The Casual Dining Group has secured an exclusive deal to roll out two new franchises in Southern Ireland in partnership with an experienced restaurateur. The group has signed a franchise deal giving exclusive rights to its Las Iguanas and Bella Italia brands in Southern Ireland to Robert O’Donoghue to further the development of its growing…
Turkey restaurant struts in to permanent Shoreditch site
Tuesday 21 June will see Strut & Cluck opening its doors to become Shoreditch’s latest speciality food outlet. The restaurant will serve dishes inspired by Eastern Mediterranean home cooking, with free-range turkey meat served in new and exciting ways alongside seasonal ingredients. The restaurant, owned and run by Amir and Limor Chen, will use cooking…
Clarke takes on active chef role at Unox UK
Unox UK has added Matt Clarke as active marketing chef to its growing team. Clarke will cover the Midlands area, providing sales support to the company’s distributors and end users. With more than 20 years’ experience both as a chef and in sales Clarke has worked for Compass Group, Delice de France and Robot Coupe.…
Restaurant group grows collection with Fitzrovia dining room
London-based Affinity Bars & Restaurants is opening its fourth restaurant at the top of Newman Street in Fitzrovia in late February, replacing the former Newman Street Tavern. The Dickie Fitz all-day dining room will be open Monday to Sunday. Executive chef of the group, Matt Robinson, will be creating a full menu from breakfast through…
Chain’s cutlery ‘amnesty’ as diners make off with 5,000 spoons
Mexican street food chain Wahaca is running a Spoon Amnesty to encourage light-fingered diners to return specially designed spoons in exchange for free food. First launched in 2012, the spoon amnesty will run for the duration of this month in a bid to recoup some of the 5,000 coveted spoons which mysteriously disappear from its…
Chicken Cottage pecks for new business outside of Britain
British fast food chain Chicken Cottage is looking outside of its home market for expansion by opening its first restaurant in Malaysia. The Croydon-based restaurant group operates Britain’s largest halal fast food chain and has plans to open another 49 sites in Malaysia in the next five years according to a report in the Evening…
Dough sliced at UK’s first dedicated pizza demonstration kitchen
The UK’s “first” dedicated pizza equipment demonstration kitchen officially opened in Preston this week, with stretched dough replacing traditional ribbon at an official ‘toppings out’ ceremony. Andrew Manciocchi, of Orchard Ovens by Valoriani, and Linda Lewis, of Linda Lewis Kitchens, are athe new facility that enables chefs to test wood-fired, gas and electric pizza ovens, to help…
Restaurant poll puts three British venues in world’s top 10
The results of the Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Awards are in and three British restaurants have been named among the top 10 fine dining restaurants in the world. The 2015 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards ranked Adam’s restaurant in Birmingham fourth best in the world, deeming it the best restaurant in the UK. TripAdvisor spokesperson James…
Fast food chain Wing Zone flies into London with first franchise
American chain Wing Zone is to open its first UK franchise outlet in Finsbury Park, London, on 5 November. The licensed 32-cover restaurant will serve chicken wings in a choice of nine different flavours devised as the Wing Zone ‘Flavour Fuze concept’ – such as Nuclear Habanero, Honey Q and Mango Fire as well as burgers,…
