Movers and Shakers

Emma Denney wins Ruinart Challenge

Sommelier Wine Awards judge Emma Denney has won the annual Ruinart Challenge, beating runners up Zareh Mesrobyan (head of wine at Estelle Manor) and Maria Boumpa (head sommelier and wine buyer at Da Terra). The head sommelier at Claridge’s restaurant was competing against more than 30 wine professionals from diverse backgrounds, showcasing her olfactory excellence in a rigorous blind tasting session organised by Ruinart chef de caves Frédéric Panaïotis, and other UK sommeliers. As part of her prize, Denney will get to visit the eponymous Champagne house in Reims in 2025.

The River Cafe branches out

The River Cafe boasts an impressive history: first opened by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray in 1987, its chef alumni include Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. However,  after 37 years of steady sailing and happy customers, the owners have decided to open a new cafe venue alongside the existing restaurant. Classic osterie fayre is the name of the game – brioche for breakfast and plates of prosciutto and mozzarella for lunch.

https://www.rivercafe.co.uk/#Cafe

Pollen Street Social to close

On 31 July, Jason Atherton's signature restaurant Pollen Street Social will uncork its last bottle of wine. Announcing the decision to close on Instagram, Atherton simply noted that “it’s time for us to say goodbye".  But this must have been a wrench for the chef-patron – Pollen Street Social earned its first Michelin star within six months of opening, an accolade that it has kept for over 12 years. However, Atherton is due to launch a new  restaurant in Chelsea later this year, the Three Darlings, named after his three children, appropriately enough.

Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck in the red

One of the UK's most iconic Michelin-starred restaurants has posted a pre-tax loss of £1.4m, despite its reputation for super-sophisticated molecular cuisine, overseen by chef-patron Heston Blumenthal. According to the caterer, a perfect storm of rampant inflation, recruitment challenges and softening consumer interest was blamed for the decline in profitability. On a more positive note, meanwhile, two stalwarts of the London dining scene – Kol and Ikoyi – were featured in this year’s 50 Best Restaurants list.