Published 12 October 2022
The lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore has revealed its in-house concept studio that is behind dozens of bar and restaurants.
Carte Blanched is a team of operators, chefs, mixologists and creatives who create food and beverage brands for Ennismore.
Across the group’s 100 lifestyle hotels, there are 190 restaurants and bars that generate around 50 per cent of the company’s total revenue.
Carte Blanched has already fostered more than 40 brands, and since 2021 has opened 17 new outlets in Europe and the Middle East including Tandoor Tina at 25hours Dubai, Four Corners at The Hoxton, Barcelona, Seabird at The Hoxton Southwark, Fi’Lia at SLS Dubai, and Bibo at Mondrian Shoreditch.
The official launch of Carte Blanched comes alongside a host of new projects, including:
• Floating World – a fabulously excessive, Japanese-influenced restaurant that specialises in bold flavoured, easy-to share food with stylish, immersive design and flamboyant cocktails.
• Dollars – a new sandwich bar concept in Partnership with Andrei Soen, the mastermind behind Park Bench Deli – the buzzy American sandwich spot and deli in the heart of Singapore.
• Chet’s – a Thai-Americana restaurant in partnership with LA based Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market).
• Bottega di Carna – a nose to tail Italian inspired restaurant in partnership with Dario Cecchini.
• Mr Nakamoto – an American steakhouse with Japanese flavours inspired by the mid-Manhattan dining of the Mad Men era.
Carte Blanched’s services include strategic development, market research, local insider knowledge trend reports, brand identity creation, recruitment, training, marketing and PR.
The company told CODE that before launching a new brand, the concept is tested at a three-month pop up at La Cave an incubator kitchen beneath The Hoxton, Holborn.
The team is made up of a large senior team, including Ennismore founder Sharan Pasricha, and creative lead Jules Pearson, and executive chef Peter Macias.
There is a long list of collaborators and partners, too, such as Selin Kiazim & Laura Christie (Oklava), Monica Berg & Alex Kratena (Tayer and Elementary), Kris Yenbamroong (LA’s Night + Market), Andrei Soen (Singapore’s Park Bench Deli), Layo Paskin & Zoe Paskin (Palomar, The Barbary, Evelyn’s Table, The Blue Posts), and Dario Cecchini.
Pasricha, also the Ennismore CEO, said: ‘Carte Blanched is a completely new and unique approach to how we deliver extraordinary drinking and dining destinations – from concept to execution – for our owners and hotels. and is one of the vital ways which sets Ennismore apart from our competitors. I am incredibly proud of the team we have pulled together, who are the best in their field.’
Selin Kiazim told CODE: ‘We’re very excited to be teaming up with Carte Blanched, creating a new concept inspired by the rich and diverse food and drink culture of Turkey. This will be something new for London, a spin on the famous Meyhanes of Istanbul where after dinner entertainment is as important as the dining experience.’