Dubbed Ugly Butterfly 2.0, the new restaurant will launch on 9 July and is billed as an evolution of the concept that ‘breaks down the traditional boundaries of luxury dining’, which Handling says reflects his ambition to see it earn a Michelin star.
The decision to move Ugly Butterfly to Newquay comes after it was announced the restaurant’s current location at the Carbis Bay Estate is to close at the end of June after its landlord enacted a break clause in the lease.
“As one door closes, another one opens – and this Ugly Butterfly 2.0 is a more fitting home for our most sustainable brand,” says Handling.
“We are taking this situation in an extremely positive light, building on what Ugly Butterfly has achieved and focusing on what we need to do to be even better.”
Ugly Butterfly 2.0 will swap out the current tasting menu served in St. Ives and replace it with a ‘4x4’ menu with guests able to choose a dish for each of their four courses from a selection of four options.
The new menu will continue to champion produce sourced from within the Cornish borders and feature dishes such as Cornish tuna with preserved truffles and elderflower; a take on Handling’s signature lobster with wagyu using St. Ives lobsters; and lamb with tandoori cauliflower and wasabi leaf.
Alongside the 50-cover restaurant there will be a 20-cover terrace available for walk ins serving a separate menu majoring in Cornish seafood with options including Cornish crab sandwiches in homemade milk buns; and a fish and chips set menu served with Champagne.
Ugly Butterfly 2.0 will also serve a four-course afternoon tea split between snacks, savouries, sweets and scones.
“There is no doubt that we will be gunning for a Michelin star in this restaurant,” Handling continues.
“I will be predominantly based in Cornwall for this year, to relaunch this restaurant and it will, no doubt, give my Frog restaurant a run for its money.
“This Ugly Butterfly restaurant will have food stations, so the guests can see dishes being made – there will be theatre, there will be smiles and, most importantly, there will be a real celebration of the best of the South West.”
Handling launched Ugly Butterfly on Chelsea’s King’s Road back in late 2019, billing it as a ‘sustainable casual’ restaurant and champagne bar that sought to ‘demonstrate that zero-waste can be luxurious’.
That restaurant subsequently closed in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic before relocating to Cornwall in the summer of 2021.
The Adam Handling Collection includes one other venue in Cornwall, The Tartan Fox in Newquay, which launched last year.
The chef’s portfolio also includes his flagship Frog by Adam Handling restaurant in London’s Covent Garden; The Loch & the Tyne in Old Windsor; and Eve Bar, also in Covent Garden.
Earlier this year the chef opened the Adam Handling Chocolate Shop close to his Frog restaurant.
Located above the shores of Fistral Beach, The Headland is a family-owned, five-star resort with 86 rooms, 39 self-catering cottages, spa and wellness facilities and multiple restaurants.
“We are excited to be welcoming Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling to The Headland to offer our guests a new dining experience in our iconic hotel,” says Veryan Palmer, executive director at The Headland.
“The shared values of sustainability and community resonate between our operations, and we look forward to seeing the partnership develop.”