Dream team: Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White to launch restaurant
Koffmann & Mr White’s will launch at The Abbey Hotel, the former site of Chris Staines’ restaurant, Allium, in September. It will be a partnership between the hotel itself, and White’s restaurant group Black and White Hospitality.
Billed as a brasserie, the restaurant will serve classic French and English dishes designed by the two great chefs, who both ran three-Michelin starred restaurants in the 90s.
It is billed as being “relaxed, stylish and unpretentious”, and the team plans to roll out Koffmann & Mr White’s to further locations during the next two years, following a year’s exclusivity for The Abbey Hotel.
The launch will mark the start of a wider planned investment at The Abbey Hotel, as new owner Anil Khanna aims to regain its reputation as an “amazing new dining destination”.
The new restaurant will be the seventh brand in Black and White Hospitality’s portfolio, alongside Steakhouse Bar & Grill; New York Italian; Wheeler of St James; Mr White’s English Chophouse; Bardolino Pizzeria, Bellini & Espresso Bar; and Marconi.
Pierre White worked at Koffmann’s three Michelin-starred restaurant La Tante Claire before moving on to launch Restaurant Marco Pierre White in the Hyde Park Hotel, where he gained three Michelin stars (which he renounced in 1999).
“For many, many, many years I reflected on my career and one of my deepest regrets was not spending more time with Pierre in the kitchen,” says the chef.
“I am looking forward to being the apprentice once again.”
It looks set to be a busy year for Black and White Hospitality, which is launching at least three restaurants this summer.
Dover will see Mr White’s English Chophouse and Wheeler’s Fish and Chips Shop move into the Best Wester Plus Dover Marina Hotel & Spa, in summer, and at the same time a Steakhouse Bar & Grill will launch at the Clifton Hotel in Folkestone.
