The Bracebridge restaurant owners vow to make changes as costs and access slammed
A restaurant in Sutton Coldfield with one of the most enviable views in Birmingham has vowed to make changes to its offer and surroundings in a bid to boost trade. The Bracebridge in Sutton Park sits next to a picturesque lake of the same name and came under new ownership earlier this year. It was recently also hit by a break-in.
The venue was bought by the Open Restaurants Group, with Sam and Emma Morgan running it alongside award-winning chef, Andrew Sheridan. Now, seven months since opening in February, changes are set to be made to make the eatery sustainable for the future.
This will involve streamlining the menus, from separate main and terrace ones ‘with a focus on social and sharing-style dining’. The venue also said it had an eye-watering £1 million plus staffing bill which ‘couldn’t be sustained’.
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The Bracebridge owners posted: “At the time of purchase, we had some insight into what went wrong, and we’ve been addressing those issues. Staffing costs, for instance, payroll are significant. Well in excess of £1 million a year, this simply couldn’t be sustained.
“These costs over time would have only increased due to rising salaries within the sector. This has led to an impact on margins, which are traditionally very small.
“Even before recent inflation pressures, many successful sites were operating on margins below 10 per cent. These economic shifts have pushed many businesses into a loss-making position.” So wage or job cuts look on the cards.
An advantage of being set in the middle of the park, and its idyllic scenery, is also a downside. The site’s poor connectivity limits the use of advanced technology ‘making it harder to streamline operations’.
The venue’s owners said they had looked at the success of its other sites – which are all mentioned in the Michelin restaurant guide, like 8 By Andrew Sheridan, which transferred from Birmingham to Liverpool last April and also holds three AA Rosettes. And Black & Green, in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, just south of Birmingham.
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It said: “As a result, we considered a split model for inside and outside service, although this wasn’t our usual approach. Each site comes with its own unique challenges.
“However, across our wider group, we’ve seen that our core success is built on delivering high-level service and quality food. Therefore, we acknowledge that the Bracebridge now needs to move closer to that identity.”
“From October 1st, we’ll be making some changes. The site will operate under a single menu, with a focus on social and sharing-style dining.
“The terrace will move to a full-service model for dining guests. Guests can still book the terrace for drinks, ordering through a QR system or with a team member. We’re also improving our booking system to enhance the customer experience.”
As well as menu and staff changes, one of the issues facing diners occurs before they even get there. Pot-holed access roads within the Sutton Coldfield beauty spot, where motorists have to slalom their way along narrow strips of tarmac, which have not been properly resurfaced in years.
The issues occur whether you venture to The Bracebridge via Blackroot Road and Hartopp Gate, near the millionaires’ Four Oaks Estate or via Four Oaks Road and Four Oaks Gate. Despite the park and its roads being the responsibility of Birmingham City Council, the restaurant’s owners want to bring about changes as it impacts their customers.
And not just the strip by their restaurant or the car park, but way back nearly a mile to Four Oaks Gate – including the Royal Sutton Fun Run’s infamous ‘Cardiac Hill’.
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The Bracebridge’s owners said: “The road into the park is in poor condition. While it isn’t our responsibility to repair it, we want to help the local authority find a solution, as it affects our guests.
“We’ve approached a local company to resurface the road from Four Oaks Gate to the Bracebridge, pending local authority approval. Once accepted, we will share further plans.” Sam Morgan from owners of Open Restaurants Group added: "We have the backing of a large local firm who will relay it and we will cover the cost of material and they cover the labour, we just need the council to say yes."
Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council leader and Four Oaks representative, where the restaurant sits, said: "The roads whether you come in at Four Oaks Road or Hartopp are very, very poor. if the park was put into a trust it would enable it to raise millions of pounds and have a proper maintenance programme instead of this constant patching.
"The guys running the Bracebridge, have a few outlets but are a small owner-managed business. They are paying business rates and rent. Fair play to them, but their paying doesn't seem right. Birmingham makes warm noises about it but it would be great to see some action."
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BirminghamLive put the state of the roads to the city council and it has said it would be ‘happy to discuss’ the restaurant’s offer and also said it was awaiting a sign-off on cash to repair parts of Sutton Park.
Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “There are many miles of tarmac roads within Sutton and other Birmingham parks and up-keep is a challenge with diminishing funding. We therefore have to prioritise areas where there are health and safety issues and we have a rolling programme of repairs on an annual basis.
“We are however awaiting approval on repair funds specifically for Sutton Park. We would of course be happy to discuss a potential way forward with the restaurant owners.”