Fine dining - Hospitality

Tommy Banks on adapting to life after lockdown

22-May-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Chef Tommy Banks says that his two restaurants will have to adapt to a post-lockdown word but that he wouldn’t be cutting prices in an attempt to attract people back to his venues.

Niall Keating named Great British Menu 2020 'Champion of Champions'

18-May-2020 By James McAllister

Whatley Manor’s Niall Keating has been named the ‘Champion of Champions’ at this year’s Great British Menu banquet.

Supported by Arla Pro

The Future of Restaurants – Part Two

18-May-2020 By Stefan Chomka

In the second of our four-part video series, supported by Arla Pro, D&D London CEO Des Gunewardena and Dishoom co-founder Shaiml Thakrar talk about the major challenges the restaurant industry will face post lockdown.

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Praying for the return of a ‘feel good’ factor

15-May-2020 By Anthony Demetre

The restaurant sector is currently in unchartered territory, but brand loyalty and reputation will eventually triumph

Alex Greene scores double win during Great British Menu finals

15-May-2020 By James McAllister

Chef Alex Greene will be cooking two of the courses at this year's Great British Menu banquet having scored a double win during finals week.

Sat Bains: “I got the measuring tape out. It’s devastating to see the damage to any business”

15-May-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Social distancing measures when restaurants are allowed to reopen will present huge challenges for businesses, according to the chef-patron of two Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms Restaurant Sat Bains.

Adam Handling launches London-based food delivery service

14-May-2020 By James McAllister

Chef Adam Handling has launched his own high-end, London-based food delivery and collection service.

L’Enclume's Tom Barnes through to Great British Menu banquet

14-May-2020 By James McAllister

Roux Scholar and L’Enclume executive chef Tom Barnes has been named as the next chef to make it through to the banquet on this year’s series of Great British Menu.

Niall Keating through to Great British Menu banquet

13-May-2020 By James McAllister

Whatley Manor’s Niall Keating has been named as the next chef to make it through to the banquet on this year’s series of Great British Menu.

Deanes Eipic's Alex Greene through to Great British Menu banquet

12-May-2020 By Restaurant

Deanes Eipic chef Alex Greene has been named as the first chef to make it through to the banquet for this season’s Great British Menu.

Stand and deliver: how restaurants have turned to takeaway and delivery in order to survive

11-May-2020 By Stefan Chomka

In the face of forced closures, restaurant businesses large and small have been turning to takeaway and delivery as their survival instinct kicks in.

The Lowdown: Social distancing in restaurants

07-May-2020 By Joe Lutrario

With the Government due to reveal plans for a gradual return to normal later this week, restaurateurs large and small are starting to think about what re-opening for eat-in customers might look like.

Ben Murphy: "To not know what we're going to be walking back into is heart breaking"

04-May-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Ben Murphy has described the emotional upheaval that came with being forced to close his Launceston Place restaurant.

Flash-grilled: Jean-Philippe Blondet

04-May-2020 By James McAllister

Jean-Philippe Blondet - who holds the position of executive chef at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester - reflects on his career, and tells us what he's been up to while in lockdown.

United We Stand

D&D London CEO lobbies Government for inclusion of tronc in UK furlough scheme

30-Apr-2020 By Stefan Chomka

D&D London chairman and CEO Des Gunewardena has written to the Chancellor to lobby the inclusion of tronc payments in the UK furlough scheme after revealing that some UK staff are only receiving around 50% of their normal earnings through the Job...

Great British Menu finalist to open debut restaurant in Birmingham

27-Apr-2020 By Restaurant

Great British Menu finalist Kray Treadwell will open his debut restaurant in Digbeth, Birmingham, once the lockdown restrictions on hospitality businesses have been lifted.

Angela Hartnett: "times of crisis show how amazing this industry is"

27-Apr-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Angela Hartnett has praised the hospitality’s industry’s response to the Coronavirus crisis.

Campaign launched to force insurers to honour business interruption clauses

27-Apr-2020 By Joe Lutrario

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to fund support and possible legal action over many insurers refusal to pay out for business interruption during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Benares appoints new GM to spearhead home delivery operation

17-Apr-2020 By James McAllister

Indian fine-dining restaurant Benares has appointed Harsh Joshi as the new general manager of its London restaurant on Mayfair’s Berkeley Square.

Podcast: James Sommerin on feeding the NHS

16-Apr-2020 By James McAllister

The Michelin-starred chef is preparing thousands of meals a week at his Penarth restaurant to feed hospital workers on the front line of the Coronavirus crisis.

What the easing of restrictions around the world might mean for UK restaurants

15-Apr-2020 By Joe Lutrario

With some European countries warily starting to ease restrictions on hospitality businesses, what could this mean for when UK restaurants might re-open and what that could look like.

Podcast: Paul Ainsworth – “two weeks ago was the worst week of my life”

09-Apr-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Chef and restaurateur Paul Ainsworth has described the week that started with Boris Johnson advising people to stay away from pubs and restaurants (16 March) as the worst week of his life.

Podcast: Simon Rogan on getting his restaurant empire through the pandemic

06-Apr-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Simon Rogan on the pandemic's affect on his global restaurant empire and how he's using his Cumbria farm to feed people.

Podcast: Alchemilla's Alex Bond on feeding NHS workers

02-Apr-2020 By Joe Lutrario

We speak to Alchemilla chef Alex Bond about the Government's support package for staff and how he's switched from tasting menus to cooking simple meals for NHS workers.

Podcast: Adam Byatt on turning Bistro Union into a shop

31-Mar-2020 By Joe Lutrario

We talk to the Michelin-starred chef behind Trinity and Charlie's about turning his Clapham restaurant Bistro Union into Union Stores.

Kari the day: the rise of Sri Lankan cuisine

19-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

With Hoppers opening its biggest site to date in London’s King’s Cross last month, and two Sri Lankan restaurants recently launching in Soho, the lesser known subcontinental cuisine has moved into prime London territory.

Major restaurant groups close in wake of Coronavirus crisis

18-Mar-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Major restaurant groups including Hawksmoor, D&D London, Corbin & King and Mowgli have temporarily shuttered their sites as the Coronavirus pandemic intensifies.

Duty of care: The Coronavirus and the law

16-Mar-2020 By James Campbell and April Lord

James Campbell and April Lord of law firm Pillsbury on the legal implications the Coronavirus has for restaurants, including risk assessments and force majeure in contracts.

Flash-grilled: Josh Angus

13-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

Josh Angus is head chef at Ollie Dabbous’ Mayfair restaurant Hide.

Latest opening: Wildflower

13-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

28-year-old Irish chef Adrian Martin has opened his first ever restaurant – a contemporary fine dining concept with a classic, old school appearance – within a Camden shipping container.

Restaurants combat Coronavirus cashflow problems with gift vouchers

13-Mar-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Restaurant companies including Harts Group and Kricket are asking their customers to purchase gift vouchers to combat the Coronavirus’s potentially disastrous impact on their cashflow.

My Neighbours the Dumplings head chef to host charity dinner

06-Mar-2020 By Stefan Chomka

My Neighbours the Dumplings head chef Joe Allen and fellow chefs and friends Trung Nguyen and Aaron Thomas are organising a charity dinner to raise funds for Meningitis Now.

The Chef’s Table by Asimakis opens above Pied à Terre

05-Mar-2020 By Stefan Chomka

David Moore and chef Asimakis Chaniotis have opened a chef’s table above Michelin-starred restaurant Pied à Terre on London’s Charlotte Street, where Asimakis is executive chef.

Saffron Summer to open second site

04-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

Indian fine dining restaurant Saffron Summer is to open a second Surrey location in Reigate later this month, with the owner also eyeing a third site.

Crockers Tring team to open sister site in Henley

03-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

The team behind Hertfordshire-based fine dining restaurant Crockers Tring are to open a multifaceted restaurant with rooms later in the spring in Henley, Oxfordshire.

Paris Society to establish first London location on former Joël Robuchon site

03-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

French-based hospitality group Paris Society is to open its first London outpost next month, on the Covent Garden site previously occupied by L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

Restaurant radar: March 2020

02-Mar-2020 By Restaurant

March's key openings include Nico Simeone's London debut, Peter Sanchez-Iglesias enigmatically-titled The 3rd and a new restaurant from the team behind Salon and Levan.

Dublin's Michelin-starred l'Ecrivain to close after 31 years

28-Feb-2020 By Sophie Witts

Famed Dublin restaurant l’Ecrivain is to close in July after 31 years in business.

The Fat Duck sees profits rise

28-Feb-2020 By Sophie Witts

The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray saw a rise in profits last year, documents show.

Robin Gill is branching out further at new hotel Birch in Cheshunt

20-Feb-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Robin Gill is lending his name and cooking expertise to yet another project, this time at a new hotel, restaurant, bakery and co-working space in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

The Coach House by Michael Caines closes suddenly due to infrastructural fault

20-Feb-2020 By Stefan Chomka

Devon restaurant The Coach House by Michael Caines, located in the Kentisbury Grange hotel, has closed suddenly due to a ‘major infrastructural fault’ with the property.

Jamavar owner to launch Chinese restaurant

20-Feb-2020 By Joe Lutrario

The group behind high-end Mayfair Indian restaurants Jamavar and Bombay Bustle is to launch a Chinese restaurant in Curzon Street in May.

Points-based immigration system could ease specialist Asian chefs shortage

19-Feb-2020 By Joe Lutrario

The Government’s proposed points-based immigration system will make it less costly for Indian and other Asian restaurants to recruit specialist chefs from abroad.

Nuno Mendes leaves Mãos (Updated)

18-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Chef Nuno Mendes has left Shoreditch restaurant Mãos, the ‘kitchen table’ concept he launched with Hostem fashion boutique co-founder James Brown.

Flash-grilled: Arnaud Delannay

14-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Arnaud Delannay is executive head chef for US-based co-living group The Collective, which opened restaurant and lounge concept Mthr within its London Canary Wharf co-living space last September.

Tom Aikens: "The calibre of restaurants in London is so high, trying to stand out is tough"

14-Feb-2020 By Stefan Chomka

The renowned chef on the inspiration behind his new Georgian townhouse restaurant Muse, channelling childhood memories, bringing something fresh to the capital’s dining scene and being called pretentious.

Irish chef Adrian Martin to open debut restaurant

13-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

28-year-old Irish chef Adrian Martin is to open his first restaurant within Camden’s new Buck Street eco market early next month.

Nico Simeone: the chef reinventing fine dining for the masses

13-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Having opened six restaurants in three years, Nico Simeone has expanded his ‘ever-evolving’ tasting menu concept at an unprecedented rate. With a move to the capital imminent, he’s showing no sign of slowing down