- Korean chef’s table restaurant Somssi announced its closure just five weeks after winning a Michelin Star following the departure of chef Jihun Maxime Kim from the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, which houses the 14-seat restaurant. The hotel confirmed the restaurant had closed with immediate effect, while Kim, writing on Instagram, gave no reason for his exit and described his experience as an ‘unforgettable journey’. The restaurant offered a high-end tasting menu blending Korean techniques with seasonal British produce, with a strong emphasis on seafood, with dishes including ganjang lobster cured for seven days in soy sauce with sweetcorn jelly and Oscietra caviar; Cornish sea bream served with turnip dongchimi and trout roe; and a choice of English wagyu picanha or saltmarsh lamb with black garlic and wild mushroom rice.
- The Silver Birch in Chiswick has also closed, after five years of service, with no official reason given, although a lack of Michelin recognition is believed to have been a factor. Opened by first-time restaurateur Tim Price on Chiswick High Road during the pandemic, the restaurant offered an ambitious modern European menu. The kitchen was led by Nathan Cornwell, whose experience includes Le Champignon Sauvage, Kitchen W8, and multi-starred Scandinavian restaurants Geranium, Kadeau, and Oaxen Krog. In an Instagram post, The Silver Birch thanked its guests and announced the closure with ‘very heavy hearts’.
- A third closure this week was Thai Leisure Group’s Thaikun restaurant in Cambridge, with managing director Ian Leigh attributing the decision to Government policy. In a strongly-worded Instagram statement aimed at chancellor Rachel Reeves, Leigh said the closure was a ‘direct result of Government policies’, criticising measures such as the lowered National Insurance threshold for hitting young and part-time workers and the hospitality sector. He also called for a reduction in VAT for hospitality, noting that countries like France, Germany, and Ireland operate with rates of 10% or lower.
- Azzurri Group is reportedly preparing to sell its UK and European franchises of fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken. Backed by TowerBrook Capital Partners, the group also owns ASK Italian, Zizzi, Boojum, and Coco di Mama. Azzurri secured the master franchise rights for the Nashville-style chicken brand in the UK and Ireland in 2024, aiming to open 60 sites over the coming years. The brand made its UK debut on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue in late 2024, which became Azzurri’s highest-grossing site launch to date. It currently operates nine UK sites, with more planned this year.
- Two planned 24-hour strikes by London Underground drivers next week have been called off following successful talks, the RMT union has confirmed. The walkouts, originally scheduled for 24 and 26 March, were over proposals to compress drivers’ normal working week into four days, despite these plans being rejected by a majority of train operators. Further strikes planned for April and May are still set to go ahead, although talks are scheduled to try to reach a negotiated settlement. The cancellation of next week’s action will be welcomed by the hospitality sector, which had faced potential revenue losses and staff shortages due to the planned disruption. UKHospitality had warned that the wider wave of tube strikes starting this month could cost operators millions of pounds in lost revenue.