Pip Lacey to sell lease for London's Hicce Hart pub

Pip Lacey has confirmed she is in the process of selling the lease for the Hicce Hart pub in London's Islington, 14 months after it opened.

The chef and her business partner Gordy McIntyre launched the 32-cover dining room and 52-cover pub in 2022 as a follow-up to their flagship Hicce restaurant in London's King's Cross.

Hicce closed in December after five years of trading following the activation of a break clause in the landlord's lease.

Hicce Hart is now listed as permanently closed on Google and its social media accounts have been taken down.

In an email to The Caterer, Lacey said the decision to close Hicce Hart was "not based on success or monetary reasons".

Lacey also confirmed she has sold the lease for Little Pizza Hicce, which she launched with McIntyre in London's Wood Green in 2023.

Speaking to The Caterer prior to the launch of Hicce Hart, McIntyre said: "We obviously wanted to grow our business, but we never wanted to just be one-trick ponies and just do restaurants. We've got really diverse skills and together, as a team, there isn't anything that really scares us."

Hicce Hart served dishes such as oyster mushroom, pearl barley, spinach, pine nuts; beef cheek, turnip and celery; and chocolate nemesis, coffee cream, malt crisp.

At the time of opening, mains ranged from £16 to £24, while a lunch deal of a dish and a drink was available for £12.