Sam Harrison Broadens His Horizons

Acquiring Soho House Site South of the River

Sam Harrison, owner of Chiswick's Sam’s Brasserie & Bar, has announced that he has acquired the Balham Kitchen & Bar in southwest London from Soho House Group.

Commenting on the sale, Nick Jones of Soho House Group said, “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.”

Sam will relaunch the site in late September 2007, and it will be called Harrison’s. Following the same successful formula at Sam’s Brasserie, which opened in August 2005, Harrison’s will focus on modern British brasserie food with an all-day offering from breakfast through late evening dining and drink.

While no head chef as been appointed as yet, 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 expand 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, will be involved in the Balham business.

The 80-seat restaurant site also features a bar for up to 50, a private dining room on the lower level for up to 20, and pavement access for up to a dozen.

July 18, 2007