Caterer Harbour & Jones wins Cutty Sark contract

The Cutty Sark has been closed to the public since November 2006, while it undergoes the conservation project to bring it back to its former glory. Harbour & Jones' new café will offer visitors British treats using ingredients that reflect the heritage of the ship. The caterer aims to differentiate The Cutty Sark café from the local coffee shop scene by creating a unique tea drinker's menu featuring varieties of the aromatic brew. Biscuits and cakes will also be on offer, with old-fashioned favourites like treacle tarts, Eccles cakes, Bath buns, Banbury puffs and Harbour & Jones' fruit cake. Nathan Jones, director of Harbour & Jones, said: "It's a real honour to have been awarded this contract by Cutty Sark Enterprises and we're looking forward to designing a menu that tells a story, and which throws the spotlight on tea and cake and plays on the unique nautical features of this iconic attraction. "We'll remain particularly true to the Cutty Sark's legacy as a merchant tea vessel and we will be creating a café underneath the ship, two external kiosks and an attractive events and parties offering on board the ship." On completion of the Cutty Sark conservation project, a completely new experience will be on offer. Raising the ship over three metres above the current position not only helps preserve the shape, but will also present visitors with the ability to walk under a three-masted sailing ship. Julia Parker, operations manager, said: "Harbour & Jones stood right out from the crowd during our detailed tender. Their reputation for service and their incredible creativity with food is exactly the positioning we want to achieve at The Cutty Sark. During the day the ship will be a focus for learning, an exciting day out for the family, a revived and rejuvenated ship ready to welcome back old friends and impress new visitors. "At night it will take on a truly enchanted atmosphere, making it a unique venue for all manner of community events and functions. Corporate visitors will be able to entertain their clients at an exciting new venue and London will have an impressive new location for hire for parties, wedding receptions and other events." Cutty Sark has survived for nearly 140 years, braving storms and overcoming the tragic fire in 2007.