Dabbous alumni to bring Wellbourne restaurant to London
Wellbourne is the brainchild of chefs Ross Gibbens and Michael Kennedy, and general manager Martin Irwin – who all worked at Dabbous before it closed in 2017.
The trio launched their first Wellbourne restaurant in Bristol last year, followed by a second in the Pyrenees town of Salardu - which they they are hoping will win a Michelin star.
Now the team have signed a deal with developers Stanhope to open a site in White City Place, a former BBC-owned building in West London which is being transformed in to restaurant, retail and office space.
The new Wellbourne will offer a morning brunch and all-day brasserie-style menu, with the team's signature 1970’s-inspired vol-au-vents available in the restaurant and bar from 12pm.
“White City Place is the perfect fit for our relaxed but ambitious restaurant,” says Gibbens.
“We are currently working on exciting new recipes, alongside some much loved staples.”
New openings
Joining Wellbourne at the scheme will be Shola-Karachi Kitchen, the first permanent London restaurant for chef Aida Khan.
A former banker, Khan studied at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and hosts the Gourmet Karachi Supper Club across London. Her White City restaurant will focus on traditional Pakistani cuisine.
“Shola pays homage to the real cuisine of Pakistan, often based on recipes and techniques passed down over generations,” says Khan.
“We are passionate about using fresh, seasonal ingredients to produce a contemporary and approachable experience of the traditional flavours of Karachi.”
The White City Place site was bought by Stanhope and landowners AIMCo and Mitsui Fudosan for £87m in 2015.
Bea Vo’s Butterscotch Bakery, The Athenian, Pizza Street and Coco di Mama have already signed up to the scheme.
