Chef Adam Handling announces new Hoxton restaurant
Chef Adam Handling is to relocate his Shoreditch restaurant the Frog E1 to a new, larger site in Hoxton.
The new 60-seat restaurant will open at 45-47 Hoxton Square next month as the Frog Hoxton, alongside a Bean & Wheat coffee and deli outlet and new bar concept, Iron Stag.
The news of the move and expansion of the business comes three weeks after it was announced that Handling had been appointed as executive chef of the 54-bedroom Belmond Cadogan hotel, which will open following a four-year, £28m renovation in Knightsbridge, London, in December. He will oversee the food and beverage operation at the hotel alongside his expanding restaurant group which includes flagship site Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden, which opened in September 2017.
Handling, an Acorn Award winner in 2013 and British Culinary Federation Chef of the Year 2014, said: "This is my biggest venture yet and it's a very personal project for me. I've learned so much from past ventures and whilst I'm proud of them all, I've delegated too much of the design concepts to outside companies. This time, I've taken on the design of everything myself.
"The Frog E1 was originally supposed to be a test project on a temporary basis, but it became so successful we kept extending the lease. Now, we want to give it a permanent home to give it the revamp it needs.
The Frog Hoxton intends to be a "casual fine-dining concept" delivered in a more refined style than Frog E1. It will offer Á la carte and tasting menus and have a bigger focus on large sharing plates.
Seating between 100 and 120 covers, Iron Stag's look and menus will be designed by Handling in collaboration with bartender Rich Woods, also known as the Cocktail Guy and Matt Whiley (the Talented Mr Fox behind Scout). Bar snacks will be served and there will be an emphasis on aged whiskies.
Bean & Wheat in Hoxton will be the sister site to the first outlet in the zero-waste café brand located on Artillery Passage near Liverpool Street. It will serve sandwiches, salads, parfaits and preserves made from offcuts and by-products from Adam's main restaurants, alongside a craft beer offer.
Handling's love of art will reflected in the new outlets, which will feature bespoke works by Monica Vincent, Zombiedan, Mr Cenz, JJ Adams, Katy J Dobson, and Jason Heppenstall.
Handling will oversee all three new sites, alongside newly appointed executive chef Daniel Watkins who will have responsibility for the food offering across the venues. The Frog E1's current head chef Jamie Park will take on the same role at the Frog Hoxton, joined by the rest of the existing restaurant team.
Adam Handling announced as executive chef of the Belmond Cadogan hotel >>
Adam Handling to open flagship The Frog restaurant in Covent Garden >>
