Suchef is a healthy fast-food concept that prepares all its dishes using the sous-vide method of cooking, which vacuum-packs meat, fish and vegetables and slow-cooks them in a temperature controlled water bath.
The restaurant will be opening three sites in London shortly, its flagship site at Deans Court in St Paul’s on 28 July and a Farringdon site in September. It will open another site in Aldgate shortly after, with the potential of opening another venue before the end of the year.
Expansion and market
Suchef’s first three venues will all be established in the City of London to appeal to the professional lunchtime market. BigHospitality talked to Suchef’s brand manager Anna Konieczny about the restaurant’s brand and expansion plans.
She said: “Our expansion plans are very ambitious. We realised that the target market for Suchef’s food is predominantly based in the City, professionals aged between 25 and 35 who want to enjoy fresh delicious food and are fed up of cold sandwiches. With our property company we started focusing on the City location and it took us about a year to find the first site which is the flagship property in Deans Court. From there another property close by in Farringdon presented itself and another in Aldgate and obviously we wouldn’t turn down the great opportunities.
“We’re planning to open ten more locations next year, and we’ll maybe have another by the end of the year. For other sites we’re looking at City locations but at Greenwich as well, and any areas in central London where there are big gatherings of professionals who this concept will appeal to. People who care about food and care for their bodies and want something nutritious but not crazily expensive, a hot, balanced but tasty offering which is good for them.”
Brand and sous-vide cooking
The Suchef sites aim for a modern feel inside and are decked out in orange and grey for a ‘fresh and stylish’ look. The restaurants offer sit-down dining but are mostly focused on the take-away lunch time market, and aim to deliver their dishes very quickly on request.
Konieczny said: “Suchef is mainly set up for people who want to take the food out, it’s a healthy fast food concept that brings high end cuisine into the everyday. Only 20 per cent of the restaurant is devoted to sit down places so we’re focusing on people taking the food out, lots of professionals eat at work now because they don’t have time to spare.”
In terms of the menu Suchef focuses on simplicity. Customers can choose a sous–vide cooked main item, such as chicken or plaice and salmon roulade, then they pick a side along with vegetables and sauce. Sides include egg pasta and brown rice and mixed quinoa, while sauces on offer include mango and chilli salsa and spicy tomato.
“The sous vide way of cooking really allows for the flavours and the taste of the food to stand out,” said Konieczny. “The fact that we’re able to sell it so quickly to customers in a fast food environment is very appealing too because the cash rich, time poor city professionals want served quickly.”
Suchef will be opening on 28 July at 5 Deans Court, St Paul’s, and at 91 Cowcross Street in Farringdon in September.