Case study: Serving up savings at Gold Notting Hill

Let’s dive into a customer success story. This time, in the world of fine dining.

Recently named one of Secret London’s top must-visit restaurants, Gold is a modern European eatery and late-night bar. From nettle tagliatelle to sea bream roasted on an open fire, the stylish restaurant in Notting Hill is all about produce-led cooking, shared between friends. A true foodie hotspot. Yum.

As one of our early-stage supporters, Gold has enjoyed the benefits of RED™ for more than a year. So, why did they choose tem (again and again) — and, how have those savings empowered the business to grow?

The context: commercial kitchens

A study published in the International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies illustrates the steep and complex running costs for the catering sector. Refrigeration: 70 kWh per day. Grills? 37 kWh. Combination ovens, 35 kWh. You get the idea. The UK Carbon Trust and the Chartered Institute for Building Services (CIBSE) estimate that restaurants use around 7200 million kWh per year.

Of course, restaurants, like many British businesses, are doing their bit to try to reduce their consumption. Many owners take steps like replacing bulbs with LEDs, insulating their dining spaces, investing in more efficient cooking equipment, or using recycled materials. But they’re doing all this against a backdrop of rising, and often volatile energy prices.

Food is fuel, and to power the nation, kitchens need energy they can afford.

Gold’s challenge: rising cost

“Our energy costs had become unpredictable. We were constantly trying to budget around fluctuating bills with no real clarity on what was driving the changes. It felt like we were paying more than we should, but there was no transparency to challenge it. For a hospitality business like ours, where margins are tight and consistency matters, that lack of control was frustrating.”

At the height of the energy crisis three years ago, ONS surveys found food and drink service businesses were more likely than any other industry to cut trading by at least two days a week because of unmanageable energy bills.

Gold, like everyone in the sector, was feeling the squeeze of skyrocketing bills. Not willing to pass those costs on to the customer or to cut trading when they were trying to build momentum, they looked for an alternative solution.

Enter: RED™

RED™ connects businesses straight to renewable generators, cutting out the middlemen, hidden fees and confusing contracts. With RED™, every unit of energy is traceable so value always goes back to the customer.

tem is not your standard utility. In fact, we’re not a utility. We’re a new kind of infrastructure that’s taking on Big Energy. Which is why we were able to offer the Gold team highly competitive rates, with full transparency on where that energy is coming from:

“Straightforward and honest, tem came in and showed us exactly how the energy system works, where the inefficiencies are, and how we could do things differently. There was no jargon or sales fluff. Just proof. They were able to give us visibility we’d never had before, direct access to renewably generated power, and a fairer deal on the table.”

Total clarity and a growing business

“We're putting the savings to work where it matters. With energy sorted, we can focus on building the Gold brand and serving high-quality dishes to our customers.”

Gold is investing in world-class ingredients, staff wages and building a thriving business. It’s our pleasure to support such a high-calibre restaurant on its journey.

A raised glass from tem to Gold: keep on shining.