Ceru, the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern concept from Barry Hilton, is opening a site in Sydney while continuing its London property search, M&C has learnt.
Executive chef Tom Kine will run the restaurant in the Kings Cross area of the Australian city, which is expected to open in September.
Hilton told M&C he views the Ceru concept as an international brand and envisages developing venues in global locations rather than secondary UK towns and cities.
He said discussions are underway with landlords to find a restaurant, which Hilton hopes to have secured by the end of the summer when its London Riviera pop up comes to an end.
Ceru has around 20 target areas under consideration to find a site between 1,500 and 2,500sq ft with a flexibility to move quickly when a site has been secured.
Meanwhile the company has engaged with Enterprise Investment Partners as part of its fundraising effort to raise £1m through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to enable wider roll-out of the brand.
Ceru, which was established initially as a pop up, will return to the London Riviera for the next two summers as part of Ceru’s plans to remain a part of London outdoor events to raise the brand’s profile. Hilton said discussions are underway to take part in a winter pop-up event to maintain momentum though the year.
To service these outdoor events, Hilton said a centralised production kitchen has been set up in Bermondsey, east London.
