September News from Antipodea HQ

RICHMOND

We are very excited to announce that we are adding to our current restaurant collection. This Autumn we will be opening a new site in Richmond. In Kew, we draw inspiration from the gardens and the botanical offerings. For Richmond, we have started work on our designs which have been influenced by our founder’s daily morning walks in the magnificent Richmond Park. We can assure you that our Master Gardener David will have his hands full to create an elegant and blossoming local hotspot.

ANTIPODEA PUTNEY

This May, we opened our second Antipodea in Putney. The site has been remodelled and renovated to reflect the Australian vibe and sophisticated feel that is at the heart of Antipodea. The piece de resistance is our verdant front terrace, an oasis of olive trees, deck chairs, chaise longues and a large communal table sheltered by an elegant parasol. The day menu is full of our brunch classics, however the transformation has occurred predominantly with our evening service, that now offers our unique and vibrant Antipodean menus alongside superb service and a buzzy nocturnal atmosphere. Visit us at 162-164 Lower Richmond Road, SW15 1LY

INTERNS

This year, we had our first intern join the Brew Café/Antipodea group. All the way from Connecticut, USA, Anna supported our marketing and administration team. Anna was a fantastic addition to the team, helping out with our social media content, organising our office systems and even teaching us one or two things – we now love to Boomerang! We were so delighted having an intern that we have accepted two new ones who started in June: Victoria and Albert. They have been working in our head office, learning all about the ins and outs of the restaurant industry. If you are interested, or know someone who may be interested in joining us as an intern in September, please email office@wellsgroup.co.uk to learn more!

VISIT TO SUPPLIERS

We love to see and learn where our great produce comes from. We enjoy regular staff trips to all of our suppliers.

This past spring, our Master Butcher Salvatore and some of the food and beverage team spent a fantastic day visiting H G Walter, one of our suppliers, pig farms in Surrey. The team not only got to appreciate the farming and technique behind where our pork comes from, but learn more about the breeding process, the origin of the breeds and about the family business behind H G Walter. In August, our founder Jason and Salvatore, will be heading to Milan to visit one of our favourite suppliers Delitalia, who provide all of our Italian ingredients such as beautifully delicate mozzarella, dried Italian herbs and of course: black truffles!

COMPANY NURSERY

Our gardener David, as ever, has been making some exquisite floral creations this year. From spring bulb plant pots to domed bell African Marigolds, our restaurants have looked resplendent with his creations. Whilst ensuring that our restaurants remain beautiful and vibrant with seasonal floristry, David and the gardening team grow many herbs and vegetables in our gardens, perched on some of our restaurant rooftops. Last year we produced enough basil and parsley to stock all of our restaurants through the summer! This year we have started growing cavolo nero and kale alongside our red and yellow tomatoes. We have also started to spot some sneaky British strawberries hatching on our wall gardens – we can guarantee these won’t go unloved!

With the growth of this exciting strand of our business, we have started to pursue locations to house our own nursery. As eating seasonally, locally and unprocessed food is at the heart of our ethos, this next transition is only natural to us.
Here, David and our gardening team will be able to grow not only beautiful flowers, shrubs and saplings, but also quintessential British fruit, vegetables and herbs to add to our dishes.

SUPPORTING LOCALS

At the end of 2016, we opened our first Antipodea in Kew, and we were greeted with warm and welcome hands by Kew Village. As a group, we always endeavour to keep fantastic relationships with the local communities and love being able to offer our support in whatever manner we can.

This year we supported charity fundraisers for a number of local schools such as East Sheen Primary School, Broomfield House School, St Matthews Church of England Primary School and we donated a day of face painting for St Faiths summer school fair! One of our favourite donations this year has been the support we offered for the Kew Riverside Primary School London to Bruges cycling challenge, where we sponsored the lovely team’s cycling tops. To find out more check out our Local Hero, Sabina Mangosi, to find out more about her excellent bike ride and the impacts of the money raised (Page 32).

We are always looking to support and help out local schools, charities and initiatives and would love to hear from you!

BONDI BARBEQUE CLUB

Whether the sun is out or not, we’re here to help you turn your backyards into a sizzling hotspot to rival Bondi Beach. This summer you can order our new customised Bondi Barbeque Club Boxes at any of our Antipodea restaurants.

The concept: a bespoke BBQ box, where customers can select their favourites from a menu of delectable grill items, all butchered in-house, so that they can hit the barbie fully prepared and ready to show off. On offer will be a selection of wines, beers, salads, meats, fresh breads and sauces alongside firelighters and coals (we’ve got you covered!). Check out the special Black Label Box for 4 people with all the very best we have to offer.

MEET THE MAKER MASTERCLASS

This May, we held another one of our legendary butchery masterclasses at our Antipodea in Putney. Our founder Jason and our Master Butcher Salvatore put on a fabulous evening for an intimate group of 20. Over the two-hour masterclass, our guests were shown how to butcher a lamb, expertly sharpen knives, make our secret recipe lavender marinade and how to whip up a fore quarter casserole. For future events watch our social media feeds, website and join our newsletter for updates! Email office@wellsgroup.co.uk to subscribe.