Heritage Portfolio and V&A Dundee – An appetite for design

When we won the tender process to be the sole caterer at V&A Dundee the museum was a twinkle in architect Kengo Kuma’s eye.  Fast forward a couple of years and here it is, the building that is set to transform Dundee into a global design city. 

Working in partnership with V&A Dundee has been more akin to working with family.  Both brand ethos’, energy and enthusiasm have been completely aligned.  From the first time we met the team behind this magnificent building we knew that collectively we were going to create something spectacular.

Creating the restaurant and café has been a dream come true for our chefs, retail team and Heritage Portfolio as a whole.  We are foodies to the core and to be given a blank canvas to create exciting and unique concepts really get our juices flowing.  The guidelines for the café and restaurant were in line with the building as a whole – to create ‘A Living Room for the city’.  A place where everyone is welcome.

Tatha Bar & Kitchen has been created as a relaxed, informal, sociable dining offer.  From brunch to lunch to dinner and everything in between there is something for any time and any occasion.  With fresh pastries and scones baked onsite everyday there is the option to enjoy a coffee and cake at 11.30am as you enjoy views over the River Tay and then as night falls you can enjoy a delicious sharing platter, tapas style selector or hearty main dish for dinner.  Currently the restaurant is open until late Thursday – Sunday where the separate entrance allows for Tatha to be a destination in its own right and allows for diners to enjoy drinks at the bar or on the open terrace before or after a delicious dinner.  Tatha will also be creating exclusive dining events so watch this space!

Chefs Brian, Paul and Lizzie had a vision when creating the menus for both Tatha and the downstairs café – they wanted to use as many local suppliers as possible, to create an offer which appealed to everyone and in true Heritage Portfolio style, challenged the palate.  They took traditional Scottish fare and gave it contemporary twist, they borrowed international flavours to spice up a dish and created an entire offering that would delight both the locals and tourists alike.  At Heritage Portfolio we are known for combining flavours that shouldn’t work but do, mixing sweet and savoury to surprise the palate and providing our guests with an foodie experience that they won’t forget.

From Dundee Gin & Marmalade cured Perthshire smoked salmon to the Puddledub sausage in the Open Burrito, the local provenance is clear to see.  Couple these fresh, seasonal and local ingredients with the delicious flavours and creativity of our chefs and you have a menu that will entice, enthuse and surprise our guests.  We have been careful to ensure that we cater for allergies and intolerances with some of our dishes being prepared with gluten free products and many others that can be adapted to meet requirements. 

As a company we operate ‘scratch kitchens’ which means that all of our food is made from scratch onsite where possible.  This means that we can ensure that we use only fresh ingredients and can adapt dishes to our guests’ preferences.  Our evolving menu will change seasonally and our cakes, soups, salads and sandwiches in the café change daily.

V&A Dundee has fantastic spaces which can cater for events from large receptions and dinners to intimate meetings. Our sales team is excited to showcase what is on offer in a venue that certainly ticks many boxes – location, accessibility, facilities, utilities, catering and areas with varying capacities.

We are proud to be a part of V&A Dundee family and are delighted to be a part of the journey that the Museum and Dundee as a city are going on as the redevelopment of the waterfront continues.

To speak to a member of our sales team about hiring the venue please email katy@heritageportfolio.co.uk

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