Tom Straker goes solo

We’ve missed Carousel and its ever-revolving line-up of guest chef collaborations. So, it’s good news that the team has lined up its next popup: Tom Straker is launching Right Then. The former Elystan Street and Casa Cruz chef will take over the kitchen at Carousel until the end of spring, in preparation for the launch of his first restaurant Acre.

If you’ve visited his Instagram page, you’ll recognise the line ‘right then’ from his videos. The pop-up will showcase Straker’s straightforward cooking, with a new dish each weekend. With tickets costing £15, it’s no surprise the first three weekends have sold out already. Examples of dishes include cacio e pepe, sourdough pizza with nduja and wild garlic, and potato gnocchi with beef and pork ragu. There’s also an optional pudding of blood orange and pistachio polenta cake available to buy on the night.

A new menu will be announced every week, with 500 tickets on sale each Wednesday at 10am. In the meantime, Straker will be getting ready for the launch of his first restaurant. There’s no set opening date yet, but it will hopefully be up and running before the end of the year. Acre will serve Mediterranean-inspired food with a focus on sustainability and will draw on his upbringing in Herefordshire. We’ll let you know any more details when we have them.

To buy tickets to the popup, click here

For the latest industry news, subscribe to the CODE Bulletin here