Premier Hospitality South West

Hubbox makes the shortlist

Hubbox Truro
Written by Roma Publications

Hubbox Truro

Described as having one of the world’s ‘coolest restaurant interiors’ and located within a former Wesleyan Chapel, the recently completed Hubbox Truro has been shortlisted in the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’ “Restaurant or Bar in a Heritage Building” (UK) category.

Located in Kenwyn Street, within a 19th century Grade II Listed former Wesleyan chapel, the venue not only won praise from the Guardian who described it as one of the world’s “coolest restaurant interiors,” but has also been featured in the Gestalten latest book ‘Let’s go out again.’

Hubbox Truro is shortlisted along with restaurants and bars in exceptional locations around Britain including GBK (Glasgow), George’s Fish & Chip Kitchen (Nottingham), Pennethorne’s (London), Pitcher & Piano (Nottingham), Stanley’s (Liverpool), and WC (London).

Hubbox Truro

Running since 2008, the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards are the only awards in the world dedicated to the design of food and beverage spaces, covering every imaginable space, from ships to airports, museums to burger vans, and from revered Michelin-starred establishments to the fleeting dynamism of pop-ups.

Judges this year comprise include: Yannick Alleno, Jason Atherton, Wolfgang Becker, Marcus Wareing, and Andres Rodriguez, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and Forbes Spain editor in chief, as well as restaurant critics, hoteliers, architects and designers.

The 2015 Awards ceremony will be held in London on October 1st, 2015.

Light, spacious and airy, colourful and quirky, with a design that makes the most of the former chapel’s stunning high ceilinged interior, Hubbox Truro was designed by multidisciplinary design agency Meor, Design, based in St Ives, Cornwall. Fit out contractors for the project were Gekko Designs.

Hubbox Truro

The restaurant’s move to Kenwyn Street was prompted by the fact that it had outgrown it’s original home in a specially converted 30 foot shipping container, because demand from customers was so great that the owners had to find a bigger, more permanent location.

Meor offered interior inspiration and design, interior graphics, wheat paste posters, hanging light box signage, and cinema style menu boards, along with interior mural and booth paintings by David Shillinglaw.

Nik Read of Meor said: “Hubbox is our most ambitious project to date. We were involved in bringing the brand to life from its roots as a pop-up restaurant, creating everything from the brand identity to the art direction of the interior. We don’t ever use an idea twice, we try to be as unique as possible for each project.

Hubbox Truro

“We worked very closely with the client as the design process evolved organically. This is something that can be difficult for trades, but we were on hand to ensure decisions were made quickly.

“The outcome is a unique statement for the brand’s flagship restaurant.

“The client understands the value of design and gave us a lot of freedom to experiment with ideas as well as take risks. Hubbox is now fast becoming a major contender in the casual dining market in the South West. Ultimately, that’s the kind of client we want to be working with.”

In addition to being shortlisted for the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, Hubbox Truro has already won Best Burger Joint 2015, What’s on Cornwall Awards and was the Overall Winner for 2015 in the Casual Dining National Burger Awards. It is also featured in the Huffington Post’s Top 10 places to eat out in Cornwall this summer, and Casual Dining Magazine’s Casual Dining Industry 100 2015.

Hubbox Truro

The food at Hubbox is inspired by American street food, which Executive Chef Alex Towill fell in love with whilst working and living in New York. Award-winning handmade burgers, gourmet hot dogs, pulled pork, and beef brisket – in the Hubbox’s own smoker – along with dishes such as the Mack Daddy, a crispy Cornish mackerel burger with shredded beetroot and horseradish mayo.

 

Meor Design

Specialising in restaurant and bar branding, Meor Design has been operating for around five years, growing organically and building relationships with clients in Cornwal,l as well as nationally.

Being in Cornwall, the practice is surrounded by a vibrant food scene and have been working with a myriad of restaurants and bars on everything from brand identity to signage and interior design.

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Roma Publications