Shoryu Ramen receives £7m investment from Japanese restaurant company: Shoryu Ramen Restaurant Group, which specialises in authentic Hakata cuisine, has received an investment from Toridoll Holdings Corporation, operator of 1,000 restaurants globally, most notably Japan’s udon restaurant group Marugame Seimen. Shoryu Ramen’s parent company Shoryu Holdings had turnover of £7,243,651 (2014: £4,881,636) in the year ending 31 December 2015 and made a profit before tax of £446,046 (2014: £530,004). Toridoll has acquired 40%, valued at just under £7m, of shares in Shoryu Holdings and aims to expand Shoryu’s restaurant estate. Launched in 2012 by Japan Centre’s chief executive Tak Tokumine, Shoryu Ramen has nine sites, located in Regent Street, Broadgate Circle, Soho, Kingly Court, Covent Garden and Westfield Stratford City, as well as Shoryu Go, a dedicated tonkotsu ramen take-out bar on Air Street. Sites outside the capital include Shoryu Manchester and an international outpost in the Japanese town of Hakata. Tokumine said: “This is a very exciting moment for Shoryu Ramen. It has always been my passion to bring an authentic Japanese ramen dining experience to the UK and with the investment from Toridoll Holdings Corporation we will be able to expand on our current offering and increase the number of restaurants and reach of my hometown’s speciality. I am very much looking forward to working together and learning from their experience in helping our business grow and for the future of Shoryu Ramen and indeed Japanese culture within the UK and beyond.” Japan Centre began life in 1976 with a suitcase full of Japanese books and an idea to cater for the community of Japanese people living in London. The centre has since grown to become one of the largest and most influential Japanese shops in London, adding a supermarket, bakery, deli, restaurant, home-ware department and online service to its repertoire. The mission has always been to offer the best value Japanese food both in store and online, the best variety and the best service. Japan Centre has a diverse range of services for Japanese living in the UK and Europe, and for those simply interested in the world of Japanese food and culture. Tak Tokumine gained business skills working for his family’s steel mill in Fukuoka, before marrying and settling in the UK in 1975. 

Darjeeling Express to open in Carnaby’s Kingly Court: West End landlord Shaftesbury has announced Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express is to open to Kingly Court this spring. Located on the second floor of Kingly Court, alongside Dirty Bones and Le Bab, Darjeeling Express is the brainchild of self-taught cook Asma Khan, and is her first permanent restaurant. Khan will serve authentic food in large sharing platters, replicating the old fashioned “dawaat” or feast which was part of her family tradition in India. The 1206 square foot restaurant with an open kitchen, will offer diners a chance to see the unique kitchen, run by housewives. Most of the women began as part-time assistants when Khan started her business four years ago and have stayed with her over the years forming the foundation on which the success of Darjeeling Express has been built. Once open, Darjeeling Express plans to donate to a charity initiative that supports second daughters in Kurseong village in the Darjeeling district in Bengal. Khan’s ancestry stems from the royal Mughlai and Nawabi School of cuisine. Khan combines her north Indian culinary traditions from her father’s side combined with her mother’s Bengali heritage and family dishes from the Nizam court in Hyderabad. The results are a mélange of authentic dishes such as; Calcutta lamb dum biryani, Khare Masale ka Gosht, Hyderabadi Haleem and Mutton Shikampuri Kabab. Communal tables featured in the centre of the restaurant enhance the feel of family dining with sharing platters and an ever-changing menu. Shelley Webb, of Shaftesbury, said: “We are delighted to announce that Darjeeling Express will be opening in Kingly Court this spring. Carnaby has always been at the forefront of everything that is new and different and Kingly Court is an example of this - a response to a gap in the market for a major food and drink destination in Central London. Kingly Court’s diverse mix of food and drink operators has become an instant hit with shoppers and locals in the area and Darjeeling Express is an exciting addition to the courtyard.” Khan added: “I am excited to be opening my first permanent restaurant in Carnaby’s Kingly Court. To be surrounded by other independent restaurants is the perfect setting for Darjeeling Express to open its doors. Located in the heart of the West End alongside such diverse cuisines is the perfect environment to introduce Londoners to authentic Indian home cooking.”

Punch shareholders overwhelmingly back Heineken takeover bid: Punch shareholders have overwhelmingly backed the bid by Heineken and Patron Capital to take over the company in a £402m deal. In total, 99.62% of shareholders voted in favour of the proposal with just 0.38% against. In a statement, Heineken said it was “delighted” the deal had been accepted by Punch shareholders. Heineken and Patron Capital, using newco Vine Acquisitions as a bidding vehicle, has agreed a deal with Punch to acquire the entire company and to issue share capital of the company for 180p per share. Under the terms of the deal Heineken will acquire from Patron a portfolio of about 1,900 Punch pubs with Patron retaining an additional 1,329 that it will run itself. This week, Heineken has confirmed a commitment to work with the Society of Independent Brewers to ensure Punch tenants continue to have access to a wide range of quality beers from small, independent breweries should the deal proceed. The deal will now pass to the Competition and Markets Authority for investigation.

Soho Coffee Co to open 32nd site next week, plans ten further sites this year: Artisan fresh food and coffee brand Soho Coffee Co is to open its 32nd store in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, next week, its 32nd and the first of 11 the company plans to open this year. Soho Coffee Co opened its debut site in the same town 18 years ago and, as a mark of the company’s origins and success, the 1,300 square foot store will be its regional flagship outlet. The venue is located in the multimillion-pound town centre Brewery Quarter development, which features a variety of restaurants and bars, a ten-screen IMAX cinema, gym, bowling centre, and children’s soft play centre. Soho Coffee Co managing director Penny Manuel said: “We are introducing hot grain pots, baked sweet potatoes and tacos as part of the new store launch to allow customers to customise their lunch choice. Breakfast is big on our menu – our bacon and egg sandwich uses happy eggs and freshly baked, hand-cut bread. We’re extremely delighted to be opening our latest outlet in the new Brewery development in Cheltenham. We will always have a soft spot for Cheltenham, it’s where Soho began and is the heart of our company operation.” In November, the company opened its first two sites in London, in the Strand and St Paul’s Churchyard.