Friday Five: the week's top news
- PizzaExpress is to launch spin-off pizza by the slice concept, ZA, in London next month. The company is currently refurbishing its restaurant on Fenchurch Street for the first site, which will offer food to go and dine-in, and will look at converting further restaurants if it is successful.
- A Southsea restaurant at the centre of a row over serving pink burgers has closed its doors after running out of cash to pay its legal bills. The owners of 6oz burgers were taken to court by the local council in 2015, but lost the case and had to pay over £130,000 legal costs.
- The restaurant and wine worlds have paid tribute to Hotel du Vin co-founder Gerard Basset after he lost his battle with cancer this week. Basset was regarded as one of the greatest wine professionals of his generation, and was the only person ever to simultaneously hold the Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and MBA honours.
- Spanish chef José Pizarro is to open a pub with rooms in Surrey this March. Pizarro, who co-founded Brindisa's restaurant arm, is to relaunch The Swan Inn in Esher as a British pub serving Spanish food.
- The World's 50 Best Restaurants has announced that restaurants that have previously topped its list will no longer feature in the annual rankings from 2019. All restaurants that have been voted No.1 in the events' 17-year history will instead join a new 'Best of the Best' category.
For more of this week's news, click here.
