From food truck to shipping container: bunnychow hops into BOXPARK – Tommi’s Burger Joint is back – Dragon Hotel, Montgomery to return to splendour – ibis opens in Brighton – Llanwenarth landmark hotel sold – Chop Shop reveals its looks – Cheltenham’s iconic Pittville hotel sold to local businessman.
From food truck to shipping container: bunnychow hops into BOXPARK
Just three months after taking to London’s streets with the eye-catching bunnychow truck, the South African street food vendor has secured investment from Shanti Hospitality to open its first permanent site in one of BOXPARK Shoreditch’s sought-after shipping containers.
Bunny chow, a hollowed out, filled loaf said to have originated in Durban, South Africa in the 1940s, and its current reincarnation by bunnychow in London with a delicious variety of fillings, has proved a welcome addition to the capital’s increasing street food offerings.
The 270 square foot BOXPARK site can seat up to 12 customers indoors, and up to 50 outside, and will open in late September.. The industrial look with chipboard tables and hanging pendant lights is perfectly in tune with the stripped back style of menu.
Diners will enjoy four main hot bunnies on rotation (£5) including their signature Monkey Gland Meatballs or BBQ Pulled Pork; two warm flat bunnies (£4.50) with fillings including South African Bobotie or Goats Cheese & Peppers; and six chilled flat bunnies (£4) such as Lime & Chilli Crayfish, Nutty Citrus Chicken and Feta & Pea, ideal for takeaway.
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Tommi’s Burger Joint is back
Tommi’s Burger Joint re-opened on 6 August, following its relocation to a permanent venue on 30 Thayer Street. Queues outside the door demonstrate that here’s another successful burger joint!
The Icelandic burger joint’s first UK venture launched in August 2012, at a temporary site in Marylebone Street. Such was its success, Tommi’s has gone from pop-up to permanent, much to the relief of its faithful followers.
The intimate American-style diner, which currently has 6 sites across Iceland, is the creation of Icelandic entrepreneur Tomas Tómasson, who has launched nearly 20 restaurants and hotels in his native Iceland, including the Hard Rock Cafe. The burger flipping in London will be led by Tommi’s head chef Siggi Gunnlaugsson, one of the group’s most senior chefs who relocated to the UK to launch the first site last year.
The 30-cover burger joint has an informal, vintage feel, focusing on offering the best burgers in the business, made to a recipe that Tommi has perfected over several decades flipping burgers. Just like before, Tommi’s will be keeping things nice and simple, with a menu purely offering a selection of burgers including a vegetarian option. Produce will be carefully sourced from within the UK, with meat from HG Walter butchers in Barons Court, and bread from Millers Bakery.
Tommi’s Burger Joint, 30 Thayer Street, London, W1U 2QP
0207 224 3828
Dragon Hotel, Montgomery to return to splendour under husbands and wives’ consortium
A consortium of local investors has stepped forward to take over the reins at one of Montgomery’s leading hotels. Chartered accountant Mark Cadwallader persuaded wife Rhian, sister Clare and husband Simon Cousins along with Simon and Elaine Bedford to join him in buying the landmark hotel on the borders of Shropshire and Powys in a deal brokered by sector specialists Colliers International.
The distinctive grade II former coaching inn in the heart of Marcher Country stands next to Montgomery Castle overlooking the town’s market place, is a magnet for locals and visitors alike, and the consortium intend to refurbish the landmark hotel and will work on a five year plan to restore it to its former glory as principal hotel destination in the town.
Mark said: “We will not be shutting the hotel while the refurbishment is carried out so we are taking things one step at a time. But the Dragon has plenty of potential and we are determined to see it flying again.”
Dating back to the 17th century, the hotel features a heavily timbered restaurant with a fireplace created from an old bread oven. The characterful surroundings have helped the pub win a series of AA rosettes over the past ten years and it is popular with walkers exploring the many ruined castles in the vicinity as well as Offa’s Dyke.
The 20 letting bedrooms offer a varied selection of doubles, four twins, two single, five family and one four poster room. Unusually for a country inn the Dragon also boasts an indoor heated swimming pool with sauna, free of charge to guests.
ibis opens in Brighton
Economy hotel group ibis has opened its first Brighton hotel close to Brighton train station and just minutes from the city’s seafront.
All 140 of the newly-built hotel’s bedrooms feature free, high quality Wi-Fi as well as the ergonomically-engineered Sweet Bed by ibis ™ designed to deliver the ultimate happy sleep. 36 of the bedrooms are tailor-made for family and group travellers, featuring twin beds and interconnecting shared spaces.
The hotel’s communal areas are based on the ‘Avanzi’ principle, creating an inviting living space where guests can relax, socialise and work. The hotel benefits from display wall featuring artwork created by local Brighton artists, capturing the essence of the seaside city.
The new-concept restaurant, Fogg’s, inspired by the story of Phileas Fogg, serves dishes from around the world; and offers an as-much-as-you-can-eat hot and cold continental breakfast buffet. The bar also features selected beers from celebrated local brewer Dark Star.
Llanwenarth landmark hotel sold
Former Wales international rugby player Richard Wallace has finally been able to take it easy following the sale of the Llanwenarth Hotel near Abergavenny – which he and wife Anita have run for the past ten years despite his increasing ill health.
The sale was brokered by Colliers International Hotels director Peter Brunt, who said he was delighted to have resolved the sale after several previous deals failed to complete.
The 17-bedroom hotel boasts outstanding views towards the Sugarloaf mountain and Brecon Beacons National Park and is an ideal base for visitors looking to explore the region.
The new owner is Martin Haven, a successful businessman in the region, who was attracted by the many qualities of the business and the scope that it has to develop further: “I have no plans to make great changes to what is a very successful formula and, while I have a number of exciting plans to improve a number of areas, the existing customers will continue to find the Llanwenarth the same comfortable place it is now with the same levels of food and service that Richard developed over his time in charge.”
Peter Brunt commented that the sale demonstrated how the hotel market has improved following the dip caused by the 2007/8 banking crisis. “This was the second hotel in Wales I concluded a sale of in the same week, and I am seeing a noticeable pick up in viewings and serious interest during this year compared to last, with Welsh hotels proving their appeal to buyers.”
Chop Shop reveals its looks
As previously announced in H&C News (see link below), The Altamarea Group is working with Will Guess, (whose family own Rowley’s Restaurant) to collaborate on a vibrant new ‘butcher-shop inspired’ restaurant ‘Chop Shop’ on Haymarket in St James’s London – opening on 2 September.
Both menu and design are said to reflect the spirited and edgy influences of New York and London, and will help to create a lively neighbourhood restaurant.
Spanning two floors, the interiors have been designed by Stuart Taylor at 44th Hill (Graphic Bar, The Rum Kitchen, 52 North). The 58-cover ground floor provides an intimate atmosphere with distressed dark wood panelling and exposed whitewashed brick walls composing the backdrop to large reclaimed tiles, which will be the focus of the design. The tiles, which Stuart discovered in Shoreditch, have formed the inspiration for Chop Shop’s interiors. An urban and individual feel runs throughout the two floors, with 75% of all materials used in the design being reclaimed.
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Cheltenham’s iconic Pittville hotel sold to local businessman
One of Cheltenham’s best known hotels has been sold at the asking price of £2.6 million after going into administration earlier this year.
Sector expert Peter Brunt from Colliers International said The Hotel in Cheltenham’s Evesham Road has been bought by an undisclosed local businessman, although it has subsequently been reported in the press that Julian Dunkerton of Superdry is in fact the purchaser.
The Hotel dates back to the 1830s and is a Grade II listed, 12 bedroom boutique property in the popular Pittville area of the town.
Described as a “luxurious oasis of calm right in the centre of Cheltenham” The Hotel has recently undergone a complete refurbishment with the installation of bathrooms which feature whirpools, aromatherapy, chromotherapy and infinity baths.
Parkers, the hotel’s 42-seat restaurant, was named Restaurant of the Year in 2006 by Cotswold Life.
Peter Brunt said: “The Hotel retains many original features and is a luxurious oasis of calm right in the centre of Cheltenham with numerous opportunities for exploring the legendary shops or further afield in the Cotswolds.”
He concluded: “Hotels of this standard remain in very short supply in Cheltenham and the Cotswolds and this is a tremendous location. I expect the Hotel will be back to its peak very shortly under new management.”