We're celebrating National Apprenticeship Week!

This week it is National Apprenticeship Week, and we are proud in supporting young hospitality apprentices with our outstanding apprenticeship scheme.

National Apprenticeship Week takes place from 5th - 9th March, where employers, including us, and apprentices from across the country will celebrate the success of apprenticeships and the opportunities they provide.

This is the eleventh year of National Apprenticeship Week, and this year the theme is ‘Apprenticeships work’.

At SHW, we run a successful apprenticeship scheme for young people wanting to pursue a career in the hospitality industry, which is also part of our commitment in helping the industry grow and expand with fresh, young professionals. 

We now have three apprentices who are members of the SHW Design team, where they have learned how to support our team’s design consultants and gained valuable experience in every aspect of the business.

Our latest apprentice is James Peeke, who is working as an Apprentice CAD Technician. With the help and support of our scheme, James has learned how to produce professional concept designs and schedules, as well as learning how we operate in the strategy, design and implementation areas of the business.

Gareth Sefton, SHW’s managing director, said: “We are extremely proud of the positive impact our apprenticeship programme has had for young people, and we will be joining in with the celebrations and events National Apprenticeship Week will be organising.

“Our apprenticeship programme was designed for those looking to start their career in the hospitality industry, and we have encouraged many young people to sign up since it was established.

“National Apprenticeship Week is a great way for us to further encourage more young individuals to follow their career aspirations in working in the hospitality industry. If this is something they feel strongly about, we advise people to get in touch with us to find out how they can get involved.”

To find out more about National Apprenticeship Week, visit gov.uk.

To find out more information about SHW’s apprenticeship scheme or if you would like to apply, call 01322 420050 or drop us an email at london@shw-design.com. 

Our Director, Gareth Sefton, is committed to encouraging young talent into the hospitality industry.

SHW develop accurate and seamless flow of kitchen areas in London's Mandrake Hotel

SHW Design were first appointed to work on The Mandrake Hotel’s restaurant project in 2013, beginning with initial concepts and working until its completion in the summer of 2017.

Situated in the heart of London’s West End, The Mandrake Hotel offers a 5-star, luxury hotel experience with art and culture at the forefront, something which is reflected in the design, the bespoke rooms and the dining experience.

The design team at SHW Design were appointed to design an all-day kitchen for the hotel’s Serge et le Phoque restaurant, which would serve up French-style food using the finest ingredients and also supply the hotel’s room service.

Working closely with restauranteurs Fred Peneau and Charles Pelletier, SHW Design also completed work on the hotels’s function and dining areas, bar support pantries and the terrace bars situated throughout the hotel.

At every stage of the project, our designers ensured that the result of the project would accurately and seamlessly flow with the flamboyant personality of the Mandrake Hotel. 

One of the key challenges faced when working on this project was ‘future-proofing’ the kitchen area, with additional work being carried out in early 2018, adding on a dedicated breakfast kitchen - something which was coordinated with M&E consultants and architects.

This required the design specialists to plan in the services and ventilation ready for the installation of this new kitchen, which will be a supplement to the main kitchen and give support to the bar areas.

Owner of the Mandrake Hotel, Rami Fustok, said: “SHW Design were extremely patient and accommodation when completing the design project. They were impressively knowledgeable on what needed to be done and have delivered a fantastic end product.”

Take a look at the slideshow of images below...

SHW launch the #WeCanCook Challenge!

At SHW Design we're proud to deliver innovative kitchen design, but despite our expertise, not all of us cook!

As a way of getting more of the SHW staff into the kitchen our Director, Gareth, has launched the #WeCanCook Challenge which encourages the design team to pop on their aprons over the weekend.

Gareth will be handing out a different recipe every week for the team to produce over the weekend, before bringing in photos of their dishes on a Monday morning.

In our field, cooking is the key to designing the perfect kitchen, and although we're encouraging staff to cook at home in a domestic environment, a lot of synergy can be taken into the commercial process and flows. 

This is a also a brilliant way to not only develop their culinary skills, but also enjoy a good, home cooked meal with friends and family.

The challenge started off easy, with staff putting their own spin on the ingredients, chicken and tomatoes. 

Jack Luckings, James McCombie and Ryan Hutchinson presented some of the tastiest images, but Ryan's dish was declared the winner!

Make sure you check back each week to see what storm the SHW team have been cooking up, this weekend it's going to be meatballs and tomato sauce.

This week's winner... Ryan Hutchinson!

SHW Design and Hoshizaki offer joint contribution to Dive London

As a legacy of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games, the London Aquatics Centre has become the leading facility for aquatics sports in the UK. 

Opened to the public in March 2014, the excellent facility boosts two 50-metre indoor competition pools, a 25-metre diving pool and state-of-the-art gym and fitness facilities. 

The centre is home to the Dive London Aquatics Club, which in conjunction with British Diving, offers a pathway for individuals looking to progress from the Tom Daley Academy through competing regionally, nationally and internationally. The club represents 72 divers with experience ranging from club level through to Olympic standard divers. 

“The London Aquatic Centre is one of the best equipped diving facilities in the world. It’s like a one stop shop for our athletes, complete with a dry land diving and strength conditioning space as well as a complete physio, therapy and rehab area,” comments Jane Figueiredo, High Performance Head Coach at Dive London. “By having everything we need in one place, we can help our athletes become as efficient as possible.” 

“I arrived at Dive London in 2014, having coached diving teams around the world. Bringing together all my experience into one place, I knew how vital the recovery phase is for our divers.” 

One of the most essential elements to recovery for a professional diver is ice. Helping with everything from reducing swelling and soreness immediately after a session, to speeding up recovery and rehabilitation following an injury. 

“Ice is integral to recovery, especially after a session on the 10 metre board,” Jane continues. “We fill small bags with ice, and use cling film to hold it tightly in place, generating a cold compression on the triceps and legs in particular. Left for 15-20 minutes, the ice really does deliver significant benefits to our team.”

Collaborating with Gareth Sefton, Managing Director at SHW Design Ltd, Dive London benefited from a joint contribution with leading ice machine manufacturer, Hoshizaki, to obtain an IM-45CNE-HC air-cooled, cube machine. 

“Gareth has had a long association with Dive London and as such, understands the benefit of
ice to our athletes. Through his company, SHW Design, he was able to recommend, source and install a Hoshizaki ice machine for the club,” explains Jane. “Before we had the Hoshizaki machine, we’d have to pre-order ice, but now we have it on demand, which is great for training as well as competitions and events.” 

In addition to reducing swelling and soreness after a session at the pool, ice is being used at Dive London to help speed up recovery following injury, particularly where a sprain or strain has ensued. 

“The combination of ice and compression has been medically proven to help promote healing in a whole range of injuries. For us, this is vital to speed up the recovery process and has been widely used on everything from achilles tendon concerns through to sprained wrists, shoulders and knees which can be commonplace in professional diving.” 

On the Hoshizaki ice machine, Jane remarks:  “We’re delighted with the Hoshizaki machine and the benefits it has had to our team. Despite being a compact size and design, the IM-45CNE-HC is more that adequate for our needs and even if it does run low during a big competition or event, we know that it will refill with ice quickly.” 

Looking ahead to the future, Jane’s desire to make ice an even more prominent part of training is evident, concluding: “The next step for Dive London is to see how we can incorporate an ice bath into our facilities here at the Aquatics Centre. This will enable us to use ice even more effectively, targeting the whole body, before we focus on individual muscles. When the time comes to consider this next step, I would be sure to put Hoshizaki and the services of SHW Designs forward to come up with a suitable solution for our requirements.” 

For more information on Dive London, please see www.divelondonac.com. 

To understand more about the bespoke services from SHW Designs Ltd please see www.shw-design.com or call 01322 420050. 

To find out more about the latest ice making technology and portfolio of equipment from Hoshizaki, please see www.hoshizaki- europe.com or call 01322 616 900. 

Merry Christmas from the SHW Team

It’s almost time for the year to draw to a close and so the team here at SHW are busy at work ahead of the festivities to come.

We’ve of course got mince pies and mulled wine on our mind, but before we get down to celebrating, we’re tying up all project work ready for the New Year. 

Once again, we won’t be sending out Christmas cards and gifts, but instead will be making a generous contribution to Hospitality Action. 

This fantastic charity offers vital assistance to all who work or have worked in the hospitality industry and find themselves in crisis, whether its a life limiting illness, bereavement or other difficult situations.

As a business operating in the hospitality industry every day, we are proud to be committed to helping the charity any way we can, especially at Christmas time. 

Our Director, Gareth Sefton, said: “The work that Hospitality Action does is so important and we’re delighted to be a part of that, by offering our support at events and by providing donations.”

Find out more about their important work here - www.hospitalityaction.org.uk

We would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere thanks to all of our clients who have supported us throughout 2017. 

From all of us here at SHW, Merry Christmas, enjoy the festivities and New Year Celebrations. 

SHW Design Deliver New Tiptree Tea Room

SHW Design have recently completed work on Tiptree’s new store and tea room in Essex. 

Tiptree is a part of the Wilkin & Sons group, who have been fruit growers and preservers since 1885, and more recently, have branched out into tea rooms with over ten tea rooms in Essex. 

Their newest venue has opened at the Bond Street retail development in Chelmsford, which compromises a traditional Tiptree Tea Room, cafe patisserie and shop selling jam, sauces and flavoured gin liqueurs.

To bring the store and tea room to life, SHW Design were commissioned to design the first floor kitchen which would be used to produce light snacks and cream teas, as well as specify equipment for the ground floor’s retail and servery areas. 

The project was split into two parts, with SHW Design’s Lead Consultant, Graham Bean, taking on the kitchen development and SHW Implementation, headed up by Mike Bennett, tasked with the supply and installation of the equipment, specialist fabrication and servery food displays.

Graham said: “Work commenced on the Tiptree Tea Room back in May, when we started the design of the small, galley-style kitchen on the first floor.

“The kitchen required a preparation area and basic cooking facilities, which would allow staff to produce a menu for afternoon tea and light lunches to be served in the tea room, as well as a wash up area.

“The biggest challenge of this project was to integrate a catering-style service into the store downstairs, creating a design which would blend seamlessly into the retail environment.”

The double height store which has a larder area with the retail section on the ground floor, also needed a ‘grab and go’ area which allowed for coffees and pastries to be served to a cafe seating area or for takeaway.

For the implementation side of the project, Mike managed the procurement of all the equipment required by Tiptree, allowing them to achieve best market price.

Implementation Director, Mike, said: “Working on the Tiptree retail unit brought its own pressures, but with the Tiptree management team being on hand to answer all queries in a positive and professional manner made the design and fit out process run smoothly from concept to handover.”

All equipment installations, including refrigeration by Precision and Winterhalter warewashing, as well as specialist fabrications were then managed by the SHW Implementation team ready for the opening at the beginning of October.

Graham added: “It was a pleasure to work on this big venture with Wilkin & Sons, it was our first project with them and we really enjoyed working with the whole Tiptree team, including their Retail Manager, Emma Brothers.”

The team at Tiptree were delighted with the work completed by SHW Design, their Tea Rooms Operation Manager, Manuel Martinez, said: “Graham and the team were professional, cooperative and supportive throughout the entirety of our project.

Our specific equipment and operational requirements were handled capably, with a notable attention to detail. Their substantial knowledge was of considerable value to our team and without their continued communication this build would have been a much greater challenge.”

Take a look at our slideshow of images below...

We're celebrating Living Wage Week!

It’s Living Wage Week this week and SHW Design are proud to be one of the growing number of firms committed to paying a higher wage for their staff.

The ‘national living wage’ of £7.50 per hour is not calculated according to what employees and their families need to live, so employers who are part of the Living Wage Foundation ensure that they voluntarily pay a higher wage to their staff.

The wage set by the foundation, which is now at £8.75 for those working outside of London and £10.20 for our capital workers, is classed as the ‘real living wage’ and is independently-calculated based on what people need to get by.

Here at SHW Design we’ve been a Living Wage employer since 2014. We’re proud to be a part of over 3500 businesses who believe their staff deserve a fair day’s pay, and along with our team will be celebrating Living Wage Week, safe in the knowledge that we are providing them with the pay that they deserve.

To find out more about the Living Wage Foundation and Living Wage Week, visit www.livingwage.org.uk

SHW Design Show Support For Charity Golf Match

SHW Design have recently thrown our support behind a Kent-based children’s charity by getting involved with a local golfing event.

Our very own Design Manager, James McCombie, picked up his golf clubs to attended the Synecore Annual Charity Golf Day which was held in aid of the Holding On Letting Go charity. 

The charity offers support to young people aged between six and 16 who are struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. 

Sadly, a lot of those young people that Holding On Letting Go support have experienced a suicide in the family, which can be devastatingly difficult for a child or teen to comprehend. 

As well as having one of our team members playing on the day, we also provided sponsorship for hole number four on the course.

The event, which was held at the Marriott Tudor Park Hotel and Country Club in Maidstone, commenced with a competitive 18-holes of golf which were played in teams of four.

Hosted by Paul Thomas, Managing Director at mechanical and electrical engineering firm, Synecore, and the Synecore Golf Team, the day then went onto team and individual awards, before culminating with an evening dinner and charity auction. 

All of us at SHW Design would like to say a huge well done to all who were involved, we hope that all money raised at the event helped to make a big difference at Holding On Letting Go. 

Congratulations to our clients on their Michelin stars...

The Michelin Guide for 2018 was revealed earlier this week, detailing the UK’s finest restaurants who were awarded one, two or three of Michelin’s prestigious stars.

We were pleased to see that many clients of SHW Design made the list in Michelin’s latest announcement. In the one star category, our clients Clove Club, Five Fields, Harwood Arms, Hakkasan Mayfair and Outlaws at the Capital all lived up Michelin’s high-level expectations. 

A special mention has to be given to La Dame de Pic, who have entered the Michelin Guide for the first time after being open just seven months and earned one star. 

Obtaining two stars was Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and The Fat Duck and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay achieved both three stars - all three restaurants have worked with SHW Design. 

All of us here at SHW Design would like to say a huge congratulations to our clients who have either gained a new Michelin star or retained their stars. 

SHW Design's Gareth Heads To The Hospitality Network

SHW Design seek to entice youngsters into the hospitality industry through their presentation at September's Hospitality Network event.

The firm’s managing director, Gareth Sefton, will be taking to the podium at the next networking event which will be taking place on September 20 to discuss how important he believes it is for young people to join the hospitality industry. 

The Hospitality Network is a consultant-led organisation that organises a regular series of invitation-only events which welcomes a diverse range of industry professionals to join together to discuss the important issues that need addressing within the industry.

With the chance to speak to over 50 people who will be attending this month’s event, Gareth plans to explain the vital steps that SHW Design are taking to encourage the younger generation into a career in hospitality.

Gareth said: “We have developed an apprenticeship programme here at SHW for those looking to take their first steps on their career path in hospitality, this is all part of our commitment to growing the industry and it’s experts of the future.”

To find out more about this fantastic apprenticeship programme available at SHW Design, give the office a call on 01322 420050 or drop the team an email at london@shw-design.com.