Wingmans lands in Soho

04-Aug-2020 - Last updated on 27-Apr-2021 at 12:59 GMT

Related tags Fried chicken Casual dining Chefs London Restaurant Soho

Cult chicken concept Wingmans is to open a huge 150-cover restaurant on the former Belgo site in London's Soho next week.

The opening, which was first reported back in January, will be the second bricks-and-mortar opening to date for the group, which was founded by Ben Ford and David Turofsky in 2015.

Set over two floors, the site will initially operate under social distancing, which will reduce its capacity.

Other protective measures in place include the availability of PPE equipment for staff; optional customer gloves; track and trace codes; one-use menus; and a one-way system throughout the building.

Four 'private caves', each of which can hold up to 20 diners once social distancing measures have been relaxed, will be available to book; and the site will also boast a walk-in 'wing bar'.

Wingmans opened its first permanent restaurant - a 55-cover site in Kilburn, north London - back in 2018.

Prior to that brand had a presence at some of the UK’s biggest music festivals; and picked up gongs at a number of street food competitions including Wing Fest, and the British Street Food Awards.

“Soho is such a part of London’s cultural fabric and it was always a dream for us to bring Wingmans to the forefront of the food scene here," says Turofsky, who has a background in nightclubs, bars and festivals.

"Following the overwhelming response in Kilburn and the many events and festivals we pop up at, we knew the next move needed to be a big one and we’re looking forward to bringing a brand new offering to Soho.

"We’ve been working hard in the kitchen during lockdown to come up with some fresh, new dishes and can’t wait to finally launch our new Soho exclusive menu.”

Wingmans' selection of wings is eclectic, including Bang Coq (spring onion, ginger, pickle, coriander, Kewpie mayonnaise, crispy onions, toasted sesame); Jamaican ‘Me crazy (scotch bonnet, spring onions, ginger, coriander); and Raj Mahal (butter chicken, mango and curry leaf, crushed poppadom, coconut chutney, coriander).

Other menu items include chicken burgers and a selection of sides including truffle mac & cheese with beef short rib; and spicy Korean cucumbers.