O’Toole has created three potato-focused dishes for the menu: a burger topped with crispy smashed potato, caramelised onions, cheese and sauce, served with tater tots; loaded tater tots with bacon, feta, chilli and maple drizzle; and a crispy smashed potato salad with pickled onions and a sour cream and chive dressing.
The launch, which will run across all 49 Bill’s UK locations from 13 April to 8 June, marks the first time the chef has brought her recipes from social media into a nationwide restaurant group.
The Michelin-trained chef, known online by her social media handle ‘Poppy Cooks’, brings nearly a decade of professional kitchen experience to the collaboration.
After losing her job in London due to Covid, she turned to social media and has since become the self-professed ‘Potato Queen’, sharing her potato recipes with a growing online audience.
“Usually my recipes live online, so this is the first time people can walk into a restaurant and actually order something I’ve created,” says O’Toole.
“Seeing people sit down and enjoy one of my dishes in real life is surreal - a proper ‘I’ve made it’ moment.”
The launch comes at a period of strong momentum for the casual dining brand, which opened its largest restaurant in over a decade at Westfield Stratford City and is due to open a site at Heathrow Airport.
Tom James, managing director at Bill’s, says: “Poppy’s love of potatoes, big flavour and proper comfort food makes her the perfect partner for Bill’s.
“These dishes are fun and full of personality - exactly the food our guests love to discover when they come through the door.
“It’s been an exciting year for Bill’s as we continue to grow the brand across the UK and celebrate a monumental 25 years of the brand this year.
“And it’s collaborations like this that allow us to keep our menu fresh, playful and relevant while staying true to the feel-good dining experience we’re known for.”