Opening Week at number eighteen

Wednesday of last week saw number eighteen brasserie really hit the ground running. Starting the day the team photo was on page 2 of the ‘Brecon & Radnor’, along with some choice words to advertise the beginning of this new venture. Before we even opened our doors, we had plenty of bookings streaming in… On the first night, we hit full capacity, and all the team members felt the buzz of a great atmosphere, mirrored by the great feedback from our customers. Having said that, we made some changes yet again before Thursday’s service, and so the cycle continues. Simone gladly stepped in as maitre d’ on Thursday evening for us – we were a little short-staffed, and she did a sterling job! I worried that some of the customers may have thought that she was on the menu…. And Friday night we decided to give the governor a chance to strut his stuff! Steve joined us as maitre d’ for the first time. He successfully managed to sell about 11 bottles of wine to a lovely table of ladies, who then proceeded to sing their way through the evening. Although his ability to upsell is unrivalled at the moment, his smooth moving through the restaurant is still a little unnerving. Based upon the success of his first night, we decided to give him the leading role on Saturday night too. Much more civilised tonight, as the world cup and England’s first game seemed to take over may lives, Steve wasn’t running so much up and down those stairs. Having impressed several lovely ladies with his charm and wit, his working night came to an end, with a number eighteen ‘special’ (a pre-dinner cocktail served here), and once his wife arrived, Steve managed to catapult his glass across the restaurant and down the stairs. It really was a truly spectacular image, that to this moment I still cannot fathom how he managed it. With that, a speedy departure, and our guest maitre d’ was off…. Several larger parties made bookings, and between the copious amounts of fine wine on tables, and the singing customers and team members, a good time was to be had by all. Saturday morning however, a few spanners arrived in the works – Firstly, Steph found herself swimming in oil in the kitchen….. who knew that there was a special tap to empty the fryer?! Then the kitchen printer decided it was an appropriate time to stop printing, right in the middle of lunch!!!! By evening, we thought we’d sussed it all out, redirecting technology here, there and everywhere! However, the night still proved interesting to say the least – front of house had to be on top of their game to make sure the orders actually reached the kitchen. By Sunday though, we were tired, and most of the team were ready for a day off! Having had almost 200 people walk through our doors, we were content knowing our first week had been a success, and though keen for week two to begin, we needed a little nap. However, we hit back again last night, with yet again a full house and an enthusiastic team!! Steve and Sam popped in for a little aperitif, although this time Steve wasn’t allowed to carry the glass anywhere! Full house meant a happy team, and happy customers left us making return visit bookings…. We are looking forward to the rest of our week – with Father’s Day on Sunday, who knows what surprises lay in store…

Preview Week......

This week has flown by us here at number eighteen. Saturday and Sunday were spent unpacking our beautiful new kitchen, cleaning and putting everything in its right place. Countless pairs of hands on deck, and hours of elbow grease have left us with a stunning new open kitchen, on view to the whole restaurant. The beginning of the week saw stress levels peak, but adrenaline took over, and the excitement and buzz of the preview nights caught hold of everyone like a fever! By Tuesday afternoon, we were a little unsure as to whether or not we would have a restaurant to set! There were builders everywhere, tying up loose ends, electricians blowing fuses, plumbers fixing sinks, and an eager, enthusiastic team front of house who couldn’t wait to get stuck in to clean the place up! All in all, it was chaos – bodies everywhere! Nevertheless, despite a little wager placed between Steve and our friend James Suter (who was convinced it wouldn’t come together) the team pushed on to create a beautiful surrounding for our family and friends on Tuesday night. We had a banquet served for our first thirty-six guests and it was a roaring success... although there are plenty of things to be ironed out, it was great to get the whole team working together for the first time.
At the end of the night, there was a sigh of relief, followed by a quick pep-talk to prepare the team for the following day! Wednesday morning was slightly soul destroying to see the beautiful restaurant overrun once again by the building crew, but the team pushed on, and did it once again! Once the skirting boards were cleaned, and windows polished, the tables laid, and the pre-dinner cocktails underway, everyone was set to go and all fired up.
Both of our previews were a great opportunity to run through samples from our menus, and the feedback from our guests has been great! So, onwards and upwards, we’re making some changes, and putting the final touches to our service. The builders are almost done with the snagging, so all things going well, we should be good to go for our first official night of service, on Wednesday 9th June.

Only a few days to go!

'number eighteen brasserie' is coming along in leaps and bounds. The kitchen fabricators are in, and putting our ‘state of the art’ kitchen in its right place. The last few days have been really hectic both in the office, and on site. Last week we had (what seemed to be) endless amounts of equipment delivered. The fridges, the grill, ovens, ice-makers etc, all came piling in. Unfortunately, the building wasn’t quite ready for their arrival, and so this week we’re taking no breaks and it is ‘all hands on deck’ to get this show on the road. Builders, plumbers, electricians, kitchen fitters are all crawling around each other in the bid to meet the final deadline. The chefs are chomping at the bit to get stuck into their new home – the beautiful number eighteen kitchen! Yesterday, they spent the day working through some sample dishes, which were then tasted and commented upon. All we can say is ‘watch this space’, the food is simply delicious. Front of house team spent the day doing role-plays, getting to know each other, and spent a good hour debating the table arrangements. However, it was time well-spent. Decisions have been made, and it’s all beginning to come together now. The office is still as hectic as ever. We are now slightly overrun with the stock arriving in the door – from mop heads, to woks, to wine glasses, and aprons, the place is a circus of products!
Everyone is a bit overwhelmed by the swanky new EPOS system too... no matter what the training manual says about how easy it is to use, we’re all a little afraid of it. No doubt we’ll soon get to grips with the whole thing, and it will be plain-sailing from there on.
And fresh off the press, you are now able to drink at number eighteen! And we have a fine selection of local beers, ales, ciders & Perries for you to choose from, as well as our carefully selected wines from around the world. Check out the website www.black-mountain.co.uk for more information on your choices.

Two weeks to go....

So... we’re two weeks from opening for our full café offering, with the brasserie following suit shortly afterwards. It’s all beginning to really take shape. The floors have gone in on the first floor, and the oak really does complement the exposed stone walls. After a minor hick-up with colours on the stairs, the staircase should be fitted this coming week. The grey glass blocks rippling throughout the building emphasise the element of light and space, which is further complemented by the stainless steel and glass set-up. Michael is leaving us for a short while, so he’s imparting all his worldly wisdom on the rest of the team to keep the show going in his absence. Michael’s wit will not however be missed....there’s always space for a funny guy in the office! Steph is drying the tea-towels, and wondering what life has come to. Lisa’s getting excited with the stationary cupboard – numbered dividers are a gift! And Steph is fighting to keep the colour co-ordinated ones..... do we sound like a bunch of caged monkeys yet?! Steve is out of the office, so all is well on the home front – when the cat’s away the mice will play! Simone is skiving this afternoon – fed up of envelope stuffing, and stamp-licking, she’s kicked back to relax with the kids. Lisa is venturing towards 20th century technology and exploring the possibility of the ‘laminator’! Things are heating up in the office... deadlines to be met, builders to haggle with, electricians to track down, and plumbers to get the ball rolling.... All in all a very productive day at number eighteen – hopefully we’ll make it to work on time tomorrow!

We are expanding the highly successful number eighteen café in Crickhowell Powys with a 100 cover, state of the art modern, brasserie offering local, seasonal and where possible organic food, opening June 2010.

The Brasserie will celebrate the very best locally sourced, seasonal vegetables and meat products with the emphasis on provenance. This includes how the food is prepared and served as the kitchen is open to the public dining areas.

The Brasserie wil be about great taste and keeping 'fussing with food' to a minimum. Hopefully our new menu refelcts this. Served up in modern, comfortable and environmentally friendly surroundings.

We intend to open 7 days a week!