Former Kerridge’s head chef Nick Beardshaw is to open his first restaurant as patron next month – Starling, in Esher on London’s southwestern fringe. He will be joined in the venture by manager James Shaw, a former assistant head sommelier at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. The 40-cover venue on Esher High Street will have a straightforward menu […]

Continue reading


Leeds chef Liz Cottam is to close her ambitious and highly rated restaurant Home at the end of September as tough economic conditions continue to weigh heavily on the industry. New government figures show hospitality insolvencies rose by 20% in the 12 months to May, effecting 3,752 businesses. Liz founded Home in 2017 on Kirkgate […]

Continue reading


A campaign has been launched to save Boxpark Shoreditch from closure when its lease expires at the end of this summer. Hailed as “the world’s first pop-up mall” when it launched in 2011, the venue pioneered the use of shipping containers as instant mini restaurants and brought new confidence and energy to the capital’s street-food […]

Continue reading


Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 21st July 2024 Evening Standard Lucia, Hackney Wick Jimi Famurewa brushed aside the social-media hype attending so many launches to draw attention to a new Mexican spot in east London whose Instagram account has yet to post a single […]

Continue reading


Former River Cottage chef Sam Lomas (centre in picture) is to open his first restaurant in September, taking over the site previously occupied by highly rated Osip in Bruton, Somerset. Called Briar, the restaurant is a partnership with Claudia and Aled Rees (left & right in picture), who opened their boutique hotel Number One Bruton […]

Continue reading