Beach House Group to open clifftop venue in Falmouth
The Beach House Group will open a second Beach House, in Falmouth, Cornwall, next month.
News
The Hand & Flowers marks 20 years with special menu
The Hand & Flowers is launching a commemorative ‘Classics’ menu this month as part of its year-long celebrations to mark its 20th anniversary.
Fresh rail strikes could cost hospitality sector £1bn
Planned rail strikes between London and the Midlands and the north of England could cost the hospitality sector £1bn in lost revenue, it has been warned.
Sourdough Sophia heads to Highgate for third London bakery
London-based ‘micro bakery’ Sourdough Sophia is to open its third site in the capital.
Kora by Tom Kitchin to close
Tom Kitchin has announced he is to close his Kora restaurant in Edinburgh’s Bruntsfield neighbourhood at the end of the month after two and a half years trading.
Doh’hut shutters both London sites
Doughnut brand Doh’hut has closed its two London outposts, bringing an end to its presence in the capital less than two years after launching its first site in the city.
Hackney takeaway The Great Indian opens Indian gastropub
Popular Hackney-based Indian takeaway The Great Indian has opened an Indian gastropub in Archway, north London.
Shellfish soup for 50p: Rick Stein to roll back prices to 1975 to celebrate 50 years in business
Rick Stein is celebrating 50 years since he opened The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow by rolling the prices back to 1975 when it first opened.
Friday five: the week’s top restaurant stories
The first full week of 2025 saw big closures including London’s Locanda Locatelli and Gary Usher’s Burnt Truffle, while the Ainsworths added to their portfolio with Cornwall’s St Enodoc Hotel.
Lilac ‘returns to original ethos’ as it swaps small plates for set menu
Lilac, the Lyme Regis-based wine bar and restaurant led by Harriet Mansell, is to move away from serving small plates and instead offer both a set menu and tasting menu.
The Wolseley Hospitality Group reports strong sales but greater losses
The Wolseley Hospitality Group has reported strong sales and record EBITDA but also a loss in its latest financial accounts.
JKS considering employee share scheme as turnover tops £73m
London-based restaurant group JKS has said it is considering the introduction of an employee share scheme to ‘further encourage the involvement of its team members in its financial performance’.
Greggs' sales pass £2bn as it announces further price rises
Greggs has passed the £2bn sales mark for the first time, with total sales for 2024 up 11.3% on the previous year.
Hero Brands ‘entering exciting period of growth’ as it returns to profit
Hero Brands is back in the black and plotting further expansion with a focus on growing its German Doner Kebab (GDK) and Sides brands ‘significantly’ in the next five years.
Tamila heads to King’s Cross for second site
The team behind popular south Indian restaurant Tamila have revealed that King’s Cross will be the location for the second restaurant under the brand.
Restaurant at-home sales jump 6.2% in November
Britain’s leading restaurant groups achieved like-for-like growth in delivery and takeaway sales for the 18th month in a row in November, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals.
Groucho Club CEO steps down
Elli Jafari has stepped down from her role as chief executive of The Groucho in London’s Soho ahead of its planned relaunch tomorrow (10 January).
“I’ve never been able to make it work here”: Gary Usher closes Burnt Truffle
Gary Usher has closed his Burnt Truffle restaurant in Heswall after 10 years of trading.
“We were too big for our boots”: The Breakfast Club closes its three-storey Canary Wharf venue
The Breakfast Club has closed its Canary Wharf site after a decade or trading.
Paul and Emma Ainsworth take on Cornwall’s The St Enodoc Hotel
Paul and Emma Ainsworth have announced that they have bought The St Enodoc Hotel in Rock, Cornwall.
Ayo Adeyemi named consultant chef at new modern West African restaurant Shakara
Former Akoko executive chef Ayo Adeyemi has developed the launch menu for modern West African restaurant Shakara, which will open in London’s Marylebone at the end of the month.
Brendan Fyldes named executive chef at The Beaumont Mayfair ahead of new dining concepts at the hotel
The Beaumont Mayfair has appointed Brendan Fyldes as its new executive chef.
Hundreds of McDonald’s workers join legal action over harassment allegations
More than 700 McDonald’s junior crew members have joined a legal action against the fast food giant following allegations of widespread harassment across its UK estate.
Clean Kitchen Club forced to close Battersea site after trading agreement terminated
Vegan focused fast food brand Clean Kitchen Club appears to have ceased trading having been forced to close its restaurant within London’s Battersea Power Station late last year.
Chipotle shutters Watford site
Chipotle has closed its Watford restaurant after two and a half years of trading.
Rare Restaurants ‘positive’ for future despite widening losses
Gaucho and M operator Rare Restaurants has said it is ‘continuing to outperform market measures’ with turnover rising above £75m in its latest financial results.
Liverpool tapas bar El Gato Negro to relocate
Liverpool tapas restaurant El Gato Negro is to move from its current home on Exchange Flags to a new location on Castle Street this spring.
Tony Parkin departs Cliff House Hotel
Tony Parkin has left his role as chef patron at the Michelin-starred House Restaurant at the Cliff House Hotel in Waterford, Ireland.
Future of Covent Garden restaurants The Petersham and La Goccia in doubt amid rent dispute
The Petersham and La Goccia in central London face the threat of closure amid a row between the restaurants’ owner and their landlord.
Shereen Ritchie steps down as Buns From Home CEO
Buns From Home CEO Shereen Ritchie has announced she is stepping down from the London-based bakery chain after two years.
Locanda Locatelli closes after 23 years
Husband and wife Giorgio and Plaxy Locatelli have announced the sudden closure of their well-known Marylebone Italian restaurant.
Wasabi ‘well advanced’ in building pipeline of new openings as it returns to profit
Sushi and bento brand Wasabi says it has ‘well advanced’ expansion plans and is exploring opportunities to work with franchise partners to accelerate growth after returning to profit.
Friday five: the week’s top restaurant stories
We’re just a few days into 2025, but there’s already been some notable news in the restaurant world including New Year’s Honours and an update on Boxpark Shoreditch’s future
Ukrainian restaurant Tatar Bunar to open in Shoreditch
Ukrainian restaurateurs Alex Cooper and Anna Andriienko will open their debut London restaurant this spring.
“I need to prioritise myself” - Budgie Montoya announces industry ‘pause’ as he closes Apoy
Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya has closed his Filipino barbecue brand Apoy and announced a pause from the industry after suffering heart failure last year.
Tasty agrees £2.5m insurance claim
Casual dining operator Tasty has agreed an insurance claim relating to losses in 2020.
Boxpark ‘positive’ about further extension to Shoreditch lease
Boxpark has secured a short-term lease to continue trading at its original site in London’s Shoreditch and says that ‘negotiations are positive’ about a further extension.
A book capturing the solitude of chefs in lockdown is being published
A photographic book showing chefs in their restaurants during the 2020 lockdowns is seeking funding to become a reality.
Berenjak to open third London restaurant
Persian restaurant brand Berenjak is to open a third London site later this year in Mayfair.
Pizza Hut Restaurants ‘in advanced talks’ with potential buyers
Pizza Hut’s biggest UK franchisee is ‘in advanced talks with potential buyers’ as it looks to secure a sale for the business this month.
Soho House evaluates acquisition offer
Soho House & Co has formed an independent special committee to evaluate an offer from a new third-party consortium.
KFC launches spinoff concept in US
KFC is to launch a new spinoff concept in Orlando, Florida, next week that it says is ‘unlike anything else in the market’ and has the potential for further rollout.
Friday five: the week’s top stories
Ibérica being sold out of administration, Chotto Matte closing its Marylebone site and Isaac McHale’s next venture lead this week’s top news stories.
Restaurant’s 2024 review of the year
This year was marked by plenty of big restaurant openings, as well as, sadly, many high-profile closures, as operators faced ongoing cost pressures and an increasingly tough trading landscape.
Wingstop sees ‘strong growth prospects’ as UK revenue rockets
Fried chicken brand Wingstop is back in the black having reported a pre-tax profit of £3.5m in its latest financial results, up from a £2m loss the year before.
The Groucho Club given go ahead to reopen following licensing hearing
The Groucho in London’s Soho is to reopen after having its licence reinstated following a review by Westminster Council’s licensing committee.
CGL ‘continuing to assess viability’ of D&D London’s estate amid mounting losses
D&D London operator CGL Restaurant Holdings has said it is continuing to assess ‘the performance and viability’ of its estate after losses rose in its latest financial results.
Kevin Styles to step down as Jamie Oliver Group CEO
Kevin Styles is to step down as CEO of the Jamie Oliver Group after nearly two and a half years with the business.
Azzurri Group toasts ‘transformational year’
Azzurri Group has delivered an 18% increase in revenue to £303.1m for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Grace Dent to replace Gregg Wallace as Celebrity MasterChef judge
Grace Dent is to be a judge on the next series of Celebrity MasterChef, replacing Gregg Wallace who recently stepped away from the show amid historical allegations of misconduct.