From Paper to Practice: New Cafe and Restaurant Openings
There is nothing better than seeing your vision for a cafe or restaurant, which to date has only been outlined on paper, materialise on opening day with real people delivering fantastic food to bona fide customers. Last spring we saw two client projects come to fruition with successful openings...
Following a competitive tender managed by Boyd Thorpe Associates the Museum of London Docklands appointed Ampersand as its catering partner. Ampersand started at the Museum in January 2011. The company has a five year concession contract with the Museum to manage the Museum cafe service and the commercial bar /restaurant. The cafe was opened in time for February half term and the refurbished bar/restaurant was completed in June 2011. Click here to see a copy of the menu created by Michelin star chef David Cavalier.
The Green Cafe in Nene Park, Peterborough opened at Easter 2011 following a four month closure and a £200,000 redevelopment programme. Working with the Nene Park Trust management team Boyd-Thorpe Associates conceived the operating concept for the cafe in 2010. Fellow FCSI consultant Tim Dunn from TD Design designed the kitchen, a fabulous servery and the new outdoor kiosk. The cafe has been brightened with a contemporary colour scheme utilising light oak in the servery, floors and furniture. The end of the cafe overlooking the lake has been opened up with the installation of floor to ceiling doors which fold back to reveal the magnificent view bringing the outside inside. Following a competitive tender managed by Fiona Boyd-Thorpe, Graysons Limited were appointed to manage the cafe. The cafe offers a range of locally sourced meals cooked to order. A rustic table displays cakes, pastries and tarts to accompany a barista coffee offer which was not previously available in the old cafe.
Set in 54 acres of green parkland, Clissold House, a Grade II listed mansion is at the very heart of the local community. Following a £8.9 million restoration project of the Park and House residents and visitors can now enjoy some of the best park facilities in London, including a wonderful new café set in the Georgian mansion. Company of Cooks were awarded the 5 year contract to manage the café following a tender exercise carried out by Boyd-Thorpe Associates on behalf of Hackney Council. Enormous care was taken during the process to ensure that the café met the needs of the very diverse community using the park. The aim is to create the sense of relaxed homeliness where people are drawn to drop in and enjoy some food and drink in the company of friends, family and neighbours. In keeping with the mid-winter opening date, the menu draws on the robust flavours of the season and sample dishes include Beef & Horseradish Stew and Leek & Barkham Blue Tart, alongside sandwiches - all on home-baked bread – and delicious Company of Cooks cakes such as beetroot & seed and orange & lavender.
We are delighted to have been appointed by Dulwich Picture Gallery to assist with the management of the competitive tender for the cafe and corporate hospitality contract. 
Boyd-Thorpe Associates have been reappointed by the Imperial War Museum to carry out an option appraisal for the future structure and management of the corporate events business within the museum following the redesign currently being undertaken by Fosters and Partners. 
What makes the perfect cafe? Good honest food, efficient service, a relaxing and inviting ambiance, value for money, history, decor and surrounds, a warm welcome... All important but what single factor defines a great cafe for you personally. Look out for our spring survey.