Monday Bulletin: Kudu Collective to relocate to Marylebone & Shwen Shwen

Catch up on the latest industry news stories of the week from the CODE Bulletin

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Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford

EXCLUSIVE: Sierra Leonean chef and author Maria Bradford will open her debut restaurant in Sevenoaks in Kent on 6 June. Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford—the name means ‘fancy’ in the Krio language—will showcase traditional Sierra Leonean cooking as well as Bradford’s own brand of contemporary Afro-fusion. It’s an exciting move for Bradford, who has a huge following for Shwen Shwen, the catering company, supper club and online store she started in 2017, and is recognised alongside Chishuru’s Joké Bakare and Akoko’s Aji Akokomi as one of the leading lights in West African food in the UK. Dishes on the opening menu will include: lamb belly, palm oil, and African five spice; bone marrow, kankankan puffed rice, and fermented honey chilli flatbread; and moringa millefeuille, benne cake, and sheep’s yoghurt ice cream. Read all about Bradford’s plans for the restaurant in an exclusive interview with CODE here.

Kudu Collective

EXCLUSIVE: Kudu Collective, the South African-inspired restaurant group from husband-and-wife duo Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams, is to relocate to Central London this September after eight successful years in Peckham The new site, on Moxon Street in Marylebone, will bring Kudu’s three distinctive spaces—the flagship Kudu Restaurant, open-fire concept Kudu Grill, and private dining space Curious Kudu—under one roof for the first time, with a bold new look by Fabled Studio. Amy Corbin will continue to oversee group operations, alongside her restaurateur father Chris Corbin, who supports on the project, and Patrick Williams as chef patron. Kudu Collective doesn’t leave South London until early August, so there’s plenty of time to say farewell. Look out for the ‘Best of Kudu’ menu running at Kudu and Kudu Grill throughout July.

Small Plates

• Kelly’s Cause and recruitment specialists mum have teamed up on an event for Mental Health Awareness Week. Brewing Strength in Hospitality takes place at Imperial London Academy, WC1, on 19 May from 10am, and is free to attend (donations optional).
   
• Sino, a contemporary Ukrainian restaurant from Polina Sychova and Eugene Korolev opens in Notting Hill on 21 May. Korolev is one of Ukraine’s leading chefs; he’ll be joined at Sino by the core team from his now shuttered Dnipro restaurant. CODE members can get in early, with 50% off food at an exclusive preview on 16 May.
   
• Geoff and Lucas Leong, the siblings behind Dumplings’ Legend are putting the fast into fast casual with a new tech-led take on their Chinatown restaurant. Opening today, Love Dumplings’ Legend on Chancery Lane, allows guests to get their congee, dim sum, dumplings etc via digital menus, order screens and pick-up points.
  
  
• Applications are open for Boardwalk, a new year-long mentoring programme designed to help director-level women in hospitality into their first board roles. Full details here. Application deadline: 23 May.
  
  
• London’s El Pastor is bringing over three of Mexico’s most influential chefs to cook at the first ever El Pastor + Amigos guest chef series this year. Fugaz’s Guiseppe Lacorazza kicks things off on 22 May, followed by Pujol’s Enrique Olvera on 18 June, and Elena Reygadas, voted The World’s Best Female Chef 2023, on 4 September.
  
  
• Viet Hoa, the first Vietnamese restaurant to open on Kingsland Road, London’s so called ‘pho mile’, has closed its doors after 30 years. A local institution, it will be missed.
  
  
• Hospitality Action’s annual Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey goes live today. You can have your say on the subject here.