I love everything about Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich’s growing chain of Middle Eastern-inspired restaurants and delicatessens. Actually, I adore the husband-and-wife chef team themselves.
Their food explodes with colour and flavour, they’re hugely hospitable and genuinely warm people. I was delighted when they moved their original offering, Honey & Co, from Fitzrovia to a sexy new store in Bloomsbury. The new restaurant is within easy walking distance of my office. Lunchtime labaneh (with fried artichokes, pine nuts and sumac) and a wealth of other treats became a real possibility.
Brunch munch: Shakshuka will be on the new Honey & Co Daily's menu
Their mini empire is spread over a relatively small corner of London with grill house Honey & Smoke within trekking distance (on Great Portland Street) and deli, Honey and Spice a few minutes stroll from there close to Warren Street tube. They also write a mean cookbook - each one worth adding to your kitchen library.
And NOW they’re expanding their family again. This time, another deli, bakery and café attached — Honey and Co Daily. The new premises (a little higher up the Tottenham Court Road on the corner of Alfred Place Gardens and Store Street) will offer all their usual droolworthy bakes, cakes and breads plus Middle Eastern salads, shakshukas and dips.
As well as the deli-takeaway for coffees, pastries and lunches to go, they’re promising a 40-seat dining room with a fuller menu.
Their generously proportioned, indulgent bakes were the magnet for many into the first restaurant on Warren Street. So, this new site should be where the pair’s love of sweet treats and Sarit’s kitchen roots (heading up the Ottolenghi pastry teams for four of their outlets at one point) will shine.
Firm favourite: the Honeys' iconic cheesecake is a must for many
In last week’s press release, Itamar declared this new project a long-term dream for both of them. For him, it’s also a tribute to his “long-suffering” wife: “Our whole operation is powered by my wife Sarit, not least our pastry section – a fairy of sugar, fruit and flour, she conjures up incredible baked goods seemingly without moving, certainly without measuring too much, performing something not far from pure magic. This place is truly the space she deserves, a brand-new kitchen dedicated to her art, plus a dining space that is so beautiful, I wish we could move in… it will make you weep.”
Their newest offspring is due in September. The pair have said that they also plan to run supper clubs and events here: “kicking things off with a huge Rosh Hashanah celebration supper club, the hottest ticket in town! It’ll be the highlight of a whole load of giveaways and parties for the opening.”
Great start to the new year and definitely worth a little shechechayanu.
Info at: honeyandco.co.uk / Socials: @honeyandco
