Welcome to Rise & Shine
We hope you haven’t been too badly affected by the storms raging across our region at the moment. Best batten down the hatches for the latest hospitality news. If you have any updates from your business, share it with over 22,000 fellow industry professionals right here. Simply contact our News Editor, Carolyn Moss, at news@breadandbutter.media or call her on 01305 897172. Follow us on Twitter @BreadButterNews.
Robin Alway
Group Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS
New Butcombe MD is Perfect appointment
Jayson Perfect will take up the role of Managing Director of Butcombe Brewery’s pub division in early February 2017.
He joins the Liberation Group-owned brewers from his role as Tenanted Trade Director at Palmers Brewery, based in Bridport. Jayson will work alongside Geraint Williams, who is MD of the company’s brewing and sales divisions.
Mark Crowther, Chief Executive of Liberation Group, told the Morning Advertiser: “Jayson’s appointment comes at an important time for the group. We have made no secret of our aspirations to extend our reach in the UK, building on the incredibly successful model we have established in the Channel Islands. As an already highly successful regional brewer, our West Country pubs are central to our plans by providing the best beers, food and service, and Jayson will lead our strategy in that respect.”
The group plans to add up to 20 new pubs a year to the Butcombe ‘family’ over the next five years.
Eden Project unveils plans for £8.5m hotel
Cornwall’s most visited attraction is planning to add a 109 room hotel to its site near St Austell. If approved by Cornwall County Council, construction will start towards the end of 2017 with an opening date in April 2018.
The building will be two storey to reduce visible impact, focus on energy efficiency and use sustainable timber and stone from the local area. The unconventional design submitted features prominent timber poles cladding the outside of its two blocks.
Since it opened in 2001, Eden has always aspired to have an on-site hotel and originally received planning permission for a hotel in 2015. It submitted a revised design in May 2016 with additional facilities but this was withdrawn following public criticism of the visual impact and scale of the proposal. This new design, it is hoped, addresses those concerns.
The hotel is designed to provide accommodation for visitors to big events, like the Eden Sessions concerts in the summer and support the attraction’s educational programmes, with classrooms for their apprenticeship and degree-level courses.
Eden executive director David Harland said: “We have always aspired to have a hotel at Eden and this is the culmination of years of work towards that aim.
“We feel that hotel accommodation at Eden would not only give an attractive option to our day visitors, but also increases Eden’s appeal as a venue for weddings, conferences and events. This is part of our plan to enhance the year-round sustainability of Eden’s business.”
David added: “The hotel would be a striking building, built to high environmental standards. We are very pleased with this design and are grateful to our neighbours for their input into the plans, helping us ensure the building has minimal impact on the surrounding environment.”
The hotel, Eden says, would be a great asset in sustaining business all year round and unlocking the potential of the wider estate beyond the world-famous Biomes. The Eden Project’s research shows that more than 18 million people who have visited since it opened in 2001 have spent more than £1.7 billion within Cornwall.
Boutique hotel brand buys Grosvenor Arms in Shaftesbury
Stay Original, formerly the Draco Pub Company, have acquired the fifth site in its portfolio with the 16-bedroom Grosvenor Arms. It was refurbished in 2013 by owners Edala Investments.
Stay Original have restored and reopened three inns since their launch in 2011: the Swan in Wedmore and the White Hart in Somerton, both in Somerset, and Timbrell’s Yard in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. It also owns the King’s Arms in Dorchester, set to reopen in 2017.
Rob Greacen, managing director of Stay Original Co told The Caterer: ““We’re going to settle in, treat customers to a very special Christmas and then in the New Year we’ll start to make some improvements to the property. At Stay Original we pride ourselves on our food and first-rate service and customers in Shaftesbury can look forward to enjoying the very best of both of these immediately.””
Atomic Burger adding pizzas to the menu in Bristol expansion
The ‘better burger’ brand are expanded their offering with a new Atomic Pizza restaurant in Union Street in late December or early January. This means they will have pizza and burger restaurants in both Bristol and Oxford, where the chain originally started.
The restaurants interior feature cult TV and film memorabilia from Doctor Who and Star Wars and name their burgers and pizza after celebs including Dolly Parton and Chuck Norris. The new Bristol venue, which is opening in Riproar’s old café bar, will have pizzas including the Ziggy Stardust with prosciutto crudo, rocket, sun dried tomato and parmesan and the Pac man, a cheese and tomato, pizza.
The 110 cover restaurant will include a bar decorated with 1000 old VHS tapes, retro arcade games, pinball and a giant Dalek. Director James Reilly told the Bristol Post: “After starting in Oxford we opened up in Bristol about four or five years ago and the people made us feel so welcome. We are really looking forward to our new chapter. We’ve had an overwhelming number of job applications. We want people to come in here and see something they want to talk about. The one thing I never want is a quiet restaurant with no conversation.”
Isle of Wight gets first sustainably certified fish and chip shop
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have certified Stotesbury’s Fish and Chips in Newport on the Isle of Wight. This means they source their fish sustainably and can use the MSC blue tick on its cod.
Stotesbury’s is the first fish and chip shop on the Isle to get MSC approval. A family run business, owned by Meli Selak since 2001, it’s been frying for nearly 120 years.
Meli explains what the news means: “As well as offering great fish and chips, we’ve always taken environmental issues seriously too. All of our packaging – from bags and trays to pots and burger boxes – are biodegradable. Going for MSC certification seemed the obvious thing to do. It assures customers that the cod we serve is sustainable and means we can continue serving the food we love for years to come.”
George Clark, UK Commercial Manager at the MSC, adds, “Congratulations to Stotesbury’s Fish and Chips who are doing their bit to protect the future of the oceans by selling MSC certified fish. Fantastic news that Stotesbury’s is the first chippie on the Isle of Wight with certification and hope this will encourage other chippies in the area to follow their lead and offer their customers a sustainable choice.”
Pub opens patisserie
A pub in North Somerset, the White Hart in Weston in Gordano, is offering customers artisan bread and pastries from its onsite Patisserie Venga. Located in a restored outbuilding, it’s being run by Marco Pilloni, who has worked as a pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Club Gascon in London.
Pub owner and manager Mike Yeatman told the Morning Advertiser: “Baking is the new rock ’n’ roll and our patisserie will take that to another level. We know we’re going to have to pull people in from far and wide, and we deliberately want an ‘inconvenient store’ that people will want to make that extra effort to travel to because what’s on offer is beautiful, unique and delicious.”
Yeatman and his wife Chris, took on the White Heart in 2015, after it had been closed for two years, falling into a state of disrepair. Chris Yeatman said: “There was a demand for a 21st century pub in the area and we’ve proved this. Now we’re branching out with an artisan bakery and the evidence suggests this will be a winner too.”
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Taste of the West gift boxes
The West Country’s speciality food producers’s group has announced a new range of gift indulgence boxes. Each one contains a selection of top products from the area like gin, chocolate, jam and biscuits for home delivery.
They are also offering a subscription service which delivers monthly mystery boxes of West Country products to consumers.
To celebrate the launch of the new project they are offering a discount code to give buyers 10% off their first order. Contact Mark Hastie, mh@tasteofthewest.co.uk, or on 01404 822120 for your unique code. For full details go to www.tasteofthewest.co.uk
Stay warm – grow your own chillies
Award-wining producer South Devon Chilli Farm has launched a new ‘All-In-One’ chilli growing kit.
The kit is available with a choice of 3 seed options: Apache F1 – fast growing with green-to-red one inch long hot chillies, Thai Hot – compact and densely fruiting, with green-to-red very hot chillies and Pretty Purple – an attractive, compact plant with multi-coloured fruits, starting purple and ripening to red hot chillies.
The new kit provides everything you need to grow your own chilli house plant from seedling to mature fruiting plant, including a pot, 100% peat-free compost and feed.
Priced at £5, the kit is available from the South Devon Chilli Farm Shop, their online shop at www.southdevonchillifarm.co.uk and from selected farm shops and delis nationwide.
Brioche Pasquier launch citron meringuée tarts
The French bakery specialists have introduced two versions of the classic sweet and sharp tarte to their range.
Their new Tartelettes Citron Meringuées contain the lemon filling in a shortcrust pastry base with a soft Italian meringue topping.
They are available as individual tartelettes which are 100g and arrive frozen in a pack of five. The Tarte is a larger size weighing 1kg and can be cut into 10 to 12 portions with a hot wet knife.
More details: www.briochepasquier.co.uk
EQUIPMENT NEWS
New Spanish range from FEM
One of Spain’s leading commercial cookware manufacturers, Pujadas, is launching in the UK through Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM).
FEM sales director Jim Doherty said: “Pujadas is a quality manufacturer with a range of products that complements our existing portfolio, We’re delighted to welcome the brand to the FEM family and look forward to presenting it to our distributors and their customers.”
Based near Barcelona and founded in 1921, Pujadas make a wide variety of kitchen and front of house products, including ranges specifically designed for Spanish cuisine, such as paella cookware. Jim expects the Inox-Pro range of quality professional cookware, which is 18/10 stainless steel and induction compatible to be a ‘hero’ line.
The move comes following the acquisition of Pujadas by a longstanding supplier of FEM, the Vollrath Company. Stock is already arriving in FEM’s warehouse in East Kilbride.
PROPERTY NEWS
Cotswolds pub on market for £1.24m
The Highway Inn is located in Burford and sellers Colliers International expect the Grade II building to attract considerable interest, partly because it’s in the heart of the Cotswolds.
The town’s hospitality businesses are in high demand as it’s become a stopping-off point for visitors to this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Colliers’ Hotels director Peter Brunt has previously sold Burford House as well as Burford Lodge, and also sold the Highway Inn to its current owners three years ago. He said “We are running out of superlatives to describe pubs and hotels in this Cotswold honeypot, which is lined with antique shops and stone cottages and is a magnet for tourists from all over the world.”
The Highway Inn generated £151,000 adjusted profit on £569,000 net sales for the year ending September 2016, according to Colliers.
Company Spotlight
Cornish Farm Produce
The South of England is blessed with some of the UK’s best local produce. Few companies know this better than Cornish Farm Produce. Now in its third generation, it has decades of experience in the growing, sourcing and cooking of fantastic local food. From their warehouse in Saltash and their own farm in Torpoint, they specialise in growing and supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to customers that range from restaurants to independent retailers, catering supply specialists to care homes.
The business has grown like their veg does in the Cornish soil. It’s run by MD Roger Carter who was originally from a growing background – his grandfather’s farm in Torpoint dates back to 1900. He handed it on to Roger’s Father, Bob, who is now a director of Cornish Farm Produce Ltd. Roger started the business as a small shop selling fruit and veg in Saltash in 1986, before buying a bigger shop in 1999 and starting the wholesale side. When this grew and grew, the next move was a larger purpose-built chilled warehouse in Saltash in 2006.
They certainly know their onions. As well as Roger and Bob, their team includes experienced farmers, local chefs and dedicated, knowledgable buyers who are all passionate about the fantastic ingredients they source and supply both locally and internationally.
They have all been out in the fields across the South West and now have a host of great new farms to join their existing producers. Talk to them to hear about the world class ingredients grown across Devon and Cornwall for their customers. Ingredients like the finest salad leaves – bursting with flavour – from the South Hams to organic greens, baby vegetables and striking, unusual kales and cabbages. It’s the sort of veg that doesn’t just taste great but looks it on the plate.
Cornish Farm Produce are also proud to support some amazing smaller producers from around the region. They work with the producers of the finest cheeses, preserves, oils and juices to complement their fantastic produce.
It’s fresh too. They aim to deliver their produce direct from field to kitchen overnight, which means they are able to offer a supply unmatched by any other distributor in the area. They are building a new, purpose built refrigerated headquarters, perfectly positioned in Saltash to serve the kitchens of Devon and Cornwall.
So from their own farm or the other local growers they’ve hand picked in South West, fresh West Country produce is delivered to talented chefs to make some of the region’s tastiest food.
Cornish Farm Produce
Unit 3a, Woodacre Court, Burraton Road, Saltash Parkway Industrial Estate, Saltash, Cornwall PL12 6LY.
Tel: 01752 842 251 / 844 404
email: sales@cornishfarmproduce.co.uk
http://www.cornishfarmproduce.co.uk
EVENTS
Food matters live…..
22nd – 24th November
ExCel, London
“Food matters live is fast becoming the best place for retailers to discover the latest products and innovation driving demand among health conscious consumers. Refresh your shelves and menus with some of the most exciting new products to have launched in the last 6 months – and meet the innovators setting food and drink trends.”
www.foodmatterslive.com
The Hotel Catey’s
25th November
Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge
“Since their launch in 2007, the Hotel Cateys have celebrated the most successful hotels, hoteliers and hotel employees across the UK. They were created to recognise and reward those individuals and teams that work tirelessly to ensure their business delivers an exceptional guest experience, day in, day out.”
http://www.hotelcateys.com/
Wine Festival Winchester
25th – 26th November
Guildhall, Winchester
“Clink glasses with Masters of Wine Susie & Peter in the stunning surroundings of Winchester Guildhall. Our nifty Follow Your Taste scheme will help you navigate your way round the hundreds of delicious bottles on pour.”
http://www.thewinefestival.co.uk/
Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair
26th November
Athelhampton House, Dorset
“Get into the Festive Spirit early this year with Dorset Food and Drink’s Christmas Fair. This is a unique opportunity to sample the wide selection of delicious produce the county has to offer.”
http://www.dorsetaonb.org.uk/food-and-drink
The Gram Go Green Summit 2016
29th November
The Soho Hotel, London
“Back by popular demand, this Autumn’s Gram Go Green Summit is getting ready to tackle the issue of sustainability across an ever-changing foodservice landscape. The Summit’s exciting line-up of industry experts including Kirsty Saddler from popular restaurant chain Leon, Mike Hanson from BaxterStorey and celebrity Eco chef, Tom Hunt is ready to arm caterers and business owners with in-depth knowledge and simple tools to help them work towards a more financially and environmentally sustainable future for the wider industry.”
www.gogreenwithgram.co.uk/Summit2016Reg/index
Padstow Christmas Festival
1st – 4th December
Padstow, Cornwall
The award-winning free event is Cornwall’s largest food festival. Famous for its traditional Christmas market packed with more than 100 artisan crafts, food and drink stalls, the festival is due to attract over 50,000 people to Padstow over the four days. Two chef theatres host celebrity chef demos from culinary talent such as Nathan Outlaw, Rick Stein and Tom Kerridge.
http://www.padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk/
LAST BITE
Peak performance
Pop-ups have peaked with the news that a top chef is opening one at Everest base camp. Former Noma chef James Sharman is hiking there in December to build a restaurant that will be open for one week.
It’s the latest location in Sharman’s One Star House Party series where he plans to open 20 pop-up venues in 20 countries over 20 months. He and four friends (including a chef from the Ledbury and a former manager of Soho House will spend three weeks building the restaurant in each country.
Everest is the fourth location after Beijing, Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok. Future dinners are planned for Reykjavik, Tasmania and Buenos Aires. He also wants to cook on a train travelling through India’s ta fields.
Sharman explained “ Since we began travelling from country to country, the food we have fallen in love with the most has been the food created under unique or challenging circumstances.”
There are 15 spaces for daring food lovers to join the 14 day trip available for £850, transport to Everest not included.