Harden’s, the renowned 30-year-old restaurant guide, announced a new service today, with the soft launch of Harden’s Platinum: a new membership scheme providing restaurants and luxury suppliers the opportunity to connect with Harden’s 40,000 strong list of high-spending diner members, via exclusive member benefits.
The service will be free to restaurants and brands: the costs of the club will be recouped from subscriptions by Harden’s Platinum members. For inclusion as a partner, Harden’s are working with the best restaurants in the UK, as judged by its Annual National Diners Poll, with initial sign-ups focused at the luxury end of the market.
Numerous early sign-ups include Michelin-starred establishments and fine dining restaurants, such as Pied a´ Terre, Northcote and Mosimann’s. Luxury food, wine & travel brands are also taking part in the Club, with famous suppliers such as Exmoor Caviar, Forman & Field and HG Walter amongst early sign-ups.
With the demand for restaurant quality produce at home growing due to ongoing lock-down restrictions, this element, alongside the participation of restaurant partners who provide delivery services, means that club members can enjoy luxury food and wine at home during the festive season, wherever they are.
Exclusive benefits will be accessed by club members through Harden’s website or app, and include special menus, complimentary welcome drinks, exclusive access, percentages off the total bill (subject to a minimum spend), and much more. The Club is also receiving the support of the much-accoladed English Sparkling Wine, Gusbourne, who have supported restaurants stocking Gusbourne by the glass to incorporate a complimentary glass into their Harden’s Platinum Club offer.
As part of the scheme, restaurant partners have a high degree of flexibility to choose whatever benefit they wish to take part, so long as it offers value to diners. The aim is to reward top quality customers, and some of the incentives received by diners only kick-in once they have reached a certain level of spend.
Harden’s Co-founder Peter Harden said, “The COVID-19 crisis has hit guides just as it has everyone in the hospitality industry. But I have every faith that the industry will survive, and bounce back stronger than ever, as it always has.
'We founded our restaurant guide 30 years ago, right in the thick of the early 1990s recession, and yet the industry went on to see the greatest boom ever seen at the time.
'At times like this, you have to innovate, and our new Platinum Membership creates a new way for quality diners to discover, and rediscover, the UK’s best restaurants. We are delighted already to be partnered on this initiative with some of the very top names in the UK, and our hope is that Harden’s Platinum Club will provide them with a high value stream of custom over the months and years to come.”
