Meat & Shake to open two new sites

Smokehouse restaurant group Meat & Shake is to open two new sites this summer, in Ealing and Watford.

They will be the second and third restaurants for the business, which opened its first site in Tooting in London in late 2013.

The Meat & Shake in Ealing, at 17a The Green in what was formerly a Cafe Rouge, will be the first of the new venues to open when it launches in July.

The 2,300 square feet site will cater for 100 covers and will create 20 full-time jobs once its £500,000 refit is complete.

Meanwhile, Meat & Shake Watford, in the Harlequin shopping centre, will be the larger of the two new locations, with 140 covers over 3,200 square feet. The restaurant will open in August following a £850,000.

Meanwhile Jasper Aykroyd, who has been consulting with the group for the past 12 months, will undertake the role of executive chef in charge of food development.

Faraz Ahmad, owner of Meat & Shake, said: "This is a particularly exciting and busy time for us. After the success of our first restaurant (in Tooting), we've had lots of opportunities to open more, but have been careful in making sure we've picked the right site for us. Operationally, opening two sites in close proximity will be a challenge, but one we're geared up for."

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