Foodie news and trends: The stories you might have missed last week

Who ate all the pies? We certainly hope it was you, as British Pie Week has had plentiful London restaurants flexing their pastry muscles in celebration over the last seven days.

Elsewhere in the capital, it’s sadly been a week of departures – even as we were putting this together we got confirmation that popular pop-up Emile will end its six-month stint next Saturday (March 14).

We’ve also had another unexpected name join the the capital’s cohort of high-end food delivery services, and new national award winners named in the fields of both pies and kebabs.

From a fish and chips tasting menu to a new high profile “pescatarian”, here’s all the foodie news you need to know from the last week.

Ta Ta Eatery to leave Tayer + Elementary

A key element of one of London’s most celebrated new bars has announced that it will move on. Ta Ta Eatery, which has run the food provision at Tayer + Elementary since it opened in June last year, has revealed it will leave the location at the end of the month. It shared the news in an Instagram post, with the words “all good things come to an end”. The announcement comes just weeks after it won Bar Food Menu of the Year at the Class Bar Awards for its sando-centric selection of Japanese-influenced snacks at the Old Street bar, which is run by internationally renowned bartenders Monica Berg and Alex Kratena.

Founder Ross Shonhan leaves Bone Daddies

Successful Japanese casual group Bone Daddies has announced that its co-founder Ross Shonhan has left the company. Shonhan launched the first location of its ramen concept in 2012 with partner Demetri Tomazos, a brand which now boasts six sites. The group also kick-started London’s bao obsession in 2013 with Flesh & Buns, before opening Western-influenced Japanese restaurant Shack-Fuyu in 2015. Commenting on his departure, Shonhan said: “The future of the business is in great hands and I look forward to watching management continue to grow it in ways that I only could have dreamt back in 2012.”

British Pie Awards names pie of the year

A crucial fixture of British Pie Week, the British Pie Awards has revealed its pie of the year – and the award goes to an old favourite. Sussex-based 2018 winners Turner’s Pies triumphed again this year, taking the top gong for its top rump steak and stilton pie. The pastry was praised by head judge Colin Woodhead for its “even thickness, with a crunchy rich texture”, who also commended the filling for being “well balanced” with a “subtle taste”. The win marks a return to more traditional fillings, after the 2019 award was given to a vegan pie flavoured with curried sweet potato and butternut squash.

Ex-Chez Nico chef launches fine dining delivery

Hot on the heels of CORD by Cordon Bleu and Chelsea deli Colette, chef Philip Britten is the latest fine-dining figure to reveal a new at-home dining concept. Formerly a chef at now-closed three Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant Chez Nico, Britten has launched The Cookout Club, a delivery-only kitchen operating in Battersea that promises to send restaurant-quality meals straight to doors across south and south west London. Main courses top out at £9.25, and guests can even order a whole roast chicken and trimmings on Sunday for £39.50.

Corbin & King reveal further details about three upcoming restaurants

Jeremy King, one half of restaurateur duo Corbin & King, has revealed details of three upcoming restaurant openings for the group, which currently boasts the likes of The Wolseley and Brasserie Zedel. King said that seafood restaurant Manzi’s in Soho will be “pescatarian” and should be open by the end of May, and also revealed that the group’s new Notting Hill restaurant will be located in the former Royal Bank of Scotland building near Pembridge Road. He also detailed plans for a new restaurant in the City, set to open in what used to be the House of Fraser department store on King William Street.

Top stories of the week

Vegan chain win top award at British Kebab Awards

Kebab king What The Pitta won the Best Takeaway award. Read the full story here.

Six by Nico’s first menu to be inspired by British chippies

The affordable tasting menu concept is opening in London for the first time. Read the full story here.

The Laughing Heart turns dining room into an ‘audiophile's dream’

The wine bar and restaurant is putting the music first in its private dining room revamp. Read the full story here.