In one of our central London restaurants, we recently held a lunchtime theatre-style Thai curry cookery showcase, as well as installing a smoothie bike for customers to make their own smoothie.

Our executive chef, Pete Redman, cooked a green thai curry for customers over lunch, whilst diners were invited to ride the smoothie bike to make their very own lassi or berry smoothies! The stationary bike is fitted with a blender that spins as you pedal and proved to be a unique, fun and entertaining attraction. As well as promoting healthy eating, the smoothie bike is a fun way to pass on a sustainability message.

We also gave away tasting samples of the curry, so that customers might try it before buying it in the restaurant. The event was a great success, with crowds around for the entire two hour lunch period, and we received great feedback from all. It allowed us to interact with our customers and we came away with some fantastic new ideas!

The days when contract caterers could reside behind their counters are long gone; we recognize that face-to-face interaction with our customers is the way forward. As an independent contract caterer, we have the flexibility and agility to create tailored pop-up events like this. These events allow us to find out, first hand, what our customers want, so we can refine and improve our service.

With the success of theatrical styles of cooking (the chain ‘Benihana’ is a great example) and the rise of the ‘open kitchen’, it is becoming clear that customers don’t just want to be fed, they want to be entertained as well. Look out for more entertaining events in the bartlett mitchell calendar!

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My earliest food memories are of my mum’s baking; coconut pyramid cakes were my favourite.

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