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The Chinese owner of Pizza Express has injected £80m into the company in a bid to safeguard the chain’s future. Hony Capital, which bought the company in 2014, has launched an offer to buy up £80m worth of the company’s unsecured bonds. The move comes after the private equity firm appointed financial advisors before crucial […]
Harden’s weekly update of where the critics are eating, recommending and avoiding, for the week ending 3 November 2019. The Jackalope, London W1 and The Red Lion, Kent Marina O’Loughlin for The Sunday Times encountered two “beauties” while researching for an article on the demise of the Great British Pub. With “boozers closing at the […]
Chef Neil Rankin, known for meat-heavy ventures such as Smokehouse, Temper, and Pitt Cue, is to open a plant-based burger joint on Brick Lane. Rankin’s Simplicity Burger will launch on November 1, and the chef said he will be “adopting the same high standards and meticulous approach to the provenance and preparation of ingredients” as […]
Chef and restaurateur Victor Garvey is to relaunch his Catalan restaurant Rambla as a California-inspired dining concept. Rambla, an “accomplished restaurant” with “big flavours” and better prices to boot, served Soho well during its two-year tenure, but the site has been entirely pulled up and replanted. A new look, menu and name – a portmanteau […]
A new neighbourhood Italian restaurant from a former Barrafina GM and Trullo senior sous chef has opened on Shad Thames, London Bridge. Legare is the work of Jay Patel, front of house, and Matt Beardmore, in the kitchen, and takes its name from the Italian word “to bind”. Located close to Tower Bridge, the restaurant […]
Soho House has secured £77.7m worth of equity investment to expand its portfolio and ramp up its digital growth. Raycliff Capital has led the funding charge, with an additional, significant stake arriving from Simon Property Group. The new round of investment means the business is now valued at £1.6bn. Soho House is expected to focus […]
Richard Allen has left his role as executive chef at Rockliffe Hall’s Orangery after five years in charge. Allen, who produced “refined” and “flavoursome” dishes at the restaurant, said he is moving on to pursue other projects and has been replaced by chef Gary Duffy, who has been promoted to head chef having worked as […]
TV chef Simon Rimmer has shut down his Liverpool restaurant The Viking. A notice has been placed on the restaurant’s website citing “recent challenging times” as the reason for the sudden closure. It reads: “The Viking opened in 2016 with the goal of bringing a modern British pub to West Kirby. “During the first two […]
• London restaurant market escapes record slump… just • Survey Celebrates a great year for female chefs • Bills rise at record rate • East London loses some momentum The growth of London’s restaurant scene staged a weak recovery in the last 12 months. That’s the conclusion of the 29th edition of Harden’s London Restaurants and […]
Harden’s weekly update of where the critics are eating, recommending and avoiding, for the week ending 27 October 2019. Marmo, Bristol Jay Rayner for The Observer was in the South West this week, in one of the “small, perfectly formed” restaurants that Bristol seems to specialise in. They are in no way “Identikit”, but share […]
