Of all the places you’d expect to find quality food being served, a museum would probably be bottom of the list. But as recent visitors to Bradford’s National Media Museum have discovered, the staff at the museum’s Intermission Cafe is working hard to provide even the most discerning of food critics with a meal worth talking about.
In a bid to attract more customers, the cafe was revamped seven months ago by catering company Elior UK, and so far the new layout and updated menu have done just that. Last weekend, the cafe served over 2,000 hungry visitors who attended the museum’s Moshi Monster’s Weekend exhibition. The cafe’s manager John Kirwan, 33, cites the eatery’s ‘unique location’ and ‘locally sourced ingredients’ as reasons for its success, and says: “We share a passion for food with our customers and I think that’s why people keep coming back.”
The eating hall’s lush pastel green walls and chrome furnishings give the cafe an upmarket appearance, an impression which is further supported by the fresh food on offer. As customers leave the sprawling salad bar, their plates are stacked high with glistening lettuce, generous portions of potato salad and a feta cheese, green bean and baby tomato side dish which looks stunning. Samantha Burrows, 32, is just one of the satisfied customers eating at the cafe. Polishing off her dinner of jacket potato and chilli con carne, she says: “It’s lovely and tasty. And the chilli isn’t too hot. It’s just how I like it.”
As a member of the museum’s Front of House staff, Joan Butler, 67, has had a firsthand view of the cafe’s evolution from typical museum coffee shop to fine dining venue. She says: “I think it’s brilliant; wonderful. It’s top quality food and I’m not just saying that because I work here. I’d eat here even if I didn’t.”
There is an air of approval as customers leave the cafe. And the smiling faces belong to patrons of all ages. Groups of giggling teenage girls mingle with silver-haired pensioners enjoying the OAP Morning while couples with children stroll through the cafe, take seats and consult menus. It’s a pleasant atmosphere. Donna Wilby, 28, who has worked at the Intermission Cafe for just over a year, says: “We get quite a mix of ages. People feel relaxed here.”
That ‘relaxed’ atmosphere might have something to do with how spaciousness the cafe is, or maybe it’s the quirky black and white movies that are projected onto the far wall, but it’s more likely that the cafe staff is responsible for the tranquil ambience. For the last two years running, the team has won the prestigious World Class Customer Service award. Beaming, John Kirwan says: “It’s an achievement that we’re proud of it”
Former Coronation Street actress Angela Crow, a veteran to the National Media Museum, comes here often to watch a film and have a bite to eat (today she’s enjoying an Italian tart with mint and feta cheese) and she is impressed with the cafe’s progression: “The lunch here has improved enormously. There’s plenty of choice and now they cater for vegetarians too. I often pop in and have something to eat. It’s good to see that something is flourishing,” she says.
But you can’t please everyone. Tony Cutts, 71, has worked at the Media Museum for 56 years as a projectionist. Passing through the corridor of the recently installed 306 seat Pictureville theatre, he sighs: “I’m just on my way to the cafe for my lunch now. The food is okay, but it’s too pricey; London prices.”
In reality, the cafe has had very few complaints since its relaunch, and although some might consider the prices expensive, Joan Butler thinks that it is ‘reasonable for what you get’. She argues: “You’d pay those kinds of prices in a proper restaurant and the food is up to that standard. Everywhere is pricey nowadays.”
And the proof is in the pudding. Although the cafe closes at five o’clock, its staff was asked to cater for the opening of the museum’s new, city-view function room on floor five for Valentine’s Day. Customers were served a three course meal and a bottle of wine, and were treated to a screening of Hollywood classic Casablanca. Donna Wilby says: “It was a big success. A lot of couples came and all of them enjoyed the food we served.”
The Nation Media Museum is renowned for its photo galleries, IMAX cinema and vast collection of media history, but from the reaction of customers and staff members, it seems to have a new talking point – the revitalised Intermission Cafe.
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