New look for the Old Cottage in Cardiff – sneak preview ahead of Saturday’s reopening

Food and drink lovers in Cardiff can’t wait for the re-opening of the Old Cottage this Saturday.  The Need to See IT team caught up with Marc Richardson, General Manager and Emma Bassitt, Interior Designer at JMDA Interiors, for some insights and a sneak preview of the ‘mood board’ that inspired the restaurant’s new look and menu.

Marc Richardson, General Manager at The Old Cottage, was on hand to answer our questions about what we can expect when the restaurant re-opens.  He explains:

“The building dates back to the 1780s but it only became a pub around 1990, when it was converted from two cottages.  The Old Cottage has always been well-loved, a premium pub with a country feel just outside the hustle and bustle of the city centre. We’re lucky to have a great outside space for al fresco dining, which will also be shown some love during the remodel.”

“Without giving too much away, we’ve searched high and low for the right interior design and can say with confidence that the new look will wow our customers. With tones of earthy green and warm browns we’ve managed to maintain a country-feel while adding in a luxurious and eclectic feel.”

The restaurant has also kept customers up to date with their sneak previews on social media, and the new menus are live on the website – the re-opening is already creating a buzz:

Mark says the feedback from existing customers and staff has been very positive so far:

“We’ve lucky to have very loyal customers, who were extremely excited to hear about our relaunch when we announced it. Since we closed our doors we’ve posted a few sneak peeks on our social media, mainly of the food that’s to come with the new menu, and we’ve received a great response across our channels. I think people are looking forward to trying something new and seeing what the new and improved look will be.”

“Hospitality has recruitment challenges at the moment, but we are lucky and have a great team.  We focus on finding and recruiting people with the right attitudes and mindsets, rather than focusing on experience. We have also been very lucky with our locals and other staff members sending people in who are looking for work.  We are all excited and can’t wait to welcome guests again!”

We also caught up with Emma Bassitt, Interior Designer at JMDA Interiors, who explained how local landscapes had inspired the design for the makeover.  Emma explains:

“We took a lot of inspiration from the nature reserve in Lisvane, and as we wanted something that would give the building a new lease of life, whilst being sympathetic to it’s period features, a natural approach felt like the perfect fit.”

“We’ve been fortunate – design is definitely challenging at the moment. As with any industry right now stock levels and delivery times are unpredictable, but in a stroke of luck we seem to have managed to get everything we wanted on this job!”

Emma can’t wait to see customers enjoy the experience when they return.  She says:

“I am really proud of this one, it’s been lovely to restore an older building to its former glory, whilst injecting a bit of fun and colour along the way. The atmosphere has been completely altered with lighting, colour and luxurious textures. If I’ve done my job right, I would like to think that it will feel like a completely new dining experience to the old one!”

The restaurant re-opens this Saturday – you can book your table here: https://www.oldcottagecardiff.co.uk/tablebooking