Friday Five: the week's top news
- High-end Japanese restaurant MUSU will open on Manchester’s Bridge Street this autumn headed up by chefpatron Michael Shaw. Translated as ‘infinite possibilities’, the new restaurant will give diners three different menu options - an a la carte ‘sentaku’ menu; a seven and 11-course kaiseki menu; and a omakase menu, which will be served at a six-seater omakase counter presided over by head sushi chef Andre Aguiar. Ingredients will be sourced from Japan where necessary, including kombu and soy sauce and A5 grade wagyu beef, but also more locally, with langoustines coming from the Isle of Skye and saltaged free-range duck from Devon. MUSU will also serve wild bluefin tuna that is certified, sustainable and traceable.
- As many as 196,000 international workers including some 120,000 EU workers have left the UK hospitality sector since 2019, a new report from specialist hospitality hiring partner Caterer.com reveals. The report, which surveyed 250 hospitality employers from around the UK, reveals the changing demographic makeup of a sector that has long relied on an EU workforce. Whilst positive changes have been recently made by the Government to allow more international workers to come to the UK, such as making chefs eligible for a skilled worker visa, the report shows these schemes are not having a strong enough impact. The Caterer.com’s report has found that while 61% of hospitality employers are registered to hire internationally, immigration policies are deterring 89% from hiring overseas. Barriers include lack of visa flexibility or availability (42%), unclear and changing guidelines from the government (38%), and associated costs such as visas (34%). Over a quarter (27%) of hospitality employers are not confident that they would know how to sponsor an international worker.
- High-profile bartender Robert Wood will open an ambitious cocktail bar in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter next month that will offer cocktail 'tasting menus' of up to seven courses. Housed in a restored factory in Newhall Square, Atelier c/o Robert Wood is being billed as a ‘creative drinks studio’ that will trade Thursday to Saturday evenings only allowing Wood ‘to express his ever-changing interests and ideas through drinks’. Guests can expect a constantly evolving experience, with each menu available for a limited time only.
- McDonald’s has kicked off a recruitment drive to hire more over-50s, amid ongoing staffing struggles across the hospitality sector. The fast food chain has developed a new campaign targeting older workers, with adverts posted by McDonald’s showing a grey-haired worker who “isn’t the retiring type' enjoying their job at the restaurant chain. A spokesman for McDonald’s said: “We are exceptionally proud of our inclusive and diverse workforce, and our latest recruitment campaign reflects that. We have a long history of employing older workers, who are an integral part of our restaurant teams across the UK & Ireland.”
- Piri-piri chicken specialist Casa do Frango will double its estate in the coming months with the opening of two new restaurants in the capital. The group, which has locations in London Bridge and Shoreditch, will open on Mayfair’s Heddon Street in October followed by a restaurant in Victoria at the start of 2023. The Heddon Street restaurant will become Casa do Frango’s flagship and largest site to date and will be located in the site that was previously occupied by Aboslut Icebar. Set over two floors it will have a street level terrace, dining room, a drinks bar and two private dining rooms with space to seat more than 200 guests.
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