The chef-restaurateur is currently in negotiations with a major hotel partner to open within a central London development in the autumn. He is also planning his first City restaurant at Tower 42, the former NatWest Tower building, for late 2013, following the end of Compass Group's 10 year partnership with Gary Rhodes.
The autumn activity follows this month’s much-anticipated move into Soho with Social Eating House, a more casual restaurant than Atherton’s Pollen Street Social flagship. Created in partnership with his head chef Paul Hood, the Poland Street site will also house a first-floor destination cocktail bar called the Blind Pig.
This month also saw the opening of Little Social, opposite Pollen Street Social in Mayfair, as a 55-cover bistro under former Foxtrot Oscar head chef Cary Docherty.
Overseas activity
The expansion of Atherton’s restaurant group in London is mirrored by his overseas openings, with new ventures in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai in the pipeline. The company already operates 10 sites in total, spanning the UK and Asia.
Furthermore, the chef has recently signed a three-cookbook deal with publisher Absolute. The first, Social Suppers, will be released next year, followed by Social Desserts and, finally, the Pollen Street Social Cookbook.
For the full interview with Jason Atherton see the April edition of Restaurant magazine, out today. Subscribe here or see the digital edition here.