In Review: February 2025
Our monthly round up and musings.
February is a shorter month that always seems to fly by, and the first signs of spring have brought a welcome lift to our moods - with the first brave blossoms and a subtle shift in the air all hinting at warmer, brighter days ahead. We made it, thank goodness.
This month was marked by important conversations that emerged in our world of hospitality. There have been murmurings of a 20% service charge and the impacts this will have on the cost of dining out, while ongoing debates surrounding minimum spends, reservation squatting and ‘be-seen’ culture continue to be hot topics of conversation.
By now, you’ll hopefully have seen the open letter published in The Telegraph earlier this month, penned by 70 women who - exhausted and frustrated by the constant fight against sexism and inequality in the UK hospitality industry - rallied together to call out the deep-rooted issues that that continue to undermine women’s roles and progress in the industry.
Sexism has been and remains a pervasive issue in our industry, shaping the culture of our kitchens in ways that diminish the potential and contributions of countless talented women. From inappropriate comments and behaviours to unequal opportunities for advancement, these experiences hinder not only individual careers, but the growth and innovation of our industry as a whole.
We’re glad to see more male voices weighing in on the conversation, as well as further platforms and publications highlighting these important issues. We hope that through even greater awareness, business owners and hospitality workers can make better daily decisions to push us in the right direction and pave a way to progress.
Read on for our highlights from the month gone by, and some things to look forward to in March.
Love, GB&C
FEBRUARY EVENTS
A wine dinner with Paradise
We hosted an intimate dinner at Paradise, Soho to mark the launch of their very first own-label wines, Paradies, made in collaboration with winemakers Staffelter Hof and Modal Wines. A very special evening fuelled by great food, great wine, and even greater company.
Seed Library’s new cocktail menu
We headed to Seed Library in Shoreditch for an intimate masterclass, led by Mr Lyan and the Seed Library team, to celebrate the launch of their latest cocktail menu. Building on twelve years of innovation and experimentation, the new menu - titled Pathways - celebrates a variety of organic forms, evoking warmth and curiosity by stripping back and re-examining the foundations of flavour.
London Fashion Week with Showerings and Palmaráe
We kicked off London Fashion Week with the High Snobiety x NN07 ‘Not in London’ drinks reception to celebrate the launch of their new collaboration, with free-flowing cider from Showerings.
On the same evening, golden gin brand Palmaráe partnered with the Le Book to bring a Moroccan touch to Fashion Week, at Nobu Portman. After a brilliant panel discussion on fashion, technology and digital culture - along with an exhibition by playful artist duo Leo & Steph - guests sipped on Ras el Hanout spiced Picantes and orange-blossom flavoured Negronis as they dreamed up the future of fashion.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Trullo at Harvey Nichols
The much loved Highbury Italian, Trullo, has taken its trattoria charm across town, to give West Londoners a taste of what they’re missing. From 3rd March, Trullo joins the Fifth Floor of Harvey Nichols for a three month residency, with a special menu to combine old favourites and a drizzle of Knightsbridge flair, at lunch and dinner.
The residency at Harvey Nichols comes whilst Trullo closes for a week in early March for some refurbishments, giving the team the opportunity to put their twist on one of London's most iconic department stores. Menus from Chef Owner Conor Gadd and the team will be built around Trullo’s core of regional Italian dishes, including chopped beef fillet with rosemary and anchovy, grilled asparagus with butter and bottarga, as well as their iconic beef shin ragu and pici cacio e pepe.
Pophams x JENKI
Calling all matcha lovers: artisanal bakery Pophams is teaming up with leaf-to-cup matcha masters JENKI to create a limited-edition matcha-flavoured croissant, with anko jam and a white chocolate and matcha ganache. Available at Pophams’ London Fields, Victoria Park and Islington bakeries from 8th to 16th March.
Iftar feasting at Dishoom
Break your fast with those who matter the most as Dishoom invites you to gather for a generous and flavourful Iftar feast. Dishoom’s chef-wallas will prepare café classics and Iftar specials daily to share the traditions of Ramadan with guests of all faiths. Available until 31st March, for groups of four or more, from when the sun sets every day.
Lyaness’ new cocktail menu
Collaboration is the highly-anticipated new cocktail menu from Lyaness, the flagship bar from the world’s most decorated bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan, launching on 12th March.
Each of the new drinks explores a theme central to the Lyan philosophy: the coming together of ideas. Drawing on diverse examples of collaborations from across the globe, the bar team has refined its approach to flavour and development, resulting in a menu that celebrates the ingenuity and brilliance of cooperation in all forms.
WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING
A fun piece by Kayla Roolaart (aka No Crumbs) on colour theory and nightmare food pairings.
Vogue Business on micro-trend fatigue. Long live the vibe.
Olivia Laing on the right to eat badly for Vittles.
This Financial Times piece on how the industry is grappling with minimum spends, booking bots and ‘reservation squatting’.
This is not a restaurant. This is a dollhouse: J. Lee’s take on The Yellow Bittern for Feed Me.