- This week saw the passing of celebrated Chinese chef and restaurateur Bill Poon, who died aged 81. Poon was best known for Poon’s of Covent Garden, which launched in 1976 and was among the first Chinese restaurants in London to be awarded a Michelin star. Along with his wife Cecilia, Poon and his wider family operated a string of Poon’s restaurants across London for three decades, with the group peaking at seven restaurants during the 1980s. Offering meticulously executed Cantonese cuisine, Poon’s helped set the stage for a new generation of chefs seeking to offer a more refined and progressive take on Chinese food. The pair retired from the restaurant business in the early 2000s, but their daughter Amy revived the Poon’s brand last year with the opening of a permanent restaurant at Somerset House. Poon was a well-respected and active member of London’s Chinese community and restaurant industry, feeding homeless people under Waterloo Bridge and tirelessly fundraising for charities close to his heart.
- Loungers is looking to Germany for the launch of its first international brand later this year. Set to be called Southville, the all-day restaurant and bar group will make its German debut in Essen this October, with the new brand taking its name from the Bristol neighbourhood where the original Lounge opened in 2002. Southville will become Loungers’ fourth brand, alongside Lounge, Cosy Club and Brightside. Based on the Lounge concept, the new format has been adapted specifically for the German market, with table service and a revised menu developed with a local chef to better reflect German tastes. The launch follows extensive market research, with Loungers identifying strong similarities between UK and German consumer habits around casual dining, all-day socialising and neighbourhood hospitality.
- Jonny Bone is stepping down as head chef at Core by Clare Smyth after almost a decade with the restaurant. Bone joined the three Michelin-starred Notting Hill restaurant when it opened in 2017, having previously worked alongside Clare Smyth at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea. Announcing his departure on Instagram, Bone thanked Smyth, restaurant director Rob Rose and the wider Core team for their support, saying: “A special thank you to Clare and Rob for their trust, support, inspiration and friendship throughout this remarkable journey. There are no words to describe the connection I have with them.” Before joining Core, Bone also held positions at the Michelin-starred Frédéric Simonin in Paris, three-Michelin-starred Geranium in Copenhagen and two-Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York.
- One in six hospitality businesses say they are at risk of failure within the next 12 months, according to new industry data released as part of the #VATsTheProblem campaign, which launched to consumers on Wednesday (1 July). The research, conducted by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and Hospitality Ulster, found that 23% of hospitality businesses are now operating at a loss, while 5% say their business is no longer viable. The survey, carried out between 19 May and Monday (29 June), included operators representing more than 16,000 hospitality venues, with almost nine in 10 respondents (89%) saying a cut in VAT on hospitality would be the most impactful measure the Government could take to support the sector. The findings were unveiled at a press launch at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill at the Corinthia Hotel ahead of the campaign’s public rollout. Chef Tom Kerridge, who is spearheading the campaign, was joined by supporters including Ravneet Gill, owner of Gina’s in Chingford, Thomasina Miers, co-founder of Wahaca, and Mandy Yin, whose restaurant Sambal Shiok recently closed due to rising cost pressures.
- Turtle Bay is set to close three restaurants and renegotiate around a third of its estate as part of a proposed company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The Caribbean restaurant group is working with Gareth Slater and Will Wright from Interpath on the CVA, which aims to strengthen the business for the long term. The sites due to close are in Solihull, Walthamstow and Middlesbrough. The group, which operates around 50 restaurants, also plans to renegotiate lease terms across roughly 30% of its estate while continuing to trade as normal throughout the process. Turtle Bay said it has made ‘significant improvements’ over the past year following the return of ownership to founder Ajith Jayawickrema in May 2025, after private equity firm Piper sold its stake. It highlighted changes across its food and drink offer, operations, recruitment and training, and guest experience.