The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has unveiled a new-look for its flagship Gateway Restaurant, following a month-long refurbishment.
The restaurant, which is operated by event and catering specialists Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, has been upgraded with a new layout, flooring, bar and reception area. Planters and floral screens have been introduced to bring a flavour of the outdoors inside, as well as providing flexible room dividers for special events.
On the venue’s decked terrace, an all-weather kitchen has been installed specifically for weddings and events, with chefs able to create BBQ feasts, home-made stone-baked pizzas and an array of street-food style cuisine.
The refurbishment is part of Sodexo’s commitment to enhance the customer experience and ensure the new menu reflects the best local ingredients available, including home-grown salad, herbs and vegetables cultivated at the Botanics by the company’s in-house gardener.
Fraser Sharp, General Manager for Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events at the Botanics, said, “We’re really proud of our new look and have already had positive feedback from visitors. We’ve introduced a more versatile restaurant layout offering diners a spacious yet private environment, which will also benefit our guests at private evening events.
“Our seasonal spring menu features an enhanced range of delicious breakfast and lunch dishes, that make the most of the wonderful ingredients grown in our on-site Market Garden. We’ve also extended our drinks range by adding indulgent iced teas and blended coffee coolers. As we move into Summer, these will be perfect for visitors to enjoy while taking in the views of the Garden from our decked terrace.”
Head of Public Engagement at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Dr Ian Edwards added, “Our visitors experience of a day out at the Botanics is enhanced by being able to enjoy a variety of different catering options, including new al fresco dining provided by an outdoor kitchen.
'Many of our visitors come from overseas and are impressed with Sodexo’s commitment to buying local, Scottish produce and using vegetables grown right here in the Garden. It is an added bonus if they then decide to visit our Edible Gardening Project and even have a go at growing their own on the return home.”