Athanor Studio Frantzén, Harrods
SHW-Design has a relationship with Harrods that goes back nearly twenty years, and it has been particularly active with the iconic London store during the past five to six years. So, when Harrods was looking to completely redesign it’s 5th floor restaurant, it turned to SHW-Design for help.
SHW-Design were presented with a layout for the kitchen by Harrods but based on his extensive knowledge and expertise, SHW-Design managing director, Gareth Sefton, decided that the most appropriate way forward was to meet with Harrods, Grande Cuisine, and the incoming Michelin starred chef Björn Frantzén, in order to make sure that the design was appropriate to Frantzén’s style of cooking, the menu, and the requirements of Harrods itself. This meeting was followed by a fact finding trip to Frantzén’s restaurant in Stockholm. ‘The trip to Stockholm was really enlightening because it very soon became apparent that there were a number of ways in which the proposed design of the new cook suite could be improved to make it more appropriate to the way that Björn and his team like to work, and how they cook,’ says Gareth. ‘It actually transpired that the way they thought the suite was being used to cook at the restaurant, especially in terms of direct and indirect cooking, was nothing like how it was actually being used. This was an important discovery because the original design for the new suite at Harrods was based on this perception. So, believe it or not, we pretty much redesigned the suite on a piece of paper right there and then whilst sat in the restaurant. Had we gone with the original plan of the suite there is a fair chance that the design wouldn’t have worked.’
‘Wherever possible we always like to start by talking to the chef about their menu and what they think they need in their suite. We do this not because we think we know better than them, but because we want to open their eyes to the choices they have, some of which they may not be aware of. For us, the key is giving the chef the confidence that what we are going to build will not only allow them to deliver the current menu, but also the ability to adapt in the future, without changing the cook suite. So, for example, at Frantzén we reduced the amount of induction and put in more Plaques. Why? Because you can only use induction with pans, whereas you can use a Plaque for both pan and direct cooking, you can even put a grill plate on it for charring. There is flexibility built in. If the menu changes and the chef wants to do less pan cooking, and more direct cooking, they can, without changing the components in front of them.
If you have an induction only suite then you are stuck with pans forever. And the use of induction has implications elsewhere too. For example, because it involves the use of pans, it puts extra pressure on the pot wash.
Bearing all this in mind, it comes as no surprise to find that the Athanor suite at Frantzén has an extremely flexible combination of cooking surfaces including two double Plaques, three radiants, two induction hobs, and a single Plaque, along with three insulated ice wells, and a twin tank fryer. ‘We try to promote the use of Plaques because they’re more flexible,’ says Gareth. ‘During the morning they can be used for mis-en-place and then, during service, they can be cleaned down and used for either pan or direct cooking. The temperature through a Plaque is more stable and, if you’ve got a quad, or two twin units, and set them to slightly different temperatures, the chef can set them up to act much like a solid top with four different temperature zones.’
The Athanor suite at Frantzén’s is an excellent example of what can be achieved when the desired process is followed and the chef, consultant, and manufacturer, collaborate closely on all aspects of the design. This is crucial, because the most important factor is getting the right components in the right location: they aren’t going to move!
