Completed ahead of schedule the new state-of-the-art kitchen at Grassington House hotel is up and running, transforming the working environment for the kitchen team and impressing the AA inspector on his anonymous visit just days after its re-opening.
Masterchef and owner John Rudden is amazed at the difference. “The kitchen is now cooler than the restaurant”, he says “I even felt a bit cold this week!”
The specialist cooking equipment using induction technology in the kitchen heats up instantly and cools equally quickly with none of the heat build-up generally associated with commercial kitchens, also delivering an energy saving of up to 50{afd41c4ab3623e68baffe29f6190c4c16e77cb65ef9a747ad10afe8b083b250d}.
The massive refurbishment suits the team members responsible for keeping the kitchen clean too as the curved hygiene-friendly edges all round mean there are no gaps under cookers or work areas.
During the 12 day kitchen renovation John and the team operated a ‘pop-up’ kitchen in the dining room, attracting an enthusiastic audience embracing the opportunity to watch the team in action. Back behind closed doors the team are getting used to the new equipment. With the larger working space available, they are looking forward to working alongside guest chefs from near and far this year who will be coming to visit and showcase some of the world’s finest cuisine as part of the hotel’s 2015 events programme.
The unexpected AA overnight inspection coincided with a busy evening in the restaurant booked out with the annual dinner of local thespians Grassington Players. The team passed with flying colours, maintaining their two rosettes for food and five stars for accommodation. Susan Rudden is delighted with the result;, saying “The inspector gave complimentary feedback on the new kitchen, service, and colourful luxurious décor throughout our splendid building. It was all positive which really puts us on a high as we look forward to an exciting year”.