Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

UK pub culture in partial resurgence says new survey

Published: 09 December, 2024

Reports of the terminal decline of the quintessential British boozer have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new survey by SumUp.

Hospitality sector sees first outlet growth in two years

Published: 19 August, 2024

Britain’s hospitality sector has recorded its first quarterly growth in outlets in two years, according to the latest Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners.

Henri

Published: 08 July, 2024

Chef Jackson Boxer, in collaboration with the Experimental Group, opened Henri last month, bringing a Parisian-inspired restaurant to Covent Garden. This new venture blends Boxer’s London restaurant expertise with the Experimental Group’s global hospitality experience, featuring standout bars and restaurants worldwide. Designed by Dorothée Meilichzon, Henri combines French brasserie charm with British pub elements, showcasing botanical shapes and Art Nouveau accents.

The menu offers a range of snacks, entrées and charcoal-grilled dishes, including Parisian classics like Fried Pieds de Cochon and Seaweed Canelé. The drinks menu features cocktails inspired by French icons including the Marie-Antoine, blending rye, ginger syrup and peach bitters; and the Gaston, crafted with Cognac, byrrh and maple syrup. The wine list showcases exceptional French wines, perfect for long lunches and celebrations.

Ambassadors Clubhouse

Published: 04 July, 2024

JKS Restaurants, founded by Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi, is set to launch Ambassadors Clubhouse this summer at 25 Heddon Street in Mayfair. Named after Sethi’s maternal grandfather, a former Indian Ambassador, the restaurant draws inspiration from his summer house in Dalhousie and the founders’ Punjabi heritage.

The menu celebrates the cuisine of undivided Punjab, featuring classic dishes like Paan Patta Chaat, Mooli and Dahi Kebabs and Hariyali Rara Rabbit Keema. The drinks menu highlights tequila and mezcal cocktails, including ‘Punjabi Margaritas’ with north Indian fruits and chaat masala spiced salts. The 140-cover restaurant includes a 40-cover outdoor heated veranda and three private dining spaces, featuring interiors with classic Indian patterns and modern prints.

Archive & Myth

Published: 02 July, 2024

Archive & Myth, a new cocktail den, has opened in London’s West End. Situated below Leicester Square, this hidden gem offers a unique escape with a drinks menu crafted by award-winning mixologist Jack Sotti. Highlights include full-sized creations like the Mizuwari, Whiskey Sour and Absinthe Frappe, plus miniature delights such as the Martini Mineraux and the Sazerac de Nata. The venue also features select bites from The Hippodrome’s Chop Chop restaurant. The venue, hidden behind a password-protected door off Cranbourn Street, leads deep beneath The Hippodrome Casino to a central bar with counter seating, plush fabric nooks, exposed brick and dark wood accents.

Archive & Myth

Published: 02 July, 2024

The Tartan Fox

Published: 19 June, 2024

Chef Adam Handling (pictured) has announced the opening of The Tartan Fox in Cornwall. Located between Newquay and Truro, The Tartan Fox is Handling’s second venture in Cornwall, joining his St Ives restaurant and bar, Ugly Butterfly.

Chez Roux

Published: 17 June, 2024

The closure of Michel Roux’s Le Gavroche earlier this year surprised many, following the earlier shutdown of Roux at the Landau at The Langham, now replaced by Mimosa. But Roux is not finished with The Langham; he is merely shifting locations. Roux will take over the Palm Court space with a venture called Chez Roux. The new opening blends British classics with traditional French cooking methods, featuring dishes like Welsh rarebit and grilled lobster with fries and béarnaise. Diners can enjoy a selection of ‘60s-inspired cocktails such as the Queen’s Dubonnet and Madeira Cobbler. The wine list combines English and French influences, featuring Champagnes alongside English sparklings from Hambledon Vineyard.

Cornus

Published: 13 June, 2024

In mid-July, Cornus will open in London’s Belgravia, the second restaurant from David O’Connor and Joe Mercer-Nairne of the renowned Medlar in Chelsea. Chef Gary Foulkes, formerly of Michelin-starred Angler, will lead the kitchen, presenting a menu that highlights British seasonal produce with vibrant and precise cooking.

Bar Bruno

Published: 14 May, 2024

One of the best recent openings we’ve lighted upon is Michael Sager’s new outpost Bruno, which has tucked neatly into the leafy environs of the East End’s Victoria Park Village. A decade on from the opening of his seminal Sager + Wilde in nearby Hackney Road, Bruno, named after his father, offers a now familiar Hackney mix of low-intervention wines and simple but tasty dishes, all served up by a super-friendly team in this characterful ex-stable.

Capilungo

Published: 09 May, 2024

The newly opened Capilungo in Covent Garden has expanded its all-day café offering by opening a basement bar, where guests can sample a range of Puglian wines and classic aperitivo-style cocktails. Hyper-local delicacies from Lecce, focused on freshly baked ‘pizzette Pugliese’, will complement the drinks list.

Undercroft

Published: 07 May, 2024

Undercroft, a new restaurant from Birmingham-based chef Brad Carter and former music publisher Martin Priestnall, is due to open this summer in the crypt of St George’s Church in Mayfair. Bringing together art, design, music and food, Undercroft will offer an eclectic cocktail list alongside the classics. The wine list follows a similar style, providing a range of Champagne and fine wines as decadent pairings for Carter’s dishes.

Managed groups eye expansion despite swathe of hospitality closures

Published: 12 February, 2024

Gaucho and M-owner Rare Restaurants will open 30 new sites following its double-digit revenue growth in 2023.

The Butcher’s Tap & Grill

Published: 22 January, 2024

Celebrated chef Tom Kerridge has opened The Butcher’s Tap & Grill on Tryon Street, Chelsea.

Morchella

Published: 18 January, 2024

This February will see a new restaurant from the team behind Perilla – Ben Marks and Matthew Emmerson, along with Daniel Fletcher, who joins the duo to unveil their latest venture, which is opening early this year.

Rows & Vine

Published: 16 January, 2024

The name Rows & Vine is the obvious pick for this fab new English vineyard restaurant, which offers Ridgeview visitors a spot to wine and dine (almost) among the vines. Apart from the view, which gives guests a glimpse of the sweeping South Downs ridge from where the estate gets its name, the new restaurant offers a permanent winter counterpart to the site’s al fresco dining area, which will once again open in the summer, while offering delicious fizz and standout seasonal eats. Located inside the winery, the restaurant is a cosy, contemporary dining space offering a slice of English hospitality.

Nessa

Published: 15 September, 2023

Late-night bar Nessa is now open on the corner of Brewer, Warwick and Glasshouse streets, promising to be Soho’s newest destination for classic drinks and inventive cocktails. Bar manager Floriano Cubeddu (previously of The Goring Hotel, The Ned and Mortimer House) has put together a menu that champions British producers and seasonal ingredients. Cocktails are classic with a playful twist and showcase a range of UK-based brands, with serves including the bittersweet Ol’ China Plate, which mixes East London rye whisky, Sacred dry vermouth and Sipello with Campari. Low & no serves make a strong appearance, too, alongside an extensive list of sparkling and still wines and spirits, again highlighting British producers.

Chez Rowley

Published: 13 September, 2023

Pioneering chef Rowley Leigh, (Le Café Anglais and Kensington Place), is returning to west London to launch a residency at Notting Hill’s club and restaurant Laylow. Opening this September, Leigh’s Laylow promises to be a bistro with nostalgic dishes and ‘classic technique’, with inspiration drawn from family holidays to Europe. Italian fare will predominantly lead the menu, while the drinks list is being designed to complement the flavour of Rowley’s hearty dishes. A mixture of spirits classics and ‘rarely seen bootlegs’ will be available, Leigh promises, including a specialist range of tequilas and mezcals.

The Butcher’s Tap & Grill

Published: 11 September, 2023

Top Chef Tom Kerridge is back with another venture: The Butcher’s Tap & Grill on Tryon Street, Chelsea, which will be launching towards the end of the year.