Brexit boosts foreign visitors’ appetite for London dining

LONDON’S restaurants are enjoying a “Brexit boom” as foreign visitors take advantage of the weak pound to dine out in the capital.

But leading figures added that any restrictions on free movement across borders could hit the industry because its world-leading cui sine relies on chefs and waiting staff from abroad.

The warning came as stars of the culinary scene gathered for the launch of the London Restaurant Festival.

Now in its eighth year the festival, which runs throughout October, is a “gourmet pub crawl” with more than 250 diners putting on special £15 to £50 menus by the likes of Michelin-star chefs Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux and Yotam Ottolenghi.

At the official launch of the festival, above Gordon Ramsay’s Heddon Street Kitchen restaurant in Soho, founder Simon Davis said: “The positives of Brexit are that you only have to look around London and see the amount of tourists coming here. Travelling to the city is less expensive than it has ever been and tourists will eat out more and go back home and become ambassadors for London.

“On the other hand, London’s restaurant scene relies heavily on EU workers, they must not feel because of the vote that they are not welcome here, that they are not hugely valued.

“Without their graft, hard work and inventiveness an enormous part of the London restaurant scene would wither and die.”

The f o r mer journalist said the c a p i t a l ’s food not in the guise of printing money, and they have had the support of incredible European workers. We would lose so much if they lost the right to work here.”

Melissa Hemsley, a healthy living cook and author, said: “L o n d o n ’s food scene is incredibly supportive, varied and delicious. Being part of it you can see all the chefs look out for each other, they hand out tips on suppliers — it’s like a big family really.”

Ramsay protégée Angela Hartnett MBE, Chef Patron at Murano, said: “More than ever the food scene in London reflects just how diverse and exciting our city is.”