The Brief

Mallow Wood Wharf is the newest addition to the popular plant-based Mallow restaurant group. Already a well-known foodie destination in London’s Borough Market, Mallow is the latest venture from the team behind the more established eatery Mildred’s, which has been serving high-end plant-based food since 1988.

Set in the bustling heart of Canary Wharf, Mallow Wood Wharf sets out to offer a superior, casually elegant dining experience, taking the restaurant brand up a gear to the local audience of business executives and high flyers. With a launch date set for the end of June 2023, the Mallow Wood Wharf team reached out to ecsec for help with navigating the complexities of their restaurant fit out.

What we did

Various elements of the fit out required an expert hand and there were a number of challenges that we needed to help the client navigate. 

Strict regulations
From deliveries to external and internal works, for this location all actions required permits, so understanding Canary Wharf's intricate rules and restrictions was our starting point. 

We leveraged our established relationships to smoothly acquire all the necessary documentation, taking a methodical approach to ensure everything from timely deliveries to construction work was streamlined to meet our 14-week goal.

Unique design features
This restaurant was designed to be eye-catching, with really beautiful bespoke features,  including a hand-painted ceiling by a scenic artist, a bespoke curved staircase, and cappuccino bamboo tiles complemented by brass trims. Whilst creating a beautiful aesthetic, this all added some complexity, so we collaborated closely with skilled artists and designers to craft and install these standout features and put design at the heart of the project.

Material challenges 
In particular, the cork wall cladding, imported from Poland, was delicate and therefore brittle, so needed special attention. It also required additional fire-retardant treatment to meet the UK’s class O fire regulations. By placing early orders and making sure the right treatments were used, we were able to deliver a result that was both fire-safe and aesthetically pleasing. 

Structural modifications
The bespoke heli-rolled steel staircase required expertise that isn’t readily found within the UK, resulting in a considerable manufacturing lead time which we needed to be conscious of to avoid a manufacturing bottleneck.

The client’s vision also required significant alterations to the ground floor slab of the building, including adding steel to reinforce the slab and the creation of a secondary structural wall, which would take the building through a significant transformation beyond the design elements. 

We introduced structural enhancements to the ground floor, with the addition of a reinforced wall and supplementary steel supports. Plus, the new staircase was accommodated without any structural hiccups.

Conclusion

Fast forward 14 weeks, and our dedicated team had completed the restaurant fit out and brought the client’s impressive design vision to life. Mallow Wood Wharf was set for its June 2023 debut. Offering a perfect combination of wonderful food with a top notch dining experience, this new opening promises to be a beloved addition to Canary Wharf's vibrant dining scene. 

Get in touch

To find out more about our restaurant fit out services, get in touch to arrange an initial consultation.