Sir Terence Conran expands Albion café brand with second site at NEO Bankside

08-Jul-2013 - Last updated on 08-Mar-2024 at 15:57 GMT

Albion NEO Bankside will be a quintessentially English affair with dishes including Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie and Sausage & Mash

Renowned British designer Sir Terence Conran is doubling up on his British café concept Albion, with the opening of Albion NEO Bankside on London’s South Bank later this month.

Situated in the Lord Rogers-designed NEO Bankside development in Southwark, the new venue will be roughly the same size as its predecessor in Shoreditch,with 95 covers and space for an additional 45 on an outside terrace. It is the first time that Conran has developed a brand with a second site.

“Albion has been a smash hit in Shoreditch and we believe it is a popular concept that will be an asset to any area and also a good business model,” he said.

Albion NEO Bankside is again a joint venture with Conran, his wife Vicki and Peter Prescott all on-board. The dining space includes individual and community tables along with an open-plan kitchen. It will be open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and supper.

British favourites

The café’s menu will feature long-established British recipes and ingredients, with options including an all-day breakfast; sausage and Mash; and shepherd’s pie.

It will stock a selection of London and Kent-brewed beers, such as the Kernel from Bermondsey, along with organic ciders and cider brandy from around the UK. A carefully-selected wine list showcases the French winemaking regions, together with a few regional varieties.

A new team has been appointed at Albion NEO Bankside, with Peter Farrell taking the position as manager and Brian Partridge appointed as head chef. Matthieu Cauty, who was based at the original Albion since its launch in 2009, has been brought in to oversee the bakery products.

The café will be neighboured by a small shop, providing an opportunity for customers to buy products when the larger markets are not trading, and a food market selling a variety of British produce.

More new Albions

Prescott, who worked with Conran on the opening of the Boundary Hotel, added: “I am confident that the new Albion on the South Bank will be a great addition to the area – something for everybody, from the nearby office community to local residents and, of course, the millions of people that visit Tate Modern.

“I’m also pleased to be working with a really excellent team - in particular Peter Farrell who has a fantastic understanding of food and restaurants.

His experience will help us develop the Albion brand and I look forward to hopefully seeing a few more new Albions in the future.”

The Albion expansion comes sixty years after Conran opened his first restaurant, The Soup Kitchen.