The CODE Bulletin

Dear

As I walked from Embankment station to my office on Haymarket the other day, I passed a Jigsaw on the Strand. I noticed in the window of the women's retailer a large poster emblazoned with a heart logo next to the word 'immigration'. Another poster in the shop window highlighted that Jigsaw employs a workforce from 45 countries and uses materials for its clothes from 16 countries.

The campaign is intended to remind people that immigration is a force for good and that UK businesses need it to remain globally competitive. With hospitality recruitment in crisis mode, it struck me that maybe we should embrace a similar tactic in the industry. We already highlight the source of produce on menus. So why not the people cooking and serving it too?

The latest issue of CODE Quarterly has now been published and is also available to read online here.

Have a good week.

Adam

Scully

CODE thought St James’s Market was full, but the news that Ramael Scully, late of Nopi, is opening his eponymous restaurant proves there’s room for one more, when it’s of this pedigree. As you’d expect from one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s head chefs - and trusted co-author – the food will be eclectic. In fact Scully’s heritage is Chinese, Indian, Balinese and Irish, so it’s no wonder he promises a larder of interesting spices, pickles and produce. We’ll have to wait until the new year for Scully to open.

The Prince

Meanwhile further west, another cluster of food offerings piques our interest. Right opposite the tube station is West Brompton Crossing, where from 15 November you’ll be able to choose between Patty & Bun, Mam, The Begging Bowl and Rabbit, two bars and a secret garden too. The self-described “epicurean avenue” goes under the group name of The Prince and is from the Pergola people, whose clever idea is that each restaurant is linked at its back to the garden, so you can eat and drink contentedly off the street.

Club Gascon

It doesn’t feel long since we announced Club Gascon’s closure for a refurb but tomorrow the restaurant reopens – and not just with a lick of new paint. A bigger kitchen, a semi-private dining area and a whole new structure to the menu. Now visitors to Pascal Aussignac’s 20-year-old site will find sections of Gascon (classics), Season (what’s good right now) and Garden (moving towards vegetarian and gluten-free choices). In addition, the restaurant retains its strong and overwhelmingly south-west France wine list.

184 Green + Grill

Not many of CODE’s readers may remember 192, a classic Portobello wine bar that in its day was ‘the’ place to hang out, and at different points had Alastair Little, Rowley Leigh and Rose Gray in the kitchen. It’s long gone, but a new independent restaurant just along the (Kensington Park) road gives it a nod with its name, 184. From next month, mother and son operators Alex Giri and Oscar Harris will offer wood-fire grilled meat and fish, but (as the sub-name suggests) also plenty of plant-based dishes – a necessity in health-conscious Notting Hill.

StreetSmart

Hospitality shows its heart every year with the arrival of StreetSmart, the annual drive to raise funds to help the homeless – and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the initiative. From the start of November for two months, more than 500 restaurants have signed up to add £1 to each diner’s bill, every penny of which goes to the charity – everyone from The River Café to MEATliquor. CODE recommends checking out (and visiting) the full list of participants, which can be found here.

Auction Against Hunger

Still on a charity tip, one of the most fun and energetic nights of the year is approaching – the annual Auction Against Hunger. It’s the fifth year for the Action Against Hunger fundraiser and it takes place on 7 November at Borough Market. The line-up of top restaurant chefs includes Shaun Searley, Damian Clisby, Anna Hansen and Neil Rankin, plus the market’s own traders. Tickets are on sale now here. CODE recommends early arrival and enthusiastic bidding in the silent auction.

Simon Mullins

After 12 years at the helm of the Salt Yard group of restaurants, MD Simon Mullins is stepping down, to be replaced by former HR director Georgina Laing. Mullins said that he was “intensely proud of my years at Salt Yard growing it from humble beginnings on Goodge Street to its five restaurants today. The London restaurant scene has changed immeasurably over the years and I am looking forward to getting stuck into new projects”.

Montana Fogg

Restaurant consultants and industry stalwarts Laura Montana and Seb Fogg have been working together for some time (the Monkey Bar in New York and Soho House West Hollywood among others) but now the husband and wife team have made it formal, launching under the name Montana Fogg. The former most recently opened and ran 34 and Sexy Fish for Richard Caring. The latter is known for working with Corbin and King. Plans are afoot to add team members and for an office in NYC.

Assistant Restaurant Manager, BAO Fitzrovia

BAO Fitzrovia is seeking a charismatic Assistant Restaurant Manager with an eye for detail and experience of leading and inspiring a team within a quality restaurant.

The second restaurant by Shing-Tat Chung, Wai-Ting Chung and Erchen Chang offers ‘Xiao Chi’ small eats, ‘Bao’ steamed milk buns and a selection of sharing dishes, as well as a drinks menu featuring cocktails, sakes, whiskies and wines.

Click here to read more and apply

Head Chef, The Royal Foundation of St Katharine

The Royal Foundation of St Katharine is a unique and special place to work. St Katharine’s House welcomes Meetings, Events and Retreats, while St Katharine’s Precinct establishes a strong community connection with London’s only Yurt Café. The food we offer to visitors is an important part of our ethos, we aim to support healthy bodies as well as healthy minds. We are recruiting a Head Chef to run our Kitchen and Yurt Café.

Click here to read more and apply

Fay Maschler awards Albert Adria alumni Rob Roy Cameron’s cooking at Untitled in Dalston 4 out of 5 stars

Despite it being located in a shopping centre, Grace Dent gets well fed at James Cochran N1

How Alice Waters changed the landscape of food

OFM Awards 2017: Lifetime Achievement – Joyce Molyneux

Mon 16 Oct

Wild Dinner with Francesco Mazzei and Neil Rankin

Tues 17 Oct

Weds 18 Oct

Quo Vadis & Friends: 5 Easy Pieces

Thurs 19 Oct

Nandine at Peckham Levels x Spike + Earl

Fri 20 Oct

Sun 22 Oct

Mac Forbes takeover at Lorne: Wine Bar for a day

To the OFM Awards last Thursday evening hosted by Nigella Lawson and Jay Rayner. As always, the great and the good of the food world descended upon the Freemasons’ Hall for the evening. The Dumbwaiter spotted Simon Hopkinson, Jeremy Lee, Dan Doherty and Ewan Venters. It was then down to the hidden courtyard for a lively discussion about the winners.

The India Club on the Strand is under threat. The Dumbwaiter hears that the landlord is looking to redevelop the building that plays home to the famous curry house. The Dumbwaiter is currently naan the wiser as to what will happen to the restaurant.

The Dumbwaiter was looking forward to trying Tom Kerridge’s food at the Jumeirah hotel in Knightsbridge. However, the chef – who owns the Hands & Flowers pub – officially announced last week that he will no longer be opening the restaurant there in the former Rib Room.

Size does matter. The Sunday Times has reported that the size of a hotel bed is just as important as the size of the room. Apparently it’s all about “bedflation” with hotels upgrading the size of their beds to 7ft by 7ft allowing people to have a better night’s sleep. Lenny Henry will be chuffed.

From Tel Aviv to Tower Bridge. Click here to read The Dumbwaiter’s best bites of the week.

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