Lisa Goodwin-Allen is to make a dramatic return to Northcote in the role as chef patron-director following the hotel and restaurant’s sale by The Stafford Collection to Silkstone Finance. Goodwin-Allen rejoins the Ribble Valley-based business now that it has passed to Silkstone Finance, which is the investment vehicle of Alf and Clare Ellis, the husband-and-wife team who also run Pontefract-based kitchen manufacturer Ultima. The couple intend to completely refurb the property’s existing spaces as well as create a new fine dining restaurant that will be led by Goodwin-Allen.
Simon Rogan has recruited former Oxeye chef Sven-Hanson Britt to lead the culinary team onboard Belmond’s upcoming luxury train The Britannic Explorer. Set to make it inaugural journey in July, the ‘pioneering’ locomotive will ‘fuse a celebration of timeless rail heritage with contemporary British gastronomy, culture, and style’. The Britannic Explorer will depart from London, offering three-night journeys with a choice of three routes through either Cornwall, The Lake District or Wales. Each of the three routes will feature distinct afternoon tea, lunch and dinner menus that are designed to highlight the ‘finest local specialties’ ensuring ‘every meal is a true reflection of Britain’s culinary heritage’.
Neat, the vegan QSR brand backed by Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has confirmed the closure of its remaining restaurants in London. Restaurant understands that the group shuttered its sites in Soho, Camden and Wembley in the last month, bringing an end to its presence in the UK nearly six years on from its original launch in the capital. A spokesperson for the group said: “We have no further comment at this time, other than to confirm that the business has taken the difficult decision to close its UK restaurants.” Neat originally launched as Neat Burger in September 2019 with a site on Regent’s Street and was previously plotting an accelerated expansion programme.
Chef Daisuke Shimoyama will open Japanese restaurant Kokin in east London. Shimoyama, who is also behind Hannah restaurant in County Hall, which is known for its Japanese clay pot rice, will launch the restaurant on the seventh floor of The Stratford hotel in the space that was previously home to Patrick Powell’s Allegra. The 140-cover restaurant is described as blending traditional Japanese culinary techniques with modern sensibilities, and will feature a wood fire-focused menu that uses cherry, apple wood, and Binchotan charcoal to highlight seasonal ingredients from Japan and the UK.
Jason Atherton’s gourmet hot dog concept within Harrods Dining Hall has closed after eight months’ trading. Hot Dogs by Three Darlings has already been replaced by a Harrods-operated caviar bar that promises guests ‘a new level of indulgence’. Hot Dogs by Three Darling launched last summer. It was one of five new London restaurant concepts launched by the high-profile chef - who also operates Row on Five, Sael London and Three Darlings - over the last 12 months. Created by Atherton and his chef at Row on Five Spencer Metzger, the toppings and the dogs themselves were inspired by global destinations and cost up to £52 each.