Eat.Drink.Sleep May 2022

eat.drink.sleep May 2022

www.eat-drink-sleep.com

“We offer a range of acoustic services, from consultancy & testing, to design support, through to supply and installation of aesthetic and functional acoustic products” In sectors such as…

• Hospitality • Commercial • Retail • Residential • Education • Worship • Science Our service is such, that we can offer ready made products through to custom offerings for the more unique projects.

We offer the highest quality products manufactured in Germany, Switzerland and the UK with materials such as wool felt and recycled polyester. We enhance spaces by ensuring that exceptional acoustics, beautiful aesthetics and peerless functionality work together in harmony, our team takes a 360 degree view of every project – considering everything from acoustics and aesthetics to practicality,

value, and speed of supply. Just as every design is shaped to fit its individual environment, our service is always shaped around your specific needs. Unlike many companies, we have an intricate understanding of auditory science as well as textures, tones, fabrics, and finishes.

We can lend a true consultative ear and recommend solutions that integrate innovative acoustic technologies and contemporary design trends.

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

Our collection includes, wall and ceiling acoustics, acoustic lighting, acoustic room dividers and screens, acoustic furniture, rugs and seat cushions, acoustic pinboards and acoustic art.

We also have an online shop for wool felt products for the home environment.

May 2022

Sustainability is at the heart of what we do and we have gone to a great extent to ensure our company and supply chains are all equally as devoted to responsible product manufacture as we are.

Our company is proudly Carbon Neutral, planting 30 trees each month across Kenya, Brazil and the Philippines, offsetting 5 tonnes of carbon.

Our raw materials Polyester & WOOL FELT

Production cycle ARCHISONIC® is both LEED and Cradle to Cradle® certified. Our entire corporate structure is built on using as few resources as possible in both manufacturing and production. For example, we rely on renewable energy throughout the production cycle and limit water consumption to an absolute minimum.

Take back program With our product take-back program, we ensure proper recycling or reuse.

We are currently working with a research group from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts FHNW in

Switzerland to return all the products we manufacture to the production cycle.

One square meter of ARCHISONIC® is made from 88 recycled plastic bottles.

The production is done in the same traditional way as conventional felt. The entire ARCHISONIC® product range is LEED and Cradle to Cradle™ certified.

Due to its flexible application options, it offers the design and architecture community limitless possibilities for addressing acoustic challenges.

HEY-SIGN is the first and only felt manufacturer to be certified according to the strict guidelines of “The Woolmark Company”. That’s why all our products carry the Woolmark, the quality mark for pure new wool.

For all products, HEY-SIGN only uses real high-quality wool felt made from the best merino wool without chemical additives or recycled textiles. This is the only way to guarantee all the positive properties of this renewable raw material. Our wool felt is skin-friendly, air-permeable and temperatureresistant. Its sound-absorbing effect ensures quiet and improves the acoustics in the room. In addition, wool felt insulates against cold and heat, balances out moisture, is dirt-repellent and shock-absorbing. Both the felt production and the manufacture of all products is “Made in Germany”, the final production of the products is even “handmade”.

SUSTAINABLE BY NATURE Wool is a naturally renewable raw material that is particularly robust and durable thanks to the elaborate production of wool felt and the processing into high-quality products. HEY-SIGN develops and manufactures in Germany. Parts of the collection are produced in adapted labor workshops and in local metal, wood and leather subcontractors. The transport routes are short. This conserves resources and actively protects the environment.

We offer an acoustic consultancy service, which will include a site visit, and a reverberation time test, to help understand the best form of treatment for your environment. The results will form part of a free 8 page report on our findings along with our recommendations for treating the noise issue.

Whether you have a design or not, our design team can help with CAD, Revit & 3D visualisations of your space. We can work alongside a design team or we can handle the full project in house.

We offer an installation service, using our in-house team. This ensures a seamless process between our designers and installers, as well as the high quality of workmanship and service that we are known for. www.acoustics.agency

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Outdoor Dining all year from Summer to Winter Astreea Igloo Plus is an aluminium metal frame, with a polycarbonate cover and sliding door panel and locking system. Ideal for restaurants, home dining, glamping, outdoor events or garden igloo.

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Contact Us For more information on the publication or to talk about advertising within the next issue. Contact one of the team via the details below:

May 2022 eat.drink.sleep May 2022

www.eat-drink-sleep.com

Publication Manager Dan Draper 01843 591 523 dan@jetdigital.co.uk

Publishing Director

Jodie Little 01843 582 733 jodie@jetdigitalmedia.co.uk

Editor

Jeremy Tring jeremy@eat-drink-sleep.com

To find out more visit our website: www.eat-drink-sleep.com

Outdoor Hospitality Products

Our outdoor products include:

We are an independent supplier of outdoor hospitality goods based on performance, style and value. We believe in supplying goods that look good, are well made and extremely durable through season after season.

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Whiskey Bread opens at Dublin Airport

May 2022

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Industry News

Bird is coming to Port Solent Fried chicken and waffles specialist Bird is opening in Port Solent, Portsmouth – its first restaurant outside of London The new opening forms part of Bird’s long-term expansion and development plan, with the restaurant group currently investing in improvements for its existing locations in Camden, Islington and Canary Wharf, as well as opening its newest restaurant in Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, last November.

Having launched its first restaurant in 2014, Bird has since flourished in various London locations, with the brand now accelerating ambitions to grow elsewhere in the UK. The chain has also recently introduced special offers such as Wing Wednesday, on top of creating an eating challenge aptly named YOU v BIRD where competitors are challenged to consume a triple waffle burger, buffalo loaded fries and two milkshakes within 20 minutes.

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The new restaurant in Port Solent seats 60 inside and 40 outside, allowing guests to take full advantage of the marina views. This will also be the chain’s first dogfriendly restaurant.

Charles Beer, senior partner for the brand, comments: “Port Solent is the second opening outside of London in the last six months and we’re really pleased that after the last couple of years the world has faced, particularly the hospitality industry, we’re still able to continue with our dine in restaurant expansion plans.

“As with all our restaurants, we hope Bird Port Solent can be a place for friends and family to get together, enjoy the Bird atmosphere as well fall in love with our brilliant menu we work so hard on.”

SSP and Dublin Airport have announced the opening of the Whiskey Bread Bar in Terminal 2, located in Terminal 2’s US Preclearance area catering to all US bound passengers. The new bar features a wide variety of Irish and international whiskeys on the menu.

Pre-departure an online whiskey quiz helps customers navigate the whiskey selection, and gives them a unique opportunity to create their own whiskey flight.

These flights also come with individual tasting notes for customers to take away with them as a souvenir of their visit.

Whiskey Bread Bar, which affords customers spectacular views across the Dublin Airport airfield, celebrates the story of Ireland and America and the culinary links between the two nations.

The name and concept of Whiskey Bread Bar pays homage to a piece of culinary history which unites both America and Ireland.

Whiskey Bread derives from soda bread, which is most commonly attributed to Ireland but has its origins in America due to Native Americans being the first people to use soda to leaven their bread.

To accompany many dishes on the food menu, Whiskey Bread Bar will also serve its own tailor-made whiskey-steeped soda bread.

The bar sounds ideal for Whiskey aficionados travelling to the US, if Whiskey Bread proves as popular as it sounds, maybe others will open for passengers travelling to all destinations.

Late night bar and restaurant operator The Little Door & Co is set to open its fourth site, The Little Scarlet Door, in London’s Soho.

The new opening forms part of Bird’s long-term expansion and development plan, with the restaurant group currently investing in improvements for its existing locations in Camden, Islington and Canary Wharf, as well as opening its newest restaurant in Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, last November.

The stylings, led by Behind the Doors Design, will include exposed brickwork, raw plaster, concrete flooring, industrial finishes and fittings, floor-to-ceiling tiling, leather and velvet upholstery and a colourway of reds, pinks, greens and neons throughout.

As in the other locations, the bar space will be located in the kitchen of the The house party-inspired venue, which fictional flat share, while a range of areas will occupy a 2,200 sq ft space across two include ‘the nook’, ‘the breakfast table’, floors in the newly redeveloped, multi‘the laundry room’, a communal shower use Ilona Rose House at 12-13 Greek complete with rubber ducks and shower Street, is the group’s first central London caps and the Warhol-inspired silver ‘vault’ venture. offer a choice of spaces for drinking and dining.

The Little Scarlet Door in Soho joins The Little Yellow Door in Notting Hill, The The cocktail menu – encased in the flats Little Blue Door in Fulham and The Little communal diary and photo albums Orange Door in Clapham.

– will feature sharing cocktails served out of the kitchen in vases and mixing In a change to the group’s existing bowls such as the Little Miss Sunshine sites, which are modelled on the (Hendricks gin, Reyka vodka, St Germain, quintessential London flat, The Little apple, rosemary and sage) alongside Scarlet Door will feature open plan New signature serves all named after the York loft-style interior. flat’s favourite TV shows and movies

such as the La La Land (42 Below vodka, raspberry, Martini Rose, Mozart White, vanilla) – or the House Punch (Bacardi spiced rum, Toti dark rum, Wray & Nephew rum, guava and fruit juices).

Light bites and party nibbles will include: charcuterie boards, mezze plates, artisan toasties, spiced skewers and Vietnamese meatballs.

Vinyl records, neon artwork, board games and bookshelves, complete with the flats shared collection, bring a unique lived-in quality to the space for which the group is known. The lower ground floor will also reportedly be available for exclusive hire for private house parties.

The Little Door & Co co-founder and director Kamran Dehdashti said: “We are so excited to be opening in Soho and for Scarlet to join our eclectic family of flat parties. It’s long been our goal to open in Soho – an area with rich history, a naughty vibrancy and a sizzling energy that excites us all – and we know that Scarlet will fit right in. We’ve created something noticeably different in Scarlet, while holding onto the character, quirks and nuances that everyone loves about the Doors.”

The Little Door & Co co-founder and director Jamie Hazeel added: “The Little Scarlet Door marks a key milestone for the group, which sees us travel beyond South and West London for the first time.

We’ve had our eyes peeled for the right site centrally for some time and are delighted to have found a home in a building and location steeped in Soho’s signature heritage. We can’t wait to unveil our newest space. With its industrial inspired décor, Scarlet is giving another twist to the brand – it really is going to be the ultimate house party.”

The new Soho venue will be free of signage and feature only a standalone scarlet red door on Greek Street to mark the entrance to the bar, which will be open from 6 June.

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

House party bar The Little Scarlet Door opens in London’s Soho

May 2022

Industry News

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

Industry News

Square launches latest point-of-sale system Square has introduced the latest iteration of Square Stand, the countertop device that turns an iPad into a point-of-sale system.

Square Stand combines contactless and chip and PIN payment technology with software to manage ecommerce sales, deliveries, and click-and-collect orders.

The countertop unit retains the swivel design of previous models, allowing customers to pay using the display of the device, eliminating the need for additional payment hardware.

Square says that this leads to a more transparent checkout process since an order summary is visible on the screen.

In addition to facilitating payment Square Stand can also perform

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employee management tasks such as time tracking, shift scheduling, and tip management. It also offers tools for marketing, loyalty, inventory, and omnichannel business.

One of the first businesses to use the new stand is Franklin’s Wine Bar in Notting Hill. Co-founder Iain Alcott said: “We’ve been using Square point of sale and terminals across our venues and gradually added products like Square Loyalty across our channels as we’ve grown. The new Square Stand helps us continue this integrated approach to selling

by helping us to easily manage sales online while providing a clear and sleek in-store checkout experience for both our staff and customers.”

Alyssa Henry, head of Square, added: “The new Stand was built with the future of commerce in mind. Marrying elegant design with powerful software, Square Stand provides sellers of any size, from boutique retailers to multi-location restaurants, with a versatile command centre for their business. Square Stand offers sellers an integrated way to meet the purchasing preferences of today’s consumers.”

Cheshire’s Manor House Hotel to add luxury destination spa this month

May 2022

spa brands Tribe517 and Temple Spa have been selected by Manor House Hotel to provide a range of face and body treatments including massages and facials.

Outdoors in the new courtyard, a Salt Shed experience offers a Himalayan Salt wall, lavender cauldron and ergonomic seating where guests can relax in 40 degree heat with a guided meditation session.

Mosaic Spa are supplying the two outdoor pools and BC Software, the robes, towels and flip flops.

Manor House Hotel in Alsager, Cheshire, has announced plans for a new luxury destination spa, with the first phase opening on 14 April.

The new 2,000 square metre development is inspired by the hotel’s rural location and will offer both indoor and outdoor wellness experiences, available to book for both hotel guests and day visitors.

seating, including an Instagrammable hanging daybed. Poolside, guests can also enjoy relaxing in the new Finnish sauna and steam room.

Three new treatment rooms have been built within the original farmhouse and include two double treatments and one single.

The first phase developments, which open this Easter, include a 15 metre serenity swimming pool with There is also a quiet relaxation surrounding boardwalk, glass ceiling and lounge for post treatments. British

Jessica Mellors, General Manager at Manor House Alsager, commented: “The development of our beautiful new spa is part of our mission to become a leading leisure destination and bring an exciting new spa experience to the area. The new spa complements our successful Hotel and AA Rosette restaurant offering and will enable us to offer guests a wider wellbeing experience.”

The independent, family-owned hotel, which started out life as a 17th century farmhouse, currently boasts 52 bedrooms, conference and banqueting facilities, and AA Rosette restaurant The Stables Bar & Grill.

The spa is scheduled to be completed in autumn 2022.

Chotto Matte to launch Manchester rooftop restaurant Japanese-Peruvian fusion brand Chotto Matte has agreed to occupy a 20,000sq ft rooftop at the St Michael’s development in Manchester.

With existing venues in Miami and Toronto, the rooftop site will be the group’s first outside of London, whilst new international venues in Doha, San Francisco and Los Angeles are due to open by the end of the year.

Chotto Matte is founded and owned

by Kurt Zdesar, former European director for Nobu and consultant to Alan Yau to support the launch of Hakassan. The brand specialises in Nikkei cuisine, combining Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions.

The rooftop terrace is due to open in summer 2024, overlooking Manchester’s historic Town Hall, with an interior designed by international architect and designer, Andy Martin.

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

Industry News

one of Manchester’s most anticipated projects, creating around 1,800 jobs. The development will transfrom a major part of Manchester City Centre, including the creation of a new Public Square.

Featuring Chotto Matte’s signature design elements such as open sushi counters, robata grills, table side torched sushi, lava stone and graffiti-inspired artwork, accompanied by live DJs and entertainment, dinner at the rooftop venue will be a sensory experience.

Fourteen years in the making, St Michael’s has become

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

AMERICAN CRAFT BEER & FOOD PAIRINGS DONE RIGHT! Lotte Peplow, the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe, offers inspiration from a uniquely different beer and food pairing event in the States For British chefs and restauranteurs seeking inspiration for their next event look no further than the States for a unique, one-off beer and food pairing extravaganza!

An American Craft Beer & Food Experience in Washington D.C on Friday 24th June at new venue The Anthem.

SAVOR is a reception style sampling of sweet and savoury appetisers and American craft beers that takes place over one night of culinary bliss. It pairs more than 200 flavour-forward, independent American craft beers with sublime small bites from an award-winning culinary team to create an unforgettable culinary According to Nielsen, 88% of American experience for beer lovers and foodies craft beer drinkers enjoy beer with alike. SAVOR guests have the unique their meal at least sometimes and 59% opportunity to sip, savour, and say they would be somewhat or very interact with brewery owners, who are likely to choose a specific beer style acclaimed personalities in their own based on what they’re eating. right!

In America pairing beer with food is a sophisticated and highly developed art form matching brewing expertise with culinary skill and doing so in a uniquely collaborative way with small and independent brewers and suppliers working together.

Pairing menus are commonplace in most eating establishments in America from basic bars and diners through to fine-dining restaurants and many offer an extensive range of beer style diversity. Special beer and food pairing events attract interest from all over the world such as SAVOR™:

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More than 100 American craft breweries will pour over 200 beers.

Chef Adam Dulye, the Brewers Association’s executive chef and author of The Beer Pantry, curates the event and will lead an award-winning culinary team to create a one-off menu of more than 60 food pairings.

Tickets start at $144 (approx. £110) and are expected to sell out quickly.

More info: www.savorcraftbeer.com While the UK hospitality scene may not be ready for a beer and food event of this magnitude it’s something to ponder for future opportunities.

Chefs, restauranteurs and caterers are welcome to make use of the wealth of free resources available on www.brewersassociation.com including the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Professional Course, downloadable free of charge at www.craftbeer.com/printed/course In the UK, American craft beers is available from national wholesalers or direct from Athletic Brewing, or Cascade Club www.brewersassociation.org

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

Worldrenowned Mixologist Patrick Pisolesi on His Evolving Role as a Bartender The role of the bartender is constantly evolving with the most rapid change in the past couple of years due to the pandemic and new ways of drinking. Perhaps, because the average person had to become their own bartender when bars, restaurants and clubs were closed, they have this newfound appreciation of mixology - because an expertly crafted cocktail has never tasted better than when served alongside freedom.

No one knows this better than industry veteran Patrick Pistolesi, Master Mixologist of NIO Cocktails as well as, founder of Drink Kong in Rome, which has been awarded number 19 in ‘The World’s Top 50 Bars’. After 24 years in the industry, he’s mastered the art of bartending and at-home mixology and firmly believes that embracing change is crucial to the success of the new-age bartender.

“What was previously just a person behind the bar bringing the drink to you has become more about the whole experience and interacting with the customer.

The level of respect has changed. People recognise it as a career and like the very best chefs, people see creativity, expertise, and inspiration in their bartenders,” he says.

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With shared Irish and Italian heritage, Pistolesi spent his first 18 summers with family in Midleton, a market town in Ireland’s southeast county of Cork. Flanked by mischievous older cousins, the teenage Pistolesi would sneak into the town’s pubs for “the odd glass of beer” and this lit the fire for his foray into bartending.

A quarter of a century later and having travelled the world learning his craft and cocktail cultures, Pistolesi launched Drink Kong in Rome, a minimal and bespoke bar with an interior design evocative of the cult science-fiction movie Blade Runner, merged with elements of Japanese traditional and popular culture. Pistolesi is now the best in the business, a celebrity in his own right – a bonne vivant with limitless passion, creativity and ‘Be Kong’ attitude.

Drink Kong was voted 46th place in ‘Best Bars of the World Awards’ and recently jumped to #19 in December 2021. Each recipe that appears on the ever-changing seasonal menu, ‘New Humans’, is crafted in the high tech lab that sits behind the bar.

From groundbreaking elixirs and perfect ice to weeklong crafted garnishes, Drink Kong is experiential in its presentation of art and culture and revolutionary in the craft of mixology.

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022 Pistolesi says the role of the bartender is to understand what people enjoy and guide them through new tastes and experiences, explaining, “I always ask a couple of personal questions to kick start the relationship and get to know them.

You build a secret bond between you and the individual, and it’s all crucial to the experience. Whether they start out with a good or bad day, we want to move people through flavours.”

He says the evolving role of the bartender should be embraced and encourages anyone of thinking of breaking into the industry to get ready for one of the greatest experiences.

Pistolesi joined NIO Cocktails in 2017 with a shared mission to drive a cocktail revolution, allowing everyone to enjoy bar-quality cocktails outside of the bar, in the comfort of their homes or public-drinking spaces. Every one of NIO Cocktails’ drinks is designed and crafted by Pistolesi, and his signature adorns every cocktail.

“The pandemic meant that bartenders had to adapt and be creative which is what we did. NIO Cocktails was never about replacing the role of the bartender, it was all about bringing the drinks to where the bar could not be. You can never replace the relationship in the bar, but you can deliver great drinks to enjoy at home,” he says.

“To anyone new entering the industry, get ready for the most beautiful night every night, it’s a rollercoaster, but you’ll meet amazing people, taste amazing liquids, and learn every day. The more open you can be, the more you will succeed. There are, of course, sacrifices to the job, but I recommend you find every opportunity to learn, travel, explore and be Kong – go with your instincts,” he says.

This summer, Pistolesi plans to take the Drink Kong team to Sicily after a tough couple of years. Longer-term, he plans on expanding Drink Kong and NIO Cocktails to other areas of the world.

For more information on Pistolesi, check out NIO Cocktails (and try his delicious drinks for yourself ) or head to Drink Kong’s website or check them out if you’re in Rome at Piazza di S. Martino Ai Monti.

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Moskovskaya Vodka setting the record straight The Ukrainian crisis has made people take note of which vodkas are Russian - and which are not. One of the world’s renowned vodkas which is decidedly not Russian is Moskovskaya Vodka.

Stockists and consumers can continue to enjoy this vodka with a clear conscience: using 100% European Union materials, Moskovskaya is produced by Amber Beverage Group (ABG) in its Latvian distillery established in 1900 - Latvijas balzams.

“As the founder of the SPI Group, the holding company of Amber Beverage Group, I relocated all production to Latvia when I was forced into a conflict with Putin’s regime in 2000 and left Russia. I am grateful to Latvia and its people for providing a safe haven for the company.

It has been a great journey, bringing close to 1.5 billion euro paid in taxes to the state of Latvia. Today, the company stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people,” said Yuri Shefler, the main shareholder of Amber Beverage Group.

Within the first days after the Russian troops entered Ukraine, Moskovskaya Vodka’s brand owner was one of the first global businesses to announce and offer support to the people of Ukraine. The company has emphasised that it stands for peace, community, democracy, and solidarity.

Jekaterina Stuģe, CEO and Board Member of Amber Beverage Group, said: “We could not silently observe what is happening from the sidelines. Military action in Ukraine is unacceptable to us, and our aim is to offer support to the people affected. Today more than ever we want to emphasize that Amber Beverage Group is a Luxembourg-headquartered, global company and that our business

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and our core brands, such as Moskovskaya Vodka, Riga Black Balsam and others, are international brands, made in Latvia, Estonia, Ireland or Mexico, mainly using production materials from European Union countries.”

Moskovskaya Vodka - a 100% European Union brand Due to the brand’s name, the true provenance of Moskovskaya Vodka may surprise people. Moskovskaya is one of the world’s great heritage vodkas and is produced by Amber Beverage Group in its Latvian distillery - Latvijas balzams.

Key things to know about Moskovskaya Vodka: • Moskovskaya Vodka will continue to be produced in Latvia, a European Union and NATO member.

• Since 1900, Moskovskaya is made by the leading producer of alcoholic beverages in the Baltic States - Latvijas balzams, based in Riga, Latvia.

• All materials needed for Moskovskaya Vodka production are sourced only from European Union countries.

• One of the most famous in the world, Moskovskaya Osobaya Vodka (38% and 40% ABV), is made accordingly to the centuries-old

vodka making traditions: using the highest quality wheat, carrying out triple distillation, which is followed by three filtration steps, maintaining the unique Osobaya vodka flavour.

Because of the current situation in Ukraine, Latvijas balzams has had to change the delivery routes of some materials. For example, for several years the company used various materials from Ukraine: corks, capsules, bottles, labels, shippers. For the continuity of the company’s operations, the supply of these materials is currently switching to other European Union countries: Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Germany.

The brand is growing fast and one of the reasons is that this is not only a traditional vodka but also that it is ‘green’. The memorable green label reflects the brand’s environmental sustainability ambitions with regard to production, water conservation and responsible consumption. They are aiming at achieving carbon neutrality within the next few years.

ABG Global Brand Director, Vodkas, Benedikt Fimpel, said: “Beyond establishing values and our purpose, we are looking to take ownership of our distinct green colour and build rational benefits around it, especially by becoming a true green brand and company,” says Fimpel. “For this we will launch our ‘green ambition’ in 2022.”

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

Lu Ban Liverpool named city’s best restaurant award in double triumph at Liverpool Tourism awards Lu Ban Liverpool has been crowned the city’s best restaurant after being one of the big winners at the 2021 Liverpool City Region Tourism awards.

The fine dining Chinese restaurant, based in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, walked off with the highly prized Restaurant of the Year award and doubled up its trophy haul with the Resilience and Innovation award.

The ceremony was held in Liverpool Cathedral on Thursday 10th March, with a strong team from the restaurant present to collect the awards. It was the first ‘in person’ ceremony for three years after the previous two awards ceremonies were held online.

On being named the best restaurant in Liverpool, Lu Ban executive head chef Dave Critchley said: “This was a huge

icing on the cake for us. It is a huge credit to the team who have worked under some incredibly difficult circumstances. We’re still a relatively new restaurant and this is a very difficult award to win. We were up against some top, top well-established restaurants in Liverpool and this one is won on merit.”

The Innovation and Resilience award recognised the work Lu Ban did during lockdown. It launched UK wide home-delivery service Lu Ban Kitchen, created Liverpool Independent Delivery Service (LIDS) which worked with a range of businesses in the city.

Lu Ban also got involved in a number of charity initiatives.

Critchley added: “During lockdown we were creating new businesses, employing people who were out of work at the time, we helped generate revenue for up to 37 local businesses as well as cementing our future.

“The award also recognised all our work in the community and getting food out to people who needed it through LIDS, the Well Fed Food Project, the food banks and Knowsley Kitchen.

“This was a very significant and poignant award for us as it recognised everything we did through lockdown. To get that recognition from the city is absolutely amazing.”

The annual awards recognise excellence across the city region’s tourism and hospitality industry and are delivered

by Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company.

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Exclusive Ranges showcases new addition to Menu System portfolio at HRC Exclusive Ranges will be showcasing Celsius Black at HRC, the newest generation of induction cookers to be introduced to the Menu System portfolio of innovative cooking solutions for the professional chef.

Trevor Burke, Managing Director, Exclusive Ranges; “We’re already supplying high-end, bespoke cooking suites from Menu System but Celsius Black sets them apart in the market, raises the bar for induction cookers from mid or low level manufacturers and positions Celsius Black from Menu System as the benchmark for those considering induction.

Launching at HRC is an exciting time for us as it is a great platform for our industry.”

With superior connectivity and the very latest in induction technology, Celsius Black from Menu System will be a game-changer for chefs, offering unparalleled connectivity, energy management and serviceability, as well as ultra-precision and control over cooking temperatures.

Exclusive Ranges can be found on stand number P249. The show is open 21st – 23rd March at ExCeL, London.

To find out more about the Exclusive Ranges service and its full product portfolio, call 01707 361770, email sales@exclusiveranges.co.uk or go to www.exclusiveranges.co.uk

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

Introducing X MUSE, The First Blended Barley Vodka Inspired by Scottish Spirit Making

In partnership with specialists at HeriotWatt University two heritage varieties of barley, Plumage Archer and Maris Otter were selected. They are distilled separately and combined in precise quantities. This careful orchestration of barleys, prized for their taste, creates a smooth and complex flavour.

Combined with water of exceptional purity, drawn from an ancient aquifer at the heart of the Jupiter Artland estate X MUSE can be sipped and savoured straight, on the rocks or act as an inspirational starting point for both classic and creative, artists driven cocktails. X MUSE is handcrafted in Scotland in batches of consistent quality, using the finest local ingredients but with subtle differences in organoleptic profile embracing the variety of nature.

X MUSE’s exquisite bottle was created by the award-winning design agency Stranger & Stranger and features the curving lines of Cells of Life, the monumental land art commission by architect and artist Charles Jencks that frames the aquifer from which the spring water for the vodka is drawn, and which resides on the same beautiful Scottish estate. During the alcohol reduction process, a small amount of water is added to the vodka. These ‘Magic Drops’ have been energized in a glass vortex and rested on amethyst crystals, linking to natural energetic healing and in reference to British artist Anya Gallaccio’s amethyst grotto also on view at the Jupiter Artland estate.

Born from a passion for art against the backdrop of Jupiter Artland’s unique collection, X MUSE embodies art and ideas that transcend time. The brand’s name is drawn from an artwork by Scottish poet, artist and gardener Ian Hamilton Finlay. Referencing the muses in Greek mythology, the tenth muse is the amalgamation of the nine muses and symbolises harmony and perfection. This muse, which is never seen or defined, links to Robert and Vadim’s search for a delicious and perfect sipping vodka and is further referenced in the brand credo ‘more is hid than uttered’ embossed in its Latin version ‘Plura Latent, Quam Patent’ on every bottle cap.

As a vodka to sip and savour with a multi-layered design and brand identity, X MUSE aims to create moments of connection, where the world pauses and drinkers can experience concentrated emotion known to X MUSE as ‘ambromoments’ (from the Greek word ambrotos, “immortal”). The brand illustration, by sought-after graphic design studio A Practice For Everyday Life, reinterprets an icon by 16th century philosopher and alchemist Dr John Dee and takes inspiration from art by pioneering 20th century artist Marcel Duchamp. Each element of the illustration is made up of four strokes, referencing the four elements in nature, the four stages of distillation and the four dimensions (three spatial and one temporal).

May 2022

X MUSE , pronounced ‘tenth muse’, is the first blended barley vodka inspired by the spirit making traditions of Scotland.

Drawn from the history and experience of Scottish spirit-making, heritage barleys and the purest water, it has been three years in development under the stewardship of former Pernod Ricard Global Director of Creativity and Luxury Vadim Grigoryan and Robert Wilson, co-creator of Jupiter Artland and coowner of Nelsons, the leading Natural Medicine manufacturer.

Milan-based design studio Formafantasma, which is about to take a star turn as the designers of the Venice Biennale 2022, have developed a X MUSE Helicon tasting workshop containing individually designed elements including glassware, bottles, tableware, and containers for presenting the ingredients – as there will be a permanent pavilion called X Muse Temple onsite at Jupiter Artland hosting tasting workshops, with online bookings going live from the Spring.

On the creation of X MUSE, CEO and Co- founder Robert Wilson says ‘Creating a vodka that invites sipping and savouring is the spirit-maker’s supreme challenge. It cannot be bolstered by botanicals or aged in oak barrels. It must stand on its own merits. This is the measure of X Muse.’

Vadim Grigoryan, X MUSE Co- - fo under, Artistic and Brand Director comments ‘We look at spirits as cultural products deeply rooted in human history. X MUSE’s creation is informed by this history and our understanding of the meaning of spirits.’

X MUSE (70 CL Bottle) is priced at £55 and is available to purchase on X MUSE website, Amazon.co.uk and at Hedonism, Petersham Cellar, Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange Follow X MUSE on Instagram @tenthmusevodka #tenthmusevodka #xmuse #creativesource.

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

A commercial microwave can be utilised to help expand a food offer and give operators the opportunity to produce a menu that otherwise would be prohibitive.

In the case of Panasonic’s NESCV2 speed convection oven, it can replace the need for several items of equipment as it will grill, toast, bake, re-heat, fry, etc., and doesn’t need extraction, so can be located anywhere, in the smallest of spaces, enabling the traditional café choices of warm pastries with a crisp finish. And it’s stackable too, where others in its class are not!

Julian Urrutia and his team cater for mainly 25-35 year olds from The Skylobby Café. They serve around 320 breakfasts and lunches every day, the majority during the morning.

of smells, and the food was always presented squashed flat. He describes how the Panasonic SCV2 has helped improved service; “Since we’ve installed the SCV2, the benefits have been noted, one of those being how fast it cooks and with the internal grill, it also browns and produces a crisp finish, so customers are served quicker and the quality of the food is much better - nothing is squashed anymore! Thanks to the built-in catalytic converter, the SCV2 has no need for external ventilation, there is no smoke and no strong smells either. This was important as we are in an open atrium.”

So, has the Speed Convection Oven been a success? “Most certainly; we have been able to improve our service and enhance our menu,” says Julian. “Panasonic’s sales development chef, worked with us on developing the menu offer and as a result, we’ve been able to include items on the menu that we couldn’t previously!

I would recommend this oven to others, its performance has exceeded expectations, our customers have commented on the improvements and our client has noticed the reduction in queue time during busy periods.”

Julian says his main objectives are to ensure a smooth service for customers, making sure the standard of food is always high, while being innovative and on-trend. “One of our biggest challenges is keeping up to date with the latest concepts on the high street and ensuring our entire offer is competitive, from speed of service to style of food served. This is not without its obstacles; we have limited space, we are in an open plan area with no extraction, and queues can build quickly on busy days.

Our most popular items are hot, freshly prepared grab & go items such as the ubiquitous Panini and toasties but our homemade chicken fajita and taco beef wraps, are among the top sellers.”

Prior to using the Panasonic SCV2 Julian had been coping with a Panini contact grill which was not only slow, but it also created smoke and a lot

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To find out more about the range of Panasonic microwave ovens, call 01344 862444 or go to www.panasonic.co.uk/pro-cooking

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

Deliciously Sustainable! Cirio Champions CLIMATE Neutral! Cirio: We Care! Do you?

Cirio – producer of the UK’s favourite Italian brand of tinned tomatoes – is the first company in the canned tomato industry to reach and declare total CO2 neutralisation on its top selling chopped tomato range.

The authentically Italian tomatoes have taken sustainability to a whole new level meaning they are as good for the planet as the plate. The company can now claim ZERO impact on Climate Change thanks to the neutralisation of any CO2 emission residuals.

Cirio is launching a UK wide sustainability campaign via public relations, social media and a raft of videos and education initiatives.

Cirio tomatoes come from an ethical sustainable Italian cooperative of 14,000 associated farming companies. Cirio cares about its lands, products and all the people involved in creating the seeds they plant to the tables of everyone who enjoys their delicious tomatoes around the world.

Becoming climate neutral is part of a major ground-breaking sustainability project with a commitment pledge: ‘Our hearts and souls are totally committed to sustainable production of the highest quality Italian tomatoes’ The company has revealed its 10 Steps to Sustainable Tomatoes:

10 Steps to Sustainable Tomatoes 1. Precision Agriculture We use digital technologies in the fields to minimise our use of natural resources to create the safest and most productive harvests.

with ancient techniques, like the rotation of the soil to boost fertility and the use of antagonist insects launched by drones to fight disease.

Positive Production

2. Water and Waste Recycle

4. Renewable Energies

Working with the weather satellites we selectively irrigate precisely where needed, drop by drop. We recover and reuse 70% of the water we use in the factories and generate 30% of our electricity from waste by a Biomass system.

We use wind, solar and thermal energies to fuel our plants. The wind energy we farm fuels most of our production.

3. Virtuous Farming We use 70% fewer additives than the EU legal limit allows, thanks to advanced farming techniques that combine modern methods

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5. Transparency and Traceability From our GMO-free seeds to our consumers’ tables; a fully controlled and traceable production guarantees THE best and safest products and an ecosustainable pathway along our entire supply chain

Dynamic Distribution 6. Less packaging We have cut the packaging weight of our products and the amount of plastic we use whilst also increasing the use of recycled plastic. We also switched to FSC carton packaging with reduced C02 emissions.

7. Less lorries Our 10 factories are located less than 50km from the field. We favour rail transport whenever possible to reduce pollution levels.

All Embracing Ethics 8. CO2 Neutralisation Working with Universities we carry out analysis of the entire life cycle for our products and calculate their exact Carbon Footprint. Then we minimize it

working with our partners in the supply chain. We also fund projects like FSC -Forests for all forever- to create a climate neutral and circular economy.

9. No Food Waste We donate goods to support local communities and charities and minimise food waste

10. Fair Trade We regularly audit our farms ensuring respect for ethical code and a fair reward for our farmers’ harvests, and all their workers.

We also follow stringent ethical codes and social practices to protect all other stakeholders: employees, suppliers, customers, 3rd parties, and our end consumers.

May 2022

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

The launch of Moda Furnishings’ B2B proposition, Moda Commercial

At the very forefront of British garden furniture design, Moda Furnishings is an omnichannel retailer of premium modular furniture based in the North West of England with an international reach. The quality and provenance of its products, its robustness in the face of a testing year and its unrivalled attention to client servicing are just some testaments to its success as a British business. October 2021 saw the launch of Moda Commercial, an exclusive B2B arm of the business and a reaction in part to the increase of enquiries from commercial clients, but also to the suffering endured by many industries as they faced the threat of the pandemic.

Moda Furnishings has exhibited a high level of flexibility to respond to new industry requirements, bringing innovative solutions to global challenges. It is listening closely to its clients’ needs, integrating new approaches including investment in stock and its delivery fleet, new product development and client care strategies. Moda Commercial caters to the increasing demands of specialist market sectors including hotels, golf clubs, spa resorts, healthcare, luxury lodges and developers.

outdoor furniture to the exacting standards of B2B within a B2C model. This ultimately led to the decision to proactively open up to the commercial market with Moda Commercial.

A tailored approach With a dedicated Moda Commercial team, clients can choose from a vast collection of furniture sets to meet all business requirements. Expert account managers are on hand to help quickly and effectively, offering a tailored approach to client relations, and a team of experts is on hand to manage site visits and sampling to guide clients through the process of their purchase.

With Moda’s market-leading 3d rendering service, designs can be modelled into businesses’ properties and spaces, providing visual impressions and assisting with further planning and decision-making.

Expert delivery and installation

THE B2B PROPOSITION

The delivery of commercial outdoor furniture projects has never been more seamless. Moda Furnishings has made a multimillion-pound stock investment to ensure the business is well placed to meet the demands of the commercial markets. Its stock is available for timely delivery with a large fleet of in-house, Moda Commercial delivery vehicles to allow it to meet high customer expectations including fast delivery, installation and aftercare.

Its 150 fully-trained installation engineers are available to commercial clients at no extra cost, covering unpacking, furniture placement, and the removal of all packaging for recycling.

Increased demand from commercial clients

Market-leading guarantee - three years/Aftercare

Moda’s original B2C model has been adaptive and flexible to meet a growing number of inward commercial sales since 2017.

Amongst its compounding annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41 per cent between FY17 and FY21, Moda has worked with American Golf, David Lloyd, Ascot and The Stock Exchange Hotel to deliver

Moda Furnishings’ 3-year commercial guarantee offers commercial clients peace of mind, and its aftercare policy and maintenance packages reinforce its commitment to client satisfaction. Its comprehensive range of components is readily available to ensure any issues are rectified efficiently.

“At Moda, we have seen first hand that outdoor leisure has become a vital part of life,” says Jonny Brierley, CEO. “In recognising this, we have committed to producing an ever-expanding range of highquality furniture to complement not only your business’ outside space but also your business model. We want to help provide our esteemed customers provide their patrons, members and clients with luxurious comfort outdoors to enhance their leisure time spent with you.”

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022 Villa at The New Four Seasons, Bodrum (Turkey), a contemporary, luxury hotel with a focus on wellness.

Chin Lim, Principal & Design Director of Hospitality at HKS on:

Remaining relevant, highly creative, and delivering emotion-evoking, award-winning luxury hotel design during the pandemic’s travel decline Those of us working in the travel and hospitality industry tend to count ourselves lucky – and with good reason given that frequent travel opportunities to see and shape some of the most beautiful parts of the world is all in a day’s work.

I have been fortunate enough to find myself catching my breath on countless occasions as I stand on a pristine beach looking out at a stunning sunset, thinking …WOW ...this is my office for the day…. Until, of course, COVID hit, and everything came to an abrupt stop.

As creative designers we faced a huge challenge, a challenge of the unknown, a challenge of how to stay creative and relevant during this time.

You see, for me - travel, culture, experiences, and human interaction are the key ingredients to creativity. It’s the fuel that stokes the fire of imagination.

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Chin Lim, Design Director Principal at HKS Architects - credit Sisi Burn Photography

So, when the world stopped it gave me, like so many others, a huge opportunity to reassess my life. I realised that I needed to find new ways of engaging with inspiration. It was at this time that I chose to take the plunge and start working with a coach. I reached out to Alex Kergall, an executive coach who coaches high performers from different fields. I was his first architect client which was critical to me. I subconsciously wanted someone who could bring insight from a different perspective. I needed Alex to think from outside of the architectural sphere.

“The common thread I see when working with high performers is their appetite for growth and Chin was no exception. Enabling Chin to unlock so much potential professionally and personally was achieved by aligning him with meaningful goals and a solid vison, using wellbeing as the driving incentive. – I believe it’s this that positions Chin as a leader in his industry” – Alex Kergall, High Performance Coach.

Technology has also played a huge part in enabling a virtual environment to collaborate in a different way. While we couldn’t gather around physically to work on a project, we could meet virtually. There are now so many tools that enable us to workshop and exchange ideas remotely. We can have many frequent meetings with people from locations all over the world without getting on a plane and that hugely excites me. Travel will always be a critical part of my work and design process but the challenges we have had to go through recently have opened new and exciting ways of working.

My work with Alex had a massive impact in setting a vision of what I wanted to achieve. My creative focus and general wellbeing are at their highest right now, my team and I at HKS are working at the highest echelons of luxury hotels and resorts.

Clients routinely notice the passion and uniqueness of our designs -we design with emotion. This enables us to continue working with amazing brands such as Fairmont, Four Seasons, Six Senses, Corinthia, Baccarat and continue to push the envelope of design.

As travel begins to open up, I am hugely optimistic for the future. I cannot wait to travel again and experience the world once more, armed with a renewed vision and powerful purpose.

What stood out for me about Alex was his holistic, 360° approach to coaching, which encompassed mind, body, heart, and spirit. We can all be guilty of getting so bogged down in our daily tasks that we forget to take the blinkers off and take a good, hard look at ourselves from a macro lens perspective to take sight of the bigger picture.

Everybody’s process for this will be different. Alex helped me work with my need for a morning routine; waking up an hour before the kids every day, so that I have a moment to for myself, to read, exercise, and get set up for the day ahead. Through the coaching journey, we worked on a series of different exercises to keep pushing me.

Exploratory Sketches for design details at the new Four Seasons, Bodrum

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EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

I have key elements in my week that are not strictly project related which are critical to maintaining creativity. For me, these are times to paint or draw, time to read and time for side projects.

For example, currently I am working on a collaboration with an interior designer and product designer to produce a range of lighting and furniture.

While these things might seem to be a distraction when you are busy, Alex and I believe they are a critical part of keeping the mind fresh and motivated. And this has been part of my solution to remaining creative, relevant, and ahead of my game, during recent, Alex Kergall, international Performance Coach who has worked with Chin Lim to unlock his highest potential unprecedented times.

May 2022

Creativity does not exist in a vacuum - I seek inspiration from all around me, be it fashion, technology, music, the environment, nature, or day-to-day conversations. This is one of the key ingredients of our work.

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP May 2022

SiteMinder, Hopper partner to fuse benefits of online commerce and travel fintech for hotels SiteMinder, the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, and Hopper, the most downloaded travel booking app in North America, have partnered to bring together the benefits of online commerce and travel fintech at a scale never before seen for hotels. The partnership will see SiteMinder’s more than 33,000 hotels in 150 countries gain a newfound ability to reach modern travelers, by directly accessing Hopper’s 70 million users, 70 percent of whom classify as Generation Z and millennials.

Hopper’s appeal among younger travel consumers has been driven by the company’s unique use of data to help its users secure the best deals.

The mobile-first travel app uses approximately one trillion price points per month, over eight years of historical data and trillions of archived prices to create several ‘travel fintech’ products that improve the customer journey.

This wealth of data allows Hopper to offer its users algorithm-based tips

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on when to book a room versus when to wait, as well as the opportunity to ‘freeze’ a room rate for a small deposit – two features in demand by what SiteMinder has identified as today’s ‘dynamic traveler’ who is driven by fresh experiences and the need to be more in control of their stay. To enable the latter feature, Hopper guarantees its users the ‘frozen’ rate and pays the difference if the rate goes up, and offers alternatives if the room becomes unavailable.

Additionally, where online travel agencies commonly use search engines and metasearch to acquire users, Hopper optimizes its reach among younger travelers by almost exclusively using social media, especially newer platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

Hopper’s appeal among younger travel consumers has seen the company grow its revenues by over 300% yearon-year. Today’s partnership with SiteMinder forms Hopper’s first since its recent fundraise of US$175 million.

James Bishop, Senior Director of Global Ecosystem at SiteMinder, says, “This partnership brings together two aligned visions for the opening up of every hotel’s access to the world of online commerce and the transformation of

travel through technology. We know through our research that today’s traveler is more tech-savvy than ever before and demands greater flexibility. Through Hopper’s innovative technology, we are pleased to be able to bring more of today’s dynamic travelers to the doorstep of hotels.”

David Lewis, Head of Hotel Supply at Hopper, adds: “Our customers are young, app-first and brand agnostic, but they will become the corporate travelers of tomorrow which gives our hotel partners a great opportunity to establish brand loyalty now. In addition to our app business, we’re now seeing significant sales volume from our Hopper Cloud partnerships – a B2B initiative where other travel brands can seamlessly integrate and distribute Hopper’s fintech and travel agency content. Through these partnerships, Hopper is reaching new demographics such as older consumers with more discretionary spending. As we internationalize through 2022, partnering with a global leader like SiteMinder is a great asset.”

For more information, visit siteminder.com.

To find out more, visit hopper.com.

Allica Bank further hospitality and leisure sector expertise with appointment of new regional relationship manager

EAT. DRINK. SLEEP

Following the successful launch of its direct-to-SME business in 2021 and announcement that it will be acquiring 2,000 customers from Allied Irish Bank (AIB), Allica has appointed a new relationship manager for the hospitality and leisure industry.

May 2022

It brings Allica’s direct-to-SME team up to 10 relationship managers, with 10 more set to be appointed in the coming months. Allica says this reflects its ongoing commitment to providing real, human expertise to businesses at a time when many banks have been forced to strip back their relationship management teams. It says it can only do this because it has been built from the ground up on innovative technology, specifically designed to meet the needs of established owner-managed businesses.

Morgan Keating, Relationship Manager for the License and Leisure industry, is primarily based in Birmingham and moves to Allica after 16 years at AIB. Morgan will be specifically focused on supporting businesses across the UK in the licensed and leisure sector, such as pubs and hotels.

“It’s been a torrid time for hospitality and leisure businesses the past couple of years, but as restrictions ease, they finally have a chance to bounce back,” says Morgan.

“Allica has made clear their commitment to the sector and also the value they place in specialist expertise.

“I’m especially looking forward to what we can achieve together with our customers. In particular, I’m pleased to be able to provide continuity to those businesses I have come to know well from my time at AIB.” Emma Lane, Head of Client Relationship Management at Allica, says the license and leisure industry is a critically important industry to support: “As an industry, it is one of the UK’s biggest employers and its success will play a big part in our post-Covid recovery. We therefore think it is essential to invest in relationship managers who truly understand the financial challenges and solutions faced by the sector – in order that we can provide a dedicated service fuelled by meaningful insight.”

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Salone 6C - Bar Table, £3,325

Premium Outdoor Living Specialist Moda Furnishings to Open its Fifth Showroom in Chelmsford, Essex Moda Furnishings, the UK’s leading premium outdoor living specialist, is proud to be opening its fifth showroom on 4th March at 6 & 7 The Army & Navy Parkway, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 7GY. Located in the heart of Essex, the market leader in premium outdoor furnishings will be showcasing its exclusive premium rattan and contemporary collections for customers to enjoy in the inspirational showroom environment. With several different styles to choose from, Moda Furnishings is equipped with a scope of modular ranges to suit all sizes and styles of spaces.

www.modafurnishings.co.uk

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