Zumbura for Clapham – Creating a style for your bar – The Packhorse Inn revitalised at Moulton - Fairwater Head Hotel comes to the market.
Zumbura for Clapham
Aamir Ahmad, Sean Galligan and David Garrett, co-founders of award-winning contemporary furniture retailer Dwell, are making their debut in the restaurant sector with the launch of Indian restaurant Zumbura.
Opening in Clapham on 6 November, this cool and sophisticated 50-cover restaurant will showcase the traditional cuisine of the Purab region of North India. Bringing something unique to the market, its menu will feature a range of unusual home-style dishes, with a contemporary twist, that will offer even the most knowledgeable of diners a new and exciting culinary experience.
In charge of the kitchen at Zumbura will be head chef Raju Rawat, who brings with him over 15 years’ experience working in both the UK and the subcontinent. Having trained at one of India’s finest five star hotels, The Oberoi in New Delhi, Raju went on to work at the Michelin starred Benares in Mayfair. Prominent roles at both the Cinnamon Club and Bombay Bicycle Club followed before he helped develop popular Indian Street food brand, Moolis.
Viewed as the first in a collection of restaurants the opening of Zumbura will fulfil a lifelong ambition by Ahmad to open an authentic Indian eatery. “I have always been really disappointed by Indian food in the UK. It’s not what we eat at home. What most restaurants serve is a British invention which has been changed so much from the original that when friends come round and eat at my house, they are surprised by the depth and breadth of the dishes I serve. I wanted to be able to provide the kind of food I ate when I was growing up, but within a restaurant setting.”
Zumbura, 36a Old Town, Clapham, London, SW4 0LB
Creating a style for your bar
As readers will know, H&C News welcomes and publishes news of new or re-designed bars, pubs and hospitality establishments of all types, and recognises the importance of all aspects of ‘design’ in the success of hospitality businesses. H & C News was therefore pleased to receive the article that follows from Lauren Sutton on behalf of Trent Pottery and Furniture.
The significant role of style and identity
Those thinking of starting their own bar will come to learn that as well as the range of beverages on offer, style and identity will play a significant role in determining whether your bar is a success or not.
As a result, bar owners should ensure they have finalised their bar’s personality before building and furnishing their venue. For those who are yet to decide on their bar’s style, here is a short guide on the style of bars that are currently popular with consumers.
Wine Bar
The clue’s in the name; a wine bar is much more focused on selling glasses of wine over spirits and beer. As such, a wine bar has to develop a level of sophistication and luxury which should be evident in the bar’s furniture, mood, atmosphere, staff and overall branding. Style is everything in a wine bar, so business owners should research other wine bars in the local area to get a feel for the aura of such an establishment.
On the other hand, a number of wine bars are looking to remove wine’s connotations of pretension and upscale clientele by decorating their bar with coloured booths, beanbags, plush furnishings and other casual, laid-back furnishings. It could be a great option for owners looking to carve a niche in a city that associates wine with over-the-top elegance.
Sports Bars
Sports bars are becoming increasingly desirable for men and women looking to soak in the latest match, race or competition in the company of like-minded sports fans. With pubs and bars able to access multiple cable and PPV sports channels, the humble sports bar has grown into a must-visit for football, rugby, tennis, F1 and other sports fans who enjoy the camaraderie of watching their favourite team or sportsperson but can’t afford to attend.
Sports bars typically offer snacks like peanuts, nachos along with meals like burgers, pizzas, hot dogs, sandwiches and a variety of other foodstuffs associated with watching sport. As long as the bar has access to sport channels and can display the action on big screens and projectors, the style can take a back-seat.
Comedy/Live Bars
Bars with live music, art or comedy shows are becoming very popular with consumers looking to check some local talent or see a much-hyped band come to their town or city. Many bars and pubs now have an in-house stage where performers can dazzle audiences while serving a variety of beverages.
However, bars must ensure that the acts they are putting on are able to pull in customers to the venue; neither the bar nor the performers want an empty house!
In terms of style, live show bars need to be very accommodating to the performers in order to put on a great show. A stage, lights, a decent PA, speakers and more should be standard at live music bars so ensure any equipment you purchase suits the house style.
These are just three bar ideas open to budding entrepreneurs. Brewpubs, nightclubs, speciality bars, karaoke bars, salsa bars and cocktail bars represent just a handful of the other styles which could pull in customers: which option will you go for?
Article written by Lauren Sutton on behalf of Trent Pottery and Furniture
The Packhorse Inn revitalised at Moulton, near Newmarket
Renamed to reflect the adjacent medieval bridge across the River Kennet, The Packhorse Inn, Moulton brings together of a number of strands to create both a traditional pub at the heart of the local community and a destination for a stunning dining and staying experience.
The drive behind the venture is Philip Turner, formerly a banker and corporate financier who recognised the potential of this neglected pub and established Chestnut Inns to buy the freehold. Chestnut Inns secured additional funding under an Enterprise Investment Scheme. The Packhorse is a seriously researched venture and a pilot for future Chestnut Inns’ investment in further sites.
“My vision,” explains Philip, “was to create a great local pub, but also to develop the blueprint for a style of hostelry, which defies pigeon-holing into the classification of pub, hotel or restaurant,to achieve a blended definition of all three at their very best. I envisaged a place, surprisingly close to London, which tempted busy professionals to come and switch off for the weekend, retired couples to treat themselves to mid-week deals, businesses to choose for visiting colleagues and clients as a welcome alternative to faceless chains, and locals to enjoy great food and drink with family and friends.”
To run The Packhorse, Philip identified talented management couple Chris and Hayley Lee. They are widely known for The Bildeston Crown which they managed for the past 10 years, achieving AA 3 rosettes status.
Relaxed but grand
The décor may be relaxed but it is also grand, especially in the bedrooms, where huge mirrors, indulgent beds and other luxurious touches targets the professional couple taking a weekend away.
Chef Chris already has an excellent reputation for his innovative style and being a champion of seriously good and locally-sourced produce, the use of no- nonsense techniques and, just maybe, a little element of surprise. Menus are designed to fit a range of pockets and feature a combination of unpretentious rustic classics to Chris’ signature twists on modern flavours. Sunday lunches are a particular feature.
The Packhorse Inn opened its doors Friday 11 October. It is open seven days a week, 365 days a year from 08.00am in the morning to 11.00 pm, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as all day teas and coffees.
For more information click here
Fairwater Head Hotel comes to the market
Fairwater Head Hotel at Hawkchurch near Axminster has come to the market at a guide price of £950,000. Selling agent Savills is inviting best offers by 12 noon on 5 December.
The country house hotel is set in about three acres of landscaped gardens and grounds with views across the Axe Valley.
The property was bought by the current owners in 2007 and has since undergone a programme of re-decoration and refurbishment. The hotel currently has 16 en-suite letting rooms. There are five public rooms on the ground floor, four large bedrooms in the main house, eight in the east wing and four in the garden wing. The owners’ accommodation is extensive in the main house with three en-suite bedrooms giving the opportunity to extend the letting accommodation.
Martin Rogers of Savills who is marketing the property comments, “This is an attractive country house hotel with far reaching views over the Axe Valley. It is a profitable business and we are selling it very much as a going concern. “
Outside the property, there are two car parks with spaces for about 20 cars. A rear driveway leads to two garages and staff parking.
For more information click here