McVeigh unveils Matilda
Charlie McVeigh, owner of the Bush Bar and Grill in Shepherd's Bush, west London, is to open a new restaurant called Matilda in November.
McVeigh described Matilda, on Battersea Bridge Road in south-west London, as an "Italian pub-diner", combining the practicality of a diner with the informality of a pub. It will serve "classic Italian country dishes done on the grill".
The 5,000sq ft property will incorporate a restaurant with 60-70 seats, an 80-seat private dining room and public and private bars for up to 100 people each.
Matilda is a joint venture between McVeigh and Luca Meddi, who runs McVeigh's Woody's nightclub in Westbourne Park, London.
L'Ortolan reopens
One-Michelin-starred restaurant L'Ortolan reopened its doors to the public on Tuesday (7 September) - again under the direction of former executive chef Alan Murchison, who resigned last summer.
The 55-seat restaurant in Shinfield, Berkshire, closed in February for a planned £250,000 expansion, and was then put up for sale as owner Paul Newman sought a buyer or a business partner.
The chef will run the restaurant under a management agreement that gives him the option of buying the property in the future.
Wallace for Masterchef
Grocer Gregg Wallace is the second presenter of the BBC's new Masterchef TV programme, it has been revealed. Wallace, who also presents Veg Talk on BBC Radio 4, will team up with chef John Torode on Masterchef Goes Large. The revamped programme will be very different, said one insider, with Wallace and Torode choosing finalists at auditions who will then undertake a number of cooking tasks and challenges in London.