Friday Five: the week's top news
- Chef Alyn Williams has been awarded just over £57,000 in damages for unfair dismissal from his role at The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair. Williams was sacked as chef-patron at his eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant in The Westbury in October 2019 without any notice period or payment for his notice period, after he entertained friends on a Sunday lunchtime when the restaurant was closed. After successfully contesting the termination of his employment, Williams has now been awarded £57,176 at a remedy hearing, with the chef arguing that as well losing out on his normal salary after being dismissed from the role in 2019, he would have been furloughed with the rest of the staff at The Westbury during the pandemic if still employed, and would also have received a Christmas bonus.
- Marcus Wareing has closed The Gilbert Scott restaurant at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel as its lease ‘naturally expired’ after a decade of trading. The high profile chef said that it was always the plan to operate out of the space for a maximum of 10 years and, as that milestone has been reached, it had been decided not to extend the lease. Named after the architect behind the imposing Victorian Gothic King’s Cross hotel, The Gilbert Scott launched in 2011 with a menu that celebrated modern British classics and revived historical recipes.
- US burger chain Wendy’s is planning to open up to 400 UK sites as it plots to become a major player in the country’s fast food market. The group, which has previously tried twice to get a foothold in the UK, will officially mark its return next month with the launch of a new restaurant in Reading. This will be followed with the opening of sites in Oxford and Stratford. It has also submitted plans to open a restaurant in Croydon. A total of five sites are expected to launch before the end of the year.
- Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has partnered with Sainsbury’s to trial three new concepts in its supermarkets, two of which will launch under the Carluccio’s brand. The first format will be Caffè Carluccio’s, which will launch in Sainsbury’s St Albans superstore on 3 June and be the first Carluccio’s to open in a supermarket. In addition, a Carluccio’s Counter will also launch in June in the Sainsbury’s Leamington Spa superstore. The third concept being trialled by BRG is Restaurant Hub, a multi-brand offer with grab-and-go and delivery options from brands including Caffe Carluccio’s, GBK, Slim Chickens, Harry Ramsdens and Ed’s Easy Diner. Restaurant Hub will open in July in Sainsbury’s Selly Oak superstore.
