Casual Dining

Welding work believed cause of Mandarin Oriental fire

12-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

A major fire at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London last week is now believed to have been caused by welding work.

Soho’s Kiln named Best Restaurant in the UK

11-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Thai restaurant Kiln has been named the UK’s best restaurant in the 2018 Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards, which were held at The Hurlingham Club in London tonight (11 June).

First UK Din Tai Fung confirmed for Covent Garden in Q4

11-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

The company behind the UK launch of famed Taiwanese restaurant chain Din Tai Fung has confirmed it will open a restaurant in Covent Garden in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Social Pantry founder to launch restaurant at Pitzhanger Manor

11-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Social Pantry founder Alex Head is to launch a new restaurant and café called Soane’s Kitchen at Ealing’s Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery this July.

Farmer J to double up in the City

11-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Eclectic all-day dining grab-and-go restaurant Farmer J is to launch a second site in the City of London following the success of its inaugural location on Leadenhall Street.

Dan Doherty acquires Marylebone pub

11-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Former Duck & Waffle chef Dan Doherty has acquired a pub in Marylebone with friend and business partner Andy Ward.

Friday Five: the week's top news

08-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

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

The Weekender Interview: Adam Reid

08-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Adam Reid took over from his former boss Simon Rogan at The French at the Midland Hotel in 2016. Since then he has pursued his own brand of modern British cooking. Reid appeared in the 2016 BBC2 Great British Menu series, and won a coveted place...

Chef Anthony Bourdain dies aged 61

08-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

US chef Anthony Bourdain has died aged 61, CNN has reported.

Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke on new restaurant St Leonard's and staffing challenges

08-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Brunswick House duo Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke are about to open their second restaurant together, St Leonard’s in London’s Shoreditch.

Fuller's buys Bel & The Dragon country inns

08-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Brewer and pub group Fuller, Smith & Turner has announced it has acquired the Bel & The Dragon country inns portfolio from Longshot.

Go Compare partners with Dine

08-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Price comparison website Go Compare is making moves into the restaurant sector by partnering with discount dining platform Dine.

The Lowdown: flammekueche

07-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

A restaurant specialising in Alsatian pizza is billed as being the only restaurant of its ilk in the UK when it launches in August.

Coconut Tree restaurant group targets national expansion

07-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Sri Lankan restaurant group Coconut Tree is planning to expand to major towns and cities throughout the UK.

Deliveroo rolls out POS integration with restaurants

07-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Deliveroo is making Point of Sale (POS) integration available to all its restaurant partners following a successful trial.

Restaurant Eats Out: Covent Garden

07-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurant magazine’s latest Restaurant Eats Out event included four very different restaurants and highlighted the eclecticism of Covent Garden’s booming eating out scene.

Mandarin Oriental: Investigation launched in to cause of fire

07-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has said a “full investigation” is underway in to the cause of a major fire at the hotel yesterday.

Firefighters tackle blaze at Mandarin Oriental Knightsbridge

06-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Over 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London's Knightsbridge.

Rosa's Thai Café sells majority stake to TriSpan

06-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Rosa’s Thai Café has sold a majority stake in its business to private equity firm TriSpan.

Gareth Ward: "We want people to know we're doing something different at Ynyshir"

06-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

For most chefs cutting-edge country house hotel dining means caraway seeds in the bread rolls. For Gareth Ward it’s a 20-course tasting menu of in-your-face Asian-influenced food against a backdrop of 90s hip hop.

Latest opening: The Hero of Maida

06-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Henry Harris' most recent revamped pub has launched in west London's Maida Vale.

St John to close Maltby Street restaurant to expand bakery

06-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

The St John group is to close its Maltby Street restaurant to focus on the expansion of its bakery business.

Busaba Eathai closes final restaurant outside London

06-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Busaba Eathai has closed its St Albans restaurant, it’s only remaining site outside of London.

Sambal Shiok teams up with Kiln's wine expert ahead of laksa bar launch

05-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Malaysian restaurant Sambal Shiok will launch in north London this month with a wine list curated by Zeren Wilson.

Growth of spending on food delivery outstrips restaurants

05-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

Consumer spending on online restaurant delivery services rose nearly 20% in May compared to the same period last year, a new study shows.

Wild at heart: Nisha Katona on Mowgli

05-Jun-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Mowgli founder Nisha Katona is on a mission to dispel the idea that Indian food is unhealthy with her burgeoning restaurant group.

Hopping off: O’Hare leaves The Rabbit in the Moon

05-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Michael O’Hare has left his The Rabbit in the Moon restaurant following a parting of ways with his Manchester-based backers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs.

Leon begins its Scandi expansion in Norway

04-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Healthy fast food restaurant chain Leon will launch its first Scandinavian outpost today.

The Ivy spreads to Dublin for first Irish restaurant

04-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Ivy Collection has confirmed plans to open its first Irish restaurant in Dublin this year.

Cheese toasties and catering for Conservatives: George Barson on heading up Cora Pearl

04-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Kitty Fisher’s head chef George Barson is gearing up to oversee the kitchen at upcoming sister restaurant Cora Pearl. BigHospitality spoke to Barson, who cut his teeth under the likes of Nuno Mendes and Heston Blumenthal, ahead of the restaurant’s launch.

Wagamama "appoints advisors" over possible sale

04-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

The owners of Wagamama are reportedly considering a sale of the business as it continues to outperform the market.

Hospitality bosses regain confidence despite "unsettled" market

04-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

A poll of 160 hospitality company leaders shows that confidence is starting to return to the sector, despite a troubled start to the year.

The Weekender Interview: Ross Gibbens

01-Jun-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Ross Gibbens oversees the food at Wellbourne restaurants in Bristol, London and the Alpine resort of Salardú. Prior to Wellborune he was the head chef of Dabbous and his CV also includes Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, The Square and Launceston...

Friday Five: the week's top news

01-Jun-2018 By Sophie Witts

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

Latest opening: Kyseri

01-Jun-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Modern Turkish restaurant Kyseri has opened this month in London’s Bloomsbury

Carluccio's approves rescue plan with 30 restaurants under threat

31-May-2018 By Sophie Witts

Carluccio’s is to enter in to a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) which could see almost a third of its restaurants close.

The Lowdown: restaurant crowdfunding

31-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

With so many new restaurants opening over the past year, it begs the question as to where all the funding is coming from. These days, it seems, one of the industry’s favourite ways to fund new projects is through crowdfunding.

Pleasant Lady Jian Bing to bring Chinese crepes to Spitalfields

31-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Following two months of trading out of a tiny hatch in Soho, Pleasant Lady Jian Bing is opening a larger site in Old Spitalfields Market’s the Kitchens.

The Beyond Burger has landed in the UK

31-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

The bleeding vegan burger will soon be available in UK restaurants, as parent company Beyond Meat has secured a partnership with a UK foodservice company.

Gilly's Fry Bar is moving to the West End

31-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Neil Gill has closed his Anglo/Asian ‘fry bar’ restaurant in Finsbury Park in order to reopen it in the West End this year.

Gary Usher hits £50k crowdfunding goal in one hour

31-May-2018 By Sophie Witts

Chef Gary Usher’s latest restaurant crowdfunding drive hit its £50,000 target in just one hour last night (30 May).

Ben McKellar on his upcoming Brighton restaurant The Flint House

31-May-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Brighton and Hove-based chef restaurateur Ben McKellar will open a casual restaurant in the city’s The Lanes area early next year, taking his portfolio of restaurants and pubs in and around the city up to five.

Restaurant radar: June 2018

30-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

From whisky vending machines in the City to laksa bars in north London, we round up the openings you need to know about this month.

Pizza Hut Delivery debuts first dine-in restaurant

30-May-2018 By Sophie Witts

Pizza Hut Delivery has launched the first of its new dine-in stores ahead of a planned revamp of its 400 sites.

Gary Usher prepares to launch 24-hour restaurant crowdfund

30-May-2018 By Sophie Witts

Chef Gary Usher is to launch his most ambitious restaurant crowdfunding project yet with the aim of raising £50,000 in just 24 hours from tonight.

Industry likely to face mandatory calorie counts

30-May-2018 By Joe Lutrario

The Government looks set to force restaurants to include calorie counts on menus in a move that's likely to be widely unpopular with the industry.

The Candy Crush effect: four ways learning through gamification can boost staff morale

30-May-2018 By Steve Elcock

How learning through ‘games’ can help you improve team engagement and productivity

Latest opening: Sargeant's Mess

30-May-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Mark Sargeant will be hoping his latest restaurant project is a towering success.

How restaurants are striving to create the perfect burger

30-May-2018 By Patrick McGuigan

Restaurants are going to great lengths to produce the best possible patties as rivalry in the burger space intensifies.

KFC pledges to cut calories by 20% by 2025

29-May-2018 By Sophie Witts

KFC UK & Ireland has pledged to reduce the amount of calories per serving in its meals by 20% by 2025 as restaurants face growing scrutiny over the nutritional content of their food.