Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White are opening a restaurant together at the Abbey hotel in Bath in September.
Called Koffmann & Mr White’s, the joint venture will be a brasserie-style eaterie that will serve “good quality, affordable” English and French classics in a “relaxed, stylish and unpretentious environment”.
Operating under licence from White’s Black & White Hospitality business, plans are to roll out Koffmann & Mr White’s to further locations during the next two years, following a year’s exclusivity for the four-AA-star, 62-bedroom Abbey hotel.
White said: “For many, many, many years I reflected on my career and one of my deepest regrets was not spending more time with Pierre in the kitchen. The Abbey hotel has a brilliant central location and together we’re looking forward to creating a fantastic new restaurant for the city.”
Koffmann added: “Marco is one of the most talented chefs I have ever worked with. I am very much looking forward to our collaboration.”
Anil Khanna, managing director of KE Hotels and new owner of the Abbey, added: “This is hugely exciting both for us as a hotel, and for the wider Bath restaurant scene. I can think of no better way to kick off our wider planned investment in the hotel over the next 12 months than by helping create an amazing new dining destination in the city.”
Koffmann was awarded three Michelin stars at his restaurant La Tante Claire in London, where White trained before attaining his own three stars at Restaurant Marco Pierre White at the Hyde Park hotel.
KE Hotels bought the Abbey earlier this year from Ian and Christa Taylor for an undisclosed sum. Josh Watts was appointed general manager of the hotel shortly after following the departure of Andrew Foulkes. KE Hotels also owns the 87-bedroom Best Western Linton Lodge in Oxford and 147-bedroom Moxy by Marriott hotel.
Koffmann & Mr White’s will be Black & White Hospitality’s seventh brand alongside Steakhouse Bar & Grill, New York Italian, Wheeler’s of St James, Mr White’s English Chophouse, Bardolino Pizzeria, Bellini & Espresso Bar and Marconi.
