The River & Rowing Museum in Henley has selected Lindley Heritage – the heritage, arts and leisure venue division of The Lindley Group – as its partner in a seven year catering deal expected to generate a turnover in excess of £3 million over the term of the hospitality and foodservice contract.
Enhancing the visitor experience
Lindley Heritage has been brought on board to enhance the visitor experience at the River & Rowing Museum’s Terrace Café and conference and banqueting facilities. The appointment is Lindley Heritage’s second museum contract win, with the caterer having staved off competition from 19 potential contenders to be awarded a seven-year, £5 million-plus catering contract by The RAF Museum in Colindale, North London this summer.
Located in a stunning glass-walled, timber clad building designed by leading architect Sir David Chipperfield, which overlooks the River Thames, the independently funded River & Rowing Museum in Henley is one of the UK’s leading museums. It attracts around 117,000 visitors a year; has a dedicated education centre which welcomes 20,000 education visitors annually; and provides hospitality services for events, weddings, and corporate and private functions held at the site.
Choice of facilities
Lindley Heritage will be responsible for developing the food offering and catering services at the Terrace Café which is open to the general public as well as museum visitors, and for providing the catering for all functions held at the venue which offers a choice of flexible event facilities including: the 120-cover glass-fronted Thames Room which has a terrace overlooking the river and is a popular choice for weddings; The Henley Room – a boardroom format which has a capacity for 10 people, and is also used as a break-out room for the Thames Room; and The Schwarzenbach International Gallery – which accommodates up to 180 guests under a high vaulted ceiling.
Lindley Heritage has undertaken a full review of the Museum’s Terrace Café and is changing the service offering from pre-cooked, canteen style counter food to menus which offer hot food freshly prepared to order and which focus on using locally sourced and seasonal produce from suppliers such as Lawlor’s Bakery and Brakspear Beers.
Lindley is also aiming to raise the standard to achieve the Soil Association’s Silver Food for Life Catering Mark accreditation for the Terrace Café.