Gee Charman (former chef at Kensington Palace and right-hand woman of celebrity chefs including The Hairy Bikers, Simon Rimmer and Gordon Ramsay), Sophie Michell (executive chef of Pont St. at Belgraves hotel), Jo Pratt (best-selling author of 'In the mood for food') and Caroline Mi Li Artiss (one of the first chefs to be discovered on YouTube) will launch The Gorgeous Kitchen - a new contemporary restaurant at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal in June 2014.
Specialising in beautiful global cuisine made utilizing British-grown produce, The Gorgeous Kitchen will be a welcome addition to the airport dining scene and will serve quick, wholesome and seasonal dishes throughout the day in a warm and enchanting space.
The menus that have been created by Gee, Sophie, Jo and Caroline effortlessly blend their culinary talents and champion their united aim to serve flavoursome and satisfying dishes to suit every type of guest. From Sweetcorn & coriander fritters served with sweet chilli cream cheese and king prawns to Maple & bourbon glazed pork belly with ‘Waldorf’ salad and chorizo toad-in-the-hole, the menu is fresh, imaginative and will be ever enticing to the most frequent of flyers. In addition to an a la carte offering, The Gorgeous Kitchen’s ‘Express’ menu coupled with spectacular speed of service, will allow even the most time-pressed of travellers to enjoy a meal within 15 minutes. The restaurant will also serve a ‘gorgeous’ afternoon tea for travellers seeking a quintessential British treat.
Describing this as one of their most exciting projects to date, Gee, Sophie, Jo and Caroline have said:
'We’re overjoyed to be flying the flag for Britain on such an international platform. For us, The Gorgeous Kitchen is about delivering honest flavours with quality produce and great British hospitality in a warm and approachable environment. Essentially it’s a business lounge for non-business travellers, without the exclusivity and with real feel-good food. We want Heathrow’s passengers to feel like their holiday has just begun.'
Muriel Zingraff-Shariff, Heathrow’s Retail Director:
'As the UK’s hub airport we have a unique opportunity to provide an international platform for local talent. I am delighted to welcome an all-female line up to Terminal 2 with a restaurant that showcases the best of British cuisine in a terminal that honours Queen Elizabeth II.'
Gorgeous by name and by character, the Gorgeous Kitchen’s interior bridges contemporary elegance with classic influences from Europe’s warm and atmospheric café-restaurants, and is a sincere reflection of the four chefs’ personalities created alongside HMSHost International - the world’s leading creator of dining experiences for travel venues. With an open theatre kitchen, counter dining, banquette seating and sweeping airfield views to match the subtle halo lighting and textured interior palette that is lifted with copper accents, the 120-cover restaurant will be a sanctuary for Terminal 2’s departing passengers, inviting business men and women, families and solo travellers alike to escape ahead of their getaway.
Walter Seib, Chief Executive Officer of HMSHost International:
'The Gorgeous Kitchen was born from a vision to provide travellers with a quality restaurant and something never before-seen. I am thrilled that we are able to bring together the culinary expertise of four incredible local chefs to create this one-of-a kind full service destination restaurant in Heathrow’s new Terminal 2.'
The new Terminal 2 is the latest phase of the ten-year, £11 billion transformation of Heathrow. Opening its doors on 4th June 2014, this new terminal will eventually serve the 20 million passengers a year travelling with 23 Star Alliance airlines, as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic Little Red and germanwings airlines.
Heathrow
Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal, phase one, is a £2.5bn development built in the centre of the world’s busiest international airport. Each unit at Terminal 2 received an average of five proposals, surpassing the tender process for Terminal 5. One of the largest privately funded construction projects in the UK supporting 35,000 jobs across the country, Terminal 2 will have 67 outlets in total including shops, bars and restaurants. An average of 55,000 passengers will arrive and depart from the Terminal daily once in full operation. The old Terminal 2 opened in 1955, shut after 54 years of service in 2009. Heathrow has been named ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ four times in a row at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, independently voted for by passengers (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013).
HMSHost
HMSHost is a global leader in creating dining experiences for travel venues, and is part of Autogrill Group, the world’s leading provider of F&B and retail services for people on the move. Operating in more than 100 airports around the globe, including 15 European airports, and the 20 busiest airports in North America, the company has annual sales in excess of $2.5 billion, and employs more than 34,000 sales associates worldwide. Visit www.hmshost.com for more information
