Overlooking the Thames with views of Hammersmith Bridge, Sam’s Riverside has been one of the ‘places to be’ in London since opening in October 2019.  Owner Sam Harrison has previously enjoyed success in Chiswick and Balham before his latest venture at the recently revitalized Riverside Studios.  The brasserie hosts 90 seats in a modern dining room and offers a separate private function space, a comfortable lounge bar for pre-show drinks or light plates with a splendid al-fresco terrace overlooking the river that can accommodate a further 50 guests. 

The brief

• The brasserie was to offer all-day dining so needed to provide a wide and varied menu, making high-performance equipment suitable for intense use a necessity.
• The kitchen was also visible from the dining room, so it was essential that the suite was both beautiful to look at and simple to clean, guaranteeing an impeccable appearance.

The solution

• Nelson Commercial Kitchens had previously collaborated with proprietor Sam Harrison for the construction of other restaurants and had a great understanding of his needs and objectives. 
• In partnership with the Ambach design team, Nelson developed the customer brief from the initial proposal to the final installation, taking care of every detail. Together they specified the Ambach System 850 line, perfect for brasseries thanks to its wide range of high-performance gas and electric equipment.
• System 850 was undoubtedly the most suitable choice also in terms of flexibility, modularity and attention to detail.
• Chef Harvey Trollope collaborated with the culinary director Rowley Leigh in the creation of a modern European-inspired menu, but also influenced the overall kitchen design and equipment.
• Utilising the bespoke electrical MCB and the gas manifold, the installation of the kitchen was straightforward, despite the fact that the suite was over 4m in length and nearly 2m deep.
• Nelson Commercial Kitchens specialist team undertook the connections to all services and carried out rigorous safety checks before handing over the completed kitchen.
• Overall the suite is 4.2 meters long and includes a total of 14 gas and electric appliances, open bases (GN) and a specially designed drop-down element to incorporate two combination ovens at the end of the suite.
• The suite consists of two gas plancha grills, a lava stone grill, an electric pasta cooker, electric ovens, salamander grill, two 2-zone and two 4-zone induction hobs, all incorporated seamlessly into a single one-piece top finish