Although some chefs, such as Raymond Blanc and Bruno Loubet a predicting a less meat-focused menu as the way forward, this year will see existing and new steak concepts open their doors in the capital and further afield.
This month sees the opening of FlatIron, a new steak concept that will only sell the one cut of meat after which it is named, considerably undercutting its main London rivals on price in the process.
FlatIron will initially take up a six-week residency above The Owl & Pussycat Pub in Shoreditch, east London, although owner Charlie Carroll said it could conceivably run for longer, before securing a more permanent location.
Copenhagen-based steakhouse Mash is set to open its first UK operation on the former Titanic site in Piccadilly. US operator The One Group is also launching STK, billed as a ‘female-friendly steak concept’, at London’s ME hotel in September.
Meanwhile, Hawksmoor – whose parent Underdog Group recently reported a turnover of £10.6m in 2011, up from £3.7m in 2010 – has secured its fourth restaurant, on Air Street in London’s West End. The 235-cover space will open in October, with the steak specialist planning on adding a greater seafood element to the menu.
The movement is also taking hold in Manchester. James Hitchen, the restaurateur behind the city’s Southern Eleven, is soon to open his second concept, Neighbourhood. Occupying a 4,000sq ft site in Spinningfields, it takes inspiration from New York’s Meatpacking District and will offer a range of steaks as well as featuring a raw bar.