Bill's Produce to take over Zilli Fish and Café sites in London's Soho

04-Apr-2012 - Last updated on 14-Sep-2024 at 11:46 GMT

Bill's Produce has taken over the site on Brewer Street, formerly occupied by Aldo Zilli's Zilli Fish and Zilli Cafe businesses

Bill's Produce, the Richard Caring-backed café, restaurant and store group is to open a third site in London, on the former Zilli Fish and Zilli Café site in Soho.

The new site on Brewer Street will bring the number of restaurants operating under the Bill's name to eight. The company, run by the same people as French bistro concept Cote, is due to open its seventh site in May in Exeter.

Yesterday chef and restaurateur Aldo Zilli told the Evening Standard he had decided to close the doors forever to his fish restaurant Zilli Fish and its neighbouring café after more than 15 years of trade. He blamed increasing rents and the growing number of restaurant chains entering the area for his decision.

The move means the chef no longer operates any restaurants in the capital - his vegetarian restaurant Zilli Green closed in 2011 with the site on Dean Street being taken over by Ducksoup.

Zilli continues to operate Zilli Cafés at four Center Parcs and continues to have collaborations with Prezzo and Morrisons.

Bill's Produce, founded by Bill Collison in 2001, started expansion from its original sites in Brighton and Lewes in 2008 after Cote Restaurants bought a majority stake in it.

The company, which opened its latest site in Islington earlier this year, secured the deal for the new London site through Davis Coffer Lyons.