Claudio Pulze steps in to rescue struggling W'Sens

Veteran London restaurateur Claudio Pulze has rescued struggling French restaurant W'Sens from administration, Caterer has learnt.

Pending legal consent, Pulze will jointly own the 150-cover restaurant in London's St James with French chef twins Laurent and Jacques Pourcel and their partner Olivier Château.

Pulze, who plans to change the W'Sens name and concept in the New Year, will retain the Pourcel brothers as consultant chefs but will oversee the running of the restaurant himself.

W'Sens opened at the end of 2004 as the first UK venture of the Pourcel brothers and Château, who also own the two-Michelin-starred Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, France.

Pulze, who opened his latest restaurant Via Condotti on London's Conduit Street earlier this year, owns 17 eateries with a number of partners.

He plans to launch his first pub, the Beehive, in Crawford Street, London, before year-end. It was sold by the Capital Pub Company in June.

By Kerstin Kühn

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