2021 Highlights
As Featured in Cambridge Edition
In their second instalment, the team behind local communications agency, KUCO, look back on their highlights of 2021.
A year of surprises.
Through a tough year for the hospitality sector, we’ve been privileged to witness the most inspiring resilience from local businesses. Downright grit and determination has meant our local food and drink scene has continued to rise, as business owners hunkered down and refocussed their business models towards long term success.
It’s been a year of constant shift, making new connections and forging ahead. As a company we’ve been called up to work the local angle for international hotel launches and been approached by national brands looking to expand into the city and wanting to link to the Cambridge community.
Here are just a few local success stories from KUCO’s year gone by…
The Wine Rooms on Hills Road launched as a destination wine shop with a modern paired menu earlier this year. This bright glimmer opposite the Botanic Gardens continues to inspire us with their weekly tastings, seasonal food and passion for all things wine.
The Wine Rooms, Cambridge
Meanwhile The Old Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon continued to shine, awarded ‘Best Value Wine List in Europe’ in the World of Fine Wine Magazine awards. This worthy accolade is certainly no surprise to regular diners, with Master of Wine John Hoskins at the helm. His commitment to quality, coupled with staff training and development, holds the key to his 25 years’ success.
Set on a hilltop in Bourn, PAUS. (pronounced ‘pause’) has risen again this year. Re-opening in October with a vastly expanded site, this bathing and breathing space is fast becoming a flagship destination in the region. Their secluded lakeside sauna and 1000m of sensory offer the perfect opportunity to refocus and find balance in 2022, and far beyond.
PAUS
As public appetite for in-person events grew, experiential activation took centre stage. The city’s most popular experience (as rated by Tripadvisor!) Cambridge Gin Lab, took to the river, partnering with Rutherford’s to launch their branded Punt. In this most quintessentially Cambridge collaboration, sunny gin tasting sessions morphed into steaming ‘HotTails’ trips, as colder climes took hold.
Cambridge Gin Laboratory
Stir, Histon
2022 in focus
So what’s next? In the spirit of striving and moving forwards, what do the KUCO team think is on the horizon for the coming year.
With the industry in the grips of staffing crisis we see a real shift in 2022. The drive to recruit and retain skilled staff is already leading to higher wages and improved training. Could this be the renaissance of careers in hospitality? As we emerge from the pandemic, prices will rise but so will standards. KUCO see a new wave of owner-operated businesses opening and thriving in Cambridge in 2022.
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