The restaurant at Dudley Zoological Gardens (DZG) has opened its doors under new management and with a new name – The Oak Kitchen at the Queen Mary – after multi-award winning caterer Amadeus took the reins earlier this month.
With a new look, feel and menu based on Amadeus’ Oak Kitchen retail concept that was launched by the caterer last year, the restaurant has been designed to reflect a traditional British kitchen and uses quality British ingredients, freshly prepared.
Working within the constraints of a Grade II listed building Amadeus worked closely with Atlantic Shopfitting to ensure that the restaurant reflected The Oak Kitchen concept whilst following the stringent guidelines.
The restaurant, which seats 165 people, was refurbished over a three week period. As part of the refurbishment, DZG and Amadeus invested more than £150,000 in the restaurant, including a major makeover of the kitchens, which now operate at the same high standard that is expected of and delivered by Amadeus across all of its venues and events.
The front of house was also refitted, in order to improve the customer flow around the restaurant; now enabling a dual flow rather than a single flow of customers through the tills. A brand new fast coffee takeaway service was also installed in the restaurant to further increase the number and speed of customer transactions.
In line with The Oak Kitchen concept, Amadeus has introduced a number of British favourites to the restaurant’s menu, including; the Brummie Balti and the popular Black Country dish, Faggots with Mash and Peas.
Dudley Zoological Gardens (DZG)
DZG is unique . . . a zoo with hundreds of animals set around an 11th century castle incorporating the world’s largest single collection of Tecton buildings and the country’s only vintage chairlift – all sited on a 40-acre wooded hillside with a rich geological history.