Kerridge's Bar & Grill at the Corinthia: Thomas Kochs and Tom Kerridge reveal the secret to a perfect partnership
The launch of Kerridge's Bar & Grill at the Corinthia Hotel London earlier this week highlights the importance of hotels securing the right partner when working with an outside operator. Janet Harmer meets the two key personalities involved, Tom Kerridge and Thomas Kochs
When it comes to creating a partnership between a hotel and a third-party chef, there are a whole host of factors that need to be tied down to create a restaurant that will be both impactful and enduring.
Alongside a design that wows and offers comfort in equal measure, the food concept has got to be spot on for the location and expected customers; the quality of the food and drinks should be first class; and the service needs to be welcoming and seamless.
But over and above all these things, there is the requirement for a solid and respectful connection between the two partners involved.
In the case of the newly launched Kerridge's Bar & Grill, which opened its doors at the Corinthia Hotel London on Monday, it appears that there is a genuine meeting of minds between the two parties which, it is hoped, will ensure that this is a restaurant that will run and run.
Tom Kerridge is, of course, the better-known partner of the new £1.5m venture, which came about after the chef, who holds a total of three Michelin stars in the Buckinghamshire town of Marlow (two at the Hand & Flowers and one at the Coach), was disappointed by the abandonment of plans to open a site within the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in London. The decision not to proceed was down to a change of mind from the hotel owner.
"At that point we were unsure what to do as we had all the senior members of staff in place to open in London," says Kerridge. "We were in conversation with a lot of other people, but none of them ever felt 100% right, then out of the blue we were approached by the Corinthia. From that first phone call from Thomas
Kochs may not have the same high-profile public persona as Kerridge, who has a string of books and television appearances to his name. However, his engaging personality did come to wider attention during his involvement in the acclaimed BBC documentary Inside Claridge's, filmed during his five-year tenure as general manager of the hotel.
Kochs, like Kerridge, immediately felt there was a connection between the two of them. "We both believe the team is incredibly important," he says. "Tom really looks after those who work with him because he wants loyalty and people to stay with him. He achieves this by creating a happy team, which in turn creates a great atmosphere in the dining room.
Kerridge agrees 100% with Kochs, describing him as "a lovely, wonderful, warm human being", who is constantly focused on the guest while at the same time being a driven professional.
"Everything we've ever done has been built on relationships with people which has resulted in the organic growth of the business. It is not about efficiency, profit margins and spreadsheets. It is about making people feel good and that is the same whether we are working with our fish or veg supplier, having conversations with TV people or operating the restaurants. Everything is about the people you work with - and no one wants to go to work with people you don't want to be with."
When worlds collide
From the outside, Corinthia Hotel London and Kerridge's food empire in Marlow numbering three sites) would not appear to be natural bedmates - the Corinthia being part of a nine-strong international, albeit family-owned, hotel group, headquartered in Malta, and the Hand & Flowers, the Coach and the Butcher's Tap all located in quintessentially British country pubs.
For Kerridge, however, there is an affinity between the two businesses. "Yes, the Corinthia is a beautiful luxury hotel, but it doesn't feel posh. It feels comfortable and classy, embracing and encompassing and not at all exclusive."
Prior to the signing of the formal partnership agreement - outlining the fee paid to Kerridge in exchange for him running the business, that all the staff are employed by the hotel and the investment in the site is made by the Corinthia - Kerridge flew out to Budapest to meet Alfred Pisani, the founder and chairman of Corinthia Hotels.
"It was not that Mr Pisani wanted to meet Tom to vet him, but he wanted to look him in the eye and share his thoughts with him," says Kochs. "Mr Pisani is very specific when it comes to family values and looking after people and making sure the younger generation are well looked after. And, of course, it was all fine."
Kerridge concurs about his meeting with Pisani. "There was a connection - we share the same heart and soul, although he of course has a little more experience than me."
Once the partnership was confirmed, the first challenge to be overcome on a practical basis was getting to grips with how the intimate dining experience of the Marlow pubs could be translated into the vast space offered to Kerridge at the Corinthia, with its soaring columns and high ceilings. Previously occupied by Massimo, the restaurant was originally launched in partnership with Italian chef Massimo Riccioli of La Rosetta in Rome. Unfortunately, this was a partnership that didn't last and Riccioli departed from London in 2012, just one year after the hotel opened.
"It's a beautiful room, but it could have been an art gallery," says Kerridge. "There was a disconnect with the food. I wanted it to be more about the dining experience and the people, rather than being overawed by the grand space."
David Collins Studio, the designer of Massimo, was brought back in to undertake the transformation. Overseen by Simon Rawlings and inspired by the painted ceiling of New York Grand Central Station, the new look started to take shape with the painting of the high, previously white, ceiling a dark green to bring an intimacy to the space. The 90 seats come in the form of leather dining chairs and deep button-backed banquettes in a dark green and burgundy colour palette, with William Edwards china - featuring a design in a reverse pattern from that at the Hand & Flowers, providing a link to Marlow. A private dining room accommodates an additional 18 customers who can enjoy the theatrical experience of chefs cooking in front of them within an open kitchen.
Artwork is dominated by two major bronzes from Kerridge's sculptor wife Beth Cullen-Kerridge - 'Steve' and 'Dorsal Angel' - positioned dramatically in the heart of the dining room. Smaller works by Cullen-Kerridge are displayed within an art wall curated by the West Contemporary gallery in east London.
Feeding time
The connection with food and drink begins as soon as you walk through the doors direct from Northumberland Avenue, with rows of real ale lining the entrance. A row of glassfronted meat fridges greets you straight ahead. Around the corner, the rotisserie sitting off to one corner fills the restaurant with the sight, sound and aromas of ingredients being cooked. And finally, there is a huge display of cheese and bread laid out on a table in the middle of the room.
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