As a nation we Brits are entranced by posh nosh. Fed a seemingly constant diet of Masterchef and other foodie programmes on TV we are in no doubt that the pinnacle of gastronomy is a Michelin star-grade meal.
Whether we are able to experience one, assuming we have the cash, depends on where we are. A quick glance at the UK shows that, apart from the expected concentration of establishments in London, the distribution of top-quality eateries appears to be random.
Many are linked to plush hotels, others are turbo-charged gastro pubs, some are in quirky standalone buildings, but none are in shopping centres. Restaurant property specialists are divided on whether the likes of Michel Roux could ever be lured to sit cheek by jowl with retailers, even high-end ones.
Kate Taylor, associate director at Davis Coffer Lyons, points out that the concept is not as far-fetched as it seems, as shopping centres in the Middle East and Asia have already successfully incorporated fine dining into their mix, largely accounted for by differing cultural attitudes towards malls.
Some, like Graham Campbell, head of restaurants at Fleurets, are sceptical that this would work in the UK.
He says: “If you are stuck in the middle of a shopping centre, you are losing your cachet and you could just sit there looking expensive. The day-to-day shopper will not figure highly as a target market.”
However, Ted Schama, joint managing partner at Shelley Sandzer, is more optimistic: “Do I see a two- or three-star restaurant in a shopping centre? It is highly unlikely, but not impossible. Do I see a one star? Yes, things have changed – it could be the jewel in the crown of a Bluewater, a Westfield or a Trinity.”
The willingness of chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal to put their name behind more mainstream ventures at London’s Heathrow Airport is perhaps the best indicator of what may happen in shopping centres. Taylor agrees: “What we are more likely to see, in the short term at least, in UK centres – and there are already examples of this – is diffusion concepts by Michelin-starred chefs.” Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen at One New Change, EC4, Chip and Fish by the team behind Club Gascon at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City and Tom’s Kitchen (by chef Tom Aikens) at Canary Wharf illustrate the trend.
Food critic Jay Rayner is no stranger to fine dining and, as a regular guinea pig on TV’s Masterchef, sometimes not-so-fine food. Yet he is no fan of the current ranking system. “A Michelin star is not a gold standard, it is built on such a narrow aesthetic,” he claims. Outside London, many punters appear to agree with him. “What is a particular town willing to spend its money on? A lot of places just are not that interested [in top-notch restaurants],” he adds. It is a sentiment mirrored by Mike Ingall, founder of Allied London, who has come to understand Manchester well while working on his firm’s Spinningfields development. “I don’t think there is a massive demand for fine dining [here], but there is large demand for fine restaurants,” he says.
Recent research by CGA Peach shows that Manchester has a marginally higher growth rate than London in terms of new restaurant and bar openings, at 17% in the past four years, against 16% in London. Yet Manchester has no Michelin-starred restaurants. Simon Bedford, partner at Deloitte Real Estate’s Manchester office, thinks he knows why: “People with £100-£200 to spend will put a proportion towards food and a proportion to other things – they want a good night out.”
The preference for more casual dining seems to be UK-wide. DCL’s Taylor confirms: “We are seeing a number of restaurants becoming more relaxed, a move towards informed but informal service, and the launch and expansion of accessible concepts by starred chefs such as Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay.”
The apparently random distribution of true Michelin star restaurants across the country’s cities may be partly explained by chefs choosing to operate in or near their home town, notes Fleurets’ Campbell. “There are many more factors in play than the surrounding property market,” he adds.
Birmingham-based Alastair Robertson-Dunn agrees. The Bilfinger GVA director believes that one of the reasons the city has no fewer than four Michelin star restaurants is that: “Landlords are more accommodating when taking a chance on emerging chefs and are willing to take a punt on new talent.”
Nevertheless, Birmingham may be the exception. Rayner reckons there will be few new Michelin star venues sprouting outside the capital, and thinks that will be no bad thing: “If it means fewer white tablecloths and waiters poncing around, I will be happy to see that.”
The fine dining shopping list
Shopping centre landlords out to woo prospective fine dining tenants may want to check they have key ingredients in their basket.
An affluent shopper base is likely to top the list, meaning retailers within the centre are more likely to be high-end than value. A strong office market nearby will also be important to boost lunchtime spend. Other key factors include the wow factor (for example a rooftop with views) and easy accessibility.
“VIP access is often a consideration,” adds DCL’s Kate Taylor, “for example, how easy is it for customers to be dropped off/picked up by taxis and/or drivers?”
Star characteristics for property
Do Michelin star operators gravitate to Michelin star quality buildings? Not necessarily.
Commentators point to the discrete, unprepossessing 16th century building that houses Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, presently undergoing a major refurbishment.
When it comes to property transactions, top chefs tend to get in line with other restaurant tenants. “Do they pay more rent? Generally no,” reports Fleurets’ Campbell. Like the wider market, the majority of transactions are leasehold, on 25-year terms, with five-yearly uplifts. Fit-out costs are generally no higher than other restaurants, although starting costs can be more expensive.
It is unlikely that celebrity chefs will get celebrity treatment when it comes to signing a lease. “Landlords are not chasing Michelin-star operators per se, but they are following fine dining,” says Davis Coffer Lyons’ Taylor.
Chef’s view
Andreas Antona, whose single Michelin-starred Simpsons is now an established fixture in Birmingham’s leafy Edgbaston, was lured into the city from the shires in 2004 and has not looked back. Having run a successful restaurant in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, he was not looking to move to a city. But when the opportunity came up, he was pleased to find that Birmingham had changed. “It was a different marketplace,” he recalls. “Broad Street had been developed and the Bullring had just opened. It felt like a good place to do business.”
Being happy with the city was one thing, but without a suitable building, chances are Antona might have stayed in Kenilworth. “It had to be a good building – because that sets the tone of the restaurant,” he says. Landlord Calthorpe Estates’ masterstroke was in speculatively gaining planning consent for the former villa on Highfield Road. “The planning was already in place, so there was no getting bogged down,” says Antona, who would clearly rather go 10 rounds in the kitchen than one with a planning committee.
With Simpsons undergoing a total refurbishment, it is clear that even after a decade in the city, Antona is not planning to move elsewhere.
