Friday five: the week’s top stories
The closure of Adam Byatt’s British bistro and 99 Sushi Bar’s UK debut are among this week’s top news stories.
News
Pesto closes its Trafford Centre restaurant after nearly 20 years
Italian restaurant chain Pesto has closed its Trafford Centre location after nearly 20 years at the shopping centre.
Turnover tops £100m at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
Gordon Ramsay’s UK business, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants (GRR), saw turnover top £100m in 2025, rising 3% from £97.8m to £100.7m.
Tommy Banks calls for 13% hospitality VAT rate for smaller businesses
The Black Swan at Oldstead chef Tommy Banks has called for a 13% hospitality VAT rate for businesses with annual turnover below £50m, citing research estimating a net Treasury cost of £3.2bn–£3.6bn a year.
Farmer J reports 50% increase in revenue
Farmer J has reported around a 50% increase in revenue driven by new openings and continued like-for-like sales growth.
Cassette player: Mark Gurney on his new Soho restaurant
The co-owner of Levan and Bar Levan in Peckham on making the move into central London and why the new restaurant’s focus is solely Gallic.
Dishoom’s turnover climbs amid UK expansion
Dishoom’s turnover almost hit £160m in 2025 the group’s latest accounts reveal.
Slim Chickens to open first UK drive-thru
Fried chicken brand Slim Chickens is joining the raft of QSR players moving into the drive-thru space.
A. Wong to put China’s prized textures centre stage with new tasting menu
Andrew Wong will relaunch his two-Michelin-starred Pimlico restaurant later this month following a two month hiatus with a tasting menu exploring the textures and flavours prized in Chinese cooking, alongside a redesigned dining room and new show kitchen.
Uncorked: Isha Pathakji
The co-owner and general manager of Clapham restaurant MAAI by Nikita on South African winemaker Marelise Niemann, Whitewolfe Estates’ KC2 Chardonnay and how she is still learning what people in Clapham like to drink.
Ben Tish steps down as chef director at Cubitt House
Ben Tish has stepped down from his role of chef director at Cubitt House after five years.
Hambledon Wine Estate to launch Chef’s Table experience
Hambledon Wine Estate in Hampshire will launch a new 10-seat Chef’s Table experience, with bookings opening on 2 October.
Restaurant radar: October 2026
Open Restaurant Group’s Liverpool venture, and the relaunch of Quaglino’s are among this month’s key launches.
Chickpea Group is opening a roadside deli that will serve Max Halley’s sandwiches
South West pub operator Chickpea Group will open a new deli and provisions store on the A303 near Chicklade, Wiltshire, next year.
Flash-grilled: Hirotaka Wada
The head chef at Mayfair’s Sushi Kanesaka on Krug Champagne, strong colognes and his boss chef Shinji Kanesaka.
Market Halls reports ‘standout’ first quarter and summer trading
Market Halls says it had a ‘standout’ first quarter and summer trading period, delivering like-for-like growth across its bars and trader partners.
Dastaan’s sister restaurant Black Salt closes
Highly-rated East Sheen Indian restaurant Black Salt has announced its closure, citing “circumstances entirely outside of its control”.
Hong Kong chef May Chow to make UK debut with month-long residency
Hong Kong chef May Chow will make her UK debut next month with a takeover of Little Blue Noodle Bar at The Peninsula London.
Tom Sellers: “Everyone tells stories now”
Over the past few months, HiStory Hospitality has dramatically extended its reach with a jaw dropping new fish restaurant in Cornwall and a multi-faceted F&B project at Buckinghamshire hotel and golf course Stoke Park.
Adam Byatt’s Bistro Union closes
Adam Byatt has closed his neighbourhood restaurant Bistro Union after almost 15 years.
Jason Atherton’s Sael operator enters liquidation following restaurant’s closure
The company behind Jason Atherton’s Sael restaurant in London’s St James’s has entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation.
Popeyes sees revenue soar as expansion continues
Popeyes UK saw its revenue increase by 50% to a record £178 driven by the addition of almost 50 new restaurants, its latest accounts reveal.
99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant chooses Mayfair for its UK debut
Internationally acclaimed 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant will make its UK debut this November with the launch of a flagship in London’s Mayfair.
Nathan Cornwell on swapping West London for the West Sussex countryside
The former The Silver Birch and The Barn at Moor Hall chef is leading a culinary revamp at The Woodcote, an upscale but accessible restaurant with rooms near Petworth.
HotBox faces HMRC winding-up petition
The future of HotBox is in doubt after HMRC presented its operating company with a winding-up petition.
Gopal’s Corner to open first site outside the capital in Birmingham
Sugen Gopal is moving his Malaysian Tamil restaurant group Gopal’s Corner beyond the capital with a site in Birmingham.
Laksamania announces closure after eight years in London
London-based Malaysian restaurant Laksamania has announced that it will close, following eight years of trading.
Government reveals £210m package to revive struggling high streets
The Government has announced a £210m funding package aimed at turning vacant high street shops, pubs and clubs into shared workspaces, cafes and community hubs.
Brighton pub The Crazy Goose switches to rotisserie chicken menu
Black Rock Restaurant Group is replacing the eclectic menu at its Brighton pub The Crazy Goose with an offer built around rotisserie chicken cooked over open coals.
Comment
Sushi is on a roll, and I’m down with that
In a difficult market, but one that demands sushi and at least some of the elegance that comes with it, sushi handrolls make sense.
Restaurant Readers’ Choice 2026 winners revealed
The best suppliers as voted for by their customers have been revealed in Restaurant’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2026.
Friday five: the week’s top stories
The potential sale of Pizza Express and the line-up for Victoria Station’s new food hall are among this week’s top news stories.
Book review: The Mon Lapin Cookbook
How this small Montreal restaurant became such a beloved part of Canada’s restaurant scene.
Atis moves into wraps
Atis is expanding its offer with the launch of a range of wraps from next month.
Ten leading chefs to cook at Prept Collabs finale
All ten chefs who have taken part in the Prept Collabs series will come together for a one-night finale at Hide in Mayfair on 16 November.
Delivery rollouts boost restaurants’ at-home sales but like-for-like growth slows
Britain’s top restaurant groups experienced near-double-digit growth in at-home sales in the past year, new figures show.
Bottles and BeBeMe cease trading after entering liquidation
The companies behind Spitalfields restaurant Bottles and wine bar operator BeBeMe have entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation.
Uncorked: Liberty Curry
The general manager at The Seaside Boarding House in Dorset on Au Bon Climat’s Hildegard 2021, Joe Wadsack and why wine service should suit the restaurant.
Co-op axes its standalone On The Go format
Co-op Group has axed its standalone On The Go operation, closing all five locations as it focuses on expanding the concept within its existing estate.
Manchester’s Medlock Square development to be home to new food hall
A new food hall will open next month as part of Manchester’s new £300m Medlock Square development.
Imad Alarnab to open second Imad’s Syrian Kitchen
Imad Alarnab will open a third venue in the capital later this year, in Shoreditch.
The Lowdown: The ube export ban
The Philippines has indefinitely suspended exports of fresh ube, the purple yam central to many Filipino desserts, as international demand strains supplies of planting material.
Meat and poultry prices rise as foodservice inflation persists
Food and drink prices in the hospitality sector rose by 0.4% month-on-month in August, data shows.
Manchester restaurant Another Hand closes after four-and-a-half years
Manchester restaurant Another Hand has closed its doors with immediate effect after nearly five years of trading.
Christopher’s to bow out in Covent Garden after 35 years - but says it will be back
Long-established restaurant and Martini bar Christopher’s will close its doors in Covent Garden after 35 years.
Cottage industry: Jack and Beth Bond on running one of the Lake District’s most progressive restaurants
At The Cottage in the Wood, the husband-and-wife team are combining bold cooking and relaxed hospitality with the demands of an eight-bedroom hotel and a growing family.
Flash-grilled: Steven Edwards
The chef at Hove restaurant Etch on Marco Pierre White, fussy eaters and his famous Marmite bread with seaweed butter.
Three UK bars make The 50 Best Bars 2026 extended list
Three UK bars have been ranked in the extended 51-100 list of The 50 Best Bars 2026.
Solis will open its first standalone restaurant in Soho
Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng will open the first standalone site for their chicken and steak grill restaurant Solis.
Latest opening: The Albatross
Wild Group’s first pub is a celebration of the best of British seafood.