The historic Simpsons-in-the-Strand restaurant, part of the Savoy group, reopened its doors this week after a complete refurbishment, (its first since 1903). The restaurant is one of the oldest in England, an institution of all that is British. It was a favourite haunt of Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill among other esteemed patrons.
The refurbishment needed to be sympathetic to the historical importance of the restaurant. It is thought that the carving trolley was invented at Simpsons as a way of serving chess players their dinner without interruping their game. Heritage Collection lovingly restored the restaurants carving trolleys as part of the overall refurbishment project, creating two lovely trolleys from the best bits salvaged from seven original trolleys.
Martin McDonagh, owner of Heritage, commented on the work:
“The trolleys needed to retain their authenticity, however they were using heating techniques from 100 years ago. We refurbished the old silverware & installed a new heating solution, adding gas burners to ensure the trolleys were compliant with current health & safety requirements. To make the old brass wheels fit for modern day purpose, we had to get a North-sea oil company to bond rubber to the original wheels!”
Martin presented the restaurant with a special set of steak carving knives, created exclusively by Heritage Collection as a gift in recognition of the long-standing relationship between the two businesses.
Thanks to the trolleys restoration, Roast meats can now continue to be carved at patron’s tables, just as they were in Victorian times. The carvery trolleys will remain a feature, creating a dramatic yet practical way of adding a touch of theatre to a high-end dining experience for years to come.
Heritage prides itself on the high-quality tableware products it designs & manufactures. View the full story on our blog.
