There are few things more humbling than standing over a bed of live coals trying to coax a skewer into something succulent, rather than shameful. Safe to say: barbecue brings out the best intentions and the worst results, yet Honey & Co, the grill-focused restaurant group from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, found that gap between aspiration and reality and turned it into a masterclass. At their Fitzrovia site, Honey & Smoke, guests of their newly-launched BBQ masterclass are handed skewers, guided to the grill, and asked to do what most of us usually get wrong: cook meat over live flame with confidence. And, in doing so, make an arguably perfect business case for experiential dining at a time when restaurants are searching for revenue beyond dinner service.
Here is the model, smouldering in front of you—an experience that is intimate, instructive and, crucially, scalable. Packer and Srulovich aren’t dilettantes, either. Over the past decade they’ve built one of London’s most recognisable restaurant brands. Honey & Co., their original Fitzrovia café, became a cult name on the strength of feta and honey cheesecakes, fragrant Israeli stews, and a warmth of hospitality that felt imported from a different dining era. Honey & Spice, their deli, expanded the reach. Honey & Smoke, the bigger sibling on Great Portland Street, gave them a stage for the grill cooking of their childhoods. Cookbooks and supper clubs extended the brand still further, making a masterclass their natural continuation. All at once: exceptional food served with education, story, and revenue.