Gizzi Erskine's Mare Street Market restaurant no longer going ahead

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Gizzi Erskine is no longer opening a restaurant within Hackney’s Mare Street Market.

The high profile TV chef and food writer was originally billed as the market’s co-founder alongside Barworks founder Marc Francis-Baum and Flying Horse coffee co-owner Phillip Way.

She was down to open a 60 to 70-cover restaurant that would take inspiration from the Californian farm-to-table movement and specialise in wood-fired cooking.

When contacted by BigHospitality, Mare Street Market confirmed that Erskine’s role at the venue had changed and that she is now a consultant.

Erskine - whose recent restaurant industry projects include vegetarian pop-up Pure Filth and consultancy work for Leon - replaced Mãos and Chiltern Firehouse chef Nuno Mendes, who was named as having a culinary director-type role during the early stages of the project.

Erskine helped curate traders at the 12,000 sq ft space and was also involved in the selection of products for the market's deli. 

The Leith-trained chef was expected to oversee the Mare Street Market's flagship restaurant as executive chef with a head chef charged with the day-to-day running of the restaurant.

“The head chef will do most of it but I will cook there as often as possible. My life is so all over the shop that’s not going to be as easy as I’d like,” Erskine said ahead of the market's launch.

Opened in March, the venture includes a deli, off-licence, bar and kitchen serving rotisserie chicken and pizza.