Rick Stein To Open First Central London Restaurant
By
4 months ago
The Cornish megachef is coming to the Big Smoke
Rick Stein is famous for his Cornish restaurants, hence his king of Padstow nickname, but now the seafood chef has his eyes set on central London.
Padstow Chef Rick Stein Is Planning New London Eatery
The team are on the hunt for the perfect site in the city centre, following a boost in business for Stein’s hospitality group, which is on the up after a tricky time during the pandemic. Rick Stein’s hospitality group managing director Ian Fitzgerald told The Caterer: ‘Having reorganised our finances and driven efficiencies throughout the business we are now exploring expansion opportunities.’
Stein opened his first eatery, The Seafood Restaurant, back in 1975, alongside his wife Jill. It was a small bistro on the harbourside in Padstow, but quickly rose to critical acclaim, and remains one of the UK’s most beloved seafood spots today, famed for dishes like the lobster thermidor, turbot hollandaise and Indonesian seafood curry. The pair went on to open a string of ventures big and small – fish and chip shops, restaurants-with-rooms, patisseries and more.
The Seafood Restaurant, c. James Ram
Nowadays, the group runs six restaurants in Cornwall, three in the Southwest, one in Barnes, London, and two in Australia. However, the newest launch will be Stein’s first venture in central London.
Although details are sparse at this stage, it’s likely the new launch will focus on seafood, as fresh fish has always been at the heart of Stein’s restaurants.
Charlie Stein, the business’ shareholder executive director, said: ‘Our focus in the next few months is on maximizing the opportunities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the business in 2025. It is also the perfect time to evolve our restaurant concepts to appeal to a wider audience and we are actively looking to open our first site in central London.’
