Joe Lutrario

Bloomsbury has responded to claims from a deli chain owner that its use of the word ‘Sabzi’ in a recently published cookbook written by Yasmin Khan infringes her intellectual property rights. Kate Attlee operates four Sabzi delis in the South West and says she is taking legal action against the publisher because she has registered the word ‘Sabzi’ and its figurative mark in trademark classes covering cookery books, recipe books, writing materials, and retail services connected to books. But in a statement Bloomsbury says that “the term Sabzi is part of the shared culinary vocabulary of many cultures, including Ms Khan’s own heritage.”

Birmingham pizza restaurant Smoke + Ash will launch a second site in the city next month. Founders Clare and Paul Collins have acquired the former Poli site on York Road in Kings Heath and are set to repeat their formula of pizzas, panuozzos (pizza bread sandwiches), cocktails, craft beers and wines. There will also be small plates and cheese and charcuterie boards and “a few new ideas”.

The head chef at Lake District hotel and restaurant The Forest Side on Michael Wignall, classic foundations and pairing stilton with Stella.

Former The Barbary and Ottolenghi chef Daniel Alt has been named head chef at soon-to-launch Canary Wharf Turkish restaurant Nora. With a CV that also includes Nobu, Pied à Terre and Fifteen, Alt joins from The Barbary’s recently launched Notting Hill restaurant, where he was head chef. Owned by brothers Ozgur and Sidar Akyuz, Nora will be inspired by the culinary diversity of the country’s capital, Istanbul, referencing everything from street food carts and local mangal (grill) restaurants to fine dining establishments.

Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French have decamped from a shipping container in Sheffield city centre to a vast former industrial building on the edge of one of the North’s key beauty spots.

Vietnamese restaurant group Bánh Bánh has given its City-based grab-and-go site Little Bánh Bánh a new look and relaunched it with a new menu focused on over rice dishes. Designed by south London artist duo house of baby, Little Bánh Bánh now pairs a cool modernist palette of textured glass blocks, tiles and concrete with warm, natural touches of wood and lime plaster fresco.

The co-founder of London restaurants Angelina and Osteria Angelina on Trentino-Alto Adige, Giuseppe Turi and pairing Barbaresco with aged cheese and moromi miso.

Pret A Manger has reported worldwide sales of £1.2bn across company-owned and franchise shops for the year 2 January 2025, representing 10% growth when compared to the same period last year. Like-for-like sales grew 2.8% and adjusted EBITDA rose 36% to £98m, up from £72m in 2023. In 2024, Pret reached 717 shops globally representing 11% net shop growth.

Future of Endo at the Rotunda uncertain after Helios fire

The high-profile chef-sommelier duo are launching a contemporary wine-focused restaurant at Mayfair’s COMO Metropolitan London, joined by rising talents Evan Moore and Philipp Reinstaller.