All news articles for December 2023

Bill Granger dies at the age of 54

27-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Australian restaurateur and food writer Bill Granger has died at the age of 54.

Chef Florence Knight to leave Sessions Arts Club

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Florence Knight will leave Sessions Arts Club at the end of next month after two-and-a-half years as head chef.

Latest opening: Akara

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Aji Akokomi’s follow up to his high-reaching Akoko restaurant takes its name from a black-eye bean fritter that originated in West Africa.

Richard Caring reportedly looking to sell a ‘big’ stake in The Ivy Collection

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Richard Caring is reportedly considering selling a ‘big’ stake in the The Ivy Collection in a deal that could see the circa 40-strong business valued at ‘around £1bn’.

Ceviche’s sole remaining restaurant closes

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Influential Soho Peruvian restaurant Ceviche has closed after 13 years' of trading.

Roy Brett to oversee two restaurants at upcoming St Andrews hotel Seaton House

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Ondine chef Roy Brett is to oversee two restaurants at upcoming St Andrews five-star boutique hotel Seaton House.

Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant at INNSiDE Manchester Hotel to undergo rebrand

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Gino D’Acampo’s First Street Bar & Kitchen restaurant at INNSiDE Manchester Hotel will change its name to Gino D’Acampo, Manchester early next year following a £800,000 refurbishment.

Coffee brand WatchHouse secures £7.9m in Series A funding

22-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

High-end London coffee business WatchHouse has secured £7.9m in Series A funding to support its ‘rapid’ growth plans in both the UK and New York over the next 36 months.

Latest opening: Pearly Queen

21-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Chef Tom Brown’s follow up to his Michelin-starred Cornerstone restaurant is focused on oysters and tips its mother of pearl-decorated hat to London’s Pearly Queens (and Kings).

2023: Review of the year in restaurants

21-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

While operators big and small grappled with the impact of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, 2023 also saw both investment and a degree of optimism return to the restaurant sector.

Restaurant radar: the key openings of 2024

21-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

With new ventures from Jeremy King, Ruth Hansom, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Michael O’Hare and Ellen Chew, amongst others, 2024 is shaping up to be a banner year for new restaurant openings.

Freddy Bird: “The disorganised are people after my own heart”

21-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The chef restaurateur behind Bristol’s Little French has ended up throwing open the doors at his new Clifton Village restaurant just before Christmas.

‘Concern’ from Welsh hospitality as rates relief slashed

21-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Wales are facing a business rates hike next year after the Welsh Government announced it would reduce the sector’s discount while raising the rate across the board.

Natalia Ribbe: “I want to leave my stamp on Margate”

21-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The founder of Ladies Of Restaurants is one of a number of hospitality pros to set up shop in the trendy north Kent town.

Uncorked: Bowie Tsang

21-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The head sommelier at Mayfair omakase restaurant Taku on his love of German Riesling, Fitzrovia’s Noize and pairing sake with cheese.

Burger brand Amigos looks to reach 100 sites

20-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

London-centric burger brand Amigos is looking for franchise partners to help it reach its goal of reaching a total of 100 UK sites within the next five years.

Filipino street food brand Filishack to double up with Elephant Park site

20-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Filipino street food operator Filishack has chosen Elephant and Castle for its second permanent London site.

Carters team to run pop-up at Birmingham private members club ahead of relocation

20-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Brad and Holly Carter will bring Carters to a Birmingham private members club for a four-month pop-up ahead of relaunching their flagship at an as-yet undisclosed location in the city this summer.

Pearly Cow sets summer opening date for Brighton site

20-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Pearly Cow’s Brighton site has been confirmed for a summer 2024 launch.

Six by Nico to launch new Glasgow flagship

19-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Tasting menu restaurant Six by Nico is investing £3m to overhaul its Glasgow estate with the launch of two new concepts and a new flagship location in Merchant City.

Ordering habits 'evolve' as delivery sales rise and takeaways fall

19-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Delivery sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant groups rose 4% year-on-year in November 2023, CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker shows — but takeaway sales fell 6%.

Hospitality bodies express ‘extreme disappointment’ with Scottish budget

19-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Scottish tourism and hospitality bodies have issued a unified statement in response to the Scottish Government Budget branding it ‘extremely disappointing’.

Calum Franklin to launch Paris restaurant

19-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Former The Holborn Dining Room executive chef and self-styled pie master Calum Franklin will launch a restaurant in Paris early next year.

Giggling Squid sees turnover rise following ‘another excellent year’

19-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Giggling Squid has reported a rise in turnover with like for like sales ‘materially ahead’ of pre pandemic levels in its latest financial results.

Former Issac At somm launches Brighton deli and wine bar

19-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Alex Preston and Maria Barney have launched a deli, café and wine bar within the central Brighton site that was once home to Isaac Bartlett-Copeland's Isaac At restaurant.

Galvin La Chapelle to undergo refurbishment ahead of 15th anniversary

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

The Galvin brothers’ Michelin-starred London flagship Galvin La Chapelle is to undergo a refurbishment in early January ahead of its 15th anniversary later in the month.

Sud Pasta to relaunch estate under new pasta kitchen concept

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Manchester-based restaurant group Sud Pasta is to close its four-strong estate at the end of the month and relaunch it early next year under a new concept.

Scottish hospitality pleads for rates support as 10,000 businesses ‘hang in the balance’

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

New analysis shows that thousands of Scottish hospitality businesses will be left unsupported if rates relief isn’t included in the Scottish Budget tomorrow (19 December).

Wingers signs 30 site development deal

18-Dec-2023 By Hannah Currie

Buttermilk fried chicken concept Wingers has signed a 30 site development deal for West London and the Thames Valley.

Michelin-starred Aberystwyth restaurant SY23 to close

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Michelin-starred Aberystwyth restaurant SY23 is to close its doors at the end of the year, with its owners blaming 'the unprecedented challenges of the current financial climate'.

Government publishes tipping code of practise

18-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

The Government has published a draft code of practice on the fair and transparent distribution of tips, which will come into effect on 1 July 2024.

Honey Spencer: “Our aim is to undersell and over deliver”

15-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Together with her husband Charlie Sims, the top natural wine sommelier has opened an understated-yet-quietly-ambitious neighbourhood restaurant on Hackney’s Broadway Market.

Latest opening: Sam’s Waterside

15-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Following success in Hammersmith, West London specialist Sam Harrison has opened another water-adjacent restaurant, this time within the Brentford Project development.

Friday five: the week's most read stories

15-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

MasterChef The Professionals winner Tom Hamblet's residences, the departure of Nathan Davies from SY23, and the relaunch of Knightsbridge stalwart Sale e Pepe were among this week's most read hospitality stories.

Book review: These Delicious Things

15-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Some of the UK's best-loved chefs share their earliest food memories in this charming new cook book.

Ash and Erin Valenzuela-Heeger to launch Riverine Rabbit in Birmingham early next year

15-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Ash and Erin Valenzuela-Heeger will open an ambitious restaurant in Birmingham next month that will explore the former's South African roots.

Des Gunewardena to open a restaurant at The Royal Exchange

15-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Des Gunewardena, former CEO of restaurant group D&D London, will embark on his first project since his departure from the multi-site restaurant group at the end of 2022.

D&D London’s David Loewi: “This deal is about us getting our mojo back”

15-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

D&D London CEO David Loewi says that the recent sale of the group to Calveton and Breal Capital will help the circa 30-strong business “get its mojo back”.

Stevie Parle to launch new West End restaurant next summer

14-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Stevie Parle has announced he will open a new restaurant in London's West End next summer.

Haar times: the Scottish chef building his own culinary fiefdom

14-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Having started in kitchens at 15, Dean Banks has now established himself as one of Scotland’s most prominent restaurateurs. And there’s more to come from the Arbroath-born chef.

Tom Hill and Clare Lattin to open Camille in Borough Market

14-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Ducksoup and Little Duck founders Clare Lattin and Tom Hill will open a provincial French-inspired restaurant in London next year.

Nathan Davies to leave SY23

14-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Welsh chef Nathan Davies has announced he is to leave his Michelin-starred Aberystwyth restaurant SY23.

Restaurants must put allergy information on their menus, says FSA

14-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

Restaurants should have to publish allergy information on their menus, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Opulent Parisian-inspired restaurant Mistress to open in St James's

14-Dec-2023 By Restaurant

A luxurious Parisian-inspired restaurant and after-hours lounge and members club will open in St James’ early next year.

Ellen Chew to launch permanent Singapulah site on Shaftesbury Avenue

14-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

London-based restaurateur Ellen Chew will launch the first permanent site under her Singaporean-focused Singapulah concept early next year on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Uncorked: Martina Marini

14-Dec-2023 By Joe Lutrario

The founder and sommelier at Holloway wine bar Rolling Grapes on Isabelle Legeron, Savoie’s Domaine Bruno Lupin and why Sherry still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

Benito’s returns to expansion trail with first franchised site

14-Dec-2023 By James McAllister

Mexican burrito brand Benito’s is returning to the expansion trail this month with the launch of its first franchised site in the departure lounge of London Luton Airport.