Wagamama joins Deliveroo Editions: Residents in Battersea and Clapham can have their favourite Wagamama dishes delivered to their door after the company joined Deliveroo Editions. From this week, Deliveroo customers will be able to order meals from Wagamama cooked and prepared at Deliveroo’s purpose-built, delivery-only kitchen in Battersea, south London. Deliveroo Editions is a platform that enables restaurants to reach new audiences in cities around the world. It provides restaurant partners with the infrastructure – including bespoke kitchens, local marketing support and fleets of riders – that allows them to launch delivery-only menus catering to local tastes. Caleb Merkl, vice-president of Deliveroo Editions, said: “Deliveroo is all about bringing more choice to customers. Wagamama is a firm favourite across the UK, whether on the Deliveroo app or the high street, so we’re delighted Wagamama is joining the Editions family. This is great news for residents in Battersea and the local area and we look forward to our partnership with Wagamama going from strength to strength.” Andre Johnstone, marketing director at Wagamama, added: “We are strong believers in innovation at Wagamama and our new delivery-only kitchen in Battersea is another way to help our customers enjoy our food. We regularly receive requests asking us to open restaurants in new areas and this partnership with Deliveroo means the lovely people in Battersea and Clapham can enjoy a katsu curry on Clapham Common, slurp ramen in Battersea Park or enjoy gyoza on their sofa.”

Grind to open largest site so far, in Greenwich: Grind, the independent coffee and cocktail bar, is to open its largest site so far – Greenwich Grind, a new south east London flagship. Launching in late 2018 at 17-19 Nelson Road in Greenwich – a former Jamie’s Italian site – the venue will take Grind’s mix of music, design, coffee, food and cocktails outside London’s Zone 1 for the first time. Covering more than 6,000 square feet, the venue will feature a cocktail bar and lounge to the front of the listed building alongside a dedicated cafe for grab-and-go coffee and food. The main event will take place at the rear – a 160-cover dining room and garden in a conservatory offering natural light amid tropical plants. As at the other Grind restaurants – in London Bridge, Exmouth Market and Clerkenwell – Greenwich Grind will open day and night, seven days a week, serving coffee from the Grind roastery in Shoreditch and a seasonal cocktail list headed by the Grind Espresso Martini. For breakfast and brunch, Grind will serve favourites such as sweet potato harissa cakes and smashed avocado on toast, with bottomless prosecco at weekends. In the evening, a casual menu of dishes such as the Grind cheeseburger and flat-iron steak will be joined by sharing plates, including chorizo and smoked cheese croquettes and burrata bruschetta. Grind founder and chief executive David Abrahamovitch said: “We have never taken a project on the scale of Greenwich Grind and we couldn’t be more excited to share everything we’ve been working on with the people of Greenwich. From our first visit, we all fell in love with this incredible space in this beautiful neighbourhood – and we’re thrilled to become part of it.”

Easyhotel to open 53-bedroom site in Reading: A 53-bedroom super-budget Easyhotel has opened in Reading. Splendid Hospitality Group has built the hotel and will operate it under a franchise agreement from Easyhotel. The hotel will be headed by newly appointed general manager Ignacy Mirkowicz, who has extensive experience in the hotel trade. Easyhotel’s location in Caversham Road is a short walk from key Reading destinations including Reading Festival, The Oracle shopping centre, and the Madjeski Stadium. Stuart Bailey, chief executive of Splendid Hospitality Group, said: “We are excited to welcome a new brand and concept to our rapidly expanding portfolio of independent and branded hotels. The opening of Easyhotel Reading will appeal to those seeking good-value accommodation and allow guests to explore more of their destination than ever before.” Easyhotel chief executive Guy Parsons added: “Easyhotel’s ethos is all about low-cost stays in major business and tourist destinations, enabling guests to keep money in their purses and wallets to spend on local attractions. This exciting project takes Easyhotel’s network of UK and international locations to 30, with further openings imminent.”