Our mission is remarkably simple. To tell it how it is!
Restaurants in the City have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic in an industry disproportionately hit overall. Which is why it is a dose of good news to learn the City of London Corporation has agreed to continue issuing pavement licences free of charge to suitable premises until the end of September. The six-month licences […]
Unpaid rent is possibly the single biggest financial threat to many restaurants right now as they prepare to fight themselves out of the coronavirus pandemic. Lack of government legislation or, indeed, any kind of lead on this issue, looks set to risk a ripple of business failures as the post-pandemic dust settles. “For many sadly […]
Here is our weekly round-up of what the national and local restaurant critics are writing about, for the week ending 14 February 2021. England remains in national lockdown, with restaurants and pubs closed (many are operating a takeaway or delivery service): https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions. All of Wales is at alert level 4, with similar restrictions to full […]
A group of chefs has launched Restaurant Kits, a new meal kit platform with a growing roster of restaurants. Unlike delivery services catering to separate restaurants, the service creates DIY ‘makeaways’ for them, and specialises in ‘experiences’ beyond simply warming up prepared food. Mac & Wild’s Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon run Restaurant Kits, and […]
Fitzrovia’s Mortimer House Kitchen has launched ‘friends of Mortimer House’, a guest chef takeover reimagined for delivery only. Pidgin is first on the billing, bringing its European-inspired ‘Homing Pidgin’ to the takeaway table. For two months, James Ramsden, Sam Herlihy and the rest of the Pidgin team will move to Mortimer House, partnering with Modal […]
Angela Hartnett, Tom Kerridge, Jason Atherton, Clare Smyth, and a host of other leading chefs will launch a new cookbook next week to mark a year since the pandemic hit and restaurants were first closed. Chefs at Home, published by Jon Croft Editions, will feature recipes for dishes cooked by the chefs at home during […]
The family restaurant chain Prezzo will permanently close 22 sites after being bought via pre-pack administration by the investment firm Cain International. It means 216 of the group’s 2,900 employees will lose their jobs. As it stands, 156 restaurants will remain, and are expected to reopen when coronavirus restrictions are lifted (in April, in May? […]
Joe Allen, the founder of the eponymous group of restaurants across London, New York, and Paris died at the age of 87, it was announced on Tuesday. Harden’s co-founder Peter notes that our guide launched after the restaurants’ true heydey (and that of its sibling Orso), but their significance has long continued, and remain a nostalgic […]
It’s not secret that holidays in the UK will be hot property after lockdown. This is for a number of reasons, all of which you’ll already be aware. Still, those hoping to get away in spring (we hope) will be mindful – and proactive in booking somewhere. The value of the domestic holiday market in […]
Here is our weekly round-up of what the national and local restaurant critics are writing about, for the week ending 7 February 2021. England is still in national lockdown, with restaurants and pubs closed (many are operating a takeaway or delivery service): https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions. All of Wales is at alert level 4, with similar restrictions to […]
