Independent brewery WEST have opened WEST on the Corner in Glasgow city centre offering Glaswegians the ideal destination to sample the brewer’s range of great Scottish beers.
The restaurant and bar is located in the West End of the city, on Woodlands Road, in what used to be The Halt bar.
Premier Hospitality caught up with Paula Murray, Creative Director of Supertonic, who acted as the designer on the project. Paula commented:
“I came into the project quite late and so worked with the owners to realise their vision, as they had a very clear idea of what they wanted, as well as to create the ideal ambience and a pleasing place for the punter.”
The venue was already naturally configured into three zones and so meant the team did not have to undertake any large demolition works. Alexander Braidwood Ltd acted as the main contractors on the scheme working alongside the client and Supertonic to unveil West on the Corner on the 7th May after a two month on site project.
Upon entering the venue customers are greeted by a bar, which doubles up as a dining space. Beyond that guests can relax in WEST’s small snug area at the rear of the space, which adjoins to the second bar and kitchen. The venue’s kitchen is open allowing diners to see the chefs preparing their meals from their seats in atmospheric dining area.
The venue has been fitted with an external seating area allowing customers to sit outside and enjoy a beer in the sunshine. Another key feature of the venue is the large windows which offer great views of the street and can also be opened up to extend the outside space, which again is ideal for those rare sunny days.
The restaurant-bar is located on the corner of Woodlands Road and provides a relaxed, gentle space for drinkers and diners alike to enjoy. Paula feels WEST is different to every other bar-restaurant out there.
She added:
“The venue has a number of influences including a Scandinavian and Germanic feel in places. Since opening the feedback has been extremely positive and on the launch night the team had to turn away diners as there wasn’t enough room to seat them all. At 9.30pm the WEST crew decided to open the doors to the public to allow everyone to flood in and enjoy the new space.”
Premier Hospitality asked Paula what it means to work with WEST Brewery and develop their brand identity:
“For the last three years I have been working on numerous brands across Europe and decided last year that I wanted to be closer to home. WEST is very important to me in terms of nurturing a client that I really believe in; their operational aspirations are really strong and the owner has a strong vision for the company. It is really nice for me to be able to dovetail into that as well as help design a venue that is local to me; WEST is just around the corner from my office.”
WEST Brewery was formed in 2006 on a quest for truly great Scottish beer; since their inception the firm have brewed and supplied a range of artisan lagers and wheat beers across the UK. All of the brands beers are brewed in strict accordance with the German Purity Law of 1516, which was originally introduced to safeguard and preserve quality standards in the German brewing industry. The law stated that no chemicals, preservatives or artificial flavours should be used in the process.
WEST is the only UK brewery to produce all of its lagers and wheat beers in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the purity law, merging centuries of traditional practice with state of the art equipment.
WEST’s German roots are firmly planted in Glasgow and are clearly illustrated in the brands ethos; “Glaswegian Heart. German Head.” The brand was born from the belief that Scotland deserved a Premium lager to be proud of and has been brewed with carefully sourced barley, hops, yeast and water.
Tangram
Ranging from a single chair to an entire interior, Tangram work with clients, designers and architects to specify and supply contemporary furniture, lighting, blinds and rugs. With over 20 years of experience, the company has had the pleasure of working on a diverse range of projects both in commercial spaces and homes.
Previous hospitality projects have been UK-wide and include Tigerlily Boutique Bar & Hotel, Harvey Nichols restaurant, The Blackbird bar & restaurant, The Hilton Hotel in Burton-upon-Trent, The Three Chimneys in Skye and the Abbotsford Visitor Centre in Melrose, to name but a few.
The WEST team approached Tangram after a referral from a previous client. The brief was to come up with suggestions of chairs, bar stools and lighting with a Scandinavian feel to achieve a laid back, timeless, warm and stylish space. From the options provided, the ‘This’ chair and ‘Other’ stool designed by Stefan Diez for e15 were sampled and chosen as the final products for the new space. With WEST’s German roots, their new space couldn’t be more fitting as the first ever UK project to have the ‘This’ and ‘Other’ seating from German manufacturer e15!
The exterior and interior walls of the property have been stripped back leaving the bricks exposed on the inside. Tangram supplied matte grey Caravaggio pendants designed by Cecilie Manz for Lightyears to complement the beautiful original brick and provide some over scaled yet subtle feature lighting.
Sarah Ramsay, Contracts Director at Tangram, said:
“A fantastic project to work with the WEST team on. If you’re in Glasgow we’d highly recommend going in for some ‘Gerwegian’ food & drink (…to be enjoyed while relaxing in some exclusive seating!)”
If you’d like to find out more about what Tangram do or about any of the products supplied for the new WEST on the Corner, call 0131 556 6551 or email info@tangramfurnishers.co.uk.
North Star Electric
North Star Electric specialise in the design, installation and maintenance of interior and exterior lighting to the hospitality, leisure, retail, commercial and out of home large format advertising. The firm are an NIC-EIC approved contractor and so undertake general electrical works, periodic inspections and testing of installations since their inception in 2008.
The firm have worked on the refurbishment of Duck Bay Hotel & Marina, House of Darrach Country Store, The Loch House Restaurant and Lochwinnoch and Wheelhouse Restaurant Kangbank on behalf of Cawley Hotels.
The firm have also back lit a number of advertising sites for Forrest Media in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle undertaking feature colour change lighting towers on digital sites in Glasgow and Edinburgh. North Star has also undertaken a number of maintenance works at privately owned bars and restaurants in the West of Scotland.
Recently the firm have worked on WEST on the Corner designing and installing the lighting and control, data networks, general power and kitchen power systems.
Ian McCreadie from North Star commented:
“With over 20 years’ experience in the operation of licensed premises and a thorough understanding of all aspects we can offer far more to the client than an electrical contractor. Our knowledge of catering equipment, EPOS systems, cellar dispense equipment and mechanical services enable us to liaise with other contractors to ensure a successful refurbishment or new fit out.
“We pride ourselves in providing a high standard of workmanship and ongoing support during construction phase, launch night and the following days and weeks to ensure peace of mind for the client and their management team.”
CNG Foodservice Equipment
CNG Foodservice Equipment specialise in the design, supply and installation of commercial kitchens, with a specific focus on delivering projects within the hospitality sector. CNG has been in operation for 14 years – although many of the team have worked in the industry for the past 30 years – and specialises in restaurant, hotel, gastro pub and wine bar projects.
Over the years CNG has worked on a range of high profile projects, including Gleneagles, The Star Inn at Harome, The Pipe and Glass and Harvey Nichols, amongst others. CNG has also developed a long-standing working relationship with restaurateur Terry Laybourne.
More recently, CNG has been involved with WEST on the corner, providing the design, specification and installation work for the venue’s kitchen and bar.
CNG Managing Director, Clive N Groom, said:
“West is exactly our type of client; one where quality and detail are key and where the client’s passion for their business matches CNG’s.”
Clive added:
“At CNG we pride ourselves in our ability to deliver innovative kitchen and bar designs that are often in challenging spaces and places.”