Casual Dining

Latest opening: Beck at Brown’s

20-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

The German-born Italian food maestro is back in London with a casual – by his standards, at least – restaurant at Brown’s Hotel.

Search is on for The Sustainable Restaurant of the Year

20-Apr-2018 By Stefan Chomka

The Estrella Damm National Restaurants Awards and The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) have launched a search for the Sustainable Restaurant of the Year.

The lowdown: marathon season

19-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

As marathon season gets under way, the restaurant industry is gearing up for its annual cardio workout.

Vapiano plans move away from the high street in to transport hubs

19-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Italian chain Vapiano is planning to expand away from the high street in to transport hubs in the UK and across Europe.

Sale of plastic straws and stirrers could be banned in UK

19-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

The sale of plastic straws and drinks stirrers in the UK could soon be banned under Government proposals.

Ollie Dabbous, Yevgeny Chichvarkin and Tatiana Fokina on Hide

19-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Nearly five years in the making, the Russian-owned Hide is the biggest restaurant opening of 2018 and the next chapter for one of the UK’s most exciting chefs.

Bukowski Grill closes last London restaurant

19-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Charcoal grill restaurant Bukowski Grill has closed the last of its four London sites.

Chick ‘n’ Sours founders to double capacity of original Haggerston site

19-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Carl Clarke and David Wolanski's debut Chick ‘n’ Sours restaurant in Haggerston will close its doors later this month and re-open six weeks later following a refurb and the addition of a new late-night bar named Sub Culture that will double its seating...

"Casual dining crunch" set to continue, study warns

18-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

The UK’s biggest casual dining brands could face further closures in 2018 after over-expanding on the high street last year, a new study has warned.

Restaurant Magazine Eats Out: East London Barbecue

18-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

From Middle Eastern/US fusion to Thai drinking foods, there is no shortage of eclectic and original barbecue restaurants in Shoreditch.

Jessie Liu is awarded first ever BBVA Scholarship by The World's 50 Best Restaurants

18-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Taiwanese chef Jessie Liu has been awarded the first ever 50 Best BBVA Scholarship by the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants.

Cocotte chooses former 8 Hoxton Square site to open third outpost

18-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

A French farm-to-table rotisserie restaurant is opening on the site of now-closed European restaurant 8 Hoxton Square.

Pret A Manger adverts banned over "natural" bread claims

18-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Pret A Manger has had two adverts pulled for claiming its products are “natural” despite containing artificial additives.

Andy Murray's Cromlix Hotel plans expansion to meet demand

17-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Cromlix Hotel, the luxury property owned by tennis star Sir Andy Murray, has submitted plans to expand its food and beverage facilities.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Group launches bottomless pizza restaurant

17-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Group has launched a bottomless pizza restaurant on the ground floor of the group’s existing Bread Street Kitchen restaurant.

Mary-Ellen McTague's crowdfunded restaurant opens this month

17-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Chef Mary-Ellen McTague is to launch her long-awaited crowdfunded restaurant and bakery in Chorlton, Manchester next week.

The Lebanese Bakery to bring its pizza-style flatbreads to the UK this spring

17-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Beirut-based restaurant The Lebanese Bakery will make its international debut in Covent Garden this spring.

Crussh to expand in to transport hubs with SSP

17-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Crussh, the healthy food and juice chain, is the latest group to announce its intention to expand off the high street in to travel hubs.

10 reasons to be positive about the "casual dining crunch"

17-Apr-2018 By Tony Naylor

We are in the middle of a so-called casual dining crunch. But could chaos among the chains be positive for small indies?

Jamie Oliver sells off Australian restaurants

16-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Jamie Oliver’s Australian restaurant group has been sold to a new franchise partner after entering voluntary administration.

JD Wetherspoon closes social media accounts for all of its 900 pubs

16-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon is closing down its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts for all of its pubs as well as its head office in the wake of a spate of bad publicity surrounding social media.

Trade bodies and real estate consultancy call on the government to reform business rates

16-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

April 2017’s business rates revaluation has been as bad for the high street as the 2008/9 financial crash, according to global real estate consultancy Colliers International.

Matthew Clark Bibendum pledges to improve service after sale

13-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

The newly-formed Matthew Clark Bibendum drinks company has reassured customers it is “business as usual” after its sale.

Friday Five: the week's top news

13-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

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

Latest opening: Arepa & Co, Paradise Row

13-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Fans of Venezuelan Haggerston restaurant Arepa & Co are in luck, as the brand has doubled up, opening a second site earlier this month in Bethnal Green.

“We didn’t go through what we have to stand still” – Jamie Oliver Group announces 10-year partnership with Aramark

13-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has announced a 10-year partnership with Aramark that will see it expand in to universities, workplaces and hospitals over the next few months.

The Weekender Interview: Aiden Byrne

12-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Aiden Byrne is the youngest British chef to have ever won a Michelin star (he was just 22). He recently opened 20 Stories in partnership with D&D London which comprises a fine dining restaurant and a grill restaurant. He also owns the Church Green...

Gleneagles owner secures site for first budget NoCo hotel

12-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Ennismore, the hospitality group behind Breddos Tacos and Gleneagles, has secured the first site for its budget NoCo hotel brand.

Foodservice price inflation falls to lowest level since Brexit vote

12-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Foodservice price inflation dropped to 0.5% in February – the lowest figure since the EU referendum.

Steak restaurant founder launches veg-centric gluten, dairy and sugar free venue

12-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Macellaio RC founder Roberto Costa has launched a Mediterranean restaurant in Fulham that is entirely gluten, dairy and sugar free.

Gorgeous Group to launch Savage Garden on former Sky Lounge site

12-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Hospitality consultancy Gorgeous Group will launch a rooftop bar this June, on the former site of the Sky Lounge at the Doubletree Hilton near Tower Bridge.

Turbot Charged: Brat chef patron Tomos Parry on fish, fire, and not taking yourself too seriously

12-Apr-2018 By Stefan Chomka

Tomos Parry’s new Basque-inspired restaurant Brat – named after a colloquial term for ‘turbot’ – is a celebration of fire and fish.

TGI Friday's facing strike action over restaurant tips

12-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Restaurant workers at TGI Friday’s could be the first to strike over tips in the UK as part of an ongoing dispute between staff and the casual dining chain.

Nutrition technology: this time it’s personal

12-Apr-2018 By Eloise Sheppard

Call Systems Technology's managing director on how nutrition technology could impact on the restaurant sector. Could food choices soon be based on people's DNA?

Thai group Lemongrass seeks investment partner

12-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

South east-based Thai restaurant group Lemongrass is seeking investment partner following the opening of its 13th site.

Polpo team to close Spuntino in Bristol

11-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

The Polpo group is to close its Spuntino restaurant in Bristol’s Cargo 2 development after just a year.

Martin Morales is launching London's "first Peruvian bakery"

11-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Chef Martin Morales will launch what is billed as London’s first Peruvian bakery next month.

Market Halls founders confirm full operator lineup for Fulham launch in May

11-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Pitt Cue Co. restaurateur Simon Anderson and property, leisure and retail investor Andy Lewis Pratt have confirmed the full line-up of operators for their upcoming Fulham Market Halls project.

Tom Kerridge launches catering and events business

11-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Tom Kerridge has launched an outside catering company and events business in partnership with exhibition and events company Brand Events.

Interim acrylamide management guidance now available

11-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Interim guidance is now available to help catering businesses identify and implement measures to reduce acrylamide levels in food following new legislation which comes into force today, 11 April.

North London neighbourhood favourite Beam to double up this summer

10-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Crouch End’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Beam is opening a second site this summer, with an extended menu and longer trading hours.

Mini Patel joins Blueprint Cafe as chef patron

10-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Mini Patel has been named as the new chef patron at D&D London’s Blueprint Café on the South Bank.

“Although we respect authenticity when necessary, we just hold loyalty to taste and flavour”: Chef Seb Holmes on his new project, Thima

10-Apr-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Chef Seb Holmes is gearing up to launch his new concept, Thima, at Simon Anderson’s Fulham Market Halls. The new wave Thai chef, who has previously headed up the kitchen at both Smoking Goat and Begging Bowl, spoke to BigHospitality about where the concept...

Dubai restaurants to make UK debut through Deliveroo

10-Apr-2018 By Sophie Witts

Two Dubai-based restaurant brands will begin serving customers in the UK through a partnership with Deliveroo Editions next month.

Restaurant Eats Out: Battersea Power Station

10-Apr-2018 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurant’s latest Eats Out tour was held at the Battersea Power Station development, an eclectic new restaurant hub that offers everything from trendy Danish pizzas to Japanese small plates. The tour included Fiume, Wright Brothers, Mother and Tonkotsu....

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