Searcys has been appointed official caterer for the Design Museum in London's Kensington, a unique 1960s Grade II*-listed building on Kensington High Street, in the same year that the museum is named European Museum of the Year 2018.
Searcys, which has taken over from the now defunct Prestcott & Conran, has just launched a coffee bar on the ground floor and a relaxed cafe on the top floor under the spectacular roof. The coffee bar provides Searcys’ sustainably-sourced coffees and teas, as well as smoothies, cakes and bakes.
The cafe on the second floor, which will open at the end of this month, will offer casual dining at its best, with a seasonal menu serving British classics alongside a selection of salads, homemade sandwiches and a bakery table.
Classic dishes will include Colston Bassett Stilton and broccoli tart, and Summer garden, a mixed leaf salad with green beans, mange tout, pea and mint. Main plates will include Loch Duart salmon fillet, crushed Jersey Royals, tender steam broccoli with dill mayonnaise. A weekend brunch menu is set to follow.
Searcys will also cater for events, as the museum looks to grow this element of their business. The Design Museum features six beautiful spaces for hire, including the iconic atrium and the 202-seat theatre style Bakala Auditorium.
The atrium is the Design Museum’s showcase evening event space, providing a dramatic, triple height space with stunning views of the iconic roof and surrounding architecture. Searcys will provide hospitality for a wide range of events, from small meetings to conferences, product launches and parties.
Matt Thomas, Searcys’ Managing Director, said, “Our dialogue with the Design Museum over the past several months has been incredibly exciting. We are now keen to help bring the museum’s vision to life through its retail and event spaces.
'We feel that our brands are perfectly aligned. We will be presenting our modern menus, focusing on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, to a new audience, and partner with an institution we really value.”
Alice Black, Co-Director, The Design Museum, said, “We look forward to working with Searcys to provide deliciously designed dishes to all our visitors.
'With a coffee bar on the ground floor, and a relaxed café on the top floor, Searcys will serve an exciting selection of sustainably sourced foods, allowing visitors to complement their visit and enjoy the spectacular surrounding of the museum.
'Together with Searcys, we will provide the perfect place for all people who want to enjoy a relaxing and enjoyable time in Kensington.”
Searcys commitment to sustainability is echoed across its food and drinks menus, with a company pledge to buy the best ingredients available, working with British farmers to ensure that up to 90% of all seasonal fruit and vegetables are grown in the UK.
Searcys only uses UK-reared fresh meat, flour milled in England, free-range eggs and milk from Red Tractor-certified farms. Tuna featured on their menu comes with the guarantee that it is sustainably and line and pole caught.