Nut-free London restaurant Lupins expands

A nut-free London restaurant has increased in size by more than a third after adding an extension.

British restaurant Lupins, run by chefs Natasha Cooke and Lucy Pedder, was founded in April 2017 when they joined forces with Ben Lovett, a member of folk band Mumford & Sons.

Lovett has a life-threatening nut allergy and the trio decided they wanted to make it easier for Londoners to dine out safely.

The restaurant in Union Street in Borough has extended to include a bar area offering breakfast and cocktails and has increased seating capacity from 28 to 44 diners. Opening hours have also been extended to reflect the broader menu.

Pedder, who also runs catering company the Cooking Collective with Cooke, said: “We’re very allergen aware and will happily cater for all tastes. We’re very inclusive and believe that if you can cook well you should be able to turn your hand to anything and create an utterly delicious dish, without meat, dairy, fish or nuts.

“I guess we must be doing something right because we reached a position where we were able to expand our business. The new bar area offers breakfast and afternoon cocktails, including happy hour and has allowed us to seat more diners at lunch and dinner.

“We have exciting plans for the future. We would like to open a deli here in the bar area and possibly another restaurant, but we’ll take it one day at a time.”