Sessions, a new food hall, is coming to Islington

The former Deliveroo MD Dan Warne will open a new food hall called 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 landscape for the food industry has fundamentally changed and is not keeping up with what people want. At Sessions we’re establishing the architecture for food businesses of the future.  

‘Our vision is to make next-gen chefs and their creations more widely available through a model that’s reinventing how independent food brands can scale.’ 

Dan said he has a team of scouts ‘assessing the market’, looking to find ‘hot new food concepts’ to invest in. 

He said Sessions also includes a studio kitchen to help ‘artists produce brands which will work well in dynamic food environments’. 

‘We help the chefs scale their brands using licensed kitchens’, he added.  

‘Our new sessions venue is going to be the ultimate proving ground for our chefs, allowing customers to discover their food in an environment where the founder is championed.’ 

The first line-up next month features the now New York-based chef and author Zoe Adjonyoh, founder of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen.  

Following her supper clubs, residencies, and cookbook, Zoe has more recently taken on a role as Director of Programs, Woman’s Leadership the James Beard Foundation, supporting women in the hospitality industry.  

Zoe told CODE she’s excited to bring her food back to London. It will be a welcome return – Zoe was one of the first chefs to bring West African food into the media spotlight in the UK and continues her African food revolution, helping to ‘bring African foods to the masses’.  

Also on the first roster is chef and author Hasan Semay, better known as ‘Big Has’, Jay Morjaria from JAE at Untitled Bar and Mamma Pastrama, and now a Korean concept called Tiger and Rabbit, and Richie Hayes and Elliot Kaye, who opened the nostalgic British café Normans in Archway in 2020. 

Sessions will have space for 114 covers and will come equipped with the technology to offer food service for dining in and for delivery.  

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