Hawksmoor co-founder Will Beckett has said that the group’s acquisition of two sites from restaurateur Sam Harrison has made it “think hard about what we’re doing with Foxlow”, its neighbourhood-style restaurant format.
He said: “What we want to do is create a group of restaurants with genuine integrity. No one likes the word chain: it conjures up an image of a group of restaurants that has prioritised making money over doing what they love, which has grown too fast, and which has sacrificed originality and quality for simplicity and consistency. We think that if we prioritise the things we really care about like the best possible ingredients, great drinks and friendly service from people who love what they do we’ll have a chance of having a great company, and Foxlow will stand a chance of being well loved wherever it opens.”
Yesterday Beckett and Huw Gott, co-owners of Hawksmoor and Foxlow, announced they had agreed to buy Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison’s in Balham from owner Harrison, subject to consultation with staff.
If all goes to plan Foxlow Chiswick will be situated at Barley Mow Centre, 11 Barley Mow Passage, W4 4PH and will have a 100-cover restaurant and 50-cover bar. It will open in October.
Foxlow Balham will be at 15-19 Bedford Hill, SW12 9EX with a 90-cover ground floor restaurant and a stand-alone 30-cover bar downstairs. It will open in November.
Having opened Foxlow Stoke Newington in April, the Hawksmoor co-founders said they weren’t intending to open any further restaurants this year but a conversation over a beer with Harrison led to a decision that “this would be good for everyone”.
Harrison said: “After many happy and successful years in Chiswick and Balham, I have decided it is time to pass on the baton to an exciting, young and vibrant company who think the same way I always have about restaurants, customers and staff.”
