Casual Dining

Half of UK adults concerned chains are taking over

14-Aug-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Half of UK adults are concerned that their local high street is being taken over by restaurant chains and fast food chains to the detriment of independent businesses.

Virtual Hospitality: Where are we now?

14-Aug-2018 By Ashley Sheppard, guest tech editor

Ashley Sheppard, vice president of guest sales at QSR Automations, on the future of technological innovations in hospitality.

Tom Kitchin to launch Southside Scran this autumn

13-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Tom Kitchin will add a fourth restaurant to The Kitchin Group portfolio when he launches Southside Scran in Edinburgh in November.

The industry calls for government to cut 'misguided' plans for online knife sales ban

13-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

A petition for the government to scrap a policy proposal that would stop knife suppliers shipping knives to customers’ homes has been signed by over 21,000 people, including Wahaca founder Thomasina Miers and celebrity chef Mark Lloyd.

"I want to start the fight to keep space for independents": Aktar Islam is back on the Birmingham food scene

13-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Aktar Islam, the former chef director of Birmingham’s Lasan Group, is gearing up for the expansion of his own restaurant group, AI Restaurants.

Tom Kerridge reveals more details about debut London restaurant

13-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Tom Kerridge has revealed details for his debut London restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel London as reservation lines open ahead of its launch on 10 September.

Clive Watson to open restaurant at The Dixon

13-Aug-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Blixen and Lorne owner Clive Watson is to open a restaurant at The Dixon, an upcoming boutique hotel in London’s Tower Bridge area.

Struggling restaurant chain Villandry goes into administration

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

The Villandry ‘grand café’ chain has closed all its sites, as the company calls in administrators.

Corbin & King launches 'learn while you earn' apprenticeship scheme

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

The hospitality group that owns some of London’s most iconic restaurants is launching an apprenticeship scheme to address the industry’s skilled chef shortage.

Flash-grilled: Ben Tish

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

With over 20 years of experience under his belt, culinary director of the Stafford London, Ben Tish oversees the food at the Game Bird and American Bar, as well as its private dining operations.

Laura Ashley chooses Buckinghamshire for its second Tea Room

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Laura Ashley has launched a tea room at a Buckinghamshire hotel, ahead of its 2019 rebrand as a Laura Ashley hotel.

Chopstix to open 10 more restaurants in the next year

10-Aug-2018 By Georgi Gyton

Asian quick-service restaurant chain Chopstix plans to open 10 new restaurants over the next 12 months as part of its nationwide expansion programme.

Ex-Lowry Hotel chef to head up the kitchen at new Manchester restaurant Mamucium

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

A new Manchester restaurant is set to open in the upcoming City Buildings development near Victoria Station.

Gaucho could do another diffusion brand despite Cau's failings, says CEO

10-Aug-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Steakhouse brand Gaucho would consider launching another diffusion brand despite the woes of its sister brand Cau, which closed its UK restaurants last month, according to its CEO Oliver Meakin.

Friday Five: The week's top news

10-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

We round up some of the biggest hospitality news stories that you might have missed this week.

The Lowdown: celebrity-backed restaurants

09-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Rick Astley (of Never Gonna Give You Up fame) is opening a bar in London with a Danish microbrewer.

Gaucho CEO: "It is very much business at usual"

09-Aug-2018 By Stefan Chomka

In an exclusive interview, Gaucho CEO Oliver Meakin discusses the current position of Gaucho, the closure of Cau and what the future holds for the steakhouse group.

Elan Cafe takes Coppa Club's Oxford Circus site

09-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

West London’s Instagram-friendly brunch operator Elan Café is to take over the site of a former Coppa Club restaurant in Oxford Circus.

Business profile

Temper turns two: What's next for the restaurant group?

09-Aug-2018 By Stefan Chomka

With Temper, Neil Rankin and Sam Lee have created a diverse and distinct restaurant group, but one not without its challenges.

Chef John Burton-Race leaves Richardson Hotels [Updated]

09-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Chef John Burton-Race has resigned from the trouble-hit Richardson Hotel Group after less than two years.

Belmond hotel and restaurant group considers sale

09-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

The owner of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford has announced it is exploring a possible sale of its entire company.

SSP brings Camden Market's street food to Stansted Airport

09-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

A Camden market-inspired restaurant concept has opened at Stansted Airport comprising a deli, bar and changing menu influenced bypopular London street food vendors.

Prescott and Conran owed £14m when it collapsed

09-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Sir Terence Conran’s restaurant group collapsed owing £14m to creditors, documents show.

Award-winning Suffolk chef secures second site

08-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

The owner of Bury-St-Edmunds’ award winning restaurant Ben’s, is set to open his second restaurant in the historic market town.

US-born Steak n Shake closes its only UK site

08-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Chester’s outpost of US burger chain Steak n Shake closed its doors over the weekend, bringing an end to the restaurant’s presence in the UK.

Jason Atherton's Temple and Sons has closed

08-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Temple and Sons, the City restaurant launched in partnership with Jason Atherton, has closed its doors.

Latest opening: Casa do Frango

08-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Casa do Frango opened this month, joining the burgeoning restaurant scene in the streets surrounding The Shard.

Mitch Tonks sets out Rockfish's expansion plan

07-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Mitch Tonks’ seafood restaurant group Rockfish is gearing up for expansion, with three openings planned for the next 18 months.

Another vegan restaurants sets its sights on Shoreditch

07-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

The founders of raw vegan food company Raw Imagination will launch a vegan restaurant in Shoreditch this autumn.

Avocado-centric pop-up Avobar goes permanent this month

07-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Covent Garden’s all-avocado pop-up is reopening as a permanent restaurant a few streets away from its temporary Floral Street site.

Byron appoints new MD after staff reshuffle

07-Aug-2018 By Mark Wingett & Sophie Witts

The Byron burger chain has undergone a reshuffle of its senior staff after launching a turnaround plan to improve struggling sales.

Villandry up for sale after posting £1.6m loss

06-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Villandry ‘grand café’ chain has reportedly been put on the market after its losses almost doubled in 2017.

Irish diner chain lands in Germany to kick off international expansion

06-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Irish diner chain Rocket’s is taking a bite out of the international market, having confirmed the first of its sites set to open in Germany.

"You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread person": Pret introduces genderless biscuits

06-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Pret A Manger, the 500-strong sandwich chain, is re-labelling its gingerbread biscuits as it decides to make them gender-neutral.

Joël Robuchon (1945-2018): a task master but also "the watchmaker of food"

06-Aug-2018 By Paul Wootton

In 2009, Joël Robuchon was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Here's what we wrote back then about the legend of French cuisine.

Benito's Hat secures £1m funding for expansion

06-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Mexican restaurant group Benito’s Hat has secured a £1m investment to expand in London and across the UK.

Chef Joël Robuchon dies aged 73

06-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Legendary French chef Joël Robuchon has died aged 73.

Tickets founder Albert Adrià to open dessert-only UK restaurant this autumn

06-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Albert Adrià, chef-patron of Barcelona’s Michelin-starred restaurant Tickets, will open his debut UK restaurant this November.

Native's Ivan Tisdall-Downes: "We've always been ‘zero-waste’, we just didn’t shout about it"

03-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Much-loved foraging-focused restaurant Native recently relocated from Neal’s Yard to London Bridge following council issues. BigHospitality spoke to co-founder Ivan Tisdall-Downes about the new site, his plans for the future, and why sustainability has...

Jason Atherton closes Sosharu ahead of relocation

03-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Jason Atherton has finally closed his Japanese restaurant Sosharu in London after putting the site on the market last year.

Soho House-style members' club to open in vegan Norwich restaurant

03-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Trendy vegan restaurant Erpingham House is to launch a Soho House-style members’ club on the third floor of its Norwich site.

Flash-grilled: Emma Underwood

03-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Emma Underwood is a rising star of the restaurant industry's front-of-house scene.

Chef line up for hospitality festival announced

03-Aug-2018 By Restaurant

Chefs including Clare Smyth, Jun Tanaka, Jackson Boxer, Greg Marchand, Chantelle Nicholson, Gary Usher and Maria Elia have been announced as being among those cooking at PX+, dubbed the UK’s first festival for the hospitality industry.

Friday Five: the week's top news

03-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

We round-up some of the top hospitality stories you might have missed this week.

Gordon Ramsay to close first Hong Kong restaurant

02-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Gordon Ramsay is to temporarily close the Hong Kong outpost of his Bread Street Kitchen and Bar later this month.

Soho's Alphabet Bar chooses Islington for long-awaited relaunch

02-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Soho’s Alphabet Bar is to reopen at a new location in Upper Street after having been closed for five years.

The Lowdown: the 2018 food shortages

02-Aug-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Farmers are describing this year as the ‘worst year in history’ for harvesting crops, as a number of combining factors have seriously reduced the normal yield.

Searcys takes over catering at the Design Museum

02-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Searcys has taken over the catering at London's Design Museum after Prescott and Conran fell in to administration earlier this year.

Eating out sector growing at slowest rate for five years

02-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

The UK eating out market is growing at its slowest rate for five years, according to analysis from BigHospitality’s sister site MCA.

Simpson's in the Strand brings in new chef after relaunch

01-Aug-2018 By Sophie Witts

Iconic London restaurant Simpson’s in the Strand has hired a new chef de cuisine a year after its major relaunch.