Anna Startin

🍴 The Forge, part of Hotel Indigo Chester, awarded 2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence in 2023, partners with Aubrey Allen, Royal household suppliers, for its summer menu launch. Aubrey Allen selects the top 4% of British beef cattle, ensuring meat is ethically sourced and naturally produced. The 70-seater restaurant, opened Spring 2021, led by Head Chef Dan Regan, also offers fish, vegan, and vegetarian options. General Manager Scott Rankin highlights Aubrey Allen's 5-time Chef’s Choice Butcher Awards achievement.

🍽 In London, Knightsbridge's Sale e Pepe celebrates its Golden Anniversary by opening its summer terrace for authentic Italian dining. Offering 2-course lunches at £30 and 3-course at £35 with a bi-weekly changing menu, the terrace features chic navy blue décor and Italian white flowers. The menu includes classics like Vitello Milanese, fresh crudo, antipasti, and homemade pastas. Desserts like tableside-scooped Tiramasù are also available. The restaurant is a favorite among celebrities and royalty, maintaining high standards for 50 years.

🏡 The Hound, a modern-day coaching inn in Chiswick, opens Wednesday, 17th July, featuring a historic Victorian police station aesthetic. The venue includes a pub, two private dining rooms—main one seating 18 with a combined former prison cells design, outdoor courtyard with retractable roof, and south-facing terrace. August will see the addition of four boutique guest rooms. John Sparks, Executive Chef, collaborates with James Knappett of two Michelin-star Kitchen Table to serve British pub classics. Also offers live sports screenings, diverse beer and cocktail selections, and a children’s menu.

🍳 Lifetime, the UK's largest training provider, reports a 47% rise in female chef apprentices during 2022-2023, with 373 out of 1241 new starters being women. The hospitality sector faces a 21% vacancy rate. The number of female chefs has grown by 46% since 2018, reaching 24% in 2023. Stella Carter, 18, with Crohn's disease, began a Level 2 apprenticeship at The Boot & Slipper in Amersham in 2022 and aims to own a restaurant. Nyla, 20, from Nottingham, embraces the industry's diversity. Bianca Martens, 36, in Liverpool, leads a team after completing chef apprenticeships. Lifetime Training emphasizes changing workplace culture post-pandemic to attract diverse talent, while Marston's and Mitchells & Butlers promote inclusive cultures and development programs.

🍴 Chef Dani García recounts his unconventional journey into the hospitality industry, driven by childhood experiences and learning from renowned chefs along Costa del Sol. His process for blending traditional Andalusian recipes with global flavors involves structured work and adaptation to local ingredients. Successfully managing multiple restaurants worldwide, García emphasizes the importance of team dynamics. His transition from a Michelin-starred restaurant to more accessible dining formats like BiBo Andalusian Brasserie & Tapas involves creating a relaxed atmosphere. Media exposure has broadened public perception of his culinary scope. Adapting menus to local tastes—alcohol-free in Qatar, pork-free in Dubai—García's group tailors to each location while maintaining concept essence. Smoked Room, born from Leña, earned two Michelin stars within six months through constant culinary evolution. Global expansion of Dani García Group focuses on launching Leña globally, with new projects underway in Miami, and plans for London, New York, Barcelona, Ibiza, and Morocco.

🍴 JÖRO, an acclaimed Nordic/Japanese-inspired restaurant, is relocating to Oughtibridge Paper Mill on the edge of the Peak District, opening September. The renovated 19th Century paper mill will feature two bars, an all-day dining terrace with live fire cooking, seven rooms (five studio rooms and two one-bedroom apartments), and SHÖP by JÖRO deli. Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French, the married duo behind JÖRO, will continue offering their signature tasting menus and introduce a global grill menu in partnership with Big Green Egg. The expansion will allow guests to enjoy a foodie stay with Scandi-inspired accommodations and homemade continental breakfasts. House of JÖRO will still provide boutique city stays while Konjö takes over the original Krynkl site.