This week we have a guest blog by Anna Ward from Furnished by Anna . Thank you Anna! We know that what we wear, how we look, ‘our style’, says a lot about us. And the same applies to eating places. In a previous Eat Around Tonbridge blog, Jennie Kenny of Beyond the Grounds explained how, when designing her café, she wanted it to feel homely, as if you are entering someone’s sitting room. Restauranteurs and café owners know how they want customers to feel and work with designers to create that look. Eat Reviewer has invited me to write a guest blog to discuss how the interior of a restaurant or café wants to make you feel… Wood, metal and muted tones – that’s what stands out to me when I walk into Graze. The tables are wooden but look slightly worn and weathered, with sturdy, ‘functional’ metal legs; the floor is wooden; and there is wood panelling on the walls. The metal accents continue with the chairs, the bar & the vintage, grey pendant lights, the soft greys picked up in the choice of wall colours too. The exposed brickwork behind the bar provides texture and draws the eye, marking it out as different to the rest of the restaurant. The large, original windows overlooking the High Street let the natural light stream in and ‘natural’ is the theme which brings all these details together. The place feels rustic, stripped back, calm; it feels homemade. To the consumer this says, “Eat here, the food is fresh, natural, made on site, ‘just like mother used to make’”. You’re not stepping back in time in Graze at all, but in this world of ‘bling’ we live in, the nostalgic ambience with a modern twist is a winning formula: look at Cook!, Gregg’s and even KFC in Tonbridge. All of these places have recently undergone a refit and have incorporated wood and exposed brick. And they’re not alone; this style is global, making us feel safe and secure in what we can expect, even when abroad. Let’s wander up the High Street to Havet. It also uses grey but this time to create a classy, modern exterior – the double fronted large restaurant creates quite a statement. Havet’s interiors are not subtle, they’re clamouring for attention, saying fun, glamour, affluence & decadence. How do they achieve that? You walk into a cool marble restaurant which stretches a long way back – the light bounces off the marble, making the space feel even larger and creating a sense of opulence. They use rich, bold colours (teal and tan) & luxurious leather for the seating. The marble is a muted grey as at Graze but at Havet, it’s offset with matt gold detailing – understated glamour. And guess what? At Havet they also have stone tiled walls (shades of grey) and wood detailing, a nod to their ethos: ‘fresh food daily’. Two restaurants on Tonbridge High Street that have opened in the last year – contrasting styles but using similar themes to create distinctive eating experiences. Anna can be found on Facebook, Twitter @fbainteriors and Instagram furnishedbyanna.
Category: Archive
Jobs…Vacant Positions…Employment Around Tonbridge
Do you love weddings? Fancy being involved in wedding planning? The Plough at Leigh has some roles on offer to help with their weddings. They’re offering flexibility so great if you have children or other responsibilities… Lots of other jobs too – cocktail makers, bar staff…Take a look – Eat Around Tonbridge Jobs’ Board & good luck!
A little birdie told me….all about Finch House, Tonbridge
Tonbridge has a great deal of energy at the moment and some of that is thanks to the foodie scene and the people who are taking a leap of faith and going for it. Daron Goldfinch was one of those people four and a half years ago. If you hadn’t already realised from the name, Daron is the man behind Finch House, the café that brightened up our High Street & kick started the boom that we’re now enjoying. Despite the growth of Tonbridge’s café culture since then, Daron has managed to stave off competition and remain a stalwart on our High Street thanks to the high quality of his food and service, two of Daron’s passions. Daron trained as a surveyor but then decided to follow his dream of working in the food & drink industry. This journey saw him training with Starbucks (before we knew who Starbucks were); learning about coffee in Italy; opening some coffee shops of his own and then consulting for Konditor & Cook, the cult London cake bakers. During this time he realised that there was a gap in the market for a café that served “the best quality food, sourced locally, made fresh that day”, he tells me. He returned to his home town, and despite the nay-sayers telling him “he was mad”, opened Finch House. “Made by Us” is award-winning Finch House’s slogan which concisely sums up their ethos. Quality of taste is very important to Daron & they do use produce sourced as locally as possible – Kent cherries, Sussex Ham & Owlett’s juices to name but a few – in their diverse menu full of tempting small dishes and treats. Their coffee is a bespoke blend (using coffee beans that are also found in some of the country’s Michelin starred restaurants) and all the mouth-watering cakes and pastries are made on site. The Finch House experience could also be described as “Made by Us”. The quality of the customer service they deliver is tested month on month by mystery shoppers who document their findings in detailed reports (praised staff members are awarded vouchers). Daron is a great employer (don’t worry Daron didn’t tell me this himself – I have my inside sources) and is repaid with loyalty – many of his staff has been with him for a sizeable chunk of his four and a half year tenure. And Daron, the ‘good egg’, doesn’t stop there. He is keen to support local events such as the Tonbridge Half Marathon and the Dragon Boat Racing, local schools (he supports three around the town) and local charity Porchlight – at the end of each working day, any surplus food is donated to them. Porchlight tell me that “this really helps young people who are struggling with money, people who are on benefits and perhaps have to wait for their benefits to come through….we also use the food for our outreach programme. We’ll take some of the food with us to give to homeless people .” Daron was the first Tonbridge foodie pioneer, in my opinion, and he has paved the way for many more eating places. He really fired up people’s imaginations about what Tonbridge could become. Finch House is constantly striving to improve and evolve not only within its café but as a brand itself – there is now a Finch House Orpington and a third one is in planning. This birdie is spreading its wings… It’s great that Tonbridge can say it hosts the flagship café of a very successful, homegrown brand. Good luck to Daron & the team at the Kent Life & Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards on Monday- they’re entered in the Best Cafe’ category! If you’d like to learn more about the charity Porchlight, click here. Daron has kindly donated a prize for the Eat Around Tonbridge ’12 Days of Feastmas’ competition so remember to keep checking the website, Twitter (@eat_tonbridge) or Facebook page. I’m also now on Instagram- eat_tonbridge. To read about Tonbridge’s other foodie pioneers in their fields, click here for Ben Sulston of Sulston’s Kitchen and here for The Old Fire Station.
Jobs…Vacant Positions…Employment Around Tonbridge
Just under 11 weeks until Christmas! Do you need some extra cash to fund this expensive time of year? On the Eat Around Tonbridge Jobs’ Board we have something for everyone – driving, bar staff, waiting staff, kitchen work and even mixology positions! Why not have a look and apply today. Good luck!
Nancy’s Tea Rooms, Lambert’s Yard, Tonbridge, 22 September 2016
Nancy’s Tea Room opened in August, after teasing us with its makeover for quite some time (previously there were some public loos there!). It’s a quaint looking bright white, timber building near the river, Tonbridge Park and the High Street. The signage is traditional and the overall effect is one of nostalgia for tea rooms of my childhood, before the arrival of the coffee chains. Katie, the owner – the tea room is named after her daughter – offers a simple menu of jacket potatoes, sandwiches, paninis and the like, and of course, home made cakes. My friends and I sat upstairs, which is larger than it looks, and ordered sandwiches and a cream tea. Cheese and pickle The service was very prompt and attentive and the sandwiches didn’t take long at all to arrive. I ordered one of my childhood faves of cheese and pickle and I was not disappointed. The sandwiches were very generously filled (my friend’s tuna mayo sandwich was too) and really tasty. I appreciate it’s hard to go wrong with a cheese and pickle sandwich but some places do, providing limp, sparsely filled offerings where the cheese is sliced and not grated…little things like that matter. The cream tea came with plenty of cream and jam; I had recently tasted a bad scone (overwhelming margarine taste) so my taste buds were piqued with anticipation but there was nothing to worry about, this one was fine. Always forget to take the pics! Red velvet, chocolate fudge, orange and lemon cakes were on offer and I plumped for a slice of lemon and a slice of orange to takeaway (to share with my children I hasten to add). The cakes were moist, although I think the orange and lemon flavours could have been a little stronger so that you really experience a citrus hit. They were perfectly decorated with just the right amount of icing, adorned with a candied orange/lemon slice. We thoroughly enjoyed them! Nancy’s has found a niche in Tonbridge I think and has differentiated itself from some of the other cafes gracing the High Street with its simplicity and nod to a bygone era – these qualities make it feel easy, welcoming and homely. I will definitely return.
Jobs…Vacant Positions…Employment Around Tonbridge
I’m writing this with achy legs after running the Tonbridge Half Marathon – that must be worth a ‘like’ and a ‘share’! It’s Monday morning and I bring you new positions, all of which require enthusiasm and energy to be part of a great team. Shamo’s which has exciting plans for the future is hiring – why not become a part of the team now? There are more jobs on www.eataroundtonbridge.com so why not take a look! The perfect job could be waiting for you… Shamo’s, Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge Job: Serving staff – Shamo’s are looking for a friendly face to join their team: must be friendly, fun & enthusiastic. Experience would be great but not essential.Salary: CompetitiveHours: Part-time evenings & weekendsStart: ASAPContact: Sharan or Amo on 01732 356661 Job: Delivery driver – Shamo’s are looking for a confident driver to join the team! Knowledge of local roads would be beneficial but not essential.Salary: CompetitiveHours: Part-time evenings & weekendsStart: ASAPContact: Sharan or Amo on 01732 356661