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Here’s What Happened in the London Restaurant World Last Week

More and more businesses in the city look nationwide, while Rishi Sunak cools rumours of Eat Out to Help Out’s return

Fresh pasta, sauce, salumi, foccaccia, and olives in a cardboard meal kit box, shot from a birdseye view Legare [Official Photo]

London’s restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars have been in lockdown since 5 November. They will stay under lockdown until at least 3 December, with only takeaway, collection, and delivery permitted. With many businesses having put the necessary logistics in place in the first national lockdown in March, more and more are expanding their offering, taking the best dishes in the city nationwide.




  • Despite the uptick in both invention and scale on the food delivery front, new unemployment figures from the Office of National Statistics reminded the restaurant world of how stark coronavirus’ impact has been. Hospitality is the worst sector measured by jobs lost, and this prompted U.K. Hospitality to again push for targeted financial relief.

  • One element of financial relief that the government absolutely loved was Eat Out to Help Out — despite its possible links to novel coronavirus transmission. So, when chancellor Rishi Sunak mentioned that he wants “to get consumers spending again,” many sections of the media ran wild with the promise of Eat Out to Help Out S/S 2021. Sunak cooled their jets with a tweet — on the record, which is rare for this government. Maybe “senior Treasury source” is a bit too classic Dom.

  • Staying with the government, Boris Johnson is throwing his weight behind a blanket ban on “junk food” advertising online, because he got novel coronavirus. Health professionals are glad; advertising professionals are mad; but the real question is, with the parameters based on calories and not food categories, is this the end of the monounsaturated green prince? Is this the end of ... Avocado #sponcon on Instagram?


  • Please click through this link to a story about Pret a Manger retail coffee before continuing to read — seeing the photo is necessary. Right: Pret a Manger is launching retail coffee, despite its place in every office workers’ heart stemming entirely from its beat in the rhythm of office work — the surprise free coffee on a bad day; the 99p filter coming right next to the jambon beurre; the fact that there are so many goddamn Pret a Mangers that each one feels like “the local” even when they are choreographed to be exactly the same. And it has done so with this photo, which manages to fulfil its duty of saying, “bring Pret into your kitchen!” while also saying, “absolutely do not, under any circumstances, bring Pret into your kitchen.”



Fresh restaurant guides on where to eat in London during lockdown...

Until next week, eat well and be safe.

The Wolseley

160 Piccadilly, , England W1J 9EB 020 7499 6996 Visit Website

Soutine

60 Saint John's Wood High Street, , England NW8 7SH 020 3926 8448 Visit Website

Colbert

50-52 Sloane Square, , England SW1W 8AX 020 7730 2804 Visit Website