- Jamie’s Italian is making a return to the UK high street with a restaurant opening on London’s Leicester Square, six years after its collapse. The revival is part of a strategic partnership between Jamie Oliver and Brava Hospitality Group, the recently launched parent company of Prezzo Italian. Backed by majority shareholder Cain International, the deal signals confidence in the Jamie’s Italian brand. Despite limited UK activity until his 2023 Catherine Street return, the Jamie Oliver group maintains a strong global footprint with more than 100 sites worldwide and the intention to reach 200 by 2027.
- Struggling burger brand Byron has been acquired by Niyamo Capital, led by 21-year-old Indian-born investor Akshat Tibrewala. Following its musical-chair-like changing of hands, Byron’s new ownership will focus on international rather than regional expansion. Tibrewala has put in £2.5m and plans to modernise the brand and leverage its strong British identity for overseas growth.
- Gordon Ramsay has relaunched his Plane Food restaurant at Heathrow Terminal 5 featuring a new concept combining dishes from his more casual brands Lucky Cat and Street Burger, along with Plane Food breakfast, lunch, and dinner classics. Now called Plane Food Market, the revamped site is pitched as a market-style experience bringing together local cuisines, fast service and a strong drinks offer. The reprised venue will also include a grab-and-go counter. Launched in 2008, Plane Food marked one of Ramsay’s first forays into casual dining.
- JKS Restaurants has sold its three-strong London pub business – The Cadogan Arms, The George and The Hound – through a private investment round led by founder Dominic Jacobs. Backed by a new US investor the pubs will now trade as Ardent Pub Group, which plans to open eight new locations over the next three to five years. Ardent enters this phase with strong momentum, reporting 20% year-on-year sales growth and over 40% year-on-year uplift in group-level EBITDA. The sale marks JKS Restaurants’ second brand divestment this year, following the sale of its stake in Taiwanese restaurant group BAO.
- Tom Kerridge has resigned as director for Pub in the Park as the festival moves in a ‘different direction’ to his vision. The update follows a period of change where the Marlow food and music event, known for celebrating British gastropubs and attracting chefs such as Raymond Blanc and Yotam Ottolenghi, was sold to Rewind Festival, part of the Live Nation Portfolio. Kerridge told his followers on social media that the experience had been ‘a great ride’ and he wished the festival ‘all the best’ for 2026.