Friday five: the week's top news stories
- Gino D’Acampo is opening an upscale Italian restaurant in ME London hotel in The Strand. Called Luciano in honour of his eldest son, the restaurant will be located in the space that was once home to Zela London. It will be the Italian chef's fourth collaboration with Meliá Hotels International and is set to open on 26 July. Lorenzo Minini has been named as executive head chef and will oversee a menu of classic Italian classic dishes.
- Two senior members of staff at Tom Kitchin's restaurant group have been suspended amid accusations of former employees experiencing abuse and harassment. In a statement, Peter Southcott, managing director of the Kitchin Group, said: “Following allegations of unacceptable behaviour, two senior members of staff have been suspended whilst these claims are fully and independently investigated. We will not hesitate to take whatever action may be necessary.” Tom Kitchin said: “Top kitchens the world over can be high-pressure, frenetic and challenging environments where emotions often run high. However, the exacting standards of our food and service must be matched by the standards of behaviour in our kitchens and wider operations.”
- Restaurateurs have expressed their frustrations at the current self-isolation rules, describing the end of Covid restrictions on 19 July as 'a complete fallacy'. The rules mean that close contacts of a positive Coronavirus case must quarantine for 10 days, meaning that affected restaurants are being forced to close because they have insufficient staff to run them.
- Simon Rogan's Aulis restaurant in Soho will close for a refit next month and will reopen with a new menu and pricing format. A meal at Aulis currently costs £195 per person inclusive of all food and drinks and service charge but the restaurant will reopen with a more traditional pricing structure, offering a £125 tasting menu plus various drinks pairings options alongside individually priced dr
- Edinburgh-based chef Roberta Hall-McCarron is relocating her bistro The Little Chartroom to larger premises and will use the original site for a new concept that is due to open later this year. The new The Little Chartroom’s is described as 'an evolution' of the original award-winning restaurant and will have more covers and a larger kitchen.
