Propel Newsletter Archive Page

Zia Lucia assesses funding options for next stage of growth: London pizzeria concept Zia Lucia has appointed advisors to help it assess funding options for its next stage of growth, Propel understands. Zia Lucia, which opened its eighth eponymous site in the capital, in Canary Wharf, last October, is understood to be working with advisory firm BDO. It is thought Zia Lucia, which was founded by Gianluca D’Angelo and Claudio Vescovo in 2015, is looking to secure investment to continue to expand its core brand in the capital and across the UK. It is believed the company, which also operates pasta concept Berto in Islington, has already attracted interest from a number of private equity firms. Speaking to Propel last year, Vescovo and D’Angelo, who opened the first Zia Lucia in Holloway Road, Islington, said: “We remain very careful to execute our growth plan. We do not want to rush things. We want to remain obsessed with the quality of our products and deliver a superior customer experience. We will never compromise on these two pillars. There are lots of residential areas we like and continue to visit regularly to identify the best spots. From day one, we planned to become a destination and not play the high-footfall game unlike many of our peers. We have many areas identified and are in active discussions with various landlords. Similarly, we think the Zia Lucia brand and its format would work perfectly in other UK cities as fundamentally we offer something that nobody has.” Zia Lucia and BDO declined to comment.

Industry News:

Sponsored message – Airship Teams is a new tool that enables businesses to communicate more effectively with internal teams: Hospitality customer relationship management platform Airship has launched Airship Teams, a new tool allowing sector businesses to communicate more effectively with internal teams. Using the same technology that allows Airship customers to communicate with consumers, Airship Teams has been designed to support operators in building effective internal communications and so they can easily reward individuals and teams. Operators can segment teams into specific departments, regions and roles. They can send messages via SMS or email, such as automated birthday greetings, job change congratulations, or to welcome new team members, as well as ad hoc updates. Airship chief executive Dan Brookman said: “With the industry still experiencing an unprecedented workforce crisis, communicating with and rewarding staff is more important than it’s ever been for hospitality businesses. Therefore we designed Airship Teams, an internal communications system built specifically for this purpose.” For more information, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Restaurant Marketer & Innovator videos to be sent to Premium readers on Monday, next edition of Blue Book released today: Propel Premium subscribers are to be given access to the entire recording of the 2023 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Subscribers will be sent 30 separate video presentations, featuring more than 80 speakers, on Monday (13 February), at 9am. The videos include: Oakman Group head of marketing Kelly Beard discussing how the business is balancing efficiencies with customer experience in delivering effective technologies; Tao Group Hospitality category director Simon Farrow talking about the company’s approach to new product development and creating the right menu mix, its processes, cross-business workflows and how it goes about testing; Oglivy consulting director Daniel Bennett discussing how hospitality and psychology are a match made in heaven; and Andrea Mulligan, chief customer experience officer at Paytronix, talking about loyalty and customer engagement. Meanwhile, the next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book will be sent to Premium subscribers today (Friday, 10 February), at noon. The Blue Book, which now features 705 companies, is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Subscribers also receive the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; and the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Subscribers also receive access to Propel’s library of Friday Wrap interviews and also have access to a curated video library of the sector’s finest leaders and entrepreneurs, offering their insights on running outstanding businesses in the sector. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett. In this week’s Propel Premium, which will be sent to subscribers today at 5pm, David Murdin, formerly of British Airways, Sky Sports, Whitbread, Costa Coffee and Wagamama, looks at how to learn from past mistakes when it comes to launching a new concept. Meanwhile, Tom Johnson, managing director of insights firm Trajectory Partnership, explains why there may be room for consumer optimism and why quality over quantity has never been more important.

Hurd – investing in apprentices will improve retention rates and build ‘pride, passion and loyalty’: TV chef Joe Hurd has told Propel he believes investing in apprentices will improve retention rates and build “pride, passion and loyalty” among sector employees. Hurd, who has worked alongside Jamie Oliver, Gennaro Contaldo, Francesco Mazzei and Antonio Carluccio as well as presenting BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen, was speaking to mark National Apprenticeship Week. Hurd heads up the Chef Academy, founded by former Greene King general manager Peter Grantham in 2019, at apprenticeship training company Lifetime Training. “Hospitality is more of a skilled industry than people think,” Hurd told Propel. “We want to teach key skills to match what customers and businesses want, which I believe will help improve retention rates. Speaking to learners we have worked with, they have a real pride, passion and loyalty as employees as they see a clear career path. We’re doing things like going to Billingsgate Market and teaching them how to properly fillet a plaice. It’s much more than coming into the sector by throwing a burger on to the frier and then hating it by the second day.” Hurd helped found the academy in 2019 and had planned to launch it in 2020 until covid intervened, but spent the lockdowns refining it before welcoming his first intake last year. “We’re currently developing an Asian Academy for Wagamama and an Italian Academy for Delitalia,” said Hurd. “We’re constantly adapting dishes and menus around the curriculum, and it gives us an ear to the ground to what younger people like to cook and eat. For example, Detroit-style pizza is a big trend at the moment. I would like to look at the casual dining sector next – street food and barbecue – and the next push will be evolving front of house learning, like bartending and baristas. Things like this didn’t exist when I was in education, but hopefully we have created something new and fresh.” Hurd, whose grandfather “worked in every sector of Italian hospitality”, also said he has a book in the pipeline, which will chart the history of Italian food in the UK.

HGEM – fewer than one in five consumers planning to go out for meal or drink to celebrate Valentine’s Day: Fewer than one in five consumers (17%) are looking to celebrate Valentine’s Day by going out for a meal or drink, according to new research by guest management platform HGEM. Younger consumers are most likely to go out for Valentine’s Day, with nearly one in three Generation Z (29%) and millennial (28%) survey respondents expecting to visit a hospitality venue. That figure drops sharply in older age groups: 19% for 36 to 45-year-olds, 12% for 46 to 55-year-olds and only 6% for 56 to 65-year-olds. There is a positive spike in the 66-plus age group, as 14% are planning on celebrating Valentine’s Day out in a hospitality setting. HGEM’s data suggested more popular occasions for customers to go out to hospitality venues are birthdays (86% of consumers are expecting to go out to celebrate), spending quality time with family (67%) and anniversaries (51%).

Company News:

FB Taverns more than doubles in size after acquiring eight pubs from Tadcaster Pub Company, actively seeking new sites: FB Taverns, the pub vehicle backed by high-net-worth individual Alexander Embiricos, the co-founder of the US-based virtual office provider Remotion, has more than doubled in size after completing the acquisition of six tenanted and two managed pubs from Tadcaster Pub Company, Propel has learned. It is the second portfolio acquisition FB Taverns has made since it acquired seven sites from Admiral in June 2022. FB Taverns was founded last year with the intention of growing a business primarily focused on wet-led community pubs. Co-founder James Maizels said: “We are delighted to have added these eight pubs to complement our existing estate. We look forward to welcoming and working closely with our new tenant partners. We continue to actively look for sites with the intention of continuing to grow our portfolio. I would like to thank our team for their support through the transaction, as well as Jeff Anspach and James Crawfurd-Porter of Tadcaster Pub Company, for the way in which the sales process was run.” FB Taverns worked with management partner LT Management on the transaction, while James Boshier at Everard Cole acted as agent.

Reilley – Brightside has presented a different challenge, uptick in opportunities being presented: Alex Reilley, executive chairman of Loungers, the Lounge and Cosy Club operator, has said the launch of the group’s new roadside dining concept has presented a different challenge to the business in terms of having to “grab people’s attention very quickly”. The company will launch its first Brightside site today (Friday, 10 February) on Haddon Hill, just off the A38 near Exeter, with another three sites under the concept already secured. Reilley said: “It’s nice to do something different, it gives people a lot of energy and allows some people in the business to step up a bit. It’s given Kate [Lister], our new marketing director, something to really get her teeth into. It’s different because when we open a Lounge we don’t normally do much in the way of marketing, we generally open doors and it’s a bit of a sort of 'build it and they will come’ type situation. Clearly, here is a very different challenge because we’ve got to grab people’s imagination and get their attention very quickly. When we get quizzed about why we’ve launched a second concept, one of the things I think that’s really beneficial is you learn a lot from doing something a bit different. It makes sure you reverse some of those learnings back into what you learned from having something different. Clearly, Brightside is really quite different compared with the differences between Lounge and Cosy Club, and that’s good.” Reilley said the reaction the company is getting from landlords about Brightside is “quite interesting” and will only be “amplified by us obviously, opening our first Brightside and it actually being a thing”. He said: “We initially found that when we were talking to potential landlords about opportunities about this brand, which didn’t have a name and was a bit of an idea, it was quite difficult to get them enthusiastic about it. But now it’s becoming a reality, people are beginning to appreciate it’s very different to everything else that is on the side of the road. We’re seeing landlords approaching us a lot more now and thinking where they want a Brightside positioned, as opposed to offering the sort of the back end of the scheme and the least desirable site. Actually opening will really help that whole process of us unlocking opportunities, because we’ve definitely seen an uptick in direct incomings into our property team with opportunities.”

London pub operator Whelan’s aiming for up to six new sites by summer of 2024: London pub operator Whelan’s Pubs has told Propel it is aiming to add up to six new sites by the summer of 2024. Director Austin Whelan has taken the company’s portfolio to nine sites by reopening The Fox in Palmers Green, which is also its sixth pub with Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars. “We hope to expand to ten to15 sites over the next 12-18 months,” Whelan told Propel. “They will also be London based, although we may eventually look at moving outside of London. Some may be with Star Pubs & Bars, but we also have a couple of free-of-tie things going on as well. The train strikes hurt a lot, but it’s been a good year and we’re ticking along nicely. We’re still moving forwards and there will be opportunities. We always like to invest in new sites, and pubs have to move with the times to succeed. Despite the tough economic climate, we remain positive about the future. Our experience is that people still want a more premium offer and are prepared to pay for it. Palmers Green has excellent demographics and is crying out for a quality local.” A joint £1.35m refurbishment in The Fox represents the largest joint investment Star Pubs & Bars has made outside of central London and has transformed it into a “premium local” with a traditional bar, a spacious dining area and a large lounge that converts into a private function room, complete with its own bar, for up to 120 people. The pub, which is listed as an asset of community value and featured in the film Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, has been closed since 2018. Whelan is also a co-founder of Doolin Rock Pubs, which he founded last April with former Star Pubs & Bars business development manager Colin Coogan, “with the aim of building an estate of quality, premium local pubs across London and the south east”. It currently has a couple of sites, with another two possibly in the pipeline.

San Carlo acquires former Gino D’Acampo restaurant in Cheshire, eyes further collaborations: San Carlo Restaurant Group, the north west operator, has acquired a former Gino D’Acampo restaurant, Luciano in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The company said that after 20 years of competing with each other at the top of the premium Italian dining scene, San Carlo managing director Marcello Distefano and Gino D’Acampo chairman Steve Walker see the deal as the start of a collaboration as they eye further opportunities together in the UK and overseas. Distefano said: “We are delighted to acquire such a prominent location in our heartland of the north west and look forward to welcoming it into our Italian family.” Walker added: “The deal is part of our strategy to focus on opening upmarket restaurants in central London and major UK cities such as our imminent openings in Leeds and Manchester, together with international locations. I wish Marcello and his father Carlo the very best of success for the future and could not think of a better home for this fabulous location.”

Center Parcs pulls out of plans to build £350m holiday village in West Sussex: Center Parcs has announced it will not be progressing plans to develop a £350m forest holiday village near Crawley, West Sussex. It had planned to build up to 900 lodges, a range of indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a “subtropical swimming pool”, a variety of restaurants, shops and a spa on 553 acres of privately-owned woodland at Oldhouse Warren off Balcombe Road, Worth. In July 2021, the business secured an option agreement to acquire the site. But a flood of objections were raised over the proposals and concerns raised over the destruction of ancient woodland. Center Parcs said: “We have a longstanding record of enhancing the habitats in which we build our villages, and at the very heart of this is choosing a site that meets our specific environmental and social requirements. As part of our usual pre-planning process, we have undertaken rigorous environmental and ecological site surveys and, having analysed all the detail from these surveys, we have concluded the site at Oldhouse Warren is not a suitable location for a Center Parcs village.” Colin McKinlay, Center Parcs chief executive, added: “While it is obviously disappointing that we will not be able to bring Center Parcs to this part of West Sussex, this decision demonstrates how seriously we take our responsibility to the environment. Through our customer insights, we are confident there is strong demand in the UK market for a sixth Center Parcs village and, with this in mind, we will continue our search for a suitable site.” Center Parcs operates six short break villages across the UK and Ireland.

Merlin Entertainments partners with Ferrari to roll out immersive Legoland race experiences: Merlin Entertainments has partnered with Ferrari to roll out a series of immersive racing experiences at its Legoland venues. Launching this spring, the global partnership will initially see the experiences appear at the Legolands in Windsor and Billund, Denmark. It follows the recent pre-partnership opening of a Ferrari Build and Race experience at Leogland California. It allows guests to build, test and race their very own Lego Ferrari using cutting-edge digital technology. A Lego pit crewmember will greet visitors on arrival, sharing Ferrari facts and race history, and guests can also have a photo taken with a life-size Lego Ferrari. Scott O’Neil, chief executive officer at Merlin Entertainments, said: “Ferrari aligns perfectly with our ambitions of partnering with the world’s most exciting and innovative brands. This is exactly the type of premier new experience that will have our guests revving their engines to visit in 2023.” Merlin runs more than 140 tourist attractions in 24 countries across Europe, America, Asia and Oceania. Brands operated by Merlin include Legoland, Madame Tussauds and Sea Life, and last month, it began operating Cadbury World in Birmingham.

Coffee#1 accelerating growth plans after ‘strong festive trading period’, including three record sales weeks: Coffee#1, the Caffe Nero-owned brand, has said it is accelerating its growth plans after reporting a “strong festive trading period”, including three record sales weeks. The company has announced like-for-like sales growth of 17.7% for the four-week period in December ending on Christmas Day, versus 2019. It also saw its three highest-ever sales weeks during December, with each week exceeding £1.1m of sales, as it served more than a million customers during the month. Coffee#1 recently opened stores in Leek, Staffordshire, and Macclesfield, Cheshire, while a further opening in Epsom later this month will be the brand’s first store inside the M25 and 110th in all. Coffee#1 managing director Bruce Newman said: “Our team has pulled it out of the bag again in delivering consecutive weeks of record sales and making 2022 the strongest festive trading period the business has enjoyed. While the impact of rising costs remains challenging, I’m encouraged by the relevance and appeal of our brand in existing and new locations. This gives me confidence to accelerate our growth plans in 2023. The very early signs in Leek and Macclesfield have been highly encouraging, and we are looking forward to bringing Coffee#1 to Epsom.”

NQ64 secures second London site: NQ64, the immersive retro arcade bar concept backed by Imbiba, is to open its second site in London, in Shoreditch. Propel has learned the nine-strong NQ64, which made its debut in London, in Soho, last year, has secured the old Club Aquarium nightclub site in Old Street, for an opening this May/June. The business is also understood to be in advanced talks on its first site in the south west, in Bristol. Founded in 2019 by Andy Haygarth and Matt Robson, the company received £2.5m in funding from ThinCats last August in order to accelerate its openings pipeline. It is also targeting new locations in Leeds, Birmingham, Bath, Nottingham, Reading, Belfast, Sheffield, Aberdeen and Brighton, as well as further London sites. Michael Penfold, of AG&G, acted for NQ64 on the Shoreditch deal while Alex Lowry, of Stephen Kane & Company, acted for the landlord.

South Oxfordshire Brewery acquires White Horse Brewery in deal with Titanic: South Oxfordshire Brewery, led by James Tomlinson, has acquired its neighbouring White Horse Brewery for an undisclosed sum. The deal sees South Oxfordshire Brewery, also known as SOX, acquire the entire interest in the business from White Horse’s longstanding group of shareholders, which includes Titanic Brewery. Based in Stanford-in-the-Vale, White Horse has been brewing and distributing real ales to pubs across Oxfordshire since 2004. SOX plans to build on this by increasing brewing capacity and distribution across the wider region. The two businesses will continue to be run as separate entities but will work together on initiatives such as a joint e-commerce platform, a joint delivery operation and on events such as beer festivals. Tomlinson said: “We are delighted to be adding the White Horse Brewery to our existing SOX brewing operation and taproom. There is a lot that the two businesses can collaborate on and there are a lot of commonalities – not least a shared love of fantastic beers. We will certainly aim to position them as sister companies, and help each other wherever possible.” Titanic Brewery director Keith Bott MBE added: “It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of the White Horse journey over the past 18 years, and I know James and the team from SOX will do a great job building the brand and bringing those beers to more drinkers. At a time when breweries are closing at an alarming rate, it’s a great comfort to see brewers and business owners coming together.” The agreement will see Titanic retain the operation of the Royal Blenheim on Oxford’s St Ebbes Street.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants appoints Megan Conneely as new marketing director: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has appointed Megan Conneely as its new marketing director, Propel has learned. Conneely joins the Bread Street Kitchen and Street Pizza operator after a year and a half as a senior marketing manager at White Stuff. Previous to that, she spent more than two years at the Imbiba-backed Ballie Ballerson, as its sales and marketing director. She also spent more than five years at Marks & Spencer, including a stint as its digital marketing manager. At the end of last year, chef Gordon Ramsay added his Street Pizza concept to three of his existing sites. The chef has opened the pizza concept at the Bread Street Kitchen sites in Liverpool and Ealing. He has also added a Street Pizza to his offer at Victoria Place in Woking, where the chef operates a Street Burger site and academy. Ramsay opened the first regional site under his Street Pizza concept, in Edinburgh’s Henderson Row, last November. Ramsay also launched a Street Burger site in the Scottish capital, at the St James Quarter scheme, at the end of last year. At the same time, Ramsay reopened his The Narrow pub site, which is situated on the Thames near Limehouse, east London, under his Bread Street Kitchen concept, with the new name of Bread Street Kitchen on the River.

Shake Shack to open in Camden: US better burger brand Shake Shack is to further increase its presence in London, with an opening in Camden. Set over three floors, the new site, the brand’s 13th in the UK, will open on the ex-AllSaints site in Camden High Street, facing Regent’s Canal. In anticipation of the opening, Shake Shack is collaborating with London-based artist Aga Giecko on a custom illustration for the building’s exterior. The restaurant will offer the brand’s classic menu, including the signature ShackBurger as well as menu items unique to Shake Shack Camden. In December, Propel reported that Diverse Dining, which operates Shake Shack and PF Chang’s in the UK, was in negotiations for new sites and also aiming to expand its digital channel. Last month, Shake Shack opened on the former French Connection premises in Argyll Street, near Oxford Street. It was the first Shake Shack with a “vertically-orientated”kitchen. Shake Shack operates a further eight sites in London, one in Cardiff, one in Gatwick airport’s North Terminal and one in Lakeside, Essex. It also operates ten delivery kitchen sites.

Wagamama launches new breakfast menu at airport sites: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group (TRG)-owned brand, has launched a newly curated breakfast menu at its airport sites. It is now available at its Gatwick North, Gatwick South, Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5 and Manchester Terminal 2 restaurants. Dishes include Wagamama’s take on the traditional English breakfast with tea-stained eggs, sausages, bacon, katsu sweet potato and mixed mushrooms alongside a toasted Hirata bun and a side of sriracha ketchup. There are also kids and vegan options. There will also be a fresh twist on eggs benedict with katsu hollandaise and a sprinkle of shichimi, as well as pancakes with ube and matcha ice cream. Breakfast baos with four new fillings, including bacon and nori omelette, or vegan ‘sausage’ and mushroom, with sriracha mayo, have also been introduced.

Black Sheep Coffee targets Arizona, Georgia and Florida for US expansion: Speciality coffee shop operator Black Sheep Coffee has targeted Arizona, Georgia and Florida for expanding its US operations. The company, which last year said it plans to open 15 sites in its initial US launch phase, is set to make its debut in the country this quarter with an opening in Mockingbird Lane, East Dallas. It is thought to have lined up a further site in Dallas and two in Austin, but is also planning to expand to Phoenix, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; and Miami, Florida; reports The Dallas News. It also reported Texas was chosen as Black Sheep’s point of entry into the US after data showed the state to have a fast-growing population. “Usually, companies that are successful in the UK always open in New York,” said co-founder Gabriel Shohet. “We looked at all the data and we felt like, actually, Texas is on the rise of all states in the US. Everybody seemed to be moving to Texas.” Another reason for starting there was NBA Dallas Mavericks player Kristaps Porzingis being an investor. And despite the basketball star having since moved to Washington Wizards, he still intends to return to Dallas for the opening ceremony. Shohet also said the Dallas shop could be a franchise operation if they can find the right partner. “I don’t know if it’s an urban legend, but the Egg McMuffin and Big Mac were launched by franchisees [of McDonald’s],” he added. “It’s a partnership with people who care about the brand as much as we do because they’ve put in their savings and they’re part of the journey with us.”

Salad bar concept Choppaluna launches new London site: Salad bar concept Choppaluna, which is owned by Hero Brands, has opened its second bricks and mortar site in the UK, in London’s High Holborn. The concept, which operates two sites in Germany, has opened on the former Cards Galore site at 314 High Holborn. The business, which was founded by Nikras Agha and Bijan Azadfard, specialises in salad bowls and wraps. It opened its first UK site in London’s Bloomsbury in October 2020, and also operates a concession in the Gravity venue in Wandsworth. It had previously been linked with an opening in Glasgow. On the recent opening, Agha said: “We are excited to be opening our new restaurant in London Holborn. Choppaluna will revolutionise the clean eating space in the city, bringing people indulgent, healthy options that fit with a fast-paced on-the-go lifestyle. We are looking forward to progressing with our expansion plans across the UK. It’s a huge achievement for our team, and it shows a real appetite for our delicious, healthy food. The opportunity is resonating with our franchise network within the Hero Brands group and we look forward to exploring further opportunities to expand in the future.”

Leon to launch value meal deal: Natural fast food brand Leon is launching a £3.99 value meal deal. The offer – available from Wednesday, 15 February – allows guests to buy a rice pot and a drink for the price. Leon has also introduced new two rice pots to its menu – barbecue chicken and classic black bean chilli, which is a vegan take on the traditional Brazilian feijoada. Included in the deal are Karma Drinks regular-size draft soda or can, Dash Water, Trip CBD Infusions or Leon bottled still or sparkling water. The launch of the rice pots follows a six-month trial across ten Leon restaurants around the country. Rice boxes are the backbone of the Leon menu and have featured since the brand launched in 2004. Glenn Edwards, managing director of Leon Restaurants, said: “Leon is committed to its founding mission that our food should taste good, do you good and be kind to the planet. We always aim to serve naturally fast food made with the best quality ingredients for the most reasonable price, and the launch of the rice pots deal is another way to ensure this.”

Former Hoxton Market Square and Moro head chef set to launch new pizza-by-the-slice concept: Former Hoxton Market Square and Moro head chef Marco Jerrentrup is set to launch a new pizza-by-the-slice concept in south east London. Pizza Taxi will open later this month at Canteen, the food hall on Greenwich Peninsula, promising a “disruptive approach to pizza”, with “daring, international flavours, top quality ingredients and authentic dough delivered straight from a trusted Roman pizzaioli”. Flavours will include coconut jackfruit curry with ginger, coriander, sweet chilli sauce and comte cheese; and ham, potato, mature cheddar, mustard and pea sauce. Jerrentrup said the texture of the dough, sourced from a professional pizzaioli in Lazio, the birthplace of traditional Roman pizza, makes for a pillowy, light base that also delivers “a satisfying crunch that is lacking in the sourdough pizzas that have taken over in recent years”. He added: “Pizza Taxi will take you on a ride around the world, promising flavours you’ve never had before on a dough, that comes straight from the best in the business. Greenwich Peninsula’s Canteen is the perfect place for us to park up.” Pizzas will be sold by the slice at £3.60 each, or £6.80 for a quarter and £9.60 for a half, while vegan variations will also be available.

Celebrity chef Jun Tanaka’s London restaurant to reopen next month following fire: Celebrity chef Jun Tanaka’s London restaurant The Ninth will reopen next month after a seven-month closure due to a kitchen fire. Tanaka, who opened the restaurant in 2015, said he has used the opportunity to refresh the interiors and invest in new tableware to bring a more contemporary feel. It will open once more on Thursday, 9 March, offering Tanaka’s classics alongside new dishes like tuna belly with mojama and anchovy vinaigrette; venison tartare with Jerusalem artichokes and sour plums; and pork cheek tortellini with lardo and salsa verde. The restaurant has maintained its entire previous kitchen and front of house team along with a few new additions. Tanaka, who has featured on television shows Cooking It and Saturday Kitchen, was the executive chef at Pearl Restaurant for eight years, where he gained three AA Rosettes, before establishing The Ninth. He also spent a decade working with chefs such as the Roux brothers, Marco Pierre White and Philip Howard, and created mobile food business Street Kitchen with fellow chef Mark Jankel.

Story of the Day:

Industry News:

Company News: