Sam Harrison, owner of Sam’s Brasserie & Bar in Chiswick, west London, has acquired the Balham Kitchen & Bar in southwest London from Soho House Group.
Commenting on the sale, Nick Jones of Soho House Group stated: “Sam Harrison is an ideal operator for Balham – at Soho House Group we are concentrating on larger spaces and projects, both in London and overseas, that have multi-faceted food, drink, club and hotel facilities. A single, stand-alone restaurant doesn’t fit our mix right now, so it is better for a young entrepreneur like Sam to develop this neighbourhood restaurant.”
Harrison relaunched the site in early October 2007, and called it Harrison’s. Following the same successful formula at Sam’s Brasserie, which opened in August 2005, Harrison’s focuses on modern British brasserie food with an all-day offering from breakfast through late evening dining and drink.
Harrison is keen to explain that he is expanding his business partly to satisfy his current staff. “When you have a talented kitchen and front-of-house team, the best way to keep them is to offer them potential for job growth. Balham shares many of the attributes of Chiswick in terms of business potential – lots of singletons, plus young families who enjoy restaurant culture – and it will be a great opportunity to capitalise on what we have learned at Sam’s Brasserie. Nick Jones has built a great business in Balham, and we hope to expand on that foundation.” The same investment partners, including Rick Stein and Rebecca Mascarenhas, who supported Harrison at Sam’s Brasserie, are involved in the Balham business. Nick Stone, formerly of the York & Albany, has been appointed Head Chef. Sam and Nick have worked with fellow owners Rick and Rebecca to devise an appealing all day brasserie menu.
The 90-seat restaurant site also features a bar for up to 40, a private bar on the lower level for up to 40, and pavement access for up to a dozen.
The address is 15-19 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9EX, and the reservations number is 020-8675 6900.