most part, the building’s original

headquarters and, in 1946, hosted the UN General

features continue to take centre stage and have

Assembly. Now a Four Seasons hotel, it stares

been allowed to shine. Great pillars stretching up to

across to citizenM Tower of London – the two

the particularly high ceilings feature ornate carved

personalities of London squaring off against each

woodwork and bevelled mirrors, whilst sleek wide

other; one the epitome of youthful, accessible

windows create the impression of a bright and

modernity, the other a stronghold of refinement

open space. The dining room also benefits from

and exclusivity. With its Corinthian columns and

natural wood flooring, balanced with the warm

looming statue of Father Thames, the entrance to

leather used on curved banquettes. In the centre of

Four Seasons Ten Trinity is as grand as they come.

the room hangs a large chandelier that nods to La

The hotel plays host to La Dame de Pic, the

the restaurant’s name. A 14-seat private dining

star chef Anne-Sophie Pic. Pic began her cooking

room sits alongside the main restaurant.

career at 23 and, with no formal training, is only

As the company line goes, Michelin does

the fourth female chef to be awarded three stars,

not award stars based on any element bar the

for her restaurant Maison Pic in the southeast

food, and it is in the cuisine that La Dame de

of France. In its 2018 guide, Michelin has also

Pic expresses itself most fluently. Pic’s food is

recognised La Dame de Pic with a star – an

accomplished, presented with the kind of artful

accolade bestowed just eight months after opening.

flair that befits a venue of La Dame de Pic’s calibre.

The restaurant is one of two accessed via

076

Dame de Pique, the French card game that inspired

first UK restaurant from French three-Michelin-

Guests familiar with Pic’s restaurants will be

the cavernous Rotunda Bar and Lounge, itself

pleased to see some of her classics on the menu,

topped by an impressive dome lit in ambient

including her signature dish, berlingots. More

hues. For guests who have ascended through the

famous to the French as a hard candy made from

hotel entrance and the lobby – as opposed to

fruit syrup, Pic has taken the signature pyramid

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Left: Sencha Vacherin, Right: Brittany Pigeon

077

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Brixham Dover Sole

shape – berlingot translating as sachet - and created pasta parcels filled with a lightly smoked Pélardon cheese. They are accompanied by

as modern international fare with a French accent.

With La Dame de Pic, Four Seasons at Ten Trinity is going all in.

seasonal wild mushrooms and a tonka bean and voatsiperifery pepper

Setting aside Rotunda which is, for all intents and purposes, a lobby

foam. It’s a variation developed specially for the London restaurant.

bar and lounge - and unlikely to set local hearts aflutter in a city with a

Elsewhere Pic mixes classic British ingredients with less expected

highly developed and competitive hotel bar scene – it is one of just two

elements. Scottish langoustine is paired with a bouillon infused with pine

destination restaurants at the hotel. Whilst that’s a more than adequate

tree buds and geranium, and Ibaïama pork is marinated in Scottish dark

number, for a property of Four Season Ten Trinity’s scale and repute,

ale, cauliflower, juniper and Meyer lemon. For red meat and game, diners

it does mean that both must deliver experiences that are not just good,

are provided with a Katana knife to unsheathe at the table in an almost

even excellent. They must be the kinds of dining destinations that get

ritualistic experience – a civilised take on the primal desire to chow

people talking, encourage gourmands to want to know what the fuss is

down on a glistening block of Welsh lamb or a corpulent Brittany pigeon.

about and, perhaps most importantly, make everyone else believe that

Desserts are handled with equal skill. The White Millefeuille - featuring

a dinner at either is not a wasted opportunity to try one of London’s

Tahitian vanilla cream, jasmine jelly and voatsiperifery pepper foam –

many other fine dining spots. The announcement that La Dame de Pic

is presented as an architectural white cube, a vision of prim perfection

has been awarded its first Michelin star goes some way to indicating the

waiting to be demolished by an eager spoon.

restaurant’s early success and is likely to inspire as yet uncertain diners

Whilst the menu is grounded in the traditions and techniques of

to pass under Father Thames

French cooking, Pic has an altogether more worldly approach, drawing on multiple global influences. The result is dishes that could be described

www.ladamedepiclondon.com

IN A BITE Covers: 78 • Executive Chef: Anne-Sophie Pic • Chef de Cuisine: Luca Piscazzi • Head Bartender: Michal Maziarz • Interior Design: 4BI & Associates Architecture: Aukett Swanke • Owner: Reignwood Group • Operator: Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts • Tableware: Jars Ceramistes, Raynaud • Glassware: Baccarat, Riedel

078

SIPPING

“Prestige is one thing, but when you win awards the expectation goes through the roof. People expect greatness and will be the first to tell you if it doesn’t meet that standard.”

Dead Rabbit’s Sean Muldoon on the double-edged sword of accolades.

COCKTAILS

Pineapple Old Fashioned Pulitzer Bar, Pulitzer Amsterdam

Served in the ambient surroundings of the bar at Pulitzer Amsterdam, the Pineapple Old Fashioned is perched on a bed of straw to add an additional layer of aroma and texture. Similar to the reinvented Gin & Tonic featured on the menu, this house speciality seeks to explore the olfactory element of true classic drinks.

Served alongside signature drinks including the Marguerite, predecessor of the Martini; the Sherry Cobbler, the Mojito of the 1850s; and the Knickerbocker, interpreted as the first Tiki drink, the Pulitzer Bar menu aims to recapture history and put a contemporary spin on old favourites and forgotten standards.

Nestled into the Nine Streets district of Amsterdam, the drinks menu was developed by cocktail connoisseur Andrew Nicholls.

Fourteen cocktails follow one consistent recipe: one part of the past, one part of the present, and one part of revolutionary technique.

Innovative preparations and interactive elements also add an unexpected dimension.

True to the concept, location and extensive drinks menu, the interior of Pulitzer’s Bar captures the accessible elegance of old school hotel bars in a monumental Amsterdam building, with comfortable armchairs set around a fireplace and an Art Deco style bar. www.pulitzersbar.nl

000

COCKTAILS

Seven Years in Tibet Thief Bar, The Thief, Oslo

Influenced by movies of the last century, Thief Bar’s Movie

Also appearing on the menu are a selection of beverages

List menu celebrates productions including The Matrix,

housed in unique glasses including Inception, a bitter

Inception and Casablanca through 12 unique cocktails.

mixture of vodka, dry vermouth and sherry served in a glass

Seven Years in Tibet, served in a traditional Tibetan singing

that untraditionally floats in mid-air; and Oceans Twelve, a

bowl, features Lagavulin B, Frangelico, chocolate, Tibetan

mixture comprising Remy Martin Vsop, angostura bitters and

tea and citrus. The cocktail is presented alongside other

tobacco grappa, presented in a Faberge-style egg.

Thief Bar signatures including Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde, which

Thief Bar, situated on Oslo’s waterfront, is inspired by the

marries Hendricks with Becherovka, vanilla infused sherry

history of world metropolises, and draws on craftsmanship

blend, cherry vinegar reduction and champagne; and Matrix,

and the highest quality ingredients.

a Bacardi based drink that combines sherry, white chocolate and pistachio.

www.thethief.com

WINE MASTER 6 Functions, 130 mm, Swiss Made

MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE | ESTABLISHED 1884

SAK_Level2_0_9701_63_242x281_NEU__AD1.indd 1

14.09.17 10:23

COCKTAILS

Madame Butterfly Po, The Warehouse Hotel, Singapore

Crafted into three distinct eras, Po’s cocktail menu is inspired

Laphroaig mist, passion fruit, grenadine and mint; as well as

by the past of the warehouse building and the surrounding

Singapore Sazerac, created with raisin bourbon, pandan bitters,

neighbourhood, from the frenetic height of the spice trade and the

cognac, and absinthe, with spiced Demerara to add sweetness.

darker underbelly of godown culture, to the giddy heyday of disco.

Alcohol infusions and essences are all made in-house,

The three themed categories - Spice Trade, Godown and The

reflecting the rich and nuanced history of The Warehouse Hotel.

Warehouse Disco - each infuse historical mixology from the 19th

The Warehouse Disco, Po’s late 20th century-inspired selection,

and 20th century. Madame Butterfly featured in Godown as a mid

offers flirty and fun concoctions influenced by the hotel’s heady

20th century serve, combines Roselle tequila, watermelon shrub,

days of aural indulgence. Fruity notes and flora are explored,

salt, and pepper to create a complex, full-bodied cocktail that

while gin-based serve Barbarella experiments with egg white,

celebrates the city’s past forbidden distilleries.

earl grey, elderflower and rhubarb.

Spice Trade, reflecting Singapore’s roots as an epicentre of commerce, stars High Tea, a bitter mixture of chamomile whisky,

www.thewarehousehotel.com

Jack McGarry, Jillian Vose (Bar Manager), Sean Muldoon

SIPPING

A Dead Rabbit in Claridge’s Belfast-born bartenders Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry are the creative forces behind New York’s The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, a bar frequently touted as the world’s best. Bringing their Manhattan venue to Claridge’s for a limited run pop-up, we pulled up a seat to discuss the unexpected collaboration, global success and fairy tales of New York.

How did you come to enter the drinks business?

but there was really nowhere else to go in Belfast.

what we did. They also ended up spending a lot of

A guest that had been coming into the bar for two

time around the corner at The Duke of York pub,

SEAN MULDOON: I grew up with the Troubles in

years [Conor Allen, an Irish businessman from

which is where Sean and I would drink after a

Northern Ireland and so really learnt bartending

Galway working in New York’s financial sector]

shift. So when it came to Dead Rabbit, we wanted

as a means to get out and travel the world.

saw the lack of prospects for us at that time,

to bring together pub culture with what we loved

and he sympathised. He offered to invest in us

doing, which was working in cocktail bars.

JACK MCGARRY: I was constantly asking my

if we were happy to move to New York, thinking

We started looking at New York in the 18th

mother and father for money and they had had

that if we were able to do the same thing there

century and how there was this influx of Irish

enough of it, so they got me a part time position

that we did in Belfast, we’d get so much more

immigrants because of the famine. They came

with my cousin, who ran a pub in West Belfast.

opportunity.

through South Street Seaport, which is a couple

Eventually I met Sean and moved to work in The

of blocks away from where our bar sits now, on

Merchant Hotel, which coincided with taking a

How did you ultimately come to open Dead

Water Street. It was then known as one of the

year out before going to university. I fell in love

Rabbit and how did you formulate the concept?

most violent streets on the continent, but at

with the cocktail world and the rest is history.

the same time you had the splendour of lower JM: When Conor approached us about opening

Broadway, which is where all of the luxury

SM: We both worked at The Merchant from 2006

the bar he told us to build something that will

Manhattan hotels were. So that idea of pubs and

until 2010. During that time the cocktail bar was

stand the test of time. We had a programme

cocktail bars sitting side by side played into what

very successful and won numerous awards. It

in The Merchant called The Connoisseurs Club

we wanted to do. The guy that unified it was John

was the first bar outside of New York to be voted

and were able to invite the crème de la crème of

Morrissey, who is a mascot of the bar. He was

World’s Best Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail,

the cocktail industry to Belfast and show them

the one time leader of the Dead Rabbit gang

087

sipping

in the 1850s, and he lived both those lifestyles

throw it at various moving targets and see what

anymore. Theatrics and the fancy garnish of

throughout different courses of his life.

sticks. Sean and I don’t operate that way.

drinks never took off there and probably never

How would you describe the ethos of the bar?

SM: We give our lives to it. It’s part of our heart

will. It’s not what they want. They want a drink and they want it quick.

and soul. We didn’t get into it to make money, JM: For me it’s bringing the Irish pub into the

which was secondary. We wanted to create a bar

How did the collaboration with Claridge’s come

21st Century. I also think it’s an Irish bar with

that we believed in and were devoted to.

about?

How important are the accolades?

SM: I met the bar manager here, Denis [Broci], at

attitude.

SM: Dead Rabbit is forward thinking and it’s not

Tales of the Cocktail two years ago. He suggested

bonded by history. We do cocktails really well

SM: I’m in this because the industry is exciting for

that we do something with Dead Rabbit at

and that’s what we bring to an Irish pub that

me. When I started there were no opportunities

Claridge’s. I didn’t think anything would come of

makes it different. Typically when you go to an

and bartending was just a job. Now we’ve won

it but I got an email 10 months ago from someone

Irish bar in New York it’s a sports bar. So for New

a lot of awards with Dead Rabbit and if we have

at Pernod Ricard UK and they reminded me of

Yorkers it’s different and for Irish people coming

an idea it’s more bankable, because we’ve proven

that conversation, saying that they were keen

to New York it’s a sense of home.

that our ideas work.

to push forward with it, if we were. It’s a unique

Do you see a shift in the bar scene today back

JM: Without Tales of the Cocktail we would not

Claridge’s would even consider doing something

in Belfast?

be in America, but the one that really makes a

like this. It’s very gutsy. Claridge’s is not known

difference to business is The World’s 50 Best

for mixology culture, it’s much more elegant and

JM: There’s now total accessibility, total freedom

Bars. We’re doing an extra $25,000 a week that

refined. It wouldn’t have been as interesting if

and there’s diversification. But for me the

we weren’t doing before we placed first.

we’d done it somewhere else.

understand cocktails and, even though we’ve left

SM: Prestige is one thing, but when you win that

How has Claridge’s influenced the iteration of

The Merchant, it’s probably still the best cocktail

award the expectation goes through the roof.

Dead Rabbit we see here?

bar in the city.

People expect greatness and will be the first to

opportunity. I’m blown away by the fact that

problem with Belfast is that operators don’t fully

When you go about developing a cocktail

tell you if it doesn’t meet that standard. It’s ups

JM: I would say from experiential point of view,

the game and it’s high pressure.

this is definitely what we do at Dead Rabbit. The

programme, how much consideration do you

guys here have hit this out of the ballpark. They

have to give to the local market and how does

Consumers now know more about mixology

wanted the team here to unlearn everything

that influence your approach?

than ever before. Does that make it more

they’d learnt, because our bar is not formal at

challenging for you?

all and is all about personality.

we had two years in New York before it opened.

JM: It makes it exciting because we’re constantly

SM: It’s incredible to think that the whole

We had this highfalutin idea that we would move

trying to present something that is compelling,

transformation took just 12 hours, overnight.

over and have the bar opened in two months,

unique and that interests people. We use the

but those two years before were some of the

menu as a vehicle to keep our business fresh. I’m

What are some of the differences between

toughest of our lives. We had to buy second hand

always saying that the ceiling today is the floor

operating within a hotel and operating as a

clothes, eat once a day and our family was on

tomorrow, because you have to keep innovating

standalone?

the other side of the world. I’m delighted that

and improving.

JM: The beauty of opening Dead Rabbit was that

we had those two years, though. Sean worked

JM: I think there’s an agility in operating

in the neighbourhood that the bar is now in and

Do you think that some bartenders get wrapped

independently. Going back to our time at The

so we knew the area very well. When we opened

up in the ‘mixology bubble’?

Merchant, the lack of agility was part of the

the bar we had a good understanding of what

reason we left. We were becoming renegade,

the neighbourhood was looking for. Dead Rabbit

JM: I call it death by speakeasy. There were so

because we looked at it as a cocktail bar in a

opened ready to rock and roll.

many speakeasies that bartenders started to open

hotel, as opposed to a hotel cocktail bar.

more casual bars, but I almost find them more What do you think created its initial success

pretentious. It seems to be that the bartender

Would you say the guest here is similar or have

and what did you engineer into the concept that

will only give you a great experience if you know

you had to reinterpret the bar for a London

has given it legs in the long-term?

them. The by-product is that New York cocktail

audience?

bars are not pushing as hard as London cocktail JM: Both of us are extremely aware of what the

bars anymore. I think London is ahead of New

SM: The hotel guest is not the same customer,

brand is and what we’re trying to do. We wanted

York in that sense.

but the people who come to the pop-up are more

to open a bar that would change the landscape.

There are people with a lot of money who tend to

088

like our guest in New York. I’d guarantee that the SM: New Yorkers don’t care about cocktails

hotel guest that has been coming here forever

Dead Rabbit at Claridge’s

prefers it the old way and will be happy to see it

How has the perception of hotel bars shifted?

back to normal once this project has ended. The

JM: It would be good to see five-star hotels catering to different experiences instead of

expectation of a guest like that is very high. Dead

JM: When The Merchant first opened it was

Rabbit is a pub, not a fine hotel.

foreboding to a lot of people. We had 15 steps to get up to our cocktail bar and it might as well have

having varying degrees of the same.

Who do you admire in the industry?

You mentioned that London is pulling ahead of

been Mount Everest. So I think that shift really

New York when it comes to the cocktail scene,

started with The Merchant. We did everything

JM: People like Dale DeGroff and Gary Regan

but do you also think the bar scene is becoming

differently and started a trend in hotel bars. I

have been very helpful for us and made us feel

more globalised?

think it was very influential for Artesian, for

welcome in New York. In terms of competitions,

example. I’m not saying that from an egotistical

without doubt Alex [Kratena] and Simone

JM: It was globalisation that revolutionised

point of view, but I do think it changed the game

[Caporale]. I miss not having them around in a

New York. Towards the end of the 2000s and

and percolated into other things – whether it’s

bar environment.

early 2010s you had people like Naren Young,

projects like this at Claridge’s or bars like The

Sam Ross and Micky McIlroy – as well as Sean

NoMad in New York.

What’s next for you both?

and with different perspectives. In London,

What can hotels learn from standalones in

JM: We’re opening the outside space of

Eastern Europeans and Italians coming in

terms of how they operate their bars?

BlackTail NYC, which is going to be a significant

and I – coming in, from different countries

has tremendously improved the bartending

investment of between $300,000 and $400,000.

community. These guys are coming to London

SM: I think they’ve learnt a lot from standalones.

That will be in April or May 2018. We are also

for a few years to learn and to gain new ideas that

You can go to The Savoy with jeans now. A lot of

working on a book, a follow up to Dead Rabbit,

they can take back and put towards their own

the cool hotel bars now have younger bartenders

and also looking for another venue in New

bars. It’s much more diversified here because of

with a younger perspective and I think that’s

York. So we’re busy, which is always good.

the ease of coming to London. I don’t know how

very important. There’s less stiffness.

much that’s going to change with Brexit.

www.claridges.co.uk

089

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The Future of the Bar is Now Words: Angus Winchester

For many, hotel bars are the new face of creative mixology, but what makes them successful cradles of innovation and how can they continue to move forward in an increasingly competitive landscape?

Y

ou will very rarely hear me complain about my work. I wake up every day not thinking that I have to do this, but that I get to do this. So when I was asked if I fancied looking at hotel bars through the lens of innovation I was overjoyed. Visions of digging

out menus from Rockwell, The Trafalgar Hotel’s bourbon-only bar; and Steam, Hilton London Paddington’s gin specialist venue, both from 2001; as well as speaking to globally acknowledged innovators like Alex Kratena and Kevin Diedrich, had me thrilled. Instead what I got was an open can of worms through a looking glass at the end of a rabbit hole.

What is truly innovative these days and how desirable is innovation? What was, and is, the role of the hotel bar? Is exploring innovation ultimately debating economic theory, from a macro to micro level? Have we overfetishized creativity and are we pandering to Millenials with smartphones?

Have we become the 1%? Good grief I love my job, but sometimes it makes my head hurt, and I don’t mean a hangover.

Hotels and bars have a long, important and intertwined history. Firstly, it is said that many classic bar units resemble hotel reception desks as they served a dual purpose in the early days. Secondly, hotels of the early

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Recipe Frida, Cueve Siete, UNICO 20 87 Riviera Maya 1.5 oz. Montelobos Mezcal 1 oz. Ancho Reyes liquor 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. orange juice 1 oz. grapefruit juice 1 oz in-house artisanal hibiscus syrup Hibiscus salt and ancho chili Pour the mezcal, Ancho Reyes and fruit juices over ice and mix with bar spoon in a tumbler glass, rimmed with hibiscus salt and garnished with a torched chili.

cocktail era

I asked the Twitterverse and the responses were surprising and

were solely

ultimately lumped into several areas: tools and technology -

to house and

from rotovaps, sous-vides and the Porthole Infuser to cocktails

host travellers,

on draft, social media and music streaming; ingredients such

which links to the

as St-Germain, genever and Reisetbauer Eau de Vie; techniques

opinion that cocktail

such as forced carbonation and barrel aged cocktails; and, of

culture was initially

course, innovative cocktails that use previously unheard of

disseminated along train

ingredients or combinations of flavours, as well as increased

lines in the USA - then ports

theatricality and presentation. Interestingly, one could argue

and subsequently airports. Finally,

that none of these are driven by hotel bars or standalones, but

only larger and grander hotels could afford

mainly by the kitchen world or food technology.

the interior design, glassware, entertainment and even the ice

It’s often where you get a fusion of these forces - with

programme necessary for a lively pre-Prohibition cocktail bar.

substantial financial backing - that it all starts to get interesting.

Yet the nature and grandeur of the hotel - and by extension

Bars like Artesian, Connaught Bar and American Bar at The

the bar - has been transformed, as the nature of travel itself has

Savoy in London, along with Manhattan Bar in Singapore.

changed in the last 60 years. While some hotel bars still kept

Charles H. Bar in Seoul and The NoMad Bar in New York, are

the embers of the grand cocktail bar burning, so the business

all absolutely among the most innovative bars in the world.

traveller, budget travel and the spread of multinational chains

These destinations have become vast revenue generators for

with identikit designs degraded many hotel bars to sad or

their respective hotels. They are also public relations gold with

non-existent offerings. Simply, hotels gave away their bar

their success frequently measured by the number of Instagram

business to independents and focused elsewhere. But oddly,

posts they accrue. They are multi award-winning palaces of

what people talk about when they discuss important cocktail

true hospitality, backed by big corporate budgets that many

trends, or even innovations, started in hotels: ice programmes

mixologists can only dream of.

with blocks being chopped down; homemade products, from

On a side note, while the above innovations may have helped

bitters to infusions and house blends; a more formal service

the bar world, one big shift did not. Unions in America are

style, often featuring a be-whiskered and bow-tie sporting

held by some to have destroyed the quality cocktail in hotels

male; serious not frivolous drinks; and proper garnishing. In

and, to this day, many legendary hotels have poor beverage

short, all of the staples of the modern speakeasy that many

programmes and lackadaisical service.

claim are innovations. As bar guru Dale DeGroff once said, “All that was old is new again.”

This led me down another twisting path and to the debate about whether a hotel bar is meant to serve and cater to

It led me to wonder what innovations have occurred in the bar

the guest or to the bottom line of the hotel and constantly

industry in the so-called ‘second Golden Age of the Cocktail’? So

changing fashions. Hotels used to be places that had character

studioverde.it

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DRINKS

Recipe Angus Knows Nacarat, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth 1 oz. Tanqueray Rangpur 1.5 oz. Bols Yogurt 0.5 oz. sudachi juice 0.25 oz. agave syrup (1:1) 2 inches fresh lemongrass, muddled Freshly grated kaffir lime zest 3 dashes lemongrass saline solution Shake with half cube, half crushed ice. Double strain and serve.

Garnish with fresh marigold flowers.

and were truly welcoming to both travellers and regulars. As hotels have increasingly started looking at external revenue and media-friendly bar concepts, so the humble hotel guest may find themselves in a Willy Wonka-esque mixological paradise, when all they wanted was a nice quiet G&T. While we, as an industry, fetishize creativity and innovation, we must never forget that we are in the experience business and not just the cocktail business.

But hotels aren’t resting. I recently spent time with the team at Nacarat in Montreal, within Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. Much time and money has been spent upgrading the cocktail and bar programme and the newly opened Nacarat ticks all of the boxes of an innovative concept and space. It features three ‘stations’ and with each making one type of drink, it feels more like a kitchen than a bar. And due to strict liquor laws, they have had to innovate to create what other bars have as standard, from ingredients to techniques like barrel ageing. It is proof that necessity is the mother of invention.

Hotels are also remembering that they must be representative of their locations and are building on that. A good example is UNICO 20 87 Riviera Maya. Situated south of Playa del Carmen in Mexico, it is a one-of-a-kind adults-only hotel for the sophisticated traveller. It features culturally inspired signature experiences and impromptu

Artesian at The Langham set the bar for much of this

pop-up programming, including mezcal tastings

and was suitably recognised until the departure of its celebrated team.

As hotels have increasingly started looking at external revenue and media-friendly bar concepts, so the humble hotel guest may find themselves in a Willy Wonka-esque mixological paradise.

But all strands of discussion aside, the question remains: are hotels cradles of innovation or fervent imitators? Certainly one reads far more often about amazing innovations in hotel bars - though perhaps this is due to the power of their PR teams - and hotels bars are regaining their status as centres of excellence.

However, really it’s kitchens that are creating the

and cocktail lessons by the executive mixologist,

most interesting ideas for bars of all types to play

custom beer gardens and Mexican wine-tastings. The

with. Hotels at the higher end are certainly upping

on-property mixologists are tasked with creating

their game, but this is not trickling down to the mass

unique handmade libations that echo the voice of

market at any great pace.

the surrounding native culture. Travellers can depart

In evolution it is not the biggest or the strongest

from the ordinary, with a journey through the tastes

that survive, but the entity most able to change. While

of Mexico past and present.

some hotels have the financial wherewithal to invest

Elsewhere, London has been the epicenter of the

in a way that smaller outlets only dream of, for the

second ‘Golden Age of the Cocktail’ with bars like

most part they have been surviving and not thriving

Connaught Bar - and its signature Martini Trolley

for much of the last 25 years. The most positive shift is

- and Number One Aldwych with its virtual reality

that they are now nurturing the young talent coming

cocktails. American Bar at The Savoy continues to

from the independent sector, as well as spending on

innovate with its new menu aiming to ‘capture the

consultants aplenty – people who understand the

spirit of a nation’ by honing in on Britain’s folklore,

unique nuances of the bar scene - to put hotel bars

history and landscape as its inspiration. Of course,

back on the map for any serious travelling tippler.

Creating Hospitality

Artesano Authentic. Ingenious.You.

Villeroy & Boch S.Ă .r.l.

Hotel & Restaurant 330, rue de Rollingergrund 2441 Luxembourg Tel.: + (352) 46 82 11 ¡ Fax: + (352) 46 90 22 E-mail: info.hr@villeroy-boch.com www.villeroy-boch.com/hotel

VLH 16443_Supper_Mag_236x275mm_plus3.indd 1

05.04.16 15:29

DRINKS

New Waves in Wine While not popularly associated with change, the wine industry has been striding forward in increasingly creative ways. From urban boutiques to sprawling vineyard properties, we explore why hotels are proving a home for innovation.

Words: Nina Caplan

S

tories have been told about wine since humans first figured out how to make it: the ancient Egyptians had a wine god called Osiris; the Greek Oenotropae were three young women able to change anything they wished into wine, a gift bestowed on them

by Greece’s own wine god, Dionysus; and the Roman author Pliny, in his extensive writings on wine, mentions a great vintage that is, by his time, over 200 years old but still improves all other wines when mixed with them. The stories have evolved and changed, become less mythical and more factual, but they still help us to understand and choose what to drink, and as the number of wines has grown and the consumer has become almost overwhelmed with choice, it is often stories that make the difference.

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Some of those stories revolve around provenance:

getting the customer interested but, says McFaul,

the terroir (a concept, incidentally, first mentioned

“talking about these things in an unpretentious

by Pliny) and the winemaker, the history and the

way, that encourages people to learn and

Château, the natural or biodynamic methods of

understand more, is probably the biggest innovation

production. But in our fast-moving world, there is

for an industry which has traditionally been slow

always a thirst for something new. Wine, of course,

to react to changing markets.” And it’s not just

is not the category best known for innovation, or

talking. At Jackalope’s cellar-door restaurant, Rare

not innovations that can offer a talking point for

Hare, every wine is available by the glass, even

bartenders and sommeliers, or pique the interest of

the very limited production O’Leary Block Pinot

F&B managers. Despite the rise of the New World

Noir. In the fine dining restaurant, meanwhile,

and the ever-changing landscape of wine retail,

the overarching principle is to stick to wines from

the general perception of wine is timeless and

vineyards of 11 hectares or less – so, the same

traditional – ironic, really, for a seasonal product

vineyard size as Willow Creek. This is a great way

that is literally new each year. Still, producers have

to showcase other small producers who are making

always innovated, and some are doing so today with

waves, as well as providing a context and point of

great flair.

comparison for the vineyard that guests see from

The arguments about clean, modernist labelling

their bedroom windows.

Wine, of course, is not the category best known for innovation, or not innovations that can offer a talking point for bartenders and sommeliers (to say nothing of lighter, more environmentally

As wine tourism becomes ever more popular,

friendly bottles) have been going for a while;

hotels in those regions are finding ways to make the

however, a lot of important innovation in the wine

concept of terroir clearer and more approachable.

world is not obvious initially, remarks Geraldine

This is easier if you have a vineyard of your own

McFaul, Winemaker and General Manager of Willow

with which to entice guests, of course. At Domaine

Creek Vineyard, which is the on-site vineyard of the

de Verchant, a Relais & Châteaux hotel near

new boutique Jackalope Hotel on the Mornington

Montpellier, there is a vineyard in the grounds, a

Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. “For the past 15

former winery that now serves as a wedding venue

years, the Pinot Noir growers of Victoria have met

and a tasting room that was once a large vat full of

annually to freely exchange ideas and advice to

fermenting grape juice. Here, the property’s wines

improve our wines and understand our sites better.

are reserved for guests staying in one of the 26

Across the board, the use of new oak has reduced,

rooms or eating in the Verchant restaurant. There

there is much more judicious use of whole-bunch

are tastings intended to introduce those guests to

fermentation in Pinot Noir, particularly, but also

the best wines of Languedoc, helping to reverse

Shiraz. Skin-contact in white varieties to produce

the perception of the region as high on quantity

wines of intriguing texture and aroma is certainly

and low on quality. And, as with Jackalope, wine-

gaining traction as is the use of large-format oak,

lovers confused by terroir can lie by a pool within

concrete, amphorae.”

splashing-distance of the hotel’s vines: always a

With technical innovations like these, the trick is

pleasant way to improve one’s understanding.

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Townhouse hotels can’t offer vineyards on-site but some can give a sniff of them. The beautiful Cour des

enthusiastically copied since 1971.

A restless local wine industry that is constantly

Loges hotel, in a former monastery in central Lyon,

experimenting and improving is a boon, says Davies:

is part of the Sibuet Group, which also owns Domaine

“It makes it possible to serve exclusively South

de Marie winery in the Luberon in Provence. So

African wines, except for a couple of Champagnes.

guests can sit on the restaurant terrace in the city -

Guests can try wines they can’t access at home.”

sometimes known as the gateway to the South - and

And they can even be instrumental in helping choose

actually taste the south: particularly, the herbaceous

the next wines to make it onto the list: Davies holds

rosé for which Provence is famous. At tiny luxury

regular Monday tastings for guests, and wines that

hotel Villa Spalletti Trivelli in Rome, which also owns

get a particularly enthusiastic response are listed.

the Pomario winery, the vineyard’s distance from

Both Uve Mira Mountain Vineyards and Waterkloof

the sun loungers (which are on the hotel roof) have

were chosen this way.

A restless local wine industry that is constantly experimenting and improving is a boon. been turned to its advantage: as well as the bottle in

Other experiments include place. Samantha O’Keefe

the mini bar or on the menu, there is a day trip with

has planted vines inland and uphill from Hermanus

lunch available to the vineyard in Umbria. These are

on South Africa’s south-western coast, and her

examples of innovation in the tourism sphere rather

Lismore Chardonnay has been received with wild

than the winery – but of course, they only work if the

enthusiasm; in Australia, Jim Barry Wines has

wine on offer is good.

planted Assyrtiko, the grape from the Greek island

At the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, General

of Santorini, in the Clare Valley; while in the Rhône,

Manager Roy Davies finds that forming

a group of winemakers have carefully studied Pliny

partnerships with the most innovative winemakers

and realised that a neglected hill next door to some

in the region works for both the hotel and the

of the world’s most esteemed vineyards has as much

producers themselves. If his hotel has a tiny

potential and arguably, a better story. Above the

vineyard on the property, it is because Mike

Côte Rôtie, just north of the city of Vienne on the

Ratcliffe of Warwick Wines suggested planting one,

other side of the river, Les Vins de Seyssuel have

and now it is a multi-faceted partnership, with a

planted vines, and the resulting wines are already

row each planted by Ratcliffe, Waterford Estate (the

greatly sought-after despite having, as yet, no

first in the country to organise wine and chocolate

official designation - although Yves Cuilleron is

pairings and also take visitors on wine safaris

working on it.

and walks – all innovations useful to hotel guests

As innovation stories go, it’s hard to beat the

wanting to further their acquaintance with the

revival of a 2,000-year-old vineyard, even if gaps in

wines), venerable Cape Constantia, Meerlust and

our knowledge mean that that is stretching the truth

Simonsig, whose superb sparkling wines were the

a little bit. But that’s all right. Most progress requires

first in the country – an innovation, along with the

an imaginative leap, as Pliny would have - and may

designation Méthode Cap Classique, that has been

have - been the first to acknowledge.

What’s Brewing?

Words: Caroline Morrish

Coffee is big business. But with independent coffee shops seemingly leading the charge when it comes to invention and innovation, what are hotels doing to break new grounds?

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T

here’s something interesting percolating in the coffee sector. To understand what’s changing, you need only to look at the menu of your favourite small-scale coffee shop. Chances are it will read less like a hot drinks selection and more like a mash-up of a wine list and

a chemistry handbook, with origin and tasting notes for different roasts given alongside a choice of the expected (espresso and filter) and less expected (V60, nitro-cold brew or Chemex anyone?) brewing techniques.

But far from being the niche work of just a few passionate coffee geeks, this new approach is part of what Allegra World Coffee Portal has termed the ‘Fifth Wave’ of coffee evolution (‘Project Café 2017’ report).

This coffee movement is a step on from, and development of, the previous phases of the industry, notably the ‘Third Wave’ of the mid2000s, when coffee was promoted as an artisanal food rather than simply a commodity, and which saw a boom in new craft roasters sourcing direct from farms; and the ‘Fourth Wave’ which began around five years ago and has seen the science of coffee production and brewing come to the fore. Both of these waves have specialty coffee at their heart, focusing on the highest-grade beans using the Cup of Excellence scale, which are sourced for their flavour and unique characteristics in an ethical and traceable way. Allegra describes the Fifth Wave as being characterised by “hyper-professionalism, operational excellence, investment in technology and training, and people development programmes. [This is] driven by passionate leaders and delivers authentic and principled concepts that deeply connect with savvy millennial audiences.”

The big chains are taking note, with the likes of Costa opening its first specialty concept store, Costa Finer in June 2016. And so, too, are hotel operators, with venues upping their coffee creds by collaborating with artisan roasters in order to reinvigorate their offerings. Recently we have seen the likes of The Langham work with Union and Difference Coffee

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“People have started to expect more than just a cup of coffee and see it now as a moment to savour, a journey or experience.”

Company, and Claridge’s and The Dorchester team with

now as a moment to savour, a journey or experience. Soho

London roasters Workshop and Alchemy respectively. But one

House Group observed how the specialty industry affected

operator that has taken things a step further is Soho House.

the consumer and the market and knew they wanted to

In employing a dedicated Head of Coffee Development, Daniel

develop this side of their business.” As such a dedicated team

Thompson, the group has completely changed its approach

of specialist coffee professionals has been installed under

to coffee across its estate. Thompson is a man who knows his

Thompson at Soho House Group in the UK and elsewhere

beans, having previously come from coffee mecca and home

in its international operations. “Our mission was to bring

of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Training Academy,

traceable, ethical, specialty coffee to our members and

Prufrock in East London. As well as bringing his wealth of

customers on a global scale. In doing so we have completely

experience to Soho House’s venues, he has also spearheaded

changed the coffee culture at Soho House. Our aspirations

the launch of the group’s own three-year Coffee Development

were high, but since starting the programme we have seen

Programme, which started in 2014.

a full transformation with passionate staff that have a new-

Thompson explains, “Historically restaurants and hotels

found respect for, and perspective on, coffee.”

have had a pretty poor approach to coffee, but as the specialty

This has been achieved in stages, completely reworking the

coffee sector has grown up, so has its customers. People have

coffee offer by partnering with independent roasters specific

started to expect more than just a cup of coffee and see it

to each region of the business - such as Origin Coffee Roasters in the UK - before creating bespoke blends for each venue based on the tastes of the local demographic. A special training programme has been developed for staff, which includes SCA content as well as bespoke modules developed for the business. “The La Marzocco coffee machines and bar set-up has also been standardised with the same specifications in order to streamline the training and enable staff to work on any bar in any site,” explains Thompson.

Another hotel rethinking its approach to coffee and its inhouse café, as well as the concept of the ‘hotel’ as a whole, is the newly launched Pilgrm in Paddington’s Norfolk Square, London. The brainchild of Jason Catifeoglou (Zetter Group) and Andreas and Steph Thrasyvoulou (MyHotels Group), the venture is described as a ‘reinterpretation’ of the traditional hotel. It eschews the regular hotel reception in favour of a coffee house lobby area that welcomes hotel guests and locals alike. Catifeoglou says that coffee is an integral part of the overall hotel concept: “The coffee is of equal importance to any other element of the hotel. We consider it an intrinsic part of a brand experience and a statement of quality and most of all, taste. Customers are more discerning than ever and have become more aware of quality through greater insight into the sourcing and blending process.”

The team worked with partners Cru to develop their own house blend, served as both an espresso and filter coffee. This is also available in the other F&B areas of the hotel, including the shared pantries that act as breakout and refreshment spots for the hotel’s rooms.

Of course, it’s not just the boutique operators embracing

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“Coffee should be as much of an experience as any other aspect of someone’s stay.”

that has a delicate flavour. Meanwhile Chemex looks like something out of a laboratory, because it is.

Developed by German inventor Dr Peter Schlumbohm in the 1940s, the conical coffee flask has a cult status the specialty coffee movement. As part of its late

and iconic design, and gives a smooth coffee with a

2016 launch in Edinburgh, Principal Hotels opened

pure flavour, thanks to its thicker filter. Aeropress

its modern café concept Burr & Co, that serves both

is a manual gadget that uses the full immersion

hotel guests and daytime customers and is set to open

method, with steeped coffee being pushed through

its second site as part of the new Principal London

a filter, giving a less pure but more full-bodied drink.

Hotel, Russell Square. While the Four Seasons Hotel

At the chilled end of the market, cold brew coffee is

at Ten Trinity Square brought in coffee specialists

big news. A recent Mintel report had cold brew sales

Difference Coffee Company to develop its house

jumping 580% from 2011 to 2016 in the US. Indeed

blend. Amir Gehl, founder of Difference Coffee

Starbucks introduced its own version in early 2017.

Company, says, “Lately, there has been a movement

The process for cold brew involves steeping the

in hotels to migrate completely to specialty coffee as

coffee in cold water for several hours, whilst never

their regular offering. When the Four Seasons Hotel

heating, and then serving out of a tap. Nitro-cold

at Ten Trinity Square opened we were tasked with

brew is a version of this same drink but infused with

finding a specialty grade coffee for the restaurant’s

nitrogen for a super creamy, naturally sweet drink

‘house coffee’. We did a whole series of tastings

with a smooth foam top that looks not dissimilar to

which included their director of wine, the hotel’s

a pint of Guinness.

F&B director, and chef Anne Sophie Pic, before the particular estate was chosen.”

As customers grow increasingly used to seeing these new ways of brewing, plus the likes of cold

But what of the cutting-edge brewing methods

brew coffee offering high margins and great potential

we have come to see from these new coffee spaces?

for profit, it is time more hotel businesses jump on

Some of them may sound faddish at times, but the

the Fifth Wave revolution in coffee. As Soho House’s

techniques are all firmly cemented in the science of

Thompson concludes, “Coffee should be as much of

good taste. Each method offers a slightly different end

an experience as any other aspect of someone’s stay.

result and tasting coffee. Pour over techniques include

No one wants to leave with a bad taste in their mouth,

Kalita wave filter, which is a simple drip filter that can

literally or metaphorically. And if operators focus on

be positioned over a jug or cup with a flat bottom,

training and artisanal products, who says hotel coffee

and the pure conical shape of the V60 individual drip

shouldn’t be as good, if not better than the best coffee

filter, both of which give a clean, light bodied coffee

shops in town?”

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01/08/2017 12:54

DRINKS

Forest Gin Why success was a walk in the woods for this small-batch brand.

Words: Harry McKinley

W

e’re living in the age of Gin. The category has

“The insane moment came when Harvey Nichols ordered

exploded in recent years and its growth sees

batch number one, before we’d even put it on sale,” he

little sign of slowing. Whilst the ‘big players’

recalls. “From there, it began appearing at the bars of several

are undoubtedly benefiting from the boom,

Michelin-starred restaurants, and Virgin Trains made it the

it is primarily driven by an interest in craft and small-batch brands – each with their own distinct story and USP. But

gin of choice for its first-class lounges.”

By 2016, the Bonds had quit their day jobs and Forest Gin

through the noise of niche new launches and limited editions,

would go on to become the only gin in history to be awarded

some labels are finding particularly strong footing, driven

two separate Double-Gold medals at the San Francisco World

by a keen sense of values, a commitment to quality and

Spirit Awards. It necessitated a move of production from

bolstered by an air of authenticity – in the true sense of the

their kitchen into a dedicated distillery in Macclesfield Forest.

word. Forest Gin, originating in the north of England, is an

Here, where sheep roam and ingredients ripe for foraging

example of all.

grow in abundance, the Bond family are watching their hobby

Karl Bond, the founder, doesn’t claim to be an expert

grow into a well-regarded business, as people world-over fall in love with their product.

“We still pick many of the ingredients fresh from the forest

“We still pick many of the ingredients fresh from the forest and we are still doing everything by hand”

and we are still doing everything by hand,” Karl explains.

“This is a family business, using natural, high-quality ingredients. If this restricts our production capability (Forest Gin is produced in batches of just 85) or puts our costs higher than other brands, then we are happy enough with that. So long as people are enjoying what we make, we’ll be happy. A lot of distilleries can pump out up to 4000 litres in a single

on the drinks industry. He started out home distilling with his wife in 2013, creating vodka, nettle wine and gin

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run. Mass production on this scale seems simply alien to us.”

What makes Forest Gin so distinctive is the complexity

that he describes as “pretty awful”. Slowly but surely he

of flavour - layers of robust moss and deep, smokey earth

began to refine their gin recipe, ultimately ending up with

striking the palette only to be cut through with a subtle

something that was good, if not great. Friends and family

plume of winter berries, both sweet and tart. Then there’s the

began requesting bottles and a plan formulated to sell at the

spice, a low burning fire, smooth and fragrant with bark and

farmers market, or perhaps the local pub. They would never

juniper. It is, as the name suggests, a walk in the woods on a

get the chance.

damp day, of which there are plenty in Macclesfield Forrest.

Part of the beauty of Forest Gin is not just the gin itself, but in how much attention has been dedicated to its presentation. It’s a testament to the boutique nature of the brand.

Based close to the historic home of pottery in England and where many potteries still operate, Bond had always intended to create something in ceramics. Today, each eightsided bottle is produced by Wade Ceramics in Staffordshire Porcelain; weighty, tactile vessels that speak to quality.

“We also chose to work with an amazing papercut artist called Suzy Taylor for the design. She cut the distinctive weasel pattern with a scalpel from a single sheet of black paper,” he says, elaborating on the distinctive bottle. “The detail is incredible. We still have it on the wall in the office. This design is glazed into the porcelain by Wade, which we then finish with a hand written batch number on each one.”

Not wanting to rest on their laurels, a new expression sees the Bonds collaborating with tea brand Quinteassentially. “The tea designer at Quinteassential produces an amazing Imperial Earl Grey tea. It contains oolong tea and fresh bergamot, and the team there share many of our values,” Karl explains. “We’ve been steeping the tea with our gin at home and when showcasing it to customers, it made complete sense for us to bottle it up and release it as our first collaboration.” The result is a bergamot rich version, that elevates the smokiness of the original, whilst showcasing an understated bitterness balanced with the ripeness of the berries.

Bond doesn’t know what is next for this family business. He continues to be in awe of its success. But as playful as ever, he’s open to experimentation. “I really want to lay down some barrels and age up some whisky. We have a cool, damp climate in the Peak District, and amazing soft water. A delivery of old sherry casks has just arrived so, who knows, perhaps in a few years we’ll be having the first taste.” www.forestgin.com For enquiries: sales@forestgin.com

DRINKS

S+ARCK Beer

Philippe Starck and Brasserie d’Olt Created in collaboration with Sébastien Blaquière, founder of Brasserie d’Olt, Philippe Starck has produced a unique beer, inventing a diagonal creative process with precise dosages and composition to translate his creativity into product. Inspired by nature, the golden and certified organic beer resonates with the terroir of the Aubrac plateau.

The beer is produced artisanally, with raw materials used in its composition, including malts from organic farming, hops and water from the Boraldes of the Aubrac representing a respect for the local environment and traditions. With its delicate and smooth foam, the S+ARCK lager beer is characterized by a pleasant bitterness and offers a surprising composition of a single variety of organic spring barley, three types of hops with fruity aromas - including citrus, pineapple and exotic fruits - and subtle softwood notes.

Produced without additives, colourings or preservatives, the Indian pale ale is neither filtered nor pasteurized, giving more rise to the ABV beer and allowing the culture medium to balance itself naturally, guaranteeing a good preservation over time. Also created by Starck, the bottle features a minimal design and is produced locally by a 200 year-old working glass factory in Albi.

Philippe Starck comments: “S+ARCK beer is an original creation offering a universal language whose flavour comes from elsewhere, born from the honesty and the tradition of the Aubrac.” www.starck.com

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DRINKS

One Gin One

British ethical brand, One, has expanded its drinks portfolio with the launch of a craft gin to help fund water and sanitation projects across the globe. One Gin’s unique flavour, distilled from 10 botanicals, provides a refreshing twist on the traditional British gin.

Master Distiller Sarah Thompson, uses nine global botanicals plus locally foraged British sage when distilling. To produce the uniquely smooth taste, the gin is distilled in an alembic copper still and filtered seven times. Handcrafterd at Blackdown Distillery in Sussex, each bottle is numbered and signed by Thompson, ready for distribution. Expert drinks consultant, Joseph Wood, from Liquor to Lips, has also developed a range of unique cocktails designed to perfectly complement One Gin. Duncan Goose, founder of One, comments: “With the UK gin market making its biggest comeback since Hogarth’s times, it was a natural step for us to broaden our drinks portfolio into this exciting new area, helping to drive our donation power and make a difference to the 663 million people worldwide who don’t have access to clean water. The evolution of One Gin has been a fantastic experience. Through the help of experts in the industry such as Sarah Thompson our award-winning Master Distiller, we have developed a unique British craft gin, distilled in Sussex, but inspired by the world. So why not choose a gin that makes a difference and funds life-changing water projects in some of the world’s poorest communities?” www.onedifference.org

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“People have started to expect more than just a cup of coffee and see it now as a moment to savour a journey or experience.”

Daniel Thompson, Head of Coffee Development, Soho House Group, on the importance of good produce.

xxx Fire Dinner at Noa, Tallinn Photography: Aron Urb

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SAUCE 11th September 2017 Tartu, Estonia

Words: Anna Sulan Masing and Harry McKinley

E

stonia is a country of contrasts: there’s an

dinners and cocktail hours to simple moments in the

abundance of forests filled with tall, straight

day for connections to be made.

trees, whilst the nation’s terrain is predominantly

The one-day SAUCE symposium was held at the

flat. The bright summers are the antitheses of

Estonian National Museum in Tartu, Estonia’s second

the deep, snow filled winters. In between are beautiful

city, and split into two sections: food and ingredients,

springs and autumns that spill forth produce to fill the

and hospitality and service.

kitchens of home cooks and world-class chefs.

Steeped in traditions with ancient roots, Estonia is

Food and Ingredients

a land of storytelling and storytellers. Through food

The morning opened with food journalist Mattias

and ingredients, Estonians are able to tell the story of

Kroon and Mother of Sauce Pauliina Pirkola introducing

who they are, and through unique produce we begin

Elizabeth Haigh, one of the youngest female chefs to

to understand the culture of this northern nation,

have been awarded a Michelin star, whilst at Pidgin

where chefs become creative narrators through their

in London in 2016. Her keynote focused on the idea

interpretation of its natural bounty.

of smashing stereotypes. To develop a progressive and forward thinking future the message was clear, we

SAUCE Forum 2017

must support those that are re-thinking the way the

SAUCE Forum, in its third year, is a platform for those in

industry can work and that equality and diversity lead

the culinary world to gather and exchange knowledge.

to greater originality.

The symposium consists of panel discussions and

A key area of focus was sustainability, which was

keynote speakers from those leading the global

explored through the lens of a variety of disciplines.

discussion around food and hospitality, and this year

Tzruya Calvão Chebach and Amit Ashkenazy, founders

the focus was firmly on the horizon, with the theme

of consultancy firm Sustainability Foresight, discussed

‘how to serve the future’.

pathways for chefs and restaurants to take, with

At the heart of this gathering is the idea that from

an emphasis on sustainable purchasing and how

discussion comes creativity and that knowledge sharing

restaurants can look at supply chains to develop

is how the industry will move forward. Because of this,

business models.

each SAUCE Forum also curates multiple events - from

The strength of the discussions lay in the diversity

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Sauce Forum 2017 Photography: Aron Urb

116

of speakers: experts in their fields from all over Europe. A

Hospitality and Service

dynamic panel with chefs Mehmet Gürs, Neil Rankin and Tekuna

The day’s second half – co-hosted by SAUCE’s Heleri Rande

Gachechiladze, with input from academic Dr. Marc Stierand

and Supper Editor Harry McKinley – moved from concepts to

and restaurateur Enrico Vignoli, tackled several issues. Firstly,

a greater focus on business and how – from food and design to

through looking back to ancient and traditional methods we can

staffing - different aspects can work together to create a dynamic

be inspired to develop techniques and ways of working that will

future in hospitality.

be kinder to our future. Secondly, that ultimately restaurants

With an eye once more on sustainability, ION Hotels’ Sigurlaug

are places for people to gather and enjoy themselves through

Sverrisdóttir talked about understanding your business within

meaningful experiences and that working towards creating ‘fun

its environment. Her hotels are set in the beautiful and unique

spaces’ can lead to better discussions around what we serve. Dr.

landscape of Iceland - responding to, and respecting, this is what

Marc Stierand spoke with great positivity, saying that the future

helped her develop a successful business. She also touched upon

of food is falling in love: “If we love our produce we will cherish

the importance of building a brand story that entices guests,

the way it is sourced, cooked and served.”

saying, “I realized quickly that I wasn’t selling a hotel, I was

SIDES

Põhjaka Manor. Photography: Stina Kase

selling a destination and the narrative that went with it.”

Kempinski’s Kai Schukowski spoke on the issue of staffing,

guests indulged in the cooking of Leandro Carreira who used purely Estonian ingredients at the final Celebration Dinner.

bestowing the importance of giving hospitality employees a clear path of progression, a sense of opportunity and why training can

Throughout the three days of SAUCE activities – from Tallinn

be key to retention.

to Tartu - the emphasis on connectivity was prevalent. The key

Bob Puccini, founder of Puccini Group, echoed the morning’s

takeway was that conversations need to happen, be supported,

points about how restaurants are spaces for enjoyment. By going

and given space to develop: We cannot have chef creativity

to a “good restaurant” guests are “making a positive choice to

without the art of service; we cannot have a successful business

feel good.” He spoke about the magic of industry and why, in

and groundbreaking design without guest engagement and

hospitality, guests are indulging in the luxury of time.

passionate staff; and that cross-disciplinary discussions are vital

Final speaker, Ido Garini of Studio Appétit, roused the audience

to moving forward in the food and hospitality industries.

with a simple question: can I have your attention? And went on to delve into the notion of captivating food experiences, before

www.sauceforum.com / www.visitestonia.com

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SIDES

The Hotel Show 18th – 20th September 2017 Dubai

H

aving established itself as a long-standing and comprehensive

The three-day event attracted thousands of hospitality industry

hospitality trade show in the Middle East and Africa, The Hotel

professionals, with seven show sectors and multiple installations placed

Show returned for its 18th year at Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai,

throughout eight halls.

in September 2017.

Innovative products in the show included those by SkyRiver, a brand

Welcoming global exhibitors and top-tier suppliers from 40 countries, the

introduced by Dubai SME. As a technology set to transform the hospitality

exhibition formed a core part of industry mega-event, Dubai International

industry in the region, the product allows humidity in the air to be

Hospitality Week. It featured an expanded line-up of the flagship Dubai

converted into water, producing up to 10,000 litres of pure water per day.

edition and aimed to cater to every aspect of guest experience, with new installations focusing on elements within the F&B sector.

Tackling the key strategic opportunities and challenges shaping the region, the Middle East Hospitality Leadership Programme also became

In attendance were representatives from global hotel groups such as

a central feature to the show, with GMs and owners from all levels of

Marriott International, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Fairmont

hospitality operators sitting alongside major developers, asset managers,

Hotels and Resorts; with exhibitions from the likes of Perfetto Trading

online travel sites and other influential players in the industry.

Company, 1765 Gemini, Everstyle Trading and Artecasa.

“As the industry changes and grows, so must we; and we have. The Hotel Show is showcasing an all-new brand identity, creating a sleek platform

Further, speakers from global hotel brands discussed a range of topics including: F&B strategy, building genuine brand identity, market positioning, online influencers and women in leadership.

on which to network in the most efficient way possible,” says Ray Tinston, Portfolio Director at Dmg Events.

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www.thehotelshow.com

Ambiente 9th – 13th February 2018 Frankfurt

A

mbiente will return in February next year, bringing manufacturers, planners, investors and consultants from across the F&B industry together at Festhalle Frankfurt.

Showcasing a range of Horeca product lines - set to fuel

a sustainable increase in guests in gastronomy, hotels and catering - next year’s event is set to welcome 136,000 trade visitors and 4,400 international exhibitors.

buyers discuss innovative catering concepts.

Further, the Living area highlights the ultimate in forward-looking design. The international product range extends from interior design, avant-garde furnishings, home accessories and items in all styles, including decorations for both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Thomas Kastl, Dining Manager at Ambiente, emphasises the need to keep pushing forward: “Ensuring that continuous change becomes part

With hospitality professionals highlighting their core and supplementary

of one’s own DNA is not rocket science,” he says. “All you need to know is

product assortments for the coming year, the fair features banquet utensils

how to network with the right market players, who will help impress your

and small furnishings, with the product range covering all price points and

guests at a totally new level.”

sectors – from lifestyle to premium.

Numerous events focusing on diverse industry themes make

Ambiente welcomes back the Dining, Giving, and Living areas,

Ambiente a central platform for contract business and the Horeca

showcasing a compelling diversity of ideas, designs and inspiring

segment, bringing sourcing, business partners and concepts together

highlights. The Dining area will comprise innovative products for the

in one location.

modern kitchen, alongside household appliances and equipment. The area is also a major meeting place for the Horeca sector, where specialist

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www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com

SIDES

To The Table MEA 14th – 16th November 2017 Muscat

O

ffering a programme of one-to-one meetings between

the W brand distinctive, whilst embracing a new generation of design. Breg

senior buyers and suppliers, insightful seminars and curated

will join the stage to discuss how Waring’s approach translates to restaurant

networking opportunities, To The Table MEA will this year be

operations, delving into the relationship between operator and designer to

held at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, Oman. It marks the

determine how to achieve a desired outcome that stays true to the brand.

10th edition globally from the To The Table brand.

Duncan Fraser-Smith will also host an interactive session tackling the

In the seminar strand, three of the most senior figures from leading

topic of new technology in F&B marketing with Sarah Hawilo, CEO of

hospitality companies AccorHotels, Marriott International and IHG

serVme, and Georgie Woollams, founder of Katch International, whilst a

converge in debates highlighting major industry challenges and exploring

‘top operators’ panel discussion will feature Nahai, Heksch and Giles.

how hospitality brands are finding solutions to continue their growth plans across the MEA region.

At the core of the event, To The Table continues to provide an important platform for buyers and suppliers to engage. “The setup of the event is

Other speakers confirmed for the event represent both commercial and

very useful as it allows you to spend dedicated time with suppliers of your

creative dimensions of the market, including Patrick Waring, Partner and

interest. Something you don’t really do during conferences,” says Rolf Jan

Principal Designer at Silverfox Studios; Stefan Breg, Director of Food &

van Zeijl, Regional Director of F&B, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia and

Beverage EMEA, Starwood Legacy Hotels by Marriott International; Heleri

Turkey, Hilton Worldwide.

Rande, Consulting Editor at Supper Magazine; Amir Nabai, CEO of Global

The 2017 forum will conclude with a restaurant tour and chef demonstration

Food & Beverage at Accor Hotels; Guy Heksch, Vice President Culinary

by the executive chef at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort, where traditional

Concepts, Hospitality Group, Marriott International; and Shane Giles,

Moroccan favourites, Lebanese cuisine and Omani delicacies can be savoured

Director of Food & Beverage Concepts AMEA, InterContinental Hotels Group.

in a contemporary and refined setting at Shahrazad Restaurant.

Waring will present the unique design principles from Silverfox Studios’ W Hotel Amman project, emphasising the considerations needed to keep

www.tothetableemea.com

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SIDES

Table 14th – 16th January 2018 London

T

able, taking place at London Olympia, is set to bring the world’s leading tableware brands face to face with key F&B purchasers..

Serving the hospitality purchasing sector, in which London

plays a pivotal international role, insiders have welcomed the launch, that sees a select presentation of 30 key brands, as well as a sector-focussed seminar programme. The event will also attract an international audience of hospitality buyers, owners, operators, purchasing specialists, interior designers and influencers from the restaurant, hotel, airline, spa and hospitality industry.

With a strict focus on quality and design, buyers will have the opportunity to meet with specialists able to produce bespoke and personalised items suitable for F&B applications, across various divisions including hospitality, travel and airline F&B. Organised into three categories: Cook & Dine; Interiors; and Food, confirmed exhibitors include Fiskars, Wedgwood, Nick Munro, Alessi, Studio William, Waterford, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert, Figgjo, Goodfellows and Mepra.

“Table fills a genuine gap in the market,” comments Tim Harper, Head of Hospitality, Fiskars Living Business. “There is nowhere else that gives F&B professionals the opportunity to see such a focused collection of luxury tableware and design-led F&B products. The timing and London location are just right and I’m really looking forward to this exciting new event. It’s long overdue.”

Taking place in the sumptuous Pillar Hall at Olympia, the event is organised by Clarion Events with the support of Supper magazine, and co-located with long-established international trade event Top Drawer – showcasing an expertly curated selection of design-led interiors, while delivering an additional complementary audience of 15,000 trade buyers to Table. www.tablelondon.com

EVENT CALENDAR 41 Madison

To The Table MEA

Hotelympia

17th – 20th October 2017

14th – 16th November 2017

5th - 8th March 2018

New York

Muscat

London

Host

Sleep

GRIF

20th – 24th October 2017

22nd - 23rd November 2017

12th - 14th March 2018

Milan

London

Dubai

HX

Table

ProWein

12th – 14th November 2017

14th - 16th January 2018

18th - 20th March 2018

New York

London

Dusseldorf

Int’l Wine and Spirits Fair

Ambiente

FHA

9th - 11th November 2017

9th - 13th February 2018

25th - 27th April 2018

Hong Kong

Frankfurt

Singapore

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SIDES

Extraordinary Machine: Robert Welch For six decades Robert Welch has been at the forefront of British silverware design, redefining form, material and function along the way, whilst remaining a strictly family affair.

Words: Kristofer Thomas

N

estled away on an old country road that peels off from Chipping Campden’s high street sits an old silk mill. The mill – once home to C.R. Ashbee’s Guild of Handicrafts, at the core of the Cotswolds’ early 20th century arts and crafts movement – has, since 1955, been the

home, studio and creative hub of Robert Welch, now Robert Welch Designs.

It was here that Welch established a small workshop and living space as a promising young craftsman, setting wheels in motion that would sixty years later see his name etched into the annals of British design history, and his company synonymous with elegant metal.

Marrying the worlds of industrial design and silversmithing, and combining these practices with a passion for fine art, Welch’s work - spanning cutlery and tableware, amongst other categories - occupies revered space within the industry. Now, with a 70-strong team, and output overseen by his children Alice and Rupert, the brand pushes forward and continues to produce celebrated work, though hasn’t lost sight of the values, ideals and core approaches set out all those years ago.

Having studied at Birmingham College of Art’s School of Silversmithing and Jewellery, and the Royal College of Art in London, Welch received a scholarship

Clockwise: The Old Silk Mill; Alveston; Robert Welch’s first studio

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SIDES

“I think the key element in our designs is the balance between function and form.”

to further pursue his interests. It was a trip to Sweden, funded by this

that still guides the production, design and manufacturing processes.

grant, and particularly a bank-front display showcasing the work of

The current iteration of Robert Welch, for example, has worked to

Sigurd Persson, that determined a lifelong focus on stainless steel.

cultivate close relationships with factory owners and hotel chains alike,

“The things that we always look back to are ideas of shape, form and

including Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and individual properties

permanence,” says Charlotte Booth, Robert Welch’s heritage officer

such as Burj Al Arab, in which the striking symmetry of the Molton

and archivist. “Robert’s work is sculptural, it stands for itself and isn’t

cutlery collection appears.

designed for design’s sake.”

Returning with Scandinavian influences fresh in mind, Welch established close ties with prominent stainless-steel manufacturers J. & J. Wiggin, and began working to reintroduce stainless steel to a post-war

“I think the key element in our designs is the balance between function and form,” says Alice. “It doesn’t have to be monumental, but as long as the proportions are exactly right, that’s what we look for.”

Having grown up surrounded by their father’s work and having

market that saw the material as something of a luxury. “Between him

used it daily, Rupert and Alice were primed to take the helm following

and Old Hall, they brought stainless steel back to the forefront of British

their father’s death at the turn of the millennium. After a transition

craft with their passion and drive,” Booth adds.

period in which they began to determine a direction, Rupert presented

The archive that Booth has managed over recent years contains an

Robert with the first product of this new era, Stanton, just hours before

expansive selection of landmark releases, alongside obscure rarities, and

his father’s passing. Though it marked the first range not envisioned

reflects, in a way, the manner in which Welch would design: surrounded

personally by Robert, it nonetheless refers to the philosophical

by his work for inspiration.

touchstones he established. “Everything we do is mindful of our father’s

“Having his archive around us reminds us why having his archive

philosophy, integrity and ways of doing things,” Rupert comments.

around him was so influential. He lived with it,” Booth explains. “We

“Dad’s ethos was timeless classic. It doesn’t date. It’s not a fashion

take inspiration from it in the same way that he did.”

brand,” adds Alice.

The products themselves remain as influential today as ever, with

However, though the siblings keep firmly in mind the achievements

flagship range Campden – created to challenge the dominance of

and values of their father, the company is far from stuck in the past.

Scandinavian design in 1956 – and the Alveston range from 1961,

Now having branched into gift, bathroom and homeware - and having

bearing subtle innovations still visible in today’s market. Meanwhile,

greatly diversified the core kitchen and cutlery ranges to include a

current releases such as the Signature Knife Block set and the bestselling

wealth of new configurations, variations and additions - the designs still

Radford cutlery range continue to push the practice forwards.

bear Welch’s signature combination of being functional and sculptural

“There’s a lot of innovation involved, but it’s about being innovative without being too brash,” explains Paul deBretton Gordon, the company’s design director for the last 12 years. Citing the incorporation

– thanks in large part to the respect the brand pays its origins – but are instilled with contemporary nuances by this new generation.

New releases such as the linear Trattoria cutlery set exemplify this,

of hidden magnets within the Signature Knife Block as an example

moulding premium 18/10 stainless steel into a collection that sits

– a feature that means neither blade nor container is damaged after

balanced in the hand whilst boasting a reinterpretation of traditional

prolonged use – he highlights the subtle unconventionality the brand

European bistro aesthetics.

continues to advocate. “You almost don’t want to shout about it, because you’d rather they just work as well as they possibly can,” he adds.

Paul works closely with senior designer and wife Kit deBretton

“Cutlery is the one thing that the diner is in constant contact with,” Alice explains. “When you have good cutlery that’s comfortable, balanced and works well, it clicks, and you get the sense that the

Gordon, with the pair guiding the Robert Welch aesthetic for the last

restaurant really knows what makes you happy. Cutlery makes you feel

decade, alongside Alice and Rupert, all working within the framework

good about the dining experience.”

of what they refer to as ‘The Robert Welch way’. “It’s the way we like

Still about family and the past, as it always was, but looking ahead as

to think as a family and as a company,” Kit explains. “It’s about being

Robert Welch the man always did, Robert Welch Designs may be defined

truthful and honest in everything we do, from the top level down to

by its prestigious legacy, but refuses ever to stop moving forward.

the factory.”

Family is certainly a defining element of the company, and one

www.robertwelch.com

127

FROM TECHNOLOGY TO TASTES: What’s New & What’s Next

FIND IT ALL AT NRA SHOW® 2018 More than 66,000 foodservice professionals from around the globe will gather in Chicago to be inspired by celebrity chefs, get revenue-increasing tips from industry experts and test-drive innovative technology.

Join us and find solutions to your biggest business challenges.

Register Today at Restaurant.org/Show

©2017 National Restaurant Association. All rights reserved.

The Commercial Service logo is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Commerce, used with permission.

PETITS FOURS

Crossline Zieher

Zieher’s Crossline serving series boasts a high degree of stability thanks to elaborate static elements constructed from galvanised steel and coated with scratchproof powder coating. Low-weight and space saving, the Crossline range features trestles that can be adjusted to the shape of a bowl, as well as felt covered supports to minimise noise and provide slip-resistance.

Available in a matte black finish, the range can be combined with most materials and textures, and allows for an understated yet effective service solution that blends unobtrusively into a variety of schemes and ambiences. www.zieher.com

129

PETITS FOURS

Revelation Eurocave

Bar Spoon Bonzer

Joining Bonzer’s existing range of bar spoons is a selection of extended sizes and new finishes, including distressed steel and gunmetal options. The extended model measures 400mm, though features the same 5ml spoon and disc muddler combination. It is especially suited to drinks created in taller glasses such as highball, hurricane and Collins varieties. Bonzer has also launched longer versions of its Droplet and Triple Spear Mixing Spoons, offering an attention-grabbing profile alongside functional and ergonomic construction. www.mitchellcooper.co.uk

Featuring soft close drawers as opposed to classic rolling shelves, as well as additional internal lighting, the Revelation range of wine coolers by Eurocave allows wine to mature in ideal cellar conditions.

Recreating the environments found in natural cellars by generating constant ventilation, providing UV filtration and protection from vibrations, the range also operates with low noise levels. The display shows temperature and humidity, and each model has a capacity of between 74 – 100 bottles. www.eurocave.co.uk

Mixology

Luigi Bormioli

WE8 Jura

Boasting 12 specialities and a maximum output of 40 per day, Jura’s WE8 coffee machine features a sleek design, housing a pulse extraction process that optimises extraction time for the best possible serve. The system also incorporates one touch operation for ease of use whatever the setting, and further contains a water tank with 3l holding capacity, a bean container for 500g of coffee beans, and a coffee grounds container for up to 25 portions. uk.jura.com

130

Constructed from eco-friendly crystal glass, Luigi Bormioli’s venture into mixology glassware comprises a range of elegant bar vessels, including luxury takes on serving bottles, dash bottles and mixing glasses.

Crafted to optimise drinks service and add a touch of opulence to the process, the Mixology collection is as much for guests as it is for bartenders.

Inspired by early 20th century aesthetics, the range’s three Elixir dashes each have a capacity of 10cl. www.luigibormioli.com

PETITS FOURS

Bump

Tom Dixon Comprising a family of minimalist borosilicate vessels designed to add intrigue to everyday drinking and hosting, Tom Dixon’s Bump collection is handmade and features subtle levels of pink and grey tonal translucency. Offering an elegant approach to tea making, mixology and serving arrangements, Bump’s borosilicate construction results in a lightweight, durable and temperature resistant collection, with the fused colour tones manipulated into delicately striking designs.

Featuring short, tall and cone vases, short and tall glasses, a jug, tea cups and tea pot, Bump is inspired by laboratory apparatus, and an exercise in the manipulation of conical, spherical and tubular profiles. Each member of the collection features a signature unconventional bump in its design, be that the cone vase’s vertical column or the tall glass’ rounded base. www.tomdixon.net

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Europe 2018 Supper ad.qxp_Layout 1 01/09/2017 09:59 Page 2

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16–18 April 2018 Corinthia Grand Hotel, Budapest

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uppliers of restaurant/bar/banqueting equipment and menu items who do business with Europe’s group-level hotel and restaurant decision makers, find TO THE TABLE EUROPE to be the most productive and valuable event in the industry calendar. l Meet exclusively the most senior group-level heads of restaurants and bars for all European properties, in one 5-Star venue.

l Dedicated, pre-selected appointment schedule for each supplier, with your own private meetings and display area. l No stand build, no exhibition, just high-level 30-minute strategic meetings with Europe's top F&B industry leaders. l Three evenings of top class networking dinner functions, with fantastic F&B, to cement your new relationships.

Efficient, targeted, and extremely cost effective!

www.tothetableforums.com For details on all TO THE TABLE events, please see:

Or contact Justin Wall: justin@tothetableforums.com

PETITS FOURS

Sky

Kartio

Georg Jensen’s Sky Collection is designed to accentuate the functional aspects of traditional bar tools, resulting in asymmetrical and ergonomic shapes that sit well in the hand and create a sculptural and elegant silhouette. Leaning more towards simplicity and obviousness of form, designer Aurélien Barbry here emphasises longevity and ease of use without sacrificing the elegant Georg Jensen curves. The collection comprises tools including spoons, bottle openers and corkscrews as well as vessels like jiggers, shakers and pitchers.

Originally released in 1958, the Kaj Frank-designed Kartio glass captures a balance between quality material and geometric form. Simple yet durable enough for everyday use, the basic drinking glass is available in green, grey, blue, sand and transparent colourways. The range comprises 21cl and 40cl glasses, as well as a 95cl pitcher that features a distinctive kink in its tall profile. Channelling a Scandinavian design ethos, Kartio offers an understated table presence.

Georg Jensen

Iittala

www.iittala.com www.georgjensen.com

Tatra

Minera

Inspired by the folk traditions of woodworking, LSA’s Tatra is a range of glass pieces bearing assorted patterns, carved into angular designs.

Constructed from hand-blown glass and natural ash wood, the combination creates graphic motifs and distinctive contrasts in texture.

Tatra comprises wine glasses and goblets, champagne flutes, cocktail glasses, mixers, tumblers, a decanter, ice bucket and large serving dome.

The range is also accompanied by a series of intricately decorated wood bases.

Designed by Studio Nocc, the Minera Carafe is constructed from thick glass to ensure solidity, whilst the intricate textured exterior provides decoration as well as optimal grip. With a pouring spout textured with crystal-like shapes, the action of the pour animates the flow of water over a riverbed for a smooth, tranquil result. Inspired by pebbles, crystals and the wonders of nature, the design is fragile and sensitive but instilled with durability through the incorporation of high quality glass.

LSA

Petite Friture

www.petitefriture.com www.lsa-international.com

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VogueTM 18/10

FLATWARE • STEAK KNIVES • HOLLOWARE • CHAFERS • BUFFETWARE

www.walcostainless.com

136

PETITS FOURS

Modern Tableware Tina Frey

Tina Frey’s hospitality-centred Modern Tableware collection boasts profiles that emphasise clean, linear forms and universal functionality. Maintaining the signature Tina Frey aesthetic, the range is at home in both restaurant and guestroom, and comes in variations of matte white or black.

The pieces in the collection are hand sculpted by Tina Frey in San Francisco, with each piece starting with an idea that focuses on simplicity and ease of use.

Each piece is also hand sanded and therefore carries a unique finish.

Comprising bread, salad and dinner plates, platters, serving trays, a selection of bowls and cups, as well as a champagne cooler and carafe, the range comes as part of the brand’s wider Autumn/Winter slate. www.tinafreydesigns.com

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PETITS FOURS

Artesano Meadow Villeroy & Boch

With the Artesano Meadow collection, Villeroy & Boch brings original, authentic and distinctive colours to the table, complemented by a unique stonewashed effect. The collection consists of six flat round coupe plates and three flat hexagonal plates in three different colours – a friendly date flower yellow, a warm red sun orange and a bold river green.

Each item is bordered with an artisanal brushstroke in taupe, creating a clear outline that bridges the different colourways and creates opportunities for a lively mix and match of colours and shapes. Expressive combinations are also possible through the incorporation of members from the Artesano Provençal series, the Artesano Barista special range and the Amarah collection. www.villeroy-boch.co.uk

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La plus ancienne Maison de Vins de la Champagne : AŸ 1584

SUPPER issue 8_GOSSET GRV+OENO_01092017.indd 1

25/07/2017 17:46

PETITS FOURS

Colorée

Palau

Designed by Peter Kempe, Colorée is a vibrantly coloured family of tableware with designs reminiscent of jungle and Caribbean environments.

Featuring shades of lagoon blue, absinthe, orange and warm chestnut, the distinctive colour blocks invite creative combination. Channelling contemporary motifs alongside Matisse and Gauguin influences, Colorée builds on the Kap-Sun Hwang-designed Auréole ceramic collection.

Bringing together dramaturgy and modernity, the collection is defined by its interplays of rich shades.

Reichenbach’s Palau collection features a series of richly nuanced marine illustrations in blue ink, contrasting with the plate’s smooth contours in matte white with a glossy finish. Inspired by the facades of Portuguese palaces overlooking the Atlantic, Palau is charmingly varied and comprises bread, dessert, pasta, under and dinner plates, as well as oval platters and salad bowls, with designs ranging from delicate sketches to solid circumference patterns.

Fürstenberg

Reichenbach

www.porzellanmanufaktur.net www.fuerstenberg-porzellan.com

Gio

Basic Bar Classic

Relaxed and contemporary, Wedgwood’s Gio tableware collection in fine bone china brings together plates, bowls, mugs, cups, saucers and serverware. Designed to be used every day and for every meal, and boasting a pure white background to build upon, Gio is inspired by bespoke Intaglio markings and geometric patterns, where layers of ceramic are cut through to produce textured embossment. The range can be combined with Wedgwood’s Arris collection for a sophisticated layering aesthetic.

Designed by Charles Schumann and featuring a traditional diamond cut, Zwiesel Kristallglas’ Basic Bar Classic includes a tumbler double old fashioned for whiskey and large drinks, a tumbler single for malts, as well as a cocktail glass and a whiskey caraffe. With this release Schott Zweisel expands its bar collection to form a complete bar concept, featuring vessels finished with hand-cut scores. Designed to meet the demands of modern bar settings, the range balances intricate design with durable material.

www.wedgwood.co.uk

www.zwiesel-kristallglas.com

Wedgwood

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Zwiesel Kristallglas

NEW CONCEPT

BY FIGGJO & JENS FAGER www.figgjo.com

170629_Figgjo_news_236x275.indd 1

29.06.17 15.33

PETITS FOURS

Extraordinary Metal Alessi

At the heart of Alessi’s Extraordinary Metal collection is the art of metal processing, and a reinterpretation of the metal surface. Exploring innovative shapes and profiles within brass, the range channels an industrial take on Etruscan granulation, an ancient goldsmith’s technique.

The traditional process involves welding miniature gold or silver spheres onto a metal foil to create luminous detailing, and is often used to produce lavish jewellery. Here the technique is applied to a series of contemporary objects to enhance their complex shapes with gleaming, decorative surfaces influenced by the Fibonacci sequence.

Comprising 16 vessels, trays and coasters all designed in brass with a decorative relief motif, Extraordinary Metal is designed by Lluis Clotet, and acts as a statement collection that brings bold colour and shape to the table. www.alessi.com

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Sleep For brilliant experiences

21–22 November 2017 The Business Design Centre, London Register free at thesleepevent.com

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PETITS FOURS

1924

Tin Tin

Fusing Jazz Age flair with new cocktail trends, Libbey’s 1924 range is based on Richard Zijlstra’s Glassology food-pairing concept and lets users rest a stylish spoon on the rim of the coupe. Modernising the original coupe design by A.D. Copier, 1924 sees the addition of a cocktail and wine glass, and a gin and tonic glass. With their distinctive stems, embossed footplates and original bowl design, the glasses work to enhance both taste and experience with rims that gracefully open outwards.

Drawing on decades of tradition and technical expertise, Luzerne’s Tin Tin range of enamelware playfully juxtaposes ceramic with glossy enamel for a nostalgic aesthetic. Comprising plates, bowls and drinking vessels, the collection has twice been fired and fully vitrified to create a premium finish. Bringing a classic look and feel to table compositions, Tin Tin’s reimagining of traditional enamelware for a new audience sees the range incorporate colourways including black, green and navy.

www.libbey.com

www.luzerne.com

Sazerac Kit

Sequence

An authentic Sazerac kit produced in collaboration with cocktail authority David Wondrich, Cocktail Kingdom’s box includes a Miret barspoon in traditional silver-plated EPNS finish, two lead-free crystal Sazerac glasses and a Wilkinson Julep strainer - the essentials for a stylish bar front. The strainer’s distinctive shell design complements the barspoon’s spiralled handle for a consistent decorative motif, whilst the lead-free crystal of the glasses provides durability and longevity after repeated use, as well as an elegant addition to service.

Hepp’s Sequence buffet concept is a 40-piece collection comprising the essentials of buffet service in materials including stainless steel, porcelain, fabric, plastic and wood. Featuring matching modules in a variety of heights, asymmetrical shapes and profiles, Sequence combines premium construction and functionality with a forward-thinking design ethos.

Containing mountain plates, ice buckets, breadboards, baskets, plates and other service pieces, members of the expansive collection can be combined for distinctive results.

www.cocktailkingdom.com

www.hepp.de

Libbey

Cocktail Kingdom

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Luzerne

Hepp

PETITS FOURS

High Tea Set

Absolute Lifestyle Absolute Lifestyle’s High Tea Set is a three-levelled service solution for tea and beverage products, constructed from a durable and opulent combination of acrylic, metal and white gold. With configurations including a version bringing together a bold linear profile with gently curved elements and another, more simplistic arrangement of four platforms, the set offers variety, versatility and style.

Grounded in a philosophy of teamwork and functional design, Absolute Lifestyle’s end-to-end approach supports both interior and operational designs. Suitable for luxurious 5-star boutiques and global franchise properties alike, the High Tea Stand bares all the signature hallmarks of an Absolute Lifestyle product. www.alhkg.com

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2 Venues.

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Tens of thousands of products and solutions from across the globe

20

Over related competitions, activities and workshops that provide an all-encompassing show experience

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PETITS FOURS

Stem Zero

Ivy Flourish

A simple and elegant range of sophisticated glassware to satisfy even the most discerning wine connoisseur, Nude’s Stem Zero collection features a slightly smaller and more delicately sized glass for complex white wines.

The bowl is subtle and slim, and tapers towards a finely edged brim for a crisp profile. Comprising champagne, white wine and red wine glasses, the family has been designed in-house and is available in a range of sizes.

Featuring a wide rim enhanced by a paisley pattern, Oneida’s Ivy Flourish dinnerware collection provides a pure canvas on which chef’s can express through bold colours and shapes. The millennial-inspired pattern sets a subtly elegant tone across plates and bowls, as well as a selection of decorative cutlery in a high polished finish. The cutlery’s oxidised incised lines emphasise the intricacy of the delicate scrollwork, whilst the plate’s refined rims adds a hint of sophistication to the table landscape.

Nude

Oneida

www.nudeglass.com www.oneida.com

Karbon

Concrete

Focusing on a combination of Matte black and grainy texture, Rak’s Karbon range contains flat, deep and oval plates, cups, saucers and bowls as well as a series of square and rectangular items. The matte finish creates a playful contrast of light and dark, whilst the unusual texture lends a sense of intrigue. Featuring gentle rounded edges that juxtapose with the range’s oblique colourway, Karbon is an intelligent expansion of Rak’s striking product line.

Designed in response to customer demand for a tableware product that suits a more industrial style of interior scheme, Dudson’s Concrete features a soft grey palette that complements neutral and earthy tones. With a surface reminiscent of polished marble, the collection works well with copper or brass, and can create a sense of warmth within colder design schemes. The range’s plates and chef’s bowls are vitrified for a smooth finish and durable thanks to premium construction.

www.rakporcelain.com

www.dudson.com

RAK Porcelain

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Dudson

The leading magazine for hotel design, development and architecture.

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Subscribers benefit from: • Previews of the most exciting projects breaking ground • Reviews of new hotels opening worldwide • In-depth interviews with leading hoteliers, interior designers and architects • Coverage of exhibitions and conferences for the hotel industry • Exclusive updates of Sleeper’s events including AHEAD – the global awards for hospitality experience and design – and Sleepover – the inventive event for hotel innovators For more information please contact subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk

Rétro

La Tavola Rétro, La Tavola’s flatware range comprising vintage-style cutlery with a distinctive contemporary twist, seeks to reinterpret classic profiles and forms through a modern lens. Unifying traditional European bistro aesthetics with a sense of retro chic, the range is available in finishes including stainless steel as well as three titanium variations – gold, Venetian gold and platinum champagne.

With its elegant stonewashed finish, Rétro can be effectively married with the many nuances of modern porcelain, contrasting as well as complementing. The stonewash finish - as well as achieving a striking distressed and aged look lends a pleasingly worn feel to the range and the wider table scheme. www.la-tavola.it

150

PETITS FOURS

151

ADVERTISING INDEX

absolute lifestyle

071

004 & 005

Rosendale Design

023

Sleep Event

143

Bonna 131

Sleeper Magazine

149

Brintons 107

Stรถlzle 101

FHA 147

Table 085

Figgjo 141

Tafelstern 035

093

Tiger 059

Ambiente 047 Bodegas Marques de Caceres

Fonderia Finco

049

Goodfellows 042 Gosset Champagne

139

Heritage Collection

111

John Jenkins

045

Tina Frey

006 & 007

To The table - Asia

153

To The table - Europe

133

VEEN 011

Jura 105

Vertex China

080

Kalisher 002

Vetrerie Riunite

029

La Tavola

015

Victorinox 083 095

LSA 012

Villeroy & Boch

Luzerne 156

Walco 135

145

Wedgwood 155

NRA 128

WNK 119

Pordamsa 075

Zieher 039

NIKKO Company

Renarte 033

152

Robert Welch

MEA 2017 Supper ad.qxp_Layout 1 01/09/2017 16:10 Page 1

S

uppliers of restaurant/bar/banqueting equipment and menu items who do business with Asia’s group-level hotel and restaurant decision makers, find TO THE TABLE Asia to be the most productive and valuable event in the industry calendar.

Meet exclusively the most senior group-level heads of restaurants and bars for all properties across the Asia Pacific region. l Dedicated, pre-selected appointment schedule for each supplier, with your own private meetings and display area. l No stand-build, no exhibition, just highlevel 30-minute strategic meetings with Asia’s top F&B industry leaders. l Three evenings of top class networking dinner functions, with fantastic F&B, to cement your new relationships.

9–11 October 2018 Grand Hyatt, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Efficient, targeted, extremely cost effective!

www.tothetableforums.com For details on all TO THE TABLE events, please see:

Or contact Justin Wall: justin@tothetableforums.com

THE WASHING UP

Purely Moving Forward Words: Guy Heksch, Global Vice President, Pure Grey Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group, Marriott International

I

grew up in a hotel. By age six and until I left home, I was

were clearly the future. But our biggest focus was integrating

cooking, serving, escorting guests to rooms, and otherwise

a modern food and beverage programme that spoke to locals.

learning the business of hotels through those my family

For the Stoke Charlotte restaurant, we tore down walls so the

owned and operated. My first job was peeling potatoes

kitchen team was on display. A local chef was hired and we

in the kitchen, and I worked through the ranks as pool boy,

placed an emphasis on local farms and producers. Stoke Bar

bellman, front desk agent, waiter and cook. Whether I was

offers both classic-driven cocktails and dozens of local craft

preparing food, making wine selections or hosting, the best

beers from North Carolina’s booming breweries. The third

part was connecting with people and eating and drinking was

element of the culinary operation is a neighbourhood coffee

the life of our hotels. These early experiences seeded what has

shop, Coco and the Director, which also has free collaborative

become my life’s work: creating memorable and meaningful

spaces for people to use for meetings and developing projects.

experiences for travellers and communities.

Pure Grey is the next step. We now have an independent

Along the way, I was travelling myself and exploring the

consulting group under the Marriott umbrella with complete

world; discovering how to make myself at home wherever I was

creative and operational autonomy. We offer comprehensive

and applying that to how I approached the food and beverage

consulting solutions as well as a la carte services for restaurant

industry. I experienced firsthand how restaurants and bars

and bar origination and activation, everything from concept

were evolving, along with the guests and neighbourhoods

development and design to construction management,

they were serving. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud,

opening support and assistance with ongoing operations. It’s

Daniel Humm and more high-level chefs were partnering with

about customisable options with turnkey execution.

hotels. ACE Hotel made a name for itself in Portland, Oregon.

My team is drawn from some of the finest hotels in the

For the big global hotel brands it was no longer about big

world with expertise in every aspect of food and beverage

global solutions, it was about thinking intimately and locally.

management. The heart of our office is our kitchen, allowing

For Marriott, I understood that change is relevance and that

us to test recipes and develop menus for new concepts. We

we needed to re-think and re-evaluate.

are robust and nimble and have already embarked on projects

The first project of our Innovation Group was a ground up

in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.

reimagining of what a Marriott hotel could be. We bought

I am a true believer in the power of eating and drinking -

the Charlotte Marriott City Center, a hotel that was well

how the act and ritual of sustenance defines us as humans. I

performing on the room side but with a weak F&B offer that

also believe in moving forwards, always, and in considering

was outdated and held little appeal to locals. We closed it

what we are doing for tomorrow, not what we did 50 or five

down and embarked on a full renovation. The rooms were

years ago. We are delivering in ways we didn’t imagine even

completely redone, the guest experience upgraded and

a year ago, and it feels like home.

technology was introduced at every step of the process. The Marriott customer was evolving and tech-savvy Millennials

154

www.pure-grey.com

THE HOSP I TALI TY COLLE C TI ON www.wwrdhospitality.com

WWRD Supper magazine advert SEP 17 AW.indd 1

14/09/2017 10:55

Tin Tin: a time-travelling maestro Enamelware is making a comeback in an unexpected fashion – ceramic. Cloaked in a new sheen of gloss, the timeless classic exudes a modest sense of novelty while playfully revealing deliberate flaws on the rims.

These beautiful imperfections drop hints on the travails it has been through: from knocks in the kitchen to constant beatings by the egg whisk. Bashful but gregarious in the right setting, it greets you very much like the freckled girl next door. Tin Tin will be making its rounds at major trade shows soon.

luzerne.com