Friday Five: the week's top news
- Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons executive chef Gary Jones has stepped down from the role after two decades to pursue new opportunities. Jones has been running the kitchen at Raymond Blanc’s luxury Oxfordshire hotel since the late 90s and was arguably the UK’s most high profile chef to run an establishment with another chef’s name above the door. As well as retaining the Great Milton venue’s two Michelin-star rating and working with the Frenchman to develop its culinary offering, he built a reputation as one of the UK restaurant industry’s greatest teachers. Under his direction, Le Manoir has acted as an incubator for up-and-coming chefs, who move through every section of its kitchen as they complete a carefully-structured development programme.
- A crowdfund has been launched to help save Margate restaurant Barletta after its owners Natalia Ribbe and Jackson Berg lost £50,000 to a fraudster. Set up by Home Hospitality founder Lauren Barnett and hosted on the Gofundme platform, the campaign is seeking to raise £50,000 ‘to prevent our good friends’ restaurant business from closure’. According to the page, Ribbe and Berg - who alongside Barletta also run the more recently opened Sète in Cliftonville - have made ‘numerous pleas’ to their bank but it is looking ‘increasingly unlikely’ that the high-profile pair will recoup the money.
- Restaurant brands Loungers, Marugame Udon, Rudy’s Pizza, Boparan Restaurant Group, and Burger & Beyond were among the winners at this year’s annual R200 Awards. Loungers, which operates the Lounge and Cosy Club brands was named Restaurant Group of the Year (over 20 sites). The award comes off the back of a record year for the casual dining group, which has opened more than 25 venues in the past 12 months and which intends to accelerate its growth in the coming year. Rudy’s Pizza, which is part of the Mission Mars group, took home the Restaurant Group of the Year title for a brand with fewer than 20 sites. The brands has grown steadily across the north west and is due to open its 15th venue next month, in Liverpool's Albert Dock, its third location in the city. Martin Williams’ M Canary Wharf, was named Best New Opening, and chef Jimmy Lee’s Salt & Chilli Oriental concept was named One to Watch, while Pizza Pilgrims took home the Sustainability Award, judged by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA).
- AngloThai's John and Desiree Chantarasak are to open their first permanent restaurant next year having secured a site in London's Fitzrovia. Backer MJMK. the London-based group of restaurants and bars that are behind the likes of Casa do Frango, La Rampa, and Santiago Lastra's KOL, confirmed on Instagram that the pair's debut restaurant would open next summer, but didn't confirm its exact location. However, BigHospitality understands that the Chantarasaks have taken a site on Eastcastle Street.
- Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that business rates relief and support with rising energy bills will continue for firms beyond April 2023 in his Autumn Statement. Hospitality trade bodies have welcomed the announcements, but general reaction across the sector to the statement - which also included confirmation that VAT will be frozen at 20% until 2026, despite intense lobbying from the industry for it to be reduced - has been lukewarm at best, with a lack of targeted support leaving many operators fearful for the future. UKHospitality has accused the Chancellor of failing to provide any plan for economic growth, while the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned that more support is needed to mitigate the impact of rising costs. Elsewhere, Sacha Lord, the night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, has cautioned that the squeeze on operators could see venues closing at a faster rate than seen during the pandemic.
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