Primeur is 12

Primeur celebrates its 12th year next week. 12 big beautiful years of cooking and hosting and meeting amazing people of all walks of life and working alongside some fun, vibrant, talented individuals that have contributed so much to the rich fabric of our restaurant family.

In that time, the neighbourhood has changed, London has changed, the world has changed but Primeur stays exactly as it has always been: The kitchen is still tiny, the menu is still chalked daily on the blackboard, the private dining still hiding behind the wine cellar, and we still hit our heads on the way up the stairs from the walk in fridge, and we still don't know where the key to the bathroom cabinet is, and therefore it stays permanently unlocked.

David and I conspired to open our first restaurant around a few pints of Guinness at the Anchor and Hope in 2012. I found the old garage by accident, on a walk, one sunny morning. Nick, the owner of Auto Electrics was soaking up the sun sitting by the huge sliding doors. In his 70s, he had the look of a contented man. It felt like the space he inhabited was a huge contributing factor to that beaming happiness. So when we shook hand on the lease a few weeks later, happiness was very much on the menu.

Primeur has a far richer origin story of course and we have hundreds of tales to share, all born out of too much good wine, good food and good people but perhaps they will all come out in a book a few years from now to celebrate Primeurs 15th anniversary, from the dryer catching fire during service to Taylo Swift's large security entourage... and everything in between...

But for now, in amongst the turbulence and surface ripples of this world, we wanted to recognise and celebrate a place of simplicity and joy with respectful restraints. We wanted to say thank you to all our staff, past and present who kept the happiness torch alive and bright for these many years. And finally all our friends and patrons without whom we would not be sending this message of gratitude today.

And so next week, the bubbly is on us all week long for each of you who visits, perhaps for the first time perhaps for the 100th, as a group or flying solo... to toast Primeur its journey so far and ongoing.

Thank you all for your enduring love and continued support to this little place we call home.