South West

Are you ready to have your taste buds rocked?

Rock Restaurant- Westbourne, Dorset

Relatively new to the market, Rock Restaurants have recently celebrated the opening of their third restaurant in Westbourne, Dorset.

There are now two venues in Dorset and one in London – all offering modern British food in charming surroundings, without all the ‘pomp and ceremony’ that fine dining sometimes brings. The new venue in Westbourne is set in a grand 19th century Methodist church which has been redeveloped to create a historic yet contemporary setting for diners to enjoy.

In 2010 the church underwent a redevelopment which saw Tesco Express installed on the ground floor and in autumn 2012 the idea to convert the first floor space into a restaurant was put into motion. Hollington Architects took on the project and planned and designed the interior layout of Rock Westbourne.

Senior Designer, Tom Hollington, said of Westbourne:

“We wanted to keep the restaurant in step with the age of the church – I therefore sourced a lot of reclaimed materials.

“We used oak panelling from a reclamation yard for the bar counter and we also managed to reclaim a timber floor. One impressive feature of the Westbourne venue is the back bar fixture, we took an old Edwardian library from a stately home and converted it into a handsome drinks display.

“These materials of course complimented the already ornate interior of the church, the centrepiece of which is a magnificent stained glass window.

“A few contemporary twists were also added, with some contemporary wallpaper designs used.”

Rock Restaurant- Westbourne, Dorset

The designs are complimented by the gentle sounds exuding from the live pianist who overlooks the restaurant and bar from the balcony. The restaurant also has a large external garden, where restaurateurs can choose to eat and also relax in the warmth of the sunken fire-pit.

Uniquely, the restaurant has also got a bit of an Olympic legacy to it as the garden is quilted in reclaimed Astroturf from the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In terms of the menu, Rock Restaurants offer only seasonal locally sourced ingredients from small family suppliers. Rock pride themselves on supporting the local economy and they strongly believe in the point that ‘sustainability comes before profitability.’

To match the grandiose surroundings of their restaurants and the fresh local ingredients, Rock Restaurants also boasts a stellar line up of chefs. Michelin Star trained Nigel Atkins is the Executive Chef of Rock Restaurants, whilst the head chefs of the venues across Dorset and London have all had extensive experience at the highest levels.

In addition to providing good food and great surroundings, Rock Restaurants with the opening of ten rooms at their Wimborne venue are expanding into the hotel market. Restaurateurs are now able to let a sumptuous meal go down in the comfort of an individually styled and beautifully furnished bedroom.

To get an impression of the dishes on offer and what you can expect at a Rock Restaurant then visit www.rockrestaurants.co.uk.

Rock Restaurant- Westbourne, Dorset

Blu Decor Ltd

Blu Decor Ltd is a decorating contractor providing specialist services for the hotel and leisure industry. The company has more than 20 years experience in the trade and in this time has worked on many prestigious projects, with many high profile contractors.

Blu Decor Ltd regularly works alongside HC Contractors on a number of projects, including De Vere hotels and Hall & Woodhouse and recently, Blu Decor Ltd provided decorating services on the £2.5 million East Coast Hotel project.

Working on Rock Restaurants’ sites Blu Decor Ltd provides an extensive array of decorating services, including paper hanging, graining, painting and marbling, amongst others.

Blu Decor Ltd Company Director, Eddy Conroy, said:

“Rock Restaurants is a fledgling company, so it is great for Blu Decor Ltd to be involved with the brand at this very important stage of their development. We enjoy working alongside Rock Restaurants as they continue to grow and we will provide important maintenance services for the brand when required.”

Eddy added:

“At Blu Decor Ltd we are most proud of our ability to complete our work on time and to a very high standard.”

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Roma Publications