Blown Away On The First Lunchtime

Manic – Crazy – Fantastic! Wow – so that’s what it’s going to be like! We opened the Foodhall six days ago and this is literally the first chance I’ve had to blog about it. We got blown away on the first lunchtime. Friday, there were 5,000 people though the doors of the Barbican and [...]

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The Barbican Foodhall Opens Updated

We’re Open!! Hurrah! We’ve just opened the doors at the Barbican Foodhall. Can’t begin to describe the relief. I think it looks just wonderful. Obviously the designers are saying that there are a few details to get right – but to me it’s just fantastic. Just seeing the first olives and breads and cakes on [...]

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Suits you sir – and madam……..

One of the great things about a new project such as this is the total freedom it gives the team to take control over every single aspect of the two new spaces. One of the key issues, to me, is how everyone in the Lounge and the Foodhall looks and feels while they are at [...]

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It’s all about the coffee!

There’s a pretty rigid pattern to the relationship between companies who supply products to restaurants – we, as the customer, interview the suppliers and work out if they are good enough for us, and if we can make a good profit from the price they can supply their goods at. That’s the way it has [...]

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Week One at Barbican Lounge

October 11th, 2010 Barbican

Sorry, sorry! I’ve been so busy with the newly opened Barbican Lounge that I’ve just not had a moment to blog!

Anyway, we have had a fantastic first week. OK sometimes I feel like a swan, you know, cool and stately to the outside eye but paddling like mad just under the surface.  No matter how many soft openings and rehearsals you do with friends and family nothing prepares you for the real thing. The public can always find a way to surprise you – like the man who got upset with his wife because she had been in twice already and not told him.

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Barbican Video

September 30th, 2010 Barbican

A massive amount of planning went into the re-design of our two new food areas. See some of the characters involved and enjoy a food preview

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Almost there!

September 29th, 2010 Barbican

In some ways I'm living in a parallel universe at the moment. I have a full time job running the Foodhall - and another one working with the delivery team to get the Lounge which is directly above us open as well. Think we have all come to terms now with the enormity of what we are trying to achieve. The Barbican is incredibly busy with the hugely successful 25 years celebration of Les Miserables in full swing and loads of other really popular stuff going on as well. I'd like to say it is stressful etc etc - but actually, although I'm a bit tired, the adrenalin is pushing us all onwards, I think.

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Games In The Foodhall

September 29th, 2010 Barbican

It would be churlish of me to complain about any success we have - but boy does it put a strain on us when we get the sort of crowds we got between 5.30 and 7.15 tonight. I really feel for for the team. They have a period of relative quiet with, maybe 25 people in the 'hall and then, Blammo! we have about 200 people wanting serving NOW!!

We've learnt a lot in two weeks and we shone tonight as we have done in the past - but it’s going to be easier to deliver the customer experience we want when we open upstairs in the Lounge. That should take 100 seats off the Foodhall. If any of you were waiting in a queue for four minutes to pay for your food I'm really sorry. We're doing our best!

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OPENING DAY DELAYED

September 27th, 2010 Barbican

The opening of the Lounge is delayed until Monday, October 4. We've had a succession of problems, small in themselves, but together they have meant we've had to put the big day back. First the lighting designers decided that they didn't actually like what they had given us - we all thought it was ace - and decided they needed to do a re-design. Now we have a problem with the gas!

We are determined that everything will be perfect before we open so now it's Monday. Serves me right for being so confident. I'll take some pictures tomorrow so everyone can see what it's going to look like - which is fantastic.

To cheer ourselves up we've had another spectacular weekend in the Foodhall - sales are still going up every day so we are obviously doing something right!

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We Open The Lounge Tuesday!

September 21st, 2010 Barbican

Regular readers will have noticed the elephant in the room – when we are actually opening the Lounge! I’ve been very careful not to hold any hostages to fortune – but can now confirm that the first day is Tuesday (September 28) with guests welcome for the evening service.

Following the success of the launch of Foodhall is it too much to hope for the same again? Well, if concentration and effort can make a difference we should be ok. Although I’m so busy at the Foodhall I do pop upstairs at least once a day and, whatever else happens, I can tell you that the Lounge is going to be a fantastic place to eat. It’s all really coming together now, the lighting is genuinely amazing, the bar and the furniture stunning and we all think the various menus offer a combination that is unbeatable. We’ll see.

We did actually think about opening a day or so earlier – but this is SO important to us that we want to make sure that everything is perfect for the opening night.

More details and hopefully some pictures to follow next time I have a chance to blog – hopefully tomorrow!

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Blown Away On The First Lunchtime

September 21st, 2010 Barbican

Manic – Crazy – Fantastic!
Wow – so that’s what it’s going to be like! We opened the Foodhall six days ago and this is literally the first chance I’ve had to blog about it. We got blown away on the first lunchtime. Friday, there were 5,000 people though the doors of the Barbican and it seemed like all of them wanted lunch with us. Quite a first full day.

I’m fantastically proud of the team that we managed to get everyone who wanted one a meal and that the feedback was really good. We’ve had record takings for the space that we inherited on every day so far - so it seems that people like what we are doing.

Saturday, both lunch and dinner, was manic so when Sunday was a bit more relaxed everyone heaved a sigh of relief and took the chance to take stock of where we are. Having said that the Sunday Roast went down a storm and yesterday and today we are busy again. Hopefully this is just the way it’s going to be!

Because we are quite close to everything it is easy to forget just how many different ingredients (sorry!) go into making a successful food operation. We have to provide great service – there’s nothing worse in a busy restaurant than people complaining. We have to, of course, give people food they want, food they enjoy at a price they are happy with. We have to house all this in surroundings that make them feel happy, comfortable, relaxed.

There is also the “shopping” element of the food hall. We’ll refine the offer, of course, to ensure that we meet the demands of the people coming through the door but we’ve had more hits than misses by a long way so far.

The Book Bank – essentially our take on a library – is also going down well although we’ve had to explain to people that, yes, we are serious about them taking a book away with them if they want to!

So the team, from the waiters to the chefs, from the guys who order the food to the designers of the Foodhall itself and the accountants who fix the prices, all have to gel. And that’s what I’m supposed to make sure happens!

We had a great start – I’m sure there may be, let’s say, issues ahead. But I’m confident we are all now capable of meeting them head on. Hope I don’t live to regret that!

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The Barbican Foodhall Opens Updated

September 15th, 2010 Barbican

We're Open!!

Hurrah! We’ve just opened the doors at the Barbican Foodhall. Can’t begin to describe the relief. I think it looks just wonderful. Obviously the designers are saying that there are a few details to get right – but to me it’s just fantastic. Just seeing the first olives and breads and cakes on display – it seems like the end of a long journey.

Barbican FoodhallEven last night there seemed to be so much to do that I wasn’t sure we’d make it. But everyone has worked so hard and, wow, here we are. Wanted to kiss the first customer as she walked in this afternoon. What was fantastic is that within three minutes of us opening the doors we had 30 people in. Served the first meals within 100 seconds of opening.

There is the smell of coffee, food cooking in the kitchen. Suddenly a building site is the Barbican Foodhall.  The chatter is not builders but chefs, waiters and customers. There is such a buzz! I think it will take us a few more days to be perfect but I’m very happy with the start we’ve made. Ok so there are no tiny espresso cups but I’ll take that as the biggest problem!

It’s a funny job this. I’m so excited about opening the Food Hall – but my mind also wanders upstairs where the Lounge is just one week from opening. Not been up there all day as we’ve been so busy here. Must try to get there later and make sure everything is on schedule. We must be mad but we all love it really!
PS Update
We've had a wonderful night. Loads of people through the door; fantastic feedback on the food, both the menu and the quality. And everyone pleased with the value for money. Obviously a few teething troubles - the automatic doors aren't; either closed shut or, worse on a cold night, stuck open but we managed to sort it. A great start and we know that we can get better. Lots of messages of goodwill as well. Terrific!

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Top Team Together

September 15th, 2010 Barbican

The last jigsaw piece has slotted into place with the appointment of Christine Noel as manager of the Barbican Food Hall and Nigel Smith as Executive Chef. Now we are ready to go!

Christine joins us from West End restaurant Leon. Before that she pursued an international career only returning to London last year.  After a period with the Roux Brothers she went to work as executive chef for Her Majesty Queen Noor in the Jordanian Royal Palace and then on to a succession of restaurants in Geneva so she’s used to fanatically high standards and working under pressure. The latter will prove to be very useful I suspect!

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It’s a Glasselier!

September 8th, 2010 Barbican

Well it sure isn’t a chandelier!  Sorry about dodgy photo taken by iPhone but this is the first evidence of the spectacular lighting arrangement that is going to, er, illuminate the Barbican Food Hall. There are 600 of these olive oil jars in various sizes and every single one will have its own energy efficient miniature light bulb. They are contained within a sort of cage suspended from the ceiling. Can’t wait to see them all lit up, sure it’s going to be fantastic.

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