Chef Patron Aaron Ashmore, a MasterChef Semi-Finalist (2012), honed his craft in several Michelin-starred London restaurants under renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett. Alongside his wife, Angelika, Aaron opened his first restaurant in 2019, fulfilling his lifelong dream of running his own kitchen.

Flair Bistro

Redefining Affordable Fine Dining

CASE STUDY

A Kitchen for a MasterChef Semi-Finalist

Chef Patron Aaron Ashmore, a MasterChef Semi-Finalist (2012), honed his craft in several Michelin-starred London restaurants under renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett. Alongside his wife, Angelika, Aaron opened his first restaurant in 2019, fulfilling his lifelong dream of running his own kitchen.

Chef Aaron took over Penny’s Place Cottage Café in Coningsby, opening Puccini’s, an Italian restaurant offering simple yet flavourful dishes in a relaxed and welcoming setting. Over time, he built a loyal following and a reputation for honest, high-quality cooking.

In 2023, Aaron began hosting fine dining evenings featuring carefully crafted tasting menus that reflected his growing ambition and creativity. The success of these events inspired a complete refurbishment and rebrand, evolving the restaurant into Flair Bistro, a modern bistro offering greater menu freedom and delivering the essence of fine dining without the premium price.

To bring this new vision to life, Aaron partnered with KCM Catering Equipment to redesign and modernise his kitchen, improving workflow, efficiency, and ensuring the right equipment supported his refined culinary direction.

A Kitchen Designed for Culinary Passion

KCM began by assessing the existing kitchen setup, which used LPG and had an outdated extraction system. A detailed site survey identified key improvements required to bring the installation in line with current ventilation and gas safety standards, ensuring both compliance and performance.

The refurbishment began with the removal of redundant equipment and outdated fixtures, clearing the space for a more efficient configuration. A new intake fan was installed to improve airflow, supported by an upgraded interlock system and electrical modifications tailored to the new layout. A new LPG float was added to optimise gas delivery, and the entire system was tested and certified by KCM engineers before new equipment was installed.

The updated kitchen featured a Blue Seal convection oven, Roller Grill twin-tank fryer, and Lincat griddle and boiling top, offering greater flexibility during service. Bespoke stainless steel fabrication created streamlined prep areas that maximised usable workspace, complemented by Stirling Pro counter refrigeration units to ensure easy access and temperature control. Once installation and testing were complete, KCM handed the kitchen back to Chef Aaron, ready for the grand reopening of Flair Bistro.

The transformation provided Chef Aaron with a kitchen that supported his creative standards — effificient, functional, and built to handle the demands of fine dining in a relaxed, bistro environment. The redesigned layout improved workflow, enhanced safety, and supported the seamless delivery of high-quality dishes across a flexible menu.

Just want to say a huge thanks to KCM and the team for being reliable, quick, friendly and efficient. No problem is too big or small and always happy to help. Answered all my questions with great communication throughout the whole process as well as months after installation!!

Aaron Ashmore, Director & Head Chef – Flair Bistro
Aaron aimed to enhance the dining experience by designing a more refined, ergonomic space. Every detail was carefully considered. The result is a well-balanced layout that offers both flexibility and flow, perfectly bringing his vision for a more sophisticated atmosphere to life

Steve Shepherd, Project Sales – KCM

Flair Bistro Project Gallery

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