Flat February for hospitality businesses as consumer spending tightens: Britain’s leading restaurant, pub and bar groups delivered fractional like-for-like sales growth of just 0.1% in February, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. The figure is well below the current rate of inflation and continues a challenging start to 2025 for the sector, following a year-on-year drop of 1.3% in January. It indicates that many consumers continue to remain watchful of their disposable income. The Tracker shows February delivered 2.5% growth in total sales, including all venues opened by groups in the last 12 months. However, with key costs still inflationary—including via extra national insurance contributions from April— it said margins in hospitality remain extremely tight. Pubs performed the best of the major hospitality channels in the Tracker for the third month in a row. Like-for-like sales finished 1.7% ahead of February 2024, having been partly boosted by the start of the Six Nations rugby tournament. With some consumers limiting their meals out, restaurant groups’ sales fell by 0.6%. While February featured Valentine’s Day, this year it occurred on a Friday, a day that already generally sees higher on-premise visitation compared to other days of the week, and last year it fell on a Wednesday, resulting in a missed mid-week sales boost this year. Bars continued a long-term drop in growth, with like-for-like sales down 7.9% in February. The on-the-go segment of the market slipped 1.9%. Hospitality had a slightly tougher month in London than elsewhere, the Tracker showed. Groups’ sales inside the M25 were down by 1.2% year-on-year, but beyond the M25 they recorded a marginal rise of 0.5%. Karl Chessell, director hospitality operators and food EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “After a flurry of spending over Christmas, it’s clearly been a challenging start to 2025 for the hospitality sector. Growth is very fragile, and hikes in national insurance contributions will pile even more pressure on managed groups. We remain optimistic that spending will start to loosen, and brighter weather and big occasions like St Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter should help to rally sales. Nevertheless, real-terms growth will remain hard-earned for the foreseeable future.”

Shaftesbury in talks with investment group over 25% stake in Covent Garden portfolio: Central London landlord Shaftesbury has said it is in talks with an investment group which is looking to acquire a 25% stake in its Covent Garden portfolio. The company has confirmed it is in advanced discussions with Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) regarding a potential long-term arrangement for the portfolio, which was independently valued at £2.7bn in December 2024. A Shaftesbury spokeswoman said: “It is currently anticipated that such a transaction, if completed, would result in NBIM becoming a 25% shareholder in the Covent Garden portfolio, acquiring the position in line with the December 2024 valuation. The company would retain control and management of the portfolio. The transaction would position the company strongly to pursue further long-term value creation and growth opportunities across its portfolio. At this stage, there is no certainty that any transaction will be agreed. Further announcements will be made in due course, as appropriate.” Last month, reported that its West End estates continued to be “busy and vibrant” and that footfall is high, with continued customer sales growth, limited vacancy and a strong leasing pipeline. The company said that during 2024, 473 leasing transactions were concluded with a combined rental value of £48.7m, including 175 commercial lettings and renewals: £37.5m, 10.7% ahead of 31 December 2023 ERV and 17.8% ahead of previous passing rents. The company said it had been an active year for food and beverage leasing with 39 leasing transactions completed, 14.8% ahead of December 2023 ERV. In 2024, its West End portfolio welcomed 24 new offerings, ranging from independent to international operators. 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a foodservice facilities management company that is seeking a head of construction and facilities to oversee the design, construction and maintenance of its UK food and beverage locations. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This role will ensure all projects are delivered on time, within budget and meet safety and compliance standards. The individual should have a background in hospitality and catering.” The salary is up to £90,000 per year and the position is based in London. For more information, email joe@corecruitment.com.
 

Company News:

St Austell planning up to 40 jobs cuts after Budget adds £3m a year to personnel costs: St Austell is planning up to 40 jobs cuts after the Budget added £3m a year to its personnel costs. The company said it is consulting on possible redundancies and preparing to review its operational structures after the government’s new employment costs placed “significant additional financial strain” on the business. Chief executive Kevin Georgel said a 30-day period of collective consultation will involve team members across multiple departments, excluding its managed pubs teams. In a letter to staff, Georgel said the company is having to take “difficult but necessary steps” in order to secure its future success. He said: “The brewing and hospitality sector has had an extraordinarily difficult few years – one of the most challenging periods in our 174-year history. We have successfully navigated these challenges, but they have been compounded by the significant increases in national insurance announced in the autumn Budget, which are effective from April. The additional cost of employment amounts to a further £3m a year and it is not realistic, nor appropriate, to presume that we can pass on all the increased costs on to our customers. The decision to explore potential redundancies is not one that has been taken lightly. The proposed changes reflect a considered and measured response to the challenges we face and will help ensure that the business remains fit for the future. We are and will continue to invest significantly into the south west for the long term, developing our people, improving our pubs and positively evolving our brewing capabilities and brand portfolio.” He added: “The company remains profitable, and we are making good progress against our long-term strategic plans and are outperforming many of our peers. However, the financial headwinds we are facing, which have intensified as a result of the autumn Budget, require us to take further action, which involves reducing our fixed cost base to strengthen our resilience. It is a difficult, but necessary step to secure our future success. In order to continue to invest for the future, we need to proactively manage and calibrate our costs to reflect the current market conditions. Our sole focus now is to work with our teams and support them during this difficult and unsettling period.” The company employs more than 2,000 people across the south west and operates more than 160 pubs across the region, including managed houses and tenancies, as well as two breweries and a network of six depots. St Austell said over the past five years, it has invested more than £100m into the region, and in 2023, launched the south west’s only pre-16 hospitality academy. In June, St Austell reported that revenue increased 9.7% to a record £229,481,000 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £209,153,000 the year before and grew its underlying operating profit by 15% to £13,163,000 (2022: £11,426,000).
 
Ten Entertainment Group hires new CFO, plans six new sites in 2025: Ten Entertainment Group, which is backed by US private equity firm Trive Capital, has hired Mark Willis as its new chief financial officer to support its next stage of growth, Propel has learned. It marks a return to Ten Entertainment Group for Willis, having previously held the role between 2017 and 2019. He was most recently chief financial officer at Pendragon, where he was integral to the sale of its automotive retail and leasing business in 2024. Earlier in his career, he also held roles as Argos finance director and director of group finance and investor relations at Home Retail Group. Willis’ appointment comes as Ten Entertainment Group looks to build on a strong end to 2024 “with excellent growth underpinned with encouraging improvement on 2023’s like-for-like performance”. The group anticipates six new sites in 2025 as well as a “robust pipeline for 2026 and beyond”. The company launched its latest site, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, last month, featuring 24 bowling lanes, a laser arena, Houdini’s escape room and karaoke rooms, along with a new introductory bar concept “serving cocktails and a great food selection”. The opening takes the estate to 55 sites. Work is progressing on venues in Redditch in Worcestershire and the Manchester suburb of Harpurhey, both of which will open in July, and in Clydebank in Scotland, which is due to launch in August. Meanwhile, the group plans nine major refurbishments, with Swansea and Leamington Spa already completed and Leeds and Cardiff completing in April and May respectively. Chief executive Graham Blackwell said: “We are delighted to have someone of Mark’s experience take up the role, and to help deliver our ambitious growth plans.” Willis added: “I am very happy to be rejoining Ten Entertainment Group to support the next stage of its growth, back working with Graham and the executive, under private ownership and in partnership with the team at Trive Capital. I am really excited by the potential the group holds and looking forward to being part of this journey.”

Local investor consortium acquires Randalls Group of Guernsey: A new consortium of local investors brought together by Ravenscroft Capital has acquired Randalls Group of Guernsey, which owns and manages more than 20 pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops across the Channel Islands, for an undisclosed sum. The group, which also brews, distills and supplies some of the island’s most popular drinks, has been sold to new entity CI Hospitality – only the second time it has changed ownership in its 157-year history. Randalls was established in 1868 and owned by the Randall family until 2006, when it was sold to a group of investors, some of whom were based in Guernsey. The business was put up for sale in 2024. Jon Ravenscroft, chief executive of Ravenscroft Capital, said: “The Randalls’ name is synonymous with brewing and the hospitality trade in the Bailiwick and so it is only right that it remains in local ownership. The consortium of locally based investors is passionate about continuing the Randalls’ story and success and look forward to working with the excellent and experienced management team to provide islanders with venues and shops that they want to visit time and time again. It is clear there are fantastic people working across the group who work tirelessly to provide places where islanders can drink, eat, socialise, find company and create memories. They are the experts, and we will listen to them and identify ways that we can make further investment for the benefit of all.” Randalls’ managing director Matt Polli said: “Our new owners have made it very clear that they want to see Randalls continue to grow and thrive and that they are excited to build on the investment that has happened in recent years. They have local knowledge, a passion for the community and understand how to run a business in the Bailiwick and I am looking forward to working with them.” In 2020, investment company Sandpiper pulled out of a deal to buy Randalls Group of Guernsey because of the effects of covid-19 and uncertainty for the future. It had agreed to acquire Guernsey Pub Company, owner of brewer and pub operator Randalls of Guernsey, for £28.5m.

Barry O’Sullivan named new MD of Diageo GB: Barry O’Sullivan will become managing director of Diageo GB, effective 1 July. Nuno Teles, the current managing director of Diageo GB, will move to managing director of Diageo Mexico. O’Sullivan has spent the past four years as managing director of Diageo Ireland, delivering “consistent, sustainable growth” in the Irish market for the business. Updates under his leadership include last year's investments in Guinness, with €100m dedicated to decarbonising Dublin’s St. James’s Gate brewery, and a €30m investment in the production of Guinness 0.0. O’Sullivan joined Diageo Ireland in 2021 after serving as managing director for Mars Petcare in Australia and New Zealand, with previous roles for Mars in Mexico, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. He said: “I cannot wait to get started in Diageo’s home market of Great Britain, where some of the country's most iconic and loved brands are at the heart of celebrations. After four wonderful years in Ireland, I look forward to bringing my experience to this new role and build on the incredible legacy that Nuno leaves behind.” Diageo also announced the appointment of Louise Ryan, managing director Pernod Ricard Nordics, as the new managing director of Diageo Ireland. 

Pho adds Tunbridge Wells and Bluewater to opening pipeline as it nears 50-site mark: Pho, the Vietnamese restaurant group led by Pat Marrinan and backed by TriSpan, has added two Kent sites – in Tunbridge Wells, and the Bluewater shopping centre – to its 2025 opening pipeline, as it nears the 50-site mark, Propel has learned. The 46-strong company, which has already opened in Harborne and Newcastle this year, has secured the former Carluccio’s and Boca Social site in Tunbridge Wells’ Mount Pleasant Road, for an opening this spring. At the same time, it has lined up the former Comptoir Libanais site in Bluewater for an opening this summer. Propel understands that Pho is targeting several additional openings for the remainder of the year. The opening in Harborne, in the former Raja Monkey at 42-44 High Street, marked the first regional suburb site for the brand. It recently opened in the former YO! site in Newcastle’s Grainger Street.

Joule’s secures new bank loan to fund future acquisitions, seeking to dispose of village locations where model works less well: Shropshire brewer and retailer Joule’s has secured a new bank loan to fund future acquisitions and said it is seeking to dispose of village locations where its taphouse model works less well. The operator of 38 taphouses across Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Wales has previously said it now focusing on suburban and town centre locations. Speaking in the company’s accounts for the year to 31 March 2024, Steve Nuttall – who during the year became non-executive chairman after being replaced as managing director by Vicky Colclough – said: “Our strategy is to continue to add in the upper quartile of our estate and to divest from the lower quartile, where our taphouse model works less well. On the whole, these are village pubs. We will sustain these where we can and where pubs are viable, and look to dispose where we judge that not to be the case. The company agreed a new facility with our banking partners NatWest in order to fund future acquisitions, alongside the reinvestment of our earnings.” Nuttall said broadly speaking, the post-pandemic recovery had been slower is such village pubs, and those with an older, more traditional profile. He said trading during the year had been satisfactory, with sales and earnings stabilising to pre-pandemic levels. “We are aided by a strong balance sheet and our full focus on our mission, Joules branded taphouse franchises,” he said. “The good performance of the business has been delivered by a consistent reinvestment plan, the addition of new pubs and the evolution of our taphouse model within the core estate.” Nuttall said completed projects, including new Joules taphouse conversions, “have responded strongly”. During the year, the company acquired The Red Lion in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, and post year end, added the New Inn in Harborne. Nuttall said these acquisitions are “part of our plan to add upper quartile pubs and to establish a cluster of taphouses in the Birmingham area”. The company is aiming to complete work on converting The Stag’s Head, the pub next door to its brewery in Market Drayton, into a venue, town museum and brewery storage this summer. It comes as Joule’s reported turnover of £9,951,774 for the year, up from £8,875,778 in 2023. Of this, £4,737,006 came from brewery sales (2023: £4,634,7128), £3,819,285 from managed pubs (2023: £2,939,543) and £1,395,483 from tenanted pubs (2023: £1,301,517). Pre-tax profit dropped from £1,475,083 to £878,665, as it made a £198,945 loss on disposal of fixed assets (2023: £1,500). Nuttall added: “The company has now materially withdrawn from the free trade so is holistically a branded taphouse business. Volume through our brewery is now optimised, so we cease to have free trade exposure and have enjoyed the efficiencies of our limited and owned distribution.”
 
Puccino’s launches in Rochester for first Kent location: Travel hub coffee brand Puccino’s has launched in Rochester for its first Kent location. The unit, next to the ticket office in Rochester station, is the brand’s 36th overall and a sixth for franchisee Khalid Lakhdar. Puccino’s commercial director Adrian Ayers said: “A huge congratulations to one of our long-standing franchise partners Khalid, and his partner Ali, in their newest franchise at Rochester station, which is their sixth store. Well done Khalid and Ali and thank you for your continued support and confidence in the brand.” Before the arrival of Puccino’s, Rochester station had been without a snack and drinks bar for around 19 months after previous occupants Beezo pulled out suddenly, at the same time its outlets at Maidstone East and Bromley South closed, reports Kent Live. Ayers told Propel in 2023 that Puccino’s is looking to expand into new sectors as it seeks to grow to 125 sites by 2028. He said it would look to sectors like leisure, education and health, as well as exploring travel hub opportunities “both within and outside of the south east”.
 
Hard Rock Café site in Newcastle closes: The Hard Rock Café in Newcastle has closed after four years in operation, with the franchise company behind it facing administration. The site in the city’s Quayside opened in May 2021, with legal documents on the front of the now closed site indicating that administrators are set to be appointed. A Hard Rock Café spokesperson said: “The Hard Rock Cafe franchise location in Newcastle has enjoyed serving the community for four years and playing a role in the city’s dining culture. While this cafe location has closed, Hard Rock International looks forward to welcoming guests at its other cafes in the UK including in London Old Park Lane, London Piccadilly Circus, Manchester and Edinburgh locations, as well as its other 300-plus cafes, hotels and casinos in more than 70 countries around the world. Additionally, we are opening 12 new Hard Rock Cafe locations this year.” Last year, Hard Rock abandoned plans to open in the former TK Maxx site in York’s Coney Street and closed its site in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street. Last September, Propel reported that Hard Rock was reviewing the operations and lease arrangement of its site in London’s Piccadilly as it reported record turnover in 2023. The company reported turnover increased to £32,545,000 compared with £27,245,000 the previous year.
 
Thwaites acquires Yorkshire Dales pub: North west brewer and retailer Daniel Thwaites has acquired The Buck Inn pub in Malham, in the Yorkshire Dales. Dating to 1874, the historic village inn has a bar and restaurant and 11 bedrooms and brings Thwaites’ portfolio of managed pubs with rooms and hotels to 23. The Buck Inn is also the group’s second site in Malham, alongside The Lister Arms, as well as the nearby The Red Lion in Burnsall, The Golden Lion in Settle, The Harts Head in Giggleswick and The Gamecock in Austwick. The grade-II listed, dog-friendly The Buck Inn will continue to trade as normal, including serving home cooked food, using local seasonal produce. Rick Bailey, chairman of Thwaites, said: “We’re thrilled to be expanding our growing family of hotels and inns, and delighted to bring The Buck Inn on board. We have been after this pub for more than a decade and have huge confidence that we can capitalise on the existing success of The Lister Arms in Malham. The Buck Inn has tremendous heritage and character, and with a bit of investment, it will become another firm favourite with visitors to Malham in what has become a walking mecca of the north.” In November, Bailey warned the company will have to look at reducing investment and staffing levels to mitigate the “significant and unwanted” new headwinds resulting from the Budget. He was speaking as Thwaites reported turnover increased to £63.5m for the six months ending 30 September 2024 compared with £60.3m the year before, while operating profit was up to £9.4m from £8.8m.
 
Farmer J opens in London’s Marylebone Village for 2025 pipeline: Farmer J, the all-day market concept, has opened a site in London’s Marylebone Village. The now 15-strong business has opened at 24 Thayer Street. The company also recently opened in London’s Farringdon. The Jonathan Recanati-led business opened a 3,000 square-foot site in Cowcross Street, next to the entrance to the Elizabeth Line. The company hopes to take its first steps internationally this year, with a focus on the east coast of America, targeting locations in New York and Boston. Recanati previously said the vision for the business is to hit a “minimum of 50 sites in the UK”, and that it has “only scratched the surface to continue to build a global brand”.
 
Burger Boi launches second Wolverhampton store, Luton location to follow: Midlands premium smashed burger business Burger Boi has opened its second Wolverhampton store for its 13th site overall, with a Luton location to follow next. Burger Boi has opened at 637 Birmingham New Road in Coseley, Wolverhampton, joining its location at 298 Coalway Road, in Merry Hill, in the city. The opening will be followed next month by Burger Boi’s southernmost site, at 72 George Street in Luton. “Our second store of 2025 has launched,” said the brand’s sales director, Asa Simpson. “Opened by one of our current franchise growth partners, marking their second Burger Boi location to date. Huge congratulations to them on their continued growth within the brand, and a huge shoutout to our amazing team and customers who made opening day one to remember. We’re keeping the momentum going, with Burger Boi (Luton) coming early April. This year is all about expansion, and we’re just getting started.” Burger Boi told Propel in December that it is aiming to double its estate size this year, with sites in Reading, Milton Keynes, Slough, Walsall and Nottingham in legals. Founder Surj Bassi said one new franchisee had signed for a six-store deal around London, while another had signed for five stores in east London, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Burger Boi is also looking to expand into Liverpool and Manchester this year and grow its presence in Leeds.
 
Wagamama partners with Grind to deliver new coffee experience: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group-owned brand, has partnered with Grind, the David Abrahamovitch-led business, to deliver a new coffee experience. Wagamama’s 165 restaurants across the UK are now serving Grind’s blends alongside a new selection of sweet treats – the lemon yuzu muffin, raspberry snow cake and chocolate brownie. Members signed up to Wagamama’s loyalty programme, Soul Club, which offers exclusive perks and special offers, can also enjoy the toffee apple baonut – a sweet, fluffy bao bun filled with miso caramel ice cream and panko apple, drizzled with rich toffee sauce. Members can also enjoy a free coffee on orders over £12, available Monday to Friday from 2pm-5pm from Monday (24 March) until the end of April. Wagamama director of marketing, Emily Weston, said: “We’re always looking for ways to elevate our guests’ experience, and this collaboration with Grind allows us to do just that.” Stacey Britt Fitzgerald, brand director at Grind, added: “We believe that great coffee should be accessible and sustainable, and this partnership allows us to share our signature blends with even more people in a unique and exciting setting.”
 
Criterion gets green light to bring Zedwell hotel concept to Edinburgh: Criterion Capital, the owner of Zedwell Hotels, has received the go-ahead to bring the concept to Edinburgh. Planning permission has been granted for a 652-bedroom hotel to be built on the site of a former Debenhams store in Princes Street. The new development is Criterion’s first hotel outside of London, where the firm currently operates six sites. It plans to expand to 24 hotels across key UK cities by 2027. Criterion Capital director Omar Aziz said: “Princes Street reflects our ongoing commitment to heritage preservation and sustainable urban transformation. We are excited to bring our first Zedwell hotel outside London to such an iconic location – offering an unparalleled stay for both leisure and business travellers, right at the heart of Edinburgh’s historic city centre.” Propel reported in October that Criterion had secured a new £25m bank facility to expand its Zedwell hotel portfolio across the UK. Criterion said the loan from Cynergy Bank will enable the business to accelerate the growth of Zedwell hotels across city-centre locations in the UK, with the aim of reaching 8,000 rooms in total by 2027. The company said it plans to use the new facility to support the expansion of the concept into York and Manchester, as well as Edinburgh. Criterion founder Asif Aziz owns a property portfolio across London and the south east of England, which includes the London Trocadero and Criterion Building in Piccadilly Circus.
 
Immersive baking concept set to expand to Liverpool for fifth site: Immersive baking concept The Big Bakes is set to expand to Liverpool for its fifth site. The company, founded in 2016 by Adam Chaudhri and Eloise Frank, offers experiences such as themed baking classes and bake-off style events for groups, as well as bars offering cocktails and light bites. It currently has two London locations – in Tooting and Haggerston – plus one each in Manchester and Birmingham. The Big Bakes has now applied to open a new location in the former Signature Living boutique gym at 60 Old Hall Street in Liverpool. Signature Living went into administration in 2020, with sister fitness business Signature Fit later closing, reports Business Live. Companies House listings show The Big Bakes established a Liverpool-based operation in December and is currently in the process of obtaining a premises licence. Before setting up The Big Bakes, the founders both worked for IAG Cargo at Heathrow airport – Chaudhri as head of marketing and communications and Frank as global PR and digital manager.
 
South east steakhouse concept secures third site: Boga Steakhouse is to open its third site in the south east after securing a site in Rickmansworth. The concept, which is named after the Turkish word for bull, will open next month, in the former Barclays bank unit in the Hertfordshire town. The business opened its first site in 2021, in Watford. Boga Steakhouse also operates a site in Collindale, in the London Borough of Barnet. The business said: “Beyond being solely a steakhouse, our establishment offers a diverse range of culinary choices to cater to every palate and preference.”
 
Independent Leeds restaurant to reopen in new, larger premises next month, converts old site into bakery: Independent Leeds restaurant Swine Bistro, previously Swine that Dines, will reopen in its new, larger premises next month. The concept, run by chef couple Jo and Stu Myers, is moving from North Street to Otley Road, in Headingley, in the space previously occupied by Jam hairdressers. The restaurant, which opened as the Greedy Pig cafe in 2012 before being transformed into a restaurant in 2014, will serve customers again from Friday, 4 April. Executive chef Stu Myers, alongside new head chef Kirsty Cheetham, have developed an expanded menu that will change seasonally, with weekly specials. The expanded space has also allowed the team to curate a bigger wine list, which will include natural wine as well as local beer. Jo Myers said: “It’s taken a huge amount of time and effort to realise our dream to revamp what was previously a hairdresser into a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant. We love the vibe in Headingley, and the time out has allowed us to have fun with our menu.” In addition, the team has transformed its former North Street site into a bakery, which will produce Swine Bistro’s homemade bread and desserts under development chef, Paul Bullock. He has played a pivotal role in developing the Here Comes The Bun concept, which will evolve into a takeaway offer from North Street in the coming months – offering sandwiches such as salt beef bagels, Banh Mi and hoagies. The move was helped by a successful crowdfunding campaign, which smashed its original target of £25,000 to raise £42,000. Myers added: “Now we have a bigger, better kitchen, we will finally be able to fulfil our crowdfunder pledges of lemon meringue pies, Swine pies and cookery masterclasses with Stu. Restaurant vouchers will be sent out in the next few weeks and will be valid from opening day for two years.”
 
Former Pied a Terre executive chef set to open debut solo restaurant: Asimakis Chaniotis, former executive chef of Michelin-starred Pied a Terre, is set to open his first solo restaurant. Chaniotis, who was also formerly head chef at Pied a Terre’s sister restaurant, L’Autre Pied, will open Myrtos at 260-262 Brompton Road in London’s South Kensington in May. Myrtos will be influenced by Chaniotis’ Grecian heritage, championing ingredients and recipes from across Greece, and is named after a beach on the island of Kefalonia. The 80-cover restaurant will offer mezze-style small plates alongside Taverna-style, larger dishes, designed for sharing, such as lobster giouvetsi with orzo, tomatoes, mussels, lemon and basil; and pink bream, pan-fried and served with a five-herb, lettuce and lemon sauce. A range of skewers will include lamb belly and pickled turnip; savoy cabbage and tzatziki; and whole squid, lightly fried and served with a Greek herb chimichurri and squid ink. There will also be Mediterranean-inspired cocktails. “Myrtos is a deeply personal project inspired by my upbringing and childhood holidays in Kefalonia,” Chaniotis said. “Opening my first restaurant is an amazing feeling, bringing to life the flavours I grew up with and the dishes that shaped my journey as a chef. South Kensington felt like the perfect location as it was my first home in London and a neighbourhood I have always loved. I hope Myrtos transports guests to Greece, evoking the nostalgia of being there without leaving London.”