Keeper’s House at the Royal Academy of Arts – Wetherspoon named best worldwide airport bar – Bailbrook House Hotel Bath restored – The Club at House of St Barnabas opens – Eagle Brae on winning ways – The Grain Loft receives Commendation at Food & Beverage Awards, Dubai – Introducing Tirage, Champagne et Plats
Keeper’s House at the Royal Academy of Arts
Restaurant group, bakery and events company Peyton and Byrne is adding to its portfolio by redesigning and relaunching Keeper’s House at the Royal Academy of Arts with the addition of a cocktail bar, restaurant and garden. The space, which opened officially on 2 October, will offer access to the public for the first time in the House’s history.
Oliver Peyton has collaborated with Sir David Chipperfield and Long & Kentish who have designed the interiors of Keeper’s House, which will now boast private rooms, a walled garden (ideal for pre and post dinner cocktails), a 40-seat restaurant, and a chic cocktail bar.
Chef Ivan Simeoli (ex-Massimo Bottura in Italy) will be at the helm of the The Restaurant, cooking an innovative and seasonal modern British menu – a style that will follow through to the inventive cocktail list in The Shenkman Bar. Chef Ivan will be supported by ex-Roganic pastry chef Glyn Gordon.
There will also be all-day dining in the Friend’s rooms – the Sir Hugh Casson and Belle Shankman rooms. The menus will evolve throughout the day, opening to non-Friends in the evening in the Sir Hugh Casson Room.
Finally, The Academicians’ Room will be the private home of London’s most exclusive Artists and Academicians Club. The space will not be open to Friends or the public, but will be available for private hire, and Peyton Events will be on hand to create stunning receptions.
Commenting on the culinary developments at Keeper’s House, Oliver Peyton stated: “In my 25 years in the business, I have rarely felt so excited about a project. It is a privilege to work with the Royal Academy, its Artists, and Friends to create a venue as thrillingly diverse as Keeper’s House. And I am pleased that the Royal Academy have embraced our modern British approach to the menus and drinks in the new Restaurant, Bar and private rooms.”
Keeper’s House, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD Reservations: 020-7300 5881
Website: www.keepershouse.org.uk
Email: keepershouse@peytonandbyrne.co.uk
Wetherspoon named best worldwide airport bar
Wetherspoon pub The Red Lion, located at Gatwick Airport’s north terminal (airside), has been named as the best worldwide airport bar, at the Airport Food and Beverage Awards (FAB), Dubai.
The Red Lion has seating for 240 customers and is open throughout the week from the first flight (approximately 3am until the last flight leaves).
It serves a wide range of food and drink, including a choice of British pub classics and selection of real ales.The pub also encourages families with its children’s menu.
The Red Lion has been established on the site since 1995, however the pub was redesigned in July 2013 with LED signage installed to the front entrance area creating a video wall which can be seen both inside and out on the concourse area, and sets the tone for the pub’s new-look
The bar design is now contemporary, with an industrial touch provided by the height of the mild steel back bar display and the new lighting installation which can be manipulated to shift between moods to suit the traveller’s time of day.
Bailbrook House Hotel Bath restored
A £10 million restoration has transformed Grade II* listed Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath following its acquisition last year by Hand Picked Hotels.
Bailbrook House, set within 20 acres of private grounds with glorious views over England’s only world heritage city, was originally built as a private residence in the early 1790s and then spent more than 190 years as an institution. The restoration programme has transformed the hotel into a leading four star destination, with a sympathetic restoration and refurbishment of the original Mansion House and a total refurbishment of Bailbrook Court.
Julia Hands, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hand Picked Hotels said: “The mansion house had been used as a school, a residential home, a training centre, and latterly for conferences, with people passing through but never staying to appreciate the grandeur of the mansion. Our main aim was to restore life into the building and bring it back to its original status as an elegant country house.”
Architects and designers worked closely with English Heritage and the planners and conservation officers of Bath & North East Somerset Council to ensure that the restoration was in keeping with a site of this importance. Bailbrook House is within the UNESCO World Heritage Site area of Bath.
Throughout the building, fireplaces, original sash windows, plaster mouldings, internal doors and staircases have been restored. In the basement, the space has been converted into the stunning Cloisters restaurant, creating a feature of impressive stone coffers that were meticulously cleaned and repaired by specialists, who took three months to restore every single block of stone.
The restoration in the Mansion House has created 13 prestigious feature bedrooms, many with stunning original features, a new fine dining restaurant, three large lounges and a conservatory bar. The Cloisters fine dining restaurant offers delicious modern British cuisine and excellent wines. Afternoon tea, a great tradition at Hand Picked Hotels, is served in the lounges.
Bailbrook Court, next to the Mansion House, has 81 classic and executive bedrooms, all of which have been completely refurbished to a high standard. Bailbrook Court has the Lansdown restaurant, with a brasserie-style menu, excellent meeting and event facilities, with a selection of boardrooms, training suites and syndicate rooms. The Brunel Suite is the largest function room, with a capacity of 160.
The Club at House of St Barnabas opens
The team behind Benugo are opening The Club at The House of St Barnabas, a new not-for-profit members’ club in Soho Square. The Club – a partnership with The House of St Barnabas, the charity that has inhabited the Grade I-listed building since 1846 – opened on 7 October following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
The Club offers members a place they can call their own in the stunning setting at Number 1 Greek Street. The distinctive space comprises a collection of new restaurant, bar and lounge spaces, and access to a secluded courtyard garden and chapel.
The restaurant is in the grand European brasserie tradition, with an imaginative seasonal menu by executive chef Arun Manickam. Guests will be able to eat outside where handmade pizza and artisan flatbreads from a wood-fired oven.
The partnership with The House of St Barnabas will allow the club to deliver real value and genuine hospitality while supporting London’s homeless back into work through an employment academy that offers work experience within the club. Club membership fees will be directed into facilitating the work of the charity’s Employment Academy and members will pay a very tangible part in changing people’s lives. The club’s founder members will include innovators, social entrepreneurs, pioneering charities, philanthropic businesses and many from the creative industries.
The Collective at The House of St Barnabas, curated by Katie Heller of Patch London, will showcase a permanent art collection and revolving exhibitions featuring artists such as Tracey Emin, Jeremy Deller, Mark Titchner, Rankin, Margot Bowman, Hew Locke, Whitney McVeigh and Chris Levine. Select works will be on sale, with a percentage of sales going directly to the charity.
The Club at The House of St Barnabas, 1 Greek Street, Soho Square, London W1D 4NQ.
Membership: email contact@hosb.org.uk
Eagle Brae on winning ways
Within just weeks of opening, Eagle Brae luxury Highland accommodation has secured two prestigious industry accreditations and an award for research and innovation, making it one of the top tourism destinations in the country.
High on a hillside between Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar in the Scottish Highlands, Eagle Brae provides superior-quality self-catering accommodation in seven Canadian-style log cabins powered entirely by renewable energy.
Upon welcoming its first guests at the start of September, the development attained gold status from the Green Tourism Business Scheme, a feat which normally takes businesses several seasons to achieve. Assessors noted that every purchase had been carefully considered with respect to its ethical, recycled or environmental impact. They were also impressed by the log cabins’ minimal use of manufactured building materials, their use of traditional skills and impressive thermal performance.
Shortly afterwards, owners Mike and Pawana Spencer-Nairn picked up the SCDI (Scottish Council for Development and Industry) award for Research and Innovation after judges recognised their attention to detail and commitment to setting a new standard in green holiday accommodation.
Now, within a month of opening, Eagle Brae has been awarded five stars by the Scottish Tourist Board, an enviable and certification which is yearned for by guest house owners and hoteliers across the country.
The Eagle Brae log cabin village is powered by an onsite micro-hydro scheme, with individual biomass boilers providing hot water. It also benefits from its own natural underground water source, making it entirely self-sufficient and carbon neutral.
Guests can choose from a wide range of activities, including fishing and hunting on Eagle Brae’s own private beats, archery, sled-dog rides, hillwalking and camera safaris. Quality wines, home-cooked meals and locally sourced meat are also available for visitors.
The Grain Loft receives Commendation at Food & Beverage Awards, Dubai
The Grain Loft at Manchester Airport Terminal 1, owned by SSP UK, the number one operator of food and beverage brands in UK travel locations, has received a Commendation within the ‘Best Airport Bar’ category at the prestigious Airport Food & Beverage Awards (FAB), held in Dubai on 2 October 2013. Now in their third year, the awards are designed to recognise and encourage excellence, innovation and best practice within the food and beverage sector at airports and railway stations around the world.
The Grain Loft is the youngest bar brand in the SSP UK portfolio at just six months old. Since opening, sales have been impressive. Average transactions have increased by over 60% and sales are up by 45% compared with the outlet it replaced.
The 330-cover pub and restaurant offers a food and drink menu which reflects the flavours of the Manchester region and champions the use of local produce. Customers can expect Cask Marque accredited beers, together with a menu that features many items with a guaranteed arrival time of just 13 minutes. High tech elements include self-service beer stations, where customers can simply set up a tab, choose a featured beer and pour their pints themselves. Each station also has an iPad so guests can see exactly how much they are consuming. Sound pods allow visitors to choose their own music, or plug in their own music device to create their chosen atmosphere.
Beth Brewster, Retail Director, Manchester Airports Group comments: “The Grain Loft is a great addition to our busiest terminal, and there’s something here for everyone – whether that’s groups heading on a weekend break, families setting off for their holiday, or travellers on business. Innovations such as the sound pods and beer stations make a visit to The Grain Loft an experience that’s something really special, while the use of local foods and locally brewed beers enables us to bring character and a true taste of Manchester to the airport.”
For more information about SSP click here
Introducing Tirage, Champagne et Plats
A new concept specialising in Champagne and informal dining is coming to the heart of the City in November – offering one of the largest selections of Champagne and sparkling wines by the glass in London alongside an innovative menu of tasting plates.
Located on Bishopsgate, Tirage is an all day dining venture from Venezuelan-born businessman-turned-restaurateur Elio Machillanda and his wife Claudia, with Michelin-starred restaurateur David Moore (Pied à Terre, L’Autre Pied and, more recently, Pieds Nus) in an advisory role.
Head Sommelier, and Decanter World Wine Awards judge, Roberto Della Pietra has selected the 120-strong sparkling wine and Champagne list. Familiar names, such as house Champagne Perrier Jouët, are judiciously mixed with lesser-known grower and rare varieties, and each day approximately 15-18 different labels will all be available by the glass.
Dining options under Head Chef Alasdair Fraser (formerly of The Abingdon, in Kensington) will include impeccably–sourced tasting plates, food flights and platters inspired by the traditional sophistication of French cuisine and of-the-moment palate of Peru.
The 4,201 sq foot site, will seat 154 covers across two floors, including two private rooms (one sponsored by Perrier Jouët) and three semi-private areas.
Tirage, 64 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AW