Pasta Evangelists opens first restaurant site, eyes 100-strong UK estate: Pasta Evangelists has opened its first restaurant site in London’s Richmond and told Propel it thinks it can have more than 100 sites under the new concept operating across the UK. The delivery start-up, which was founded in 2016 by Alessandro Savelli, Chris Rennoldson and Finn Lagun, first entered the takeaway market with a single unit in east London but now operates 47 takeaway units. In January 2023, Pasta Evangelists launched its own takeaway service in London, with an ambition to eventually open more than 800 takeaway units. It also operates a stand-alone restaurant within the Dining Hall at Harrods in London. Co-founder and chief marketing officer Lagun told Propel: “We are aiming to open eight customer-facing premises by the end of this year, with the next stores coming to Greenwich, Chiswick and Guildford. We think we can have more than 100 of these customer-facing stores across the UK.” On the new opening in Richmond’s Hill Street, Lagun said: “Our team is very proud to be offering complimentary pasta-making for children in the local community on a weekly basis, as well as relaxed Italian wine tastings and fun-filled, informal Italian lessons. Developed during several trips across the Italian peninsula, our store design concept is inspired by a late afternoon in Tuscany. We want our guests to feel welcome, and at ease, when they visit us. To sense that, even if only for the short time it takes to enjoy a bowl of our pasta, all is well in the world. Overall, we have tried to deliver an Italy inspired not by gondolas, stereotypes, tropes or seen-it-before snaps of the Colosseum. And I promise you will never hear ‘That’s Amore’ emanating from our sound system. Instead, we want to show that Italy is still full of surprises and hidden treasures, and we can’t wait to share them with you, in person, in our new locations.” In May, the company hired former Starbucks head of property acquisitions and franchise store development Axel Bret to lead its expansion plans. Bret spent five years with Starbucks, leading the acquisition of 40-plus company-owned stores per year and the development of 50-plus franchised stores per year in the UK market.

 

Inn Collection Group people director Liz Robertson to speak at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Liz Robertson, people director of the Inn Collection Group, will be among the speakers at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 1 October at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. The conference will showcase examples of outstanding people culture among companies within the sector and how the industry is attracting talent. Robertson will delve into the award-winning Inn Collection Group’s mission statement of “making people happy”, which aims to support its people in their personal and professional development. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club members get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Propel’s next Multi-Site Database to be released tomorrow with seven category segmentation including 436 operators from quick service restaurant sector: Premium Club members are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database tomorrow (Friday, 26 July), at noon. The Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate, provides details of 3,200 multi-site operators and is now searchable in seven main segments. The database features 937 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 778 (24%) pub and bar operators, 532 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 436 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 261 (8%) hotel operators, 200 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month and this edition includes 50 new companies. The database includes new companies in the quick service restaurant sector such as CheeMC, the Korean restaurant concept; and burgers, chicken wraps and churros concept Wraps & Wings. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including the Talent and Training Conference (1 October), Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025) and Excellence in Pub Retail (May 2025). Operators that are Premium Club members are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club members 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 members 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 members 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.

 

A third of consumers going out less often, 35 to 54-year-olds cutting back the most while 55-plus age group still eating and drinking out in large numbers: A third of consumers are going out less often, with 35-54-year-olds cutting back the most while the 55-plus age group is still eating and drinking out in large numbers, according to new data from Feed It Back. The consumer insight business surveyed 3,186 people between 1 June and 14 July 2024 for its July 2024 Economic Outlook report, looking at the cost-of-living crisis and behaviours towards eating out. It also found that 22% of consumers are holding back on eating and drinking out, with 36% saying they are going out monthly and 43% saying they are able to go out whenever they want. Generation Z proved to be a polarised group, with four out of ten 18 to 24-year-olds saying they are going out less often, but around a fifth also saying they are going out more. Just over half of the 25-35 age group are going out at least once a month, while 58% of consumers said they are going out at the same frequency as six months ago. Furthermore, of those cutting down on eating and drinking out, more than half are treating themselves at home via supermarket meal deals/kits or takeaways. The survey concluded that while the challenge for operators is enticing people out of the house, it highlights the opportunity to create a revenue stream through selling meal kits or branded products in supermarkets or online.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fast-growing drinks business that is seeking a commercial finance manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will be joining a dynamic team and be instrumental in shaping the financial strategy to propel the business forward. Some of your responsibilities will include overseeing annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, and strategic plans; collaborating with sales and marketing to refine inputs for precise forecasts; conducting variance analysis to understand the impact of volume, price, and cost changes on profits; analyse pricing, promotions, and return on investment to support commercial decisions; assisting with customer negotiations, new product proposals, and promotional plans; and maintaining the reliability of financial statements, etc.” The salary is up to £60,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email oliwia@corecruitment.com.

 

Creams CEO – market place is incredibly challenging but we’re holding up well, we’ll move forwards on Middle East at the right time: Creams chief executive Everett Fieldgate has told Propel that the marketplace is “incredibly challenging”, but that the business is “holding up quite well”. Reflecting on current trading, Fieldgate said: “2023 was one of those years where you’re building the confidence and foundations to be able to grow, and we’re confident we now have that foundation to move forwards. Like all food and beverage businesses, 2024 is just running at a standstill. The challenge is to hold costs to the lowest possible, while striving for increasing sales. The marketplace as a whole is incredibly challenging, but as a business, we’re holding up quite well. We’re not seeing the kind of results we would hope for, but at the same time, it’s probably better than most. Talking to peers in the industry, we’re certainly up there with the best of them at the moment. Summer is a critical trading period for us and hopefully we’ll have a very strong summer. We have some fantastic innovation coming out, one of which is us moving down a portability/desserts-to-go route and offering products outside of cones and tubs, which is really exciting.” Fieldgate told Propel last month that the operator of circa 100 UK restaurants is still confident of opening 25 further sites in 2024, and that 300 sites globally remains a long-term target. “During my tenure, that number has always been 300, and I think that is still realistic as once you get a few on the ground in any market and they’re successful, the partner wants to grow,” he said. “Find the right partner first and foremost, then look at any changes you need to make to the proposition to fit into that market. The Middle East is going through turmoil at the moment but we have found a partner we like and will certainly be moving forwards but at the right time. There is a chance other markets could come to the fore while the Middle East is the way it is.” Fieldgate said Creams has limited its price increases “as much as we humanly can” and launched a value range of products under £5, and that “we’ll see more of that type of approach going forwards”. He added: “I’m proud that in an environment as tough as food and beverage is today, to have circa 20% of our franchisees tapping us on the shoulder saying I’m ready to grow means our franchise relationship is as strong as it’s ever been, and the confidence in the brand speaks absolute volumes.”

 

Trust Inns reports current trading ‘in line with expectations’ as full-year revenue increases to £42m: Trust Inns, which is owned by a discretionary trust for the benefit of family members of the late Trevor Hemmings, has told Propel that trading for the first quarter of its new financial year “is in line with expectations”. The company said it looked forward to “another excellent year of growth in 2024 and beyond” through its ongoing acquisition programme and development of its existing estate through capital investment. It comes as the business, which owns more than 350 leased and tenanted pubs across the UK, reported turnover increased to £42,010,000 for the year ending 31 March 2024 compared with £38,332,000 the previous year. Of the 2024 revenue, £29,625,000 came from drink sales (2023: £26,699,000), £8,343,000 from rent (2023: £8,072,000) and £4,042,000 from other sales (2023: £3,561,000). Operating profit was up to £11,381,000 from £10,554,000 the year before “through both organic growth and a number of successful site acquisitions”. Pre-tax profit was down to £7.532,000 from £8,931,000. Managing director Mark Brown said: “We are pleased with the performance of the business through FY24 given the after effects of the energy crisis and the wider economic challenges around inflation and interest rates that impacted the sector. The company will continue on its growth plan through both acquisitions and the right disposals and is well placed to deal with these challenges while continuing to support our tenants.” No dividend was paid (2023: nil).

 

State of Play Hospitality secures New York site for Flight Club: State of Play Hospitality, the Toby Harris-led international experiential leisure operator, has secured a flagship site in New York for darts brand Flight Club. State of Play Hospitality, which operates Flight Club in North America under licence, will open a site at 31 Union Square West, New York, next year. Toby Harris, chief executive of State of Play Hospitality, said: “Securing this landmark site is the culmination of so much hard work by the whole State of Play Hospitality team over many years. We kissed a lot of real estate frogs before we fell in love with this beautiful building in Union Square, formerly the Blue Water Grill. Our patience paid off as none of us could wish for a more stunning space to launch the Flight Club brand in NYC.” State of Play Hospitality currently operates six Flight Clubs in the US. The business has openings lined up for this year in Washington DC and Philadelphia. The group has secured a new 8,500 square-foot venue located in the Mount Vernon Triangle mixed-use development on New York Avenue, in Washington DC, and a new 7,000 square-foot venue in the original Philadelphia Stock Exchange building at 1,417 Walnut Street. A new report produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector will be available to purchase on Thursday, 1 August. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes more than 190 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. Existing Premium Club members can receive the report on Thursday, 1 August for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium members on Tuesday, 10 September at 9am. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

Greene King targeting ten-strong Nest Pub estate this year as it opens sixth site: Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted and franchise business unit of brewer and retailer Greene King, has opened its sixth Nest Pub as it targets a ten-strong estate by the end of the year. The Marquis of Lorne in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, has received a £260,000 investment from Greene King, resulting in the transformation of the pub inside and outside. The pub is being operated by franchisees Mark Teare and Natasha Thomas. Before taking on The Marquis of Lorne, the pair both worked for holiday park operator Pontins. Nest Pubs is the second pub franchise concept from Greene King Pub Partners, building on Hive Pubs, which was launched in 2021 and now operates in more than 50 sites. Nest Pubs, which launched in March this year, are wet-led pubs predominantly located on busy high streets and in communities, with franchisees earning through a percentage of the net weekly turnover of their pub, alongside a quarterly percentage of business profits and annual bonuses. Dan Robinson, managing director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “We’re delighted with our latest Nest Pub, The Marquis of Lorne in Stevenage. As the sixth Nest Pub, we are well on our way to reaching our target of ten Nest Pub openings this year.”

 

Brasseria Family business acquired out of administration for circa £400,000: Brasseria Family, the current two-strong London restaurant business, was acquired out of administration for £392,967, Propel has learned. Propel previously revealed that Begbies Traynor had been appointed administrators to Getti, the company behind Brasseria Family, which operates sites in Marylebone and Notting Hill. It was acquired out of administration last month by a new company BFH 42, of which includes co-founder Alberto Fraquelli, as a backer. Earlier this year, Brasseria Family closed a crowdfund to open its third site after overfunding by more than £180,000. The business raised £1,230,564 from 140 investors on the Crowdcube campaign, with its backers including YO! founder Simon Woodroffe. Founded in 2018, Brasseria Family was planning to use the funds to open a restaurant in Brompton Road in South Kensington. The administrators report said: “The year of 2021 was profitable for the two restaurants with the company benefiting from the covid support available from the government. Increasing energy prices impacted profitability in 2022 but the business continued to experience consistent footfall at each site. In September 2023, the company signed a new long lease at a third site in Brompton Road. Cost overruns caused delays in development of this premises and external funding was required to support the company's cash flow. Despite a successful crowdfunding campaign in February 2024, construction at this site was paused in March 2024 due to insufficient funding to continue the development. The above cash pressure led to increasing difficulty in managing creditor payments. In order to support ongoing trade, the company sought a Time To Pay agreement with HM Revenue & Customs for an outstanding balance (circa £1m). However, the company was not able to reach an agreement that was affordable or sustainable. In April 2024, Begbies Traynor was approached to provide advice as cash flow pressure continued to increase. And this time, it was determined that the business was not in a position to continue to trade under its current structure and was unable to pay its debts as and when they fell due.” Three indicative offers were received for the business based on a sale of business and assets via administration.

 

Northern Chinese restaurateur looking to expand her dumpling restaurant and bubble tea businesses: Northern Chinese restaurateur Wenjun Xiang is looking to expand both her London-based dumpling restaurant and bubble tea businesses. Xiang, from the province of Dalian, earlier this month opened a third site for her XI Home concept, which focuses on signature dumplings from northern China. The 46-cover site launched in London’s Blossom Street, near Liverpool Street station, offering a range of more than 20 dumplings alongside buns and pancakes. It joined her other XI Home locations, within the Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall – which she launched a decade ago aged just 17 – and a restaurant at 43 Chandos Place in Covent Garden. She now has plans to “expand XI Home into Soho, Canary Wharf, where she lives, and beyond”, Propel has learned. A further business Xiang is involved with is Day Day Drink, a Taiwanese bubble tea business in Covent Garden that she owns the UK rights for, and she is also looking for further sites to expand this concept too.

 

Chipotle plans Lakeside opening: US brand Chipotle is to add to its UK opening pipeline with a site in the Lakeside shopping scheme, in Essex. The business, which currently operates 20 sites in the UK – 18 in London plus one each in Watford and Guildford – is set to take space in the newly created food and beverage area on the ground floor of the scheme. Earlier this year, Chipotle opened its latest site in London, on the former Le Pain Quotidien site in Tottenham Court Road, and is also planning an opening in Kensington, in the former HSBC bank site in Gloucester Road. In April, Brian Niccol, chief executive of Chipotle, said the business was working on unlocking the US brand’s potential in Europe.

 

ETM Group and Maven Leisure launch new premium sports-led concept: ETM Group and Maven Leisure have launched a new concept, Sports London, which consolidates its premium sports-led hospitality venues under one distinguished brand. The new concept is complimented by a website which allows guests to select specific fixtures that they would like to book for, featuring an easy-to-use navigation bar and search functions. It also greatly increases the capacity for cross-selling, as when one venue is sold out, guests are guided towards another. The website has already seen more than 65,000 monthly sessions. Ed Martin, chief executive of ETM Group and Maven Leisure, said: “As a team, we are excited about the launch of Sport London, as it marks a significant milestone for ETM Group. By consolidating our eclectic sports venues under one unified brand, we are not only enhancing the visibility and identity of our beloved locations, but also reaffirming our commitment to delivering top-tier sports hospitality.” It comes after the businesses took 6,193 bookings across their seven Sport London venues during Euro 2024, which amounted to 31,500 guests through the doors.

 

Rockfish secures planning for first café site: Rockfish, the nine-strong seafood restaurant group led by Mitch Tonks, has secured planning permission to open its first seafood café. As reported by Propel in April, Rockfish – which also has restaurant openings lined up in Sidmouth, Salcombe and Topsham – had submitted a planning application to take over the Longboat Cafe in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, and expand it into the storm shelter next door. Rockfish, which just weeks ago secured permission to turn Sidmouth’s Drill Hall into a restaurant, has now been given the go-ahead to convert the Longboat Cafe site. The company said: “We are really looking forward to opening our first seafood café; Budleigh is a truly fantastic setting for it, being a short distance from Brixham where our fish is landed daily. The café is a hugely popular destination, and we’ve been looking at ways to bring the Rockfish experience to locations like this in a relaxed and informal manner, so you can enjoy great local seafood right by the beach. We already love this café and can’t wait to open soon; we are particularly excited about becoming part of the Budleigh community and enjoying all that this quintessentially British town has to offer.” In January, Tonks said the business was currently “performing well with growth in sales, margin and overall conversion”, which has returned the group to “budgeted levels of profitability in the current financial year” and was in the process of completing a £3m fundraise, which it has since secured.

 

Popeyes UK makes transport hub debut: Popeyes UK, the US fried chicken quick service restaurant (QSR) brand backed here by TDR Capital, has made its transport hub debut with an opening at London’s Waterloo station. Comprising more than 1,820 square feet of space, the restaurant is new to Network Rail’s retail portfolio and the first Popeyes to open across its 19 managed stations in Great Britain. Tom Crowley, chief executive at Popeyes UK, said: “Waterloo is not only our first travel hub, but has been a key location for us since we landed in the UK, so the response to our opening has been incredible to see.” Hamish Kiernan, commercial director, property at Network Rail, added: “Passenger appetite for food and drink continues to go from strength-to-strength across Network Rail stations, making Popeyes an exciting addition to our food and beverage line up.” Earlier this month, Popeyes UK opened its 50th site, in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, and it is set to open a further 15 outlets this year.

 

Midlands smashed burger franchise set to open fourth site of 2024 and 16th overall: Midlands smashed burger franchise Burger Boi is set to open its fourth new site of 2024 and 16th overall. It will be launching shortly at 197b Hagley Road in Erdington, Birmingham. This will be followed by a location in Leeds later this year – with both openings being second locations for existing franchisees. In April, marketing director Asa Simpson told Propel that Burger Boi is on course for 25 sites by the end of the year, as it works towards a longer-term target of 50. The brand earlier this year hired former Hero Brands development director Chris Palmer, who helped grow concepts such as German Doner Kebab, Sides and Dirty Bones in his five years at Hero Brands, as development director.

 

US hot sandwich brand targeting Ireland launch: US hot customisable sandwich brand Which Wich is targeting a launch in Ireland and seeking franchise partners in the country. The brand, which has grown to more than 300 sites globally since being founded in Dallas in 2003, first entered the UK market in 2018 with a debut store in London’s Covent Garden and has since added a virtual kitchen in Shoreditch. Which Wich launched a new national franchising campaign at the end of last year, telling Propel it was aiming for 30 sites here over the next three years – and now has Ireland in its sights. “Due to our success in the US, we have a very well-oiled franchise system and are now looking to take Ireland by storm,” a company spokesman told whichfranchise. “Through our Ireland master partner, we are looking to open in key towns and cities across the country. We are keen to speak to experienced food and beverage partners as well as those with a successful business track record in a non-food related industry. Which Wich has spent years perfecting our craft and that means we’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure the nuances between the Irish and USA markets are consistent with delivering a superior experience for every franchisee that joins the Which Wich family. Plus, we’re continually thinking up new ways to help you make franchise ownership easy and profitable. The only thing missing is your good vibes, positive energy, and solid work ethic.”

 

Alex Xu opens fourth site in London’s Chinatown with launch of new Chinese burger concept, Bunsik gears up to launch next site: Restaurateur Alex Xu has opened his fourth site in London’s Chinatown with the launch of a new Chinese burger concept. Xu has opened Kung Fu Burger at 104 Shaftesbury Avenue, offering a range of burgers featuring a sourdough Chinese-style bun and a variety of fillings. The 100 square-foot kiosk joins Kung FuNoodle, bubble tea brand Happy Lemon and Taiwanese dessert parlour Meet Fresh in Xu’s Chinatown estate. Meanwhile, Maguro Group’s Korean street food concept Bunsik is set to open its second location in Chinatown, and seventh overall, in September. The 900 square-foot site at 31 Wardour Street is next-door to Pochawa Grill, the group’s debut Korean BBQ concept that opened in late 2022. Propel revealed last week that the group had launched its first franchise programme, for Bunsik, and plans at least three new openings this year as it looks to grow the six-strong brand to 20 sites by the end of 2025.

 

Family-owned holiday park operator adds two North Yorkshire sites to portfolio: Family-owned holiday park operator Green Wood Parks has added two sites to its portfolio. The company has bought the Northcliffe and Seaview holiday parks in Whitby, North Yorkshire, for an undisclosed sum and now operates ten sites across the UK. The deal was arranged by commercial real estate firm Colliers, which ran a competitive process resulting in the buyer achieving preferred bidder status. Northcliffe and neighbouring Seaview had been under the ownership of the Martin family since the 1960s. Extending to approximately 46 acres, the parks are licenced for 352 pitches (271 static, 72 touring and nine glamping pods). The sale also includes a cafe, a holiday cottage and various leisure facilities, along with two residences. A spokesman for Green Woods Parks said: “We feel privileged to have the chance to buy these two fantastic parks. We look forward to maintaining the same family-run-feel and high standards that the Martin family has maintained for last 60 years.” Sue Martin, whose parents bought Northcliffe in 1967, added: “It was very important that we were able to ensure our family parks were sold to a similar family operator to ourselves. We feel that Colliers found that fit for us with Green Wood Parks and wish it all the very best for the future.”

 

Former Tom Kerridge head chef to open debut solo restaurant venture: Former Tom Kerridge head chef Nick Beardshaw is set to open his debut solo restaurant venture, in Surrey. He will launch Starling at the end of August in his home town of Esher after working for Kerridge for 14 years. The 40-seater restaurant will offer Britain’s best seasonal ingredients across a simple menu, with no more than five dishes to choose from at each course. Beardshaw’s dishes will celebrate his BBC Great British Menu success and include his winning fish starter, A Moon Shaped Pool, while mains will include Creedy Carver duck and Cornish jumbo plaice. The wine list, available by the glass, has been crafted by James Shaw, who joins as general manager from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, where he was assistant head sommelier. There will also be four counter seats available, overlooking the kitchen and bar, for walk-ins only.

 

Sussex hotel and golf group sees losses widen: Hotel and golf group Horsted Estates saw its losses widen in the year to 31 December 2023. The group, which owns and operates the East Sussex National hotel and golf resort and the nearby Horsted Place hotel and operates the Singing Hills golf course in West Sussex, reported a pre-tax loss of £1,875,235 compared with £1,511,350 in 2022. Revenue was up from £11,529,723 in 2022 to £12,439,674. No government grants were received compared with £18,607 in 2022. No dividends were paid (2022: nil). “The market in which the group operates is highly competitive, especially the golf market, where there are numerous other local courses,” director Susan Jenkins said. “Also in the hotel market, numerous additional rooms are being added across the region, which puts downward pressure on prices. The group endeavours to maintain their golf courses and hotels to the highest possible standard to distinguish them from the competition to mitigate this risk. Also, a programme of refurbishment and improvement to the hotel and leisure facilities is ongoing to improve customer experiences. The group continues to invest in its personnel and the directors recognise the key role that its employees play in the success of the business and achieving customer satisfaction.” 

Dalata gearing up to opens first south coast hotel in England under Maldron brand: Irish hotel operator Dalata is preparing to open the first south coast hotel in England under its Maldron brand. Dalata will operate the new £30m, 225-bed seafront hotel in Brighton being developed by real estate group Topland, on which work has just been completed. It is part of a wider Topland-owned hospitality scheme at Brighton’s seafront, with the group’s total commitment to the Brighton projects in excess of £60m. The hotel features a series of grade II-listed facades, bar and dining facilities, and an open courtyard. William Davies, director of asset management team at Topland Group, said: “Brighton remains one of the UK’s major tourism hotspots and drives a huge amount of growth for local businesses and the economy. We’re excited to be working alongside Dalata to bring forward this new site as we continue to support a variety of operators and the continued growth of the hotel and hospitality industry.” Dalata earlier this month opened its first Maldron hotel in Liverpool and launched its first Maldron site in London at the end of last year. Dalata currently has a portfolio of 58 hotels – mainly in the UK and Ireland (plus one each in the Netherlands and Germany) – including 27 Maldrons.

 

Husband and wife team confirm September launch for their second Korean restaurant in Bristol: Husband and wife team, Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson, have confirmed a September launch for their second Korean restaurant in Bristol. The duo – who met in Paris while working at two Michelin star L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and went on to be executive chefs for the opening of Restaurant L’Envie in southwest France, securing the restaurant a Michelin star – opened their first restaurant, Bokman, in Stokes Croft in 2019. They will follow this with Dongnae, opening in Chandos Road in early September and taking its name from the Korean word for “neighbourhood”. Drawing on the pair’s time living in Seoul and Jeon’s upbringing in Korea, it will offer a £24 set lunch of a rice bowl, soup, side dishes and kimchi, using Korean barbecue techniques. There will also be a £55 omakase style menu showcasing some of the chefs’ favourite dishes, including Korean beef tartare, wild mushroom dolsotbap, whelk and perilla muchim and grilled pork jowl. The wine list will focus on low-intervention wine from Bristol-based importer Vine Trail. Guests will be invited to sit at the counter overlooking the kitchen or bar, or in the restaurant itself. “With Dongnae, we want to gently challenge the idea that all Asian cuisines are grouped together and encourage people to come and enjoy Korean food in our version of a modern neighbourhood restaurant,” the owners said.

 

Former Noble Rot and Big Jo chefs leading kitchen at new north London cafe concept: Izzy Wallace and Alistair Walling, former chefs at Hornsey Road bakery Big Jo and three-strong wine bar and restaurant business Noble Rot, are leading the kitchen at a new café concept in north London. They are head chef and sous chef respectively at Albers, which founder Scott Pattinson has just opened at 23a Englefield Road. Wallace and Walling are putting together regularly changing all-day menus of four or five dishes at a time, including butterflied mackerel with charred beans, fresh cucumber, kohlrabi and radish salad, topped with dill and vadouvan sauce; and pollock with white beans and nduja fried bread. Named after the owner’s dog, Albers also offers negronis and a short wine list, reports Hot Dinners.