The largest project category at last night’s CEDA Grand Prix Awards was won by Advantage Catering Equipment.
The Design Project Over £500,000 trophy was given for the Unita Quattro scheme at Elwick Place, Ashford.
Advantage was charged with taking this 4 year old steel frame and concrete empty unit situated below a new cinema complex through to a completed restaurant.
The restaurant had to be a family friendly destination but also suitable for friends and working colleagues to meet and enjoy the fresh pasta and pizza, all made from scratch on site.
It further had to have a large bar area where future plans are to provide mixology lessons to the public and a front of house pasta-making workshop where fresh pasta and Italian breads are to be made for use in the restaurant and lessons given.
Ample cold storage facilities, working areas and appliances back of house had to be provided as there are longer term plans to develop a fresh pasta delivery service locally and maybe by mail order.
Advantage was given a blank canvass and was responsible for all elements of the design and build to take this space from concrete shell to a fully functioning business and beyond.
Throughout the project there was always a friendly atmosphere, the client knew all the staff on a first name basis and the staff always felt valued by the client.
Gary Bourne, development consultant at Stanhope said: “As Development Director of the Elwick Place Phase 1 project, I was on site and led many of the meetings with the Advantage team and I was incredibly impressed by the quality of their fit out work and how they moved all the projects forward at the same time. I found them easy to work with, prompt and extremely reliable. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again.”
The other shortlisted project in this category was Space Group’s Battersea Cats and Dogs Home café.
