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Fri 8th Aug 2025 - Jeremy King signs lease for Simpsons, writes book |
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Jeremy King signs lease for Simpsons, writes book: Restaurateur Jeremy King has revealed he has finally signed the lease for Simpsons in the Strand and written a book. King said: “A project that has taken three years to bring to fruition is actually real. I suppose the consequent benefit [of the delays] is we have had more than the usual time and opportunity to discuss and refine every aspect of the project and indubitably the outcome will be enhanced. The team has been developing their systems and operational processes in great detail. I don’t think we have ever had a restaurant so ready to open. I have to admit that after three years of striving to get Simpson’s over the line, I was beginning to experience a certain lack of excitement compared with how I embarked on this odyssey in 2022. I was kept enthusiastic by the sheer pleasure of the number of inquiries received: ‘When is Simpson’s opening?’, which taught us just how immense the anticipation is and kept us determined. I am afraid that prudence and experience have taught me that it is a foolish restaurateur who offers up an opening date until they are actually ready to open. The truth is that our deadline for contractor delivery of the project is October. In order to get the restaurant properly finished, staff trained etc, in time, it is unlikely to be met and ‘handover’ is looking like November 3 or 10 – I have done November openings before (The Wolseley and The Delaunay) and it is hellish. One of the biggest challenges being staff, because although we have many waiting to join they tend not to want to leave existing employment just before Christmas with the potential loss of earnings and any end-of-year bonus. So we will have to see, and it might still yet be possible with a phased opening – I will let you know.” King said Arlington, which opened in in the former Le Caprice site in the West End last year and marked King’s return to the restaurant scene following his departure from The Wolseley Group, “is getting stronger and stronger and we are enjoying the most balanced and stable of teams”. He added: “The new booths and banquettes have been a big success and there will be some new initiatives implemented during our August closure – week of 18 August – that will hopefully enhance the experience more with lighting and carpet changes, and even further development of the alcove. I am beginning to feel that the restaurant is really getting into its stride now that it is in its second year and is certainly enriched by the growing number of ‘night-owls’ taking advantage of the later eating discount – so much more fun – as well as weekend lunchers taking advantage of our two and three course set lunch.” With regards to by “grand cafe” concept The Park in Bayswater, which also opened last year, King said new head chef Alexandre Nicolas who is also ex-Wolseley head chef, is taking the venue to “another level”, adding: “The new menu has been really well received and there is great pleasure being had on ‘Media Fridays’, the Sunday Fried Chicken nights etc (dogs also welcomed then too) and, most importantly, another ‘finally’ was the granting of a full licence so you can now use the bar for what it was intended and not just for eating.” King has also written a book – called Without Reservation – that goes to press in October. King said: “While there is an element of ‘memoir’ it is also very much ‘this much I have learnt’. The dilemma being what to include or exclude but hopefully I have the mix right and I will soon escape the torment of ‘writer’s remorse’ that I gather is quite usual.”
Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book today: Premium Club subscribers will receive the updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book today (Friday, 8 August), at noon. The database will feature 13 new entries and 58 updated accounts. The database now features a total of 1,151 companies. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the New Openings Database, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.
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