01 Sep 2003 - 30 Jun 2004
Inn the Park
St James's Park

William Weston, Chief Executive of The Royal Parks is proud to announce the building of a new restaurant within the grounds of St James's Park. The restaurant, with an interior by Tom Dixon OBE, creative director of Habitat, will be developed and run by Oliver Peyton's restaurant group Gruppo within a structure which has been designed by Glyndebourne Opera House architect Sir Michael Hopkins of Hopkins Architects.

The restaurant, named Inn The Park, will be situated west of Horse Guards Parade on the site of the old 1960's Cake House restaurant, with its spectacular views of the lake and 1828 Nash designed landscape park. The elegant contemporary building is being built under a gently sloping, grassy mound, allowing an uninterrupted view of the lake from The Mall.

In making his announcement William Weston said:

"This is our first major opportunity to change the standard of our catering to reflect the best of modern British cooking. People will be coming for the food as much as for the beautiful surroundings. What's more the new 'eco-chic' building reflects The Royal Parks' commitment to the environment and great design".

Explaining his concept for the restaurant, Oliver Peyton added:
"Inn The Park will be a relaxed British caf� that evolves into a restaurant in the evenings. We will be using the best suppliers in the land and in doing so will showcase British produce to the world. Combining quality and value for money, Inn The Park will bring another dimension to peoples' enjoyment of this beautiful park".

Designer Tom Dixon chose Inn The Park as his first interiors project for the following reasons:
"I wanted to work with Oliver Peyton as he is the most adventurous restaurateur in the UK at the moment. He's prepared to challenge the status quo and wants to make things better. This is a unique project, the first time that I can think of that cutting edge, superior food, challenging contemporary architecture and new innovative design, have been done in a public park".

Inn The Park is scheduled to open in Spring 2004.

Press Enquiries:
Sarah Canet
+44 20 7291 6215
sarah@sarahcanet.com
www.innthepark.com (under construction)

or

Royal Parks Press Office
+44 20 7298 2128
press@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk
www.royalparks.gov.uk

Editor's notes:
The Royal Parks

Millions of Londoners and tourists visit the eight Royal Parks for free each year. The 5,000 acres of carefully conserved historic parkland provide unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of the capital. The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Regent's Park (with Primrose Hill), Richmond Park and St James's Park.

St James's Park
St James's Park was acquired by Henry VIII in 1532 and is the oldest Royal Park in central London. Situated at the heart of the capital, amidst the hubbub of the city, it provides a picturesque retreat for tourists, local people and office workers alike. St James's is also the most popular Royal Park with approximately 16 million visitors every year, who are drawn to its classical English park landscape surrounded by the spectacular backdrop of Buckingham Palace and Whitehall.

Tom Dixon

Artist impressions of Inn The Park by Tom Dixon are available for publication.
Contact: Sarah Canet on +44 20 7291 6215 or sarah@sarahcanet.com

Press contact for Tom Dixon, OBE:
Michaela Skelly on +44 020 7792 5335 or michaela@tomdixon.net

Gruppo

Gruppo is the restaurant group owned by Oliver Peyton. Gruppo also owns the following London restaurants:
The Atlantic Bar & Grill on Glasshouse Street;
Mash on Great Portland Street;
Isola in Knightsbridge

Source:
Joint