Comedy and music venue Komedia Bath has added to its collection of food accolades by winning silver in the 2012 Taste of the West Awards and retaining its Soil Association gold catering standard.
The venue, which celebrates its fourth anniversary this week, became the first of its kind in 2009 by offering freshly-cooked organic, local and seasonal, initially through a two-year partnership with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage.
After setting up the catering operation, River Cottage handed the operation and its team of chefs to Komedia’s manag
ement early last year.
The venue subsequently became one of only seven restaurants in the UK to gain the Soil Associations gold catering mark – a scheme that monitors all food at competing venues before awarding gold silver and bronze standards.
These are based on menus being freshly prepared and containing no artificial additives, with the vast majority of the ingredients being local and seasonal and all suppliers achieving a minimum level in farm standards.
Taste of the West judges dined incognito at the venue, rating the menu’s breadth, food provenance, freshness and overall quality of the food offer before awarding it silver in the Dining Pub category.
Komedia Bath was also judged on its VIP ticket offer which comprises a three-course meal with dining in a separate part of the venue.
Komedia Bath director Richard Daws said: “Our initial partnership with River Cottage blew away a few myths that comedy customers don’t care what they eat. We got incredible feedback from audiences and have continued to offer the highest standard of food possible. The result is that the majority of our customers dine with us, with our VIP three-course dining tickets selling out every week, which speaks volumes.”
To celebrate winning the awards, Komedia Bath will launch a Christmas three-course menu in December made up mainly of produce from Taste of the West gold award-winning regional suppliers.
Komedia Bath’s Krater Comedy Club offers dining tickets every Saturday including the three-course VIP ticket. The Taste of the West menu will be offered during its Christmas events including Krater Comedy Club, Ministry of Burlesque and Elvis.
The venue, which opened in 2008 following a £1m restoration of the former Beau Nash cinema, also won the Chortle Award for Best Venue in the West and Wales in 2010 and 2012.
