My Million Pound Menu's Bubble& to open cafe bar
Kochhar offered the residency to husband-and-wife team Rupert Smith and Marita Lietz after he decided to invest in the pair's bubble and squeak concept on the 2018 series of BBC2’s My Million Pound Menu.
The show saw two hopefuls on each episode try to convince investors to back their concepts.
Smith and Lietz will begin their residency on 25 February, offering a range of dishes starting from £5 a plate.
Kochhar says: “It’s really fantastic to see Rupert and Marita in the kitchen, they are incredibly passionate about the food they create, and they’ve developed a fantastic concept that really works – a modern version of bubble and squeak. I’m delighted to be supporting this couple and I’m looking forward to our continued collaboration.”
The duo created Bubble& in 2013 when Smith spotted a gap in the market while working at a gastropub as head chef. He believed bubble and squeak could be as versatile as pizza and pasted and opened a food stall.
The couple went on to open in markets in London and Portsmouth and catered for parties, corporate events and weddings.
Hawkyns, which has 2 AA Rosettes, will continue to offer pan-Indian cuisine, but the residency will see Bubble& Café take over the bar, which will feature the duo’s own menu.
Dishes include Bubble & Classic – the traditional bubble & squeak with soft poached free-range egg, smoked streaky bacon and hollandaise sauce, and Bubble& Pork Belly with slow roast pork belly, Cajun bean stew, green chilli salsa Verde and crackling.
Three other restaurant concepts - Ruth Hansom and Emily Lambert's Epoch, Korean concept Dynasty and Cuban street food brand Finca received investment on the 2018 series of My Million Pound Menu, but so-far none have opened a permanent site.
