A Northamptonshire hospitality company is hoping to beef up business with an extension of its discerning dishes featuring premium produce from a supplier with a royal seal of approval.
Greedy Gordons announced it is expanding its current collaboration with Aubrey Allen, which is renowned as a leading supplier of ethically sourced, naturally produced meat and is known nationwide as the chef’s butcher as five times winner of the Chef’s Choice Butcher award.
Leading lights from the hospitality industry, including chefs Heston Blumenthal and Raymond Blanc OBE utilise produce from Aubrey Allen, a third-generation family business which holds a prestigious Royal Warrant.
Richard Gordon, Director of Greedy Gordons, which has a portfolio of award-winning pubs and venues in the county, said: “We are delighted to announce we are expanding our offering of dishes featuring premium products supplied by Aubrey Allen, their steaks are second to none and they are industry-wide renowned as holders of a Royal Warrant.
“The quality of the meat is exceptional and we are thrilled to be increasing our dishes featuring Aubrey Allen produce across all our menus at The Snooty Fox in Lowick and The Red Lion in Cranford to further showcase their incredible products.”
The Greedy Gordons team has also been busy preparing for the launch of its highly anticipated Fat Crab and Cocktails outdoor restaurant located at The Red Lion.
Richard said: “Our new Fat Crab and Cocktails has officially launched at The Red Lion and we’re very excited about bringing this latest up and coming food trend to Northamptonshire for the first time. There will be fantastic seafood options which will be matched with some unique cocktails, some of which will include oyster and caviar and others will feature lobster or crab claws.
“The idea is for everyone, including families, to come and enjoy our outside dining area and (hopefully) the great British summer weather. We also have a big focus on food pairing with the Bloody Mary menu we’ve curated to complement it all, so it is the perfect opportunity to come and enjoy spectacular seafood. It’s an incredible, immersive dining experience.”
The latest business developments at Greedy Gordons come as Richard has recently returned from a trip to the House of Commons with business partner Sonya Harvey. The pair travelled to London in a bid to lobby MPs about the current crisis facing the hospitality industry.
The award-winning licensees have been campaigning to raise awareness about the issues facing the sector, calling time on policies predicted to lead to 80% of pubs across the UK being deemed ‘non-viable’.
Together, alongside industry publicans, they appealed to Members of Parliament, highlighting how hospitality will be decimated by the government’s policies, which will negatively impact the industry.
Richard, who runs award-winning pubs including The Red Lion, The Snooty Fox and The Pig & Waffle in Grafton Underwood, is a campaigning champion for the hospitality sector and collectively he and Sonya have over 50 years of industry experience.
As a member of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) he has warned that many pubs across the county and nationwide will be severely impacted unless politicians make a U-turn. Planned policies are predicted to see the hospitality sector hit with an estimated £3.4bn price hike due to the increase in National Minimum Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions.
Richard and Sonya are among business leaders calling for the government to delay the reduction in the employer National Insurance contributions threshold and urged politicians to provide the maximum possible discount to businesses in the industry in relation to business rates reform. The pair were selected to lobby MPs after being announced as Punch Pub company award-winners.
Richard said: “The industry is in dire straits right now. As our pub The Red Lion was awarded the Publican of the Year accolade recently, Sonya and I were invited to join our partners at the Punch Pub company to make the recent visit to the House of Commons, where all the major brewers were in attendance. It was an opportunity to speak to the numerous MPs who attended question and answer sessions throughout the day, and it gave us all the chance to stand up for the hospitality industry.
“We told them about our plight and had a voice for the day. In support of what the British Institute of Innkeeping have been calling for, we urged the government to suspend the proposed National Insurance contribution increases, called for confirmation of continued business rates relief at the 75% level until comprehensive reform is delivered and sought the reduction of the overall tax burden on pubs with a priority on lower VAT for all pub sales.
“It’s causing sleepless nights; it is really tough and although we are busy, it is so hard right now.”
Richard highlighted how the ‘burden’ of VAT, tax, PAYE and minimum wage requirements, alongside business rates rising, will all take its toll on the industry.
He added: “It was humbling to be asked to represent over 2,000 Punch Pubs, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent and stand up for everybody within the hospitality industry – it was incredible.”
Bookings for the Fat Crab and Cocktails outdoor dining restaurant at The Red Lion are available Wednesday to Sunday every week.
For more information, visit their website.
