A new-build restaurant in central Birmingham approached us to supply the front-of-house and back-of-house surfaces for a demanding hospitality environment. Counters take a relentless beating — hot pans, spilled wine, constant wiping — so the specification had to prioritise resilience without looking clinical.
We fabricated twelve counters from Imperial Brown, a deep chocolate quartz shot through with copper and cream veining. Rather than the usual polish, every top was given a leathered finish: a low-sheen texture that is warm to the touch, hides fingerprints and water marks, and gives the room the tactile, characterful feel the designers were chasing.
The main service bar was built as a single 4.4m run with a 40mm double-mitred front edge to read as a heavy, monolithic slab, while the dining ledges were kept at 20mm to feel refined. Behind the pass, the same slab was used for the kitchen prep surfaces so the material story stays consistent from the guest's side through to the chefs.
Imperial Brown was chosen because dark natural stones like it in marble would etch and stain under red wine and acidic sauces within weeks. Engineered quartz gives the restaurant the drama of a dark bar top with the non-porous, food-safe performance that a commercial kitchen legally and practically requires.