Whyte & Brown is the brand new free-range chicken and egg concept, currently taking Carnaby Street by storm.
Overseen by Chairman Kevin Bacon and Creative Director Fiona Gale, the 3450 sq ft casual dining restaurant and bar opened on the 9th of July 2013 and includes 132-covers, split across two levels, with room for a further 24 alfresco diners in the courtyard.
Whyte & Brown is the first of what is hoped will be many sites for the brand, which takes a simple concept and neatly places it within a market ready for something a little different. Open all day, from breakfast through to dinner, with an average spend of £20, Whyte & Brown’s core offer champions the best quality, British, free-range chicken. Dishes at the restaurant include roasted and grilled chicken and a choice of burgers, soups, pies, salads, casseroles, wings and croquettes.
Discussing the new restaurant, Whyte & Brown Chairman, Kevin Bacon, commented:
“I am thrilled to be part of this fantastic venture and to be working with a team of such talented individuals. Whyte & Brown goes beyond the usual offer of serving exclusively roasted, grilled or fried chicken. It’s a concept that celebrates the extraordinary versatility of the chicken and the egg. We aim to deliver on a range of wonderful dishes, served in a relaxed environment at value for money prices.”
Signature dishes include the Bangkok Scotch Egg with minced thigh meat and fresh Thai herbs and a grilled chicken Cesar burger with coarsely grated Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce. Free-range egg dishes range from a Risotto Scotch Egg encased with leek, spinach and lemon thyme risotto through to breakfast classics such as Eggs Florentine and Benedict.
The bar menu at Whyte & Brown features chicken crisps (crispy chicken skin), Vietnamese minced chicken salad in gem lettuce shells and an array of burgers, including a pulled chicken bap topped with house slaw. Wing choices include Harissa Hot wings with caramelised orange and breaded wings with a blue cheese sauce.
Cocktails have been created by former UK Bartender of the Year Ryan Chetiyawardana and include The Whyte Wine Spritz – rhubarb bitters, rose lemonade, lemon zest and white wine. The drinks list also features an extensive range of artisan beers, spirits and soft drinks, with wines from Milton Sandford Wine.
Work began on the construction of Whyte & Brown in March 2013 and reached completion at the end of June 2013. Hospitality design specialist, Blacksheep was the interior designer on the project. Blacksheep works on a range of restaurant, hotel and retail projects, from Jamie’s Italian, Wedgewood, Four Seasons and The Cuckoo Club in the UK, through to BOUJIS in Hong Kong and Fairmont in Jordan.
Discussing the development of Whyte & Brown, Blacksheep Interior Designer, Laura Elwick, said:
“Creative Director Fiona Gale approached us around two years ago with her vision for Whyte & Brown. She recognised a gap in the market for restaurants offering free-range chicken dishes and took this opportunity to develop the concept; working alongside an expert team of founders, all from very different backgrounds.
“One of Fiona’s key design directions was that Whyte & Brown should have a hint towards an industrial and reclaimed style but softened around the edges. We took this direction on board and then gave it a feminine twist, so that the interior could be a little more comfortable, honest and colourful.”
As the concept developed, the brand DNA of ‘human alchemy’ evolved. The concept meant the raw materials used within the design would have a human touch in some way. The food at Whyte & Brown also reflects this by taking everyday ingredients and transforming them into amazing dishes.
Key design feature of Whyte & Brown include, a large polished concrete bar which forms the 7th step of the restaurant’s staircase and a marble group chef’s table which extends out from the kitchen to create that all important connection between the kitchen and dining space.
A series of smaller room settings have been created within the larger space of the restaurant by developing a re-bar and scaffolding plank, whilst elements of the traditional domestic kitchen are apparent throughout the restaurant including a butler sink with exposed pipework and taps for filling diners’ drinking water.
Additional features include a suspended mirror in the washrooms, beautiful upholstered mattress-style seat cushions, individual bespoke designed free-standing sofas and floral backed feature upholstered armchairs.
The opening of Whyte & Brown is another important start-up project for Blacksheep who have built up a fantastic portfolio of projects within the hospitality sector. Tim Mutton, CEO & Founder of Blacksheep commented:
“We love working with and launching new brands. Blacksheep is very brand orientated, we don’t just tackle a project from an interior perspective; we like to look at the brand as a whole. We spend a great deal of time with each client before we even begin to put pen to paper; experimenting with the brand, the style, the food, everything. We want to help establish brands in the correct way, so that we can continue to develop a working relationship with them as they build their success.”
Whyte & Brown is open from 8am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 6pm Sunday. For more information about Whyte & Brown please visit: www.whyteandbrown.com.
