Chefs Alyn Williams, Tom Brown and Gizzi Erskine - among others - have announced a new restaurant group called the Pepper Collective, which plans to shake up London’s dining scene in 2020.
The Pepper Collective has been established from a collaborative effort between chef Neil Rankin (who founded Temper and Simplicity Burger), and Handley Amos, who previously acted as regional director for piri piri chicken chain Nando’s.
The pair has assembled a group of top chefs, Marvel comics-style, to create a list of new openings for 2020 that sounds very exciting indeed. It’s also worthwhile noting that a considerable amount of the planned openings will be meat-free, or at least lean towards vegetarian and vegan dishes, a sign of the increasing popularity of diners who are looking to lower their meat consumption.
Tom Brown, the man behind Cornerstone in Hackney
Rankin’s casual vegan joint Simplicity Burger, which opened in October last year, is the group’s first venture, but there are plenty more openings to look forward to this year. Still to come from the Pepper Collective include a new restaurant from Tom Brown, who oversees much-hyped Hackney seafood restaurant Cornerstone. Also on the list is a fine-dining gaff from Alyn Williams, who was controversially dismissed from his role at The Westbury Hotel in late 2019.
The collective will also take over the reins of Filth, the vegan burger spot that was masterminded by Gizzi Erskine and Rosemary Ferguson and that has previously only existed in pop up form. Clean-eating bedfellow Jasmine Hemsley will also open a restaurant within the group; Veda Baby will be found on Soho’s Wardour Street and serve a simple, seasonal menu in a canteen-style grab-and-go setting.
Gizzi Erskine and Rosemary Ferguson, who co-founded Filth
Finally, you can expect a new venture from acclaimed chef Rob Roy Cameron, who previously worked at Albert Adria’s famous 41 Degrees in Barcelona, as well as a new twist on a traditional chip shop called Root, which will serve air-fried seasonal root vegetables.
Little else is known about the upcoming restaurants for now, but it seems that the Pepper Collective is determined to leave its mark on London’s restaurant scene – watch this space.
Can’t get enough of new openings? Check out the plans for Eataly’s first London outpost.