Loose change

CODE’s Callum Edge discusses how restaurants are to stay alive in the ever-changing dining arena.

Change is in the air. With the closure in January of the late, great, and oft-lamented Racine, onlookers were stunned to be told that Henry Harris reluctantly shut up shop simply because he “didn’t have the regulars come in like they used to”. Undoubtedly, the London eating scene is changing beyond recognition, but why is this? Here we take a look at how restaurateurs are honing their offerings for a more discerning, adaptable, and – perhaps surprisingly – altruistic consumer.

Location, location, re-location is on everyone lips right now as restaurants old and new set their sites on alternative premises around town. The outrageously popular steamed bun specialist Bao emerged as street food vendor in far E8’s Netil Market, but has now found a more permanent central Soho home, suggesting that, whilst some are willing to travel, most of us are more than happy to queue. And the thought behind Chutney Mary’s much-trumpeted and very successful move from Chelsea to St James’s seems to have worked for the same reason as The Ivy Chelsea Garden has, each now pitching to a better-suited customer relative to the site.

Equally, trend has also emerged in the sorts of property that appeals to those who provide quality dining. Although most eating has historically occurred in standalone restaurants, more spaces have begun to be dedicated to food in retail stores, shopping centres, and even airports, and any previous stigma from such environments has long gone. Indeed, the potential for brand collaboration is now a very real one, especially when the preference for casual dining is on the rise, with restaurants moving towards informed but informal service.

You can’t get more casual than eating at home on the sofa, which has been the next logical step taken by restaurants to adapt to the consumer’s needs. Presumably following on from the success of the sorts of Deliveroo, apps such as Supper have enhanced the takeaway market by delivering food from some of the capital’s most exclusive restaurants. Whilst they charge a premium price to boot, the service promises Michelin-quality dishes to the door, with the likes of Benares, Bar Boulud, and Randall & Aubin already offering their wares through the smartphone app.

At the other end of such extravagance, SILO in Brighton has recognised the plight of the modern environmental footprint and has set out to make the inedible edible with its focus on producing dishes out of ingredients that would, more often than not, be thrown away. Not only does this make ecological, as well as financial sense, cooking with lesser-desired products seems to generate some creative drive among chefs and is something that demands a certain skill. Tapping into its locally greener customer-base, SILO even allows diners to exchange their own waste from home for meals through its loyalty card scheme.

Responding to the call that the hours are long, the pay low, and a worklife balance impossible, restaurateurs have set their sights on improving working conditions. This can be seen (among many examples) in Corbin & King’s establishing of a scheme to encourage experienced mothers back to work, as well as Sat Bains’ team switching to a four-day week in order to encourage longevity and attract talent. Unsurprisingly, research shows that consumers feel much happier dining somewhere they know treats their staff well. And with wunder chefs David Chang and René Redzepi urging some of the world’s best restaurants to embrace their light (“empathetic and compassionate”) sides, we can surely expect this to be only the start of a wider revolution.

Perhaps no other topic has grasped the public’s interest so much of late than the issue of tipping. Following reports that a large number of restaurant chains were holding back some or all of the tips meant for their staff, the public overwhelming responded in support of protests and heeded urges to boycott. But this isn’t the only area in which the consumer has shown its compassion: there has been formidable public backing for Chicken Town, a not-for-profit community project that aims to tackle child obesity, with monies raised going to fund daytime meals for local young people. Comparably, charitable causes backed by Pidgin, The Drapers Arms, and Hawksmoor have seen diners giving a little more than they normally might.

The swift closing of a number of new high-profile restaurants recently raises questions about the amount of groundwork being undertaken by owners pre-opening. The examples listed above suggest that restaurants these days have to be far more than just places to eat, but have to adapt to the times. Location would appear to be as important as ever in engaging the appropriate clientele, but as is relating to the customers’ sense of social and environmental awareness and tuning-in with modern technology.

When Racine shut, Harris reflected that “one of the greatest mistakes that people can make is to soldier on”, a sentiment recently echoed by Koya’s John Devitt: “There is something really lovely about closing at its peak, when it’s been a wonderful thing, people will cherish it.” This is pertinent advice amid the current boom of restaurant openings that London is witnessing today – both to the old and the new. Although it is always sad to see somewhere go, change should not be feared, but embraced. The best people in hospitality will always have a future, Harris noting that, by selling, it gives him money “to do it all over again”.

The king is dead. Long live the king.

Callum Edge @edgeandspoon

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