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- The fashion designer Julien Macdonald OBE has created a special edition burger box for McDonald’s new signature collection — a range they’re calling “gourmet burgers.” Commissioned to “combine fashion and food’s finest,” Macdonald said, “I drew inspiration from my fashion creations and iconic embellished red carpet dresses. This was translated into a gold baroque crystal encrusted box, which is the perfect packaging for the luxury McDonald’s Signature Collection burger.” There will be only 1,000 of the boxes available in selected branches — they’ll be distributed at a series of “showcase events” across the UK. Emily Somers, VP of Marketing at McDonald’s called the brand’s first ever UK packaging collaboration “a brave and exciting move and it’s like nothing we’ve ever done before.”
- Richard Vines has tweeted that Friday 1 September will be the opening night of the new Joe Allen on Burleigh Street. Their original premises around the corner, where they traded for 40 years, were acquired by Robert De Niro for a new 83-room hotel, the Wellington, which is expected to open in 2019. Joe Allen is at 2 Burleigh St, London WC2E 7PX.
- Big Hospitality report that ETM Group’s The Botanist will reopen after a 10-week refurbishment in October with a new chef — Ameya Bhalekar — who will oversee a new all-day brasserie format. The new look is the work of Russell Sage Studio, the designers behind Dishoom, Quaglino’s and The Savoy Grill. 7 Sloane Square, London SW1W 8EE
- Farm Girl, the so-called “clean eating” cafe from Portobello Road in Notting Hill are opening inside Sweaty Betty, the fitness wear brand, on Carnaby Street. It will open on 7 September.
