The Royal Oak - Tetbury

TARGET PUTS INDUCTION COOKING AT THE HEART OF A REJUVENATED COTSWOLD HOSTELRY

There's something satisfying about bringing a much loved, but long neglected, Cotswold pub back to life.  When two people decided to rejuvenate the Royal Oak at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, their vision centred on turning a run-down 'drinking hole' into a real ale, food and accommodation led community pub.  Making an impossibly small kitchen work for their chefs to produce great home cooked food demanded a special kitchen contractor with experience, ingenuity and attention to detail.  That's when Target Catering Equipment got involved.

Cotswolds based Chris York and Kate Lewis love challenges.  Not content with careers in the music business and marketing, the Tetbury couple took on a labour of love to bring The Royal Oak, a much loved (but terribly run-down) Cotswolds hostelry, back to life.  If ever a phoenix was going to rise this was it, due to the pub's condition after several year's neglect.  With a big part of Chris and Kate's vision being the transformation of the former wet-led pub into a culinary hotspot, the kitchen was always going to be at the heart of the project.

The existing "kitchen" was little more than a lean-to afterthought on the end of the run-down building.  Nevertheless, seeing its potential prompted Chris and Kate to approach Gloucester based Target Catering Equipment.  Then, as part of the pub's redevelopment, the "magic" began - under the watchful eyes of the owners and executive chef, Al Fricker, whose lengthy CV includes work for non-other than the governor of The Bank of England!

Al takes up the story.  From the start, it's a tale of how a seasoned catering professional's reservations turned into unbounded admiration for the craft and service standards of the Target team.  Target's work began with the inspired creativity of lead designer Nicola Pedrette as she completely rethought the "impossibility" of The Royal Oak's kitchen space.

VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT TARGET ACHIEVED

"I'll be honest and say that I had reservations from the start," admits Fricker.  That's no reflection on David Pedrette and his team, but the kitchen was a nightmare.  When I first got involved, I was really surprised by the lack of space.  Then I realised how they'd thought out the design and as I saw each component fit into place, I gradually came to like it.  More than that actually; I'm very pleased with what Target achieved - and so are Chris and Kate.

Al keeps referring to Target's knowledge and can-do attitude as he recalls their work.  "As a kitchen contractor, David stands out for combining two things: his considerable knowledge and the way that if he says he'll do something he just does it.  No chasing, no reminders, it just gets done to a very high standard when he says he'll do it."

Knowledge and punctuality came with ingenuity too, as Target conjured much needed extra storage from nowhere - including clever maximisation of wall storage, set clear of the kitchen walls for easy cleaning.  However, Fricker's favourite demonstration of their ingenuity is the way they used "dead space" in the kitchen's attic for a modular self-assembly fridge unit that could be assembled in a space where no other free-standing unit would fit.

NO DOUBTS ABOUT INDUCTION COOKING

At the heart of the kitchen is Target's induction cooking range - a logical decision given that a new electrical supply was in the brief.  Executive chef Fricker isn't the first experienced chef that Target Catering has introduced to induction cooking.  Like others before him, he had reservations...

"My initial misgivings, " he concedes, " about the induction cooking line's ability to give enough heat, proved unfounded.  We've had three chefs working here together and we all noticed how much cleaner and cooler this kitchen is.  We haven't got before and after fuel costs to compare, but the spec for the induction range promises excellent future performance.  Chris and Kate were keen to go electric because it's better for the environment as well as being cost effective!"

UNEXPECTED BENEFITS

As well as the environmental, energy consumption, cleanliness and temperature advantages of the commercial induction range, the new kitchen's biggest benefit is simply that it has transformed an "impossible" space into a working kitchen to support Chris and Kate's culinary vision for The Royal Oak.  Al Fricker elaborates: "I've worked in lots of kitchens but few as difficult as this.  David's team turned the impossible into the "doable".  Without that, the new Royal Oak simply wouldn't have been able to deliver when Chris and Kate decided we could officially reopen in August 2013."

The pub's executive chef goes on to explain another, less obvious, benefit of working with Target: "David," he explains, "is very well connected.  He's been a valuable source of introductions to local catering networks, including local organic food sources, as he strives to get everything just perfect.  As well as understanding design, fabrication, specification and kitchen installation, David loves good food and understood our passion for getting food right.  Then he put his heart into the project to create the heart of the pub.  That's pure gold on a project like this."

RECOMMENDATIONS AHEAD FOR TARGET

Asked whether he'd recommend Target Catering Al Fricker answers unhesitatingly: "Definitely.  I'll be doing so shortly when I speak with another consultant involved with different aspects of the pub's development.  In fact, I'd go so far as saying Target Catering Equipment is probably the most consistent delivery-based supplier, I've ever worked with for kitchen fitting in the UK."  That's praise indeed from a chef whose career has involved the culinary stratosphere of several UK three-star Michelin kitchens as well as consultancy across Europe.

It's a sentiment shared by pub owners Chris York and Kate Lewis, as their hard work finally comes together, and the transformed Royal Oak opens its doors (and new kitchen) to guests.

THEY’VE HELPED OUR VISION COME TRUE

Kate sums everything up: "We hope the local community and visitors to Tetbury will come and enjoy a warm welcome in a creative, fun and friendly freehouse with a wonderful kitchen at its heart.  What we've achieved in our pub kitchen wouldn't have been possible without the support, ingenuity, patience and contacts that Target Catering Equipment brought.  Just like a great pub that you stumble upon and make your own, they're a wonderful find that has helped our vision come true and sets us up for a successful future."