Friday five: the week's top hospitality stories
- The industry is mourning the loss of chef Paul Kitching who has died suddenly. Kitching was known for his exceptional and sometimes experimental cooking, first at Juniper restaurant in Altrincham, where he won a Michelin Star in 1997, and later at Edinburgh restaurant with rooms 21212, which he opened with partner Katie O’Brien in 2009 and which won a Michelin Star just eight months later. Chef Claude Bosi led the messages of condolences online, describing him as a "true genius".
- Sam Harrison has said his riverside restaurant in London's Hammersmith may not survive the winter after being forced by the council to remove a marquee from its outside terrace. The restaurateur claims the resulting closure of the terrace at his Sam's Riverside restaurant is costing him up to £15,000 of trade per week and could leave him having to lay off his 50 staff in the lead up to Christmas. It comes after Hammersmith and Fulham council said the marquee, which was put up during the pandemic, had to be removed as it is not allowed in current planning law.
- London-based fresh pasta restaurant Bancone has smashed its £700,000 crowdfunding target. The group, which currently has sites in Covent Garden and Soho, launched the crowdfund on Crowdcube earlier this month with an aim to raise funds in return for equity to help kickstart the group's 'ambitious' plans for growth.
- A new bar, restaurant and live entertainment venue has taken over the space that was once home to The Vaults in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Inspired by the speakeasy scene of 1920s New York, Tabu is described as a high-energy, late-night focused venue and will offer a menu of Pan Asian cuisine.
- Lyme Regis-based chef Harriet Mansell is to overhaul the site currently occupied by her tasting menu restaurant Robin Wylde and launch a bakery within the same space next year. The wild food bakery will be inspired by the foraged ingredients of the Jurassic Coast and serve a variety of bread and pastries for retail, alongside supplying Robin Wylde's nearby sister restaurant Lilac.
