Great British Menu ‘Champion of Champions’ Kirk Haworth and his sister Keeley have opened bookings for their new restaurant, which launches this summer.
Kirk and Keeley Haworth will open the doors on their relocated Plates restaurant in London’s Shoreditch on 3 July after a residency in Dalston that closed in 2022.
The six- or seven-course plant-based tasting menu will aim to “change the perception of how fruits, vegetables and plants can be transformed”.
Kirk, who was recently crowned as the ‘Champion of Champions’ on BBC2’s Great British Menu, will champion organic produce, working with local suppliers on a changing menu that will include his top-scoring Great British Menu dishes: ‘Feast of Farah’ and ‘A Taste of Unity’.
Other dishes will include the likes of carrots brined in Korean aromats, lightly smoked and caramelised over coals, topped with leek-top kimchi, whipped aioli, crispy wild rice and spirulina powder, served with pickled kohlrabi and spiced pear, and ravioli of charcoal pasta with a ragu of mung beans and a tomato reduction, served with a sauce made from miso, toasted yeast and cashew milk.
Co-founder Keeley joins Kirk to oversee front of house and the design of the intimate 25-cover dining room. She will ensure sustainability is a central focus of the restaurant, reusing, repurposing and recycling wherever possible. The interiors have been designed in collaboration with London-based design studio Design & That.
Kirk said: “Since launching Plates in 2017 I have been on a mission to change the perception of fruits and vegetables through my passion for flavour in this unique style of cookery. After many years of searching for the perfect restaurant we’re thrilled to be opening in Shoreditch this summer.”
Kirk is the son of former Northcote head chef Nigel. His career in hospitality first saw him train in Michelin-starred kitchens, preparing butter-heavy meat and fish dishes until he was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2016.
He soon discovered that removing meat, gluten, refined sugar and dairy improved his symptoms, he began a journey to transform the way he thought about food. This led to the original Plates concept which opened at Untitled bar in Dalston, east Londo,n after a series of pop-ups and residencies, and won Menu of the Year at the 2023 Cateys Awards.