Charlton seals commercial deal
Charlton House has taken over management of Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant the Leaping Hare Vineyard at Wyken Hall in Bury St Edmunds, making it the most recent contractor to move into commercial catering.
The contract, formerly run in-house, will be on a fixed-fee, profit-share basis and is worth £600,000 a year.
David Cavalier, twice Michelin-starred chef and food innovation director for Charlton House, will act as consultant to the restaurant and café.
Charlton House chief executive Robyn Jones aims to make the restaurant a destination by extending opening times. "There's no longer a hard-and-fast rule of staff feeding versus commercial restaurants," she said.
It is thought the outside contract will enable the client, Lady Carlisle, to maintain her involvement in the restaurant alongside Cavalier. She favours including lighter dishes from her native California on the menu.
And Jones isn't ruling out a Michelin star. "With David with us, there's no reason why we shouldn't," she said.
Who's behind the top high-street restaurants?
\ City Rhodes, London (one Michelin star) - Sodexho
* Rhodes on the Square, London (one Michelin star) - Sodexho
\ The Admiralty, London - Restaurant Associates (Compass)
\* Restaurant and Bar 24 at Tower 42, London - Restaurant Associates (Compass)
\ 5th Floor restaurant, Sunborn Yacht hotel, Docklands - Restaurant Associates (Compass)
\ Brian Turner at the Crowne Plaza, Birmingham NEC - Parallel (Aramark)
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper, 16-22 January 2003
