The £1.7bn Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush, which is to open its doors on Thursday, will include 50 food and beverage operators, one of which will launch in the UK for the very first time.
The Meat and Wine Co, an international steakhouse brand, will make its debut in this country with the opening of a site in the centre’s Southern Terrace, one of three dining areas that make up the complex.
The company, which was founded in South Africa by Costa Tomazos and Bradley Michael, currently has over 16 sites located worldwide from Australia to China.
The centre will also see the launch of some new concepts that were created exclusively for Westfield, including restaurateur Tom Etridge’s Ito, Croque Gascon by Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie who founded Club Gascon and Comptoir Libanais by Tom Kitous, the man behind Levant and Pasha.
Tracey Mills, director of development leasing for Davis Coffer Lyons, which were the exclusive F&B agents for the centre, said that the brief had been to introduce different names instead of going for branded multiple operators.
She said that while food at most shopping centres only made up between 2% and 4% of the offer, F&B at Westfield would constitute 10% of the overall offer.
Mills said: “Westfield wanted to promote food on a parallel with fashion. They see the food as part of a whole lifestyle experience which is aimed at counteracting people shopping online.
“The F&B offer will include more higher end dining brands that you don’t usually associate with a shopping centre. We contacted restaurateurs and challenged them to work in an express format.”
Other dining brands such as Tibits, a vegetarian concept founded in Switzerland, Wahaca, a Mexican street food venture and Alan Yau’s Yauatcha will launch their second sites.
Westfield will comprise three separate dining areas - the Southern Terrace, where 13 restaurants will be located on the open street and will have their own dedicated seating; the Balcony, made up of 13 operators in a food court with 1,000 shared seats and the Loft, which will feature four branded family restaurants next to the cinema.
Some of the other brands to open will be Apostrophe, Byron, Crepeaffaire, Fire & Stone, GBK, Leon, Nando’s, Ooze, Pho, Pizza Express, Spaghetti House, Square Pie, Tiffinbites, Tossed, Wagamama and Yo! Sushi.
