Furnace Kitchen wins major award

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum’s Furnace Kitchen has scooped a major award. The restaurant – run by celebrity chef Marcus Bean  - took the honour for best change of use for an existing building in the West Midlands at the Local Authority Building Control’s Building Excellence Awards.

The award recognises the transformation of the kitchen site from a disused building into a flourishing restaurant and judges praised the outstanding construction and workmanship.

The restaurant, which opened in July 2019, is located within the former long warehouse of the historic Coalbrookdale Company, where railway wagons were loaded with their products. It has been designed to blend sympathetically with the historic site with open brick work, exposed concrete and wood and also features tiles from nearby Jackfield Tile Museum.

Marcus Bean said: “This is tremendous news for everyone involved with the project to transform this building and create a destination restaurant at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge.

”I was involved in the design and creation right from the beginning, working closely with our architects Osbornes in Worcestershire. We always wanted to create a space that complemented the existing building, using local trades and our in-house building team to deliver our vision.

“The feedback we have received for the way the building has been brought back to life has been tremendous, and this award is the icing on the cake. We are thrilled to have been so successful.”

Pictured: Marcus Bean