Published 20 March 2018
This spring, the bar, café and restaurant makeover will ensure the food and drink experience reflects our vibrant, iconic cultural and artistic venue.
The refurbishment and improvement programme includes the Warehouse Café, Grainstore Restaurant and bars and will create a unique and exciting dining and social hub for Kendal’s residents and visitors, as well as those taking in the cinemas and arts events.
The Vats Bar will see the most significant transformation. The four-week refurbishment will reveal a brand new, open and welcoming space that will offer a social experience unlike any other in Kendal. The new bar will celebrate local breweries as part of its varied drinks menu and diners will be able to enjoy freshly prepared bar snacks and food, including delicious sharing platters, such as roti, chicken, seafood and jerk platters.
The menu in the Grainstore Restaurant will also be refreshed and offer an excellent mix of classic and contemporary dishes, focusing on local, seasonal produce where possible. The popular burger and pizza range will feature the delicious signature Brewery options.
Coffee lovers will be wowed by the Warehouse Café and its artisan atmosphere that will provide a welcome retreat from the busy high street. Quality barista-brewed coffee and hot drinks will be complemented by a range of traditional and artisan sandwiches and homemade cakes and scones. Customers will also be able to choose from a signature range of flat iron toasties, including mouth-watering combinations such as posh cheese, bacon and fig; California grilled Rueben; and halloumi, harissa and honey.
The refurbishment programme is the result of an exciting new partnership between The Brewery Arts Centre and its new caterers, CH&Co. The company has extensive experience providing the catering for visitor attractions and arts venues across the UK including Kew Gardens, The Tower of London, Manchester’s People’s History Museum and Hull Truck Theatre.
Sean Ritson, the operations director for CH&Co, who also hails from Cumbria, said: “The Brewery Arts Centre is a truly unique venue and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such an iconic Kendal landmark. From the outset, it was clear that we shared the same vision and aspirations. Our respective areas of expertise provide the perfect recipe to deliver something very special for the people of Kendal and its many visitors.
“The high-quality food and beverage offer combined with an inspiring arts programme will provide an experience that cannot be found anywhere else in Kendal or the surrounding areas. This exciting refurbishment will cement the venue’s standing as the heart of the community.”
Brewery Chief Executive Richard Foster said: “This is a very exciting time for us. The renovation marks significant financial investment into our catering offer and will provide a more spacious layout, more seating, fresh décor and an enhanced drinks menu with an emphasis on great local beer and an outstanding selection of gins.
“The Brewery relies on its catering outlets to generate income which is then used to support our arts and creative learning programmes. We are sure that this new refurb will have the twofold benefits of boosting our competitiveness in Kendal’s night time economy and enable us to create even more memorable experiences for the people of the South Lakes and beyond.”
The refurbishment and refreshed food and drink offer will be revealed to customers from 14 April 2018.
