The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 6: Winter 2017/18 | Page 16

INDIE BUSINESS Meet the team behind Framptons Situated in The Empire building on Grand Parade is the newly opened Framptons, offering a cafe, bar and all-day dining. We met with Ed McAdam to find out more about the venue and why he and his partners have invested in Bath. How long have you all (the partners) known each other? Tom, Sam and I have all known each other for just over seven years, having first met whilst serving together in the British Army, Parachute Regiment. What made you leave the army and head into the hospitality industry? We are all proud of our combined 21 years’ experience in the army, giving us the skills and discipline to pursue our new venture. We left for personal and professional reasons, but ultimately had a hunger to set off on our own. Hospitality seemed the right fit, given we all enjoy working with people and food. We want to create places where people can enjoy a wide variety of locally-sourced products, all served with a welcome smile. Why did you invest in Bath? In the military, we spent time in and around Bath, and it’s such a great and historic city. When we were lucky enough to come across the site on the Grand Parade, with a fantastic view overlooking the weir and Bath Recreational Rugby Ground, we knew we wanted Framptons to join this thriving community of local independent eateries. Framptons owners Sam Westlake, Ed McAdam and Tom Walker made with seasonal ingredients from Arthur David Greengrocers. You have three premises at present, are there plans to expand in the future? We are keen to grow and are always on the look-out for new opportunities and interesting sites, but for the immediate future, we are focused on delivering great service and supporting our three existing Framptons sites and teams. Do you all have specific roles in the business? We do, but like any small business, we often overlap and we always try to support each other. This helps us to get a better understanding of the entire business and provide different perspectives to solve certain challenges. What are your aspirations for the brand? We want to build a business that will always provide a warm and genuine welcome, in a uniquely-designed building, where we serve an exciting range of the best, locally-sourced produce. No site will ever be the same, but they will all have this shared goal. As we grow, we are also passionate about working with young people in care and education, and building our team as individuals. Working with local and artisan producers is important to you, who does all the sourcing? What products can we enjoy at the Bath Framptons? We all have a real passion for the quality of produce that comes in and out of our kitchen, and all three of us are always on the look-out for new and exciting suppliers. Our fantastic chefs, who put together the delicious menus at Framptons, will also seek out the best local ingredients. At Framptons Bath, some of our favourites are the Venison Loin from the award-winning Larkhall Butchers and our Vegetable Soup What can we look forward to in the coming months? We’ve recently launched a new seasonal winter menu, and will be offering a special Christmas Party Menu including lots of festive dishes. And keep an eye out for us at the Bath Christmas Market this year! What is your offering for the corporate marketplace? We can offer corporate teams in Bath a great venue for a range of events-from breakfast to dinner events, the launch of new brands and products, as well as networking events and guest speakers. Of course, we’re also taking Christmas party bookings. So far, we have been really pleased to host Bath RFC for some of their Leadership Workshops and team meetings. What has been your biggest success so far? We recently had a great team meeting with all three sites coming together for the first time to celebrate all we have achieved in the past year. We have been very lucky to build fantastic Framptons teams who are key to building our business. @FramptonsBath For more info: www.framptonsbar.co.uk Have you discovered the CONFERENCING C ONFER & MEETING ING SPACES SPAC at the NSBRC 3 Excellent location 3 Flexible meeting spaces with 3 Irresistible customer service 3 Unique & inspiring venue with 3 FREE Wi-Fi (Just off Junction 16 of M4 with plenty of FREE parking) a real ‘WOW’ factor 16 NSBRC_Bus_Ex_Quarter_Page_Ad_Conferencing.indd 1 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017 latest media equipment Conferencing & Business Services Contact us: 01793 847400 (Option 4) | [email protected] 14/07/2017 14:56:51