- Richard Caring has apologised to suppliers of his Ivy Collection business after letters were sent out informing them of a ‘mandatory’ 2.5% discount imposed on their invoices. The business, which operates restaurant brands including Bill’s and The Ivy Collection, had written to suppliers on 3 June saying that it would be applying a 2.5% discount on supplier accounts at point of payment.
- Earlier in the week, Adam Handling announced that his sustainably focused restaurant Ugly Butterfly will close after nearly four years’ trading at the Carbis Bay Estate in Saint Ives, Cornwall. The chef later revealed that it the restaurant would relocate to The Headland hotel in Newquay, Cornwall. 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’.
- Busaba Eathai has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, raising doubts over the future of the Thai restaurant group. A filing on Caseboard shows the group made the application on Friday 13 June to the High Court and was represented by London-based law firm Francis Wilks & Jones. The group, which was launched by Wagamama founder Alan Yau in 1999 and at its peak operated 16 restaurants across the UK, completed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in 2020 that left it with 12 sites, all based in London.
- Angela Hartnett will open an Italian-inspired restaurant and terrace bar this autumn on the fifth floor of the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Set to launch in September, the as-yet-unnamed restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and serve a menu of ‘sophisticated yet simple’ dishes, showcasing the flavours and ingredient-led approach that have become hallmarks of Hartnett’s career.
- Chef Masayoshi ‘Masa’ Takayama, who is behind three Michelin-starred Masa in New York, will open Tobi Masa at The Chancery Rosewood in the autumn. Located within the reimagined former US Embassy, the restaurant takes its name from the Japanese word ‘to fly’, drawing inspiration from the eagle perched atop the building.