Friday Five: the week's top news
- French chef Pierre Koffmann has said the modern Michelin Guide "tries to be for young people" and is "rubbish" at judging one-star restaurants. Speaking during the London Restaurant Festival, Koffmann added he would "love" to open another site in the capital in future.
- Cambridge restaurant Alimentum has announced its closure prior to going in to insolvency, with staff claiming they had been made redundant and were left unpaid. Alimentum owner Gary Randall told BigHospitality the loss of its Michelin star last year and departure of long-time head chef Mark Poynton had caused a "drastic" decline in its fortunes. He said staff would be paid, but it may take longer than usual through the insolvency process.
- Gizzi Erskine is no longer opening the 60-70-cover flagship restaurant at Hackney's Mare Street Market, and her role has changed to that of a consultant. The chef helped curate traders for the 12,000 sq ft space, which opened earlier this year, and was also involved in selecting products for the market's on-site deli.
- Manchester's Midland Hotel, home to the Adam Reid at The French restaurant, is to be sold for £115m to overseas hotel investors. The site will keep its name after the sale, though its new owners are planning to invest £11m in renovation works.
- Barbecue restaurant group Grillstock has ceased trading, less than a year after it was bought out of administration. Its remaining sites in Leicester and Bristol have closed and administrators Leonard Curtis Recovery have been engaged.
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