Monday bulletin: West Country parmos and JKS’ next Thai restaurant

Catch up on the latest industry news stories of the week from the CODE Bulletin

Exclusive: West Country parmos

The publicans Max Halley and Ethan Davis will launch a new parmo concept on Wednesday, first at their newly taken The Sam Weller’s in Bath, and then at The Five Bells in Salisbury come autumn. When Max, famous for selling outlandish sandwiches at his London shop, wandered into the pub trade, he made a point of serving only sausage rolls, crisps, and pickled eggs by way of any food offering. The focus has been on creating classical boozers. Where gastropubs (it’s a word, sorry) have swept through the West Country, Max and Ethan have promised to ‘move away from that model’, instead working to be more traditional. But parmos are coming, because why not, ay? Full story. 

Sessions, Islington

The former Deliveroo MD Dan Warne will open a new food hall, Sessions, in London next month. Described as a ‘restaurant-food hall hybrid’, he said the venue will act as a ‘record label for food talent’, allowing a line-up of rotating chefs scale their businesses. ‘It’s a really difficult time for the hospitality industry right now, with food founders struggling because of financial barriers and the ongoing challenges from the pandemic,’ he said. The line-up of chefs includes Zoe Adjonyoh and Hasan Semay.

The madness of Miznon

Ten minutes after opening for the first time, Miznon, a restaurant on Broadwick Street in Soho, is packed. Some of the CODE team count more than 20 members of staff – 13 or 14 in the kitchen, and the rest on the floor. A woman is walking around carrying a large green vase, and a delivery of Villeroy & Boch crockery is being placed down in the corner next to an empty cardboard box bearing the name ‘Craig’. More about an interesting first day.

JKS’ next Thai restaurant

The chef Luke Farrell and JKS Restaurants will open a second Thai restaurant in Soho in September. Speedboat Bar will follow Luke’s Plaza Khao Gaeng at Arcade Food Hall, and has been described as ‘a love letter to Yaowarat Road’ in Bangkok’s Chinatown. An announcement said ‘guests can expect the fast and furious wok cookery with roasted meats and zingy seafood salads.’

Exclusive: John Dory wine shop

A new wine bar, the John Dory Wine Shop and Tasting Room, is opening in the seaside town of Sandgate in Kent this summer, backed by CODE’s own wine writer Zeren Wilson. Zeren is joining forces with the team behind Folkestone’s Space Bar and Kitchen and local wine expert Louisa Walls to curate a list of 150 bottles from around the world. Customers will be able to take home wine or drink it in-house accompanied by tinned fish, cheese, charcuterie and terrines, and Docker Bakery bread. 

Paco Tapas

Paco Tapas, little sister to Bristol’s acclaimed restaurant Casamia, is more than doubling its capacity two months after chef-patron Peter Sanchez-Iglesias announced Casamia’s permanent closure. The expansion will see Paco Tapas take over its neighbouring site, former home to Pi Shop, the Sanchez Group’s pizzeria, adding 20 covers to the restaurant’s 40-cover indoor space. Outside, a new waterside terrace will provide 55 more seats. 

Mark Hix’s pub

Mark Hix will permanently close his Dorset pub The Fox Inn in July after only 18 months of trading. Hix said recruitment challenges and rising costs – pressures being felt by businesses industry-wide – are to blame for the closure. ‘I know that I don’t need to tell anyone how hard it has been for everyone in the industry since Covid hit, and the challenges simply continue with rising costs and a difficulty to recruit like I have never known in my whole career’, Mark said.

Tom Cenci

The chef Tom Cenci will open a new British bistro in Soho this autumn. Cenci has teamed up with Mortimer House founder Guy Ivesha to launch Nessa, which will open on the ground floor of 1 Warwick, a new sister members’ club to the original. Cenci, formerly of Loyal Tavern in Bermondsey, has created a menu inspired by the history of Soho, English painter Vanessa Bell, and other artists of the Bohemian movement. Seasonal dishes will ‘use produce from Britain and across the Channel, drawing on both British influences and global flavours,’ said an announcement. The restaurant, meanwhile, will be housed in a renovated 1910 neo-Baroque building, a space that pays homage to the ‘eclectic and colourful establishments synonymous with Soho’s past’. Cenci said: ‘I’m thrilled to be working with Guy Ivesha, and look forward to creating something really special with him and the team at Maslow’s. We have some exciting plans for this menu, drawing inspiration from my background and travels – watch this space!’

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