News

The GFG Briefing | 16 February 2018
Published 16 February 2018

Will Holland of The Atlantic Hotel in Jersey

News this week including a new venture for former Walnut Tree head chef Roger Brook and a second opening for Mexican brand El Pastor

Will Holland launches The Tasting Room at Jersey's Atlantic Hotel

The Atlantic Hotel in Jersey has announced the launch of The Tasting Room at Ocean Restaurant, with menus showcasing dishes from new executive chef Will Holland. Holland joined the hotel at the end of 2017 after working at Coast in Saundersfoot, Wales, and he describes his new tasting menus as ‘a modern adventure in food and wine’. Hosting just 14 covers, guests will be treated to a seven-course tasting menu, offering dishes such as Jersey scallop carpaccio, avocado, passion fruit and shizo, and confit Jersey pork neck, squid, celeriac and preserved lemon. The Tasting Room opens on March 21.

New West Hampstead restaurant to showcase produce from British farms

Set to open its doors this spring, Hām in West Hampstead will champion produce from small British farms and artisan suppliers. Hām will serve a menu from head chef Matt Osborne, who has previously worked at The Ledbury, Terroirs, The Other Naughty Piglet and Salon. The regularly changing menus will reflect British cooking with hints of Osborne’s Australian background. Sample dinner dishes include a starter of Norfolk quail, artichoke, kombu and watercress, and a main course of White Park beef, black sesame, white soy and turnips.

Former Walnut Tree head chef to open first venture in Monmouthshire

The former head chef and restaurant manager at The Walnut Tree are opening their own guesthouse and restaurant. Roger and Marta Brook have taken over the Parva Farmhouse Riverside Guesthouse in a 17th century former farmhouse close to Tintern Abbey on the banks of the River Wye in Monmouthshire. The 16-cover restaurant will open to non-residents for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday. Dishes on his menu will include halibut with a basil and pine nut crust, red peppers and Charlotte potatoes, and Seville orange marmalade pudding with Penderyn custard. Parva Farmhouse Riverside Guesthouse opens on March 2.

Orrery celebrates 21st birthday with a new menu and new-look interior

French restaurant Orrery has marked its 21st anniversary by re-opening with a new interior and a new menu from chef-patron Igor Tymchyshyn. The menu features new dishes including fillet steak tartare with sourdough and truffle dressing and Kentish lamb wellington with salsify and garlic, for two to share. Old favourites remain, including the Jerusalem artichoke risotto.

El Pastor to launch tortilla and tacos bar in Bermondsey

After the success of its Borough Market taqueria, the team behind Mexican restaurant El Pastor is opening a second site just off Maltby Street in Bermondsey at the end of March. Tortilleria El Pastor will make fresh tortillas from scratch every day, which will be available to eat in or takeaway. A short tacos menu will feature mushroom taco with caramelised onion and melted Oaxaca cheese, with desserts including burnt honey and grapefruit cake.

We've just visited the newly relaunched Roganic, click here to see what we thought of it.