BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE CORINTHIA Q&A WITH RICHARD BRENDON

Ahead of Richard's TV appearance in Channel 4's documentary Britain’s Most Luxurious Hotels, we sat down together to talk about finding inspiration in lockdown, our #raiseyourglass campaign, and champagne trollies. Just the usual then! 

We are incredibly excited for you to catch a behind the scenes glimpse at our latest collaboration with The Corinthia London and for you to see exactly how we elevate the everyday with our glass and tableware.

Catch Richard in Channel 4’s Britain's Most Luxurious Hotels on Sunday 6/6/21 at 8pm BST. 

 

Firstly, it’s been a year for the books. What are your takeaways?

It’s been a really challenging 12 months in so many ways and it’s unbelievably sad to see what the pandemic has done to the hospitality industry.

Having said this, I continue to be amazed by the hospitality industry and its resilience, creativity, generosity and ability to adapt. From home delivery meals to supporting key workers and the homeless, to transforming restaurants into solely outdoor dining venues, it’s been really quite impressive to watch. 

My main takeaways from the last year are; don’t panic, adapt and make the best of a bad situation. Fortunately for us our online sales have been strong and we hit pause on a few projects, which gave us time to think and adapt our plans. I certainly think our business is stronger for it. 

Can you share some ways you had to adapt as a designer and businessman?

As a designer, I didn’t really need to adapt, per se. One of the silver linings of the pandemic for me was I actually had a bit of time and headspace to get creative and start designing new collections in April and May last year when business came close to a stand still.

We also decided to launch our new collection of cocktail glasses sooner than we had originally planned because it seemed particularly relevant given people are drinking cocktails at home more than they usually would. 

As a businessman I had to learn fast and make quick decisions. In late March I furloughed a lot of my team, which is probably one of the toughest business decisions I’ve ever had to make. Fortunately, the furlough scheme was very well suited to what happened to our sales as our revenue plummeted last April.

Slowly but surely however it crept back up to pre-pandemic levels by the end of last year and I had my team back and working full time by November. Adapting the business to remote working was relatively straight forward, however doing everything over video call isn’t ideal.

We certainly all want to be back in the office, albeit not every day as we used to be. I think the right balance for a lot of businesses will be 2 or 3 days in the office and the rest remote. 

Can you share a little about the #raiseyourglass campaign that you ran, and the positives you saw from it?

The #RaiseYourGlass campaign was our way of supporting the people and businesses within the UK Hospitality and Drinks industries, who were under a tremendous amount of pressure as a result of the pandemic.

Throughout the whole of September, we offered 10% of all off our collections online and sent this 10% straight to Hospitality Action and The Drinks Trust, two brilliant charities who do a phenomenal job of supporting these industries.

We honestly didn’t know how it would go as we’re only a small brand, but with the help of our partners and loyal customer base we were able to spread the word about the initiative, and ended up raising over £1.5k, which of course we’re thrilled about!

It was really important for us to do our bit to support our hospitality partners throughout such a difficult time.

Were there any other responses from the industry that you found inspiring?

So many! I love DrinksDrop and I think what they have done to bring cocktails to our homes form the best mixologists in London and Manchester is genius. Invisible chips by Hospitality Action was also great: I really enjoyed watching all of the videos of top chefs preparing their very own invisible chips.

Also, hotels and restaurants preparing meals for key workers and those in need was incredibly heart-warming!

Were there any unexpected silver linings for you in 2020?

Slowing down and having a chance to think; it was nice to have time to re-formulate plans. I’ve also enjoyed finding a better balance between coming into the office and remote working, I think the reality is we need a mix of both.

Spending more time at home with my wife. Not having to travel!

Have you experienced the afternoon tea at Corinthia London yourself yet, and if yes what was your favourite part? (your china aside!)

YES - the whole thing! I particularly love the champagne trolley, and the pianist who can play literally any song on request.

I have quite a savoury tooth and the sandwiches are to die for, lots of clever twists on classics, plus champagne goes better with savoury dishes! 

Can you share a little about the traditional process that goes into making your china?

We are incredibly proud to support the British ceramics industry by working closely with our team of expert craftspeople in Stoke-on-Trent. Every one of our bone china has been handmade using traditional techniques such as slip casting, fettling and decorating.

Indeed, every piece has passed through several pairs of hands before arriving at your table!

Where are you finding inspiration these days?

It’s hard because usually I find inspiration in the V&A and antique markets, so a lot of my research and inspiration has to come from online, but it’s not the same.

I can’t wait for museums and galleries to reopen! 

What’s your biggest hope for Richard Brendon Studios for the rest of 2021?

That people love our new collection and that we achieve our goals, which my team are working so hard to achieve!