Ennismore, the fastest-growing lifestyle hospitality company, today reveals Carte Blanched – a specialist in-house team of operators, chefs, mixologists and creatives who create bespoke, forward-thinking, authentic and culturally relevant food and beverage concepts for Ennismore’s lifestyle brands.
Unique to Ennismore, Carte Blanched creates new and develops existing F&B brands for hotel owners, overseeing everything from conception through to opening and beyond to deliver extraordinary destinations for both locals and international guests. Across Ennismore’s 100 lifestyle hotels, there are 190 restaurants and bars that generate approx. 50% of total revenue – a testament to each brand’s connection to the local community.
The expertise of Carte Blanched is strengthened by a global network of hospitality collaborators and partners, including: Selin Kiazim & Laura Christie, founders of Oklava; Monica Berg & Alex Kratena, the multi award winning duo behind Tayer and Elementary; Kris Yenbamroong, LA’s Night + Market; Andrei Soen, Singapore’s Park Bench Deli; Layo Paskin & Zoe Paskin, the team behind Palomar, The Barbary, Evelyn’s Table and The Blue Posts in London, and Tuscan Butcher Dario Cecchini, of cult Netflix show Chef’s Table.
Within its portfolio, Carte Blanched has over 40 brands, and since 2021, it has opened 17 new outlets in Europe and the Middle East. Carte Blanched is behind some of those most coveted culinary experiences, including:
- Tandoor Tina at 25hours Dubai – the smells, tastes, and colours of exotic and carefree travels around India with fresh, quality ingredients and bright flavours cooked in the Tandoor oven and on the grill
- Four Corners at The Hoxton, Barcelona – Italian American restaurant specialising in Detroit style pizza with a menu from Pizza Czar, Anthony Falco
- Seabird at The Hoxton, Southwark – Seafood restaurant boasting London’s longest oyster list
- Fi’Lia at SLS Dubai – Italian-Mediterranean cooking based on the philosophy of food passed down from one generation of women to the next, by Sara Aqel, winner of Michelin Bib Gourmands
- Bibo at Mondrian Shoreditch – A lively space, perfect for casual lunches and spirited dinners with chef Dani García
“The F&B experience is an integral part of what sets lifestyle hospitality brands apart from your traditional hotel brands, and Carte Blanched is how we ensure our restaurants and bars are authentic and culturally relevant globally and in local markets”, said Sharan Pasricha, Founder & Co-CEO of Ennismore. “Carte Blanched is a completely new and unique approach to how we deliver extraordinary drinking and dining destinations – from concept to execution – for our owners and hotels. and is one of the vital ways which sets Ennismore apart from our competitors. I am incredibly proud of the team we have pulled together, who are the best in their field.”
The launch of Carte Blanched comes alongside some exciting new projects, including:
- Floating World – a fabulously excessive, Japanese-influenced restaurant that specialises in bold flavoured, easy-to-share food with stylish, immersive design and flamboyant cocktails
- Dollars – a new sandwich bar concept in Partnership with Andrei Soen, the mastermind behind Park Bench Deli – the buzzy American sandwich spot and deli in the heart of Singapore
- Chet’s – a Thai-Americana restaurant in partnership with LA based Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market)
- Bottega di Carna – a nose to tail Italian inspired restaurant in partnership with Dario Cecchini
- Mr Nakamoto – an American steakhouse with Japanese flavours inspired by the mid-Manhattan dining of the Mad Men era
Carte Blanched’s services span from strategic development, market research, including local insider knowledge trend reports and culinary and beverage innovation, to brand identity creation, recruitment, training, and marketing and PR. In addition, before fully launching a new brand, the Carte Blanched team tests the concept to the public in a three-month pop-up at La Cave – its incubator kitchen situated beneath The Hoxton, Holborn – to obtain vital customer feedback and crucially build brand awareness.
The Carte Blanched team includes:
- Sharan Pasricha, Carte Blanched Leader and Ennismore Founder – One of Conde Nast Traveller’s ’50 People Changing The Way We Travel’, Sharan ensures seamless integration between the studio and other business functions within Ennismore
- Jules Pearson, VP of Creative – Having been at Ennismore since the beginning, growing The Hoxton globally, Jules leads the creative, using marketing insights to create F&B brands and partnerships that are relevant now and remain so in the future
- Wayne Brown, VP F&B Development – Culinary – Wayne oversees chef collaborations utilising his experience leading hospitality concepts and groups, including Disruptive Restaurant Group, SBE and Marina Bay Sands
- Alex Ghalleb, VP of Operations – With over 20 years of experience in hospitality, including Soho House, Gold Notting Hill and Pizza East, Alex creates the seamless bridge between concept and reality
- Nick Comaty, VP of Operations & Development for MEA, Turkey & India – Nick is based in Dubai, and has over 20 years of experience in hospitality, from independent venues such as Nammos Dubai and the Mina group to hotels such as the SLS Miami and Gramercy Park NYC, Nick creates, operates, and builds impactful experiences
- Gareth Evans, Beverage Director – With over two decades of experience operating Jason Atherton’s award-winning bar venues worldwide, Gareth oversees all beverage collaborations
- Micaela Philippo, Brand Director – A creative and brand strategy specialist, having worked with concepts such as Pachamama, Chicama and Farm Girl, Micaela produces unique, research-based concepts with integrity
- Caroline Strauss, Director of F&B Openings & Special Projects – Oversees the development of Carte Blanched projects in the Americas and openings globally. Caroline comes from independent F&B background, including Bar Lab and Starr Restaurants
- Carmen Tomasic, Director of F&B, Asia Pacific – Based in Singapore, Carmen heads up F&B for Asia Pacific, drawing on a broad wealth of hospitality experience, from overseeing hatted restaurants and cocktail bars, to events with companies including Merivale group, QT hotels and Ultra Music festival
- Peter Macias, Global Executive Chef – Carte Blanched’s very own Executive Chef, Peter joins the team with over 16 years’ experience working in kitchens across Miami and Los Angeles, including Sawyer, Kettle Black, and Kimpton La Peer Hotel. Early in his career, Peter was mentored by Nina Compton and Michael Pirolo at Scarpetta in Fontainebleu
Ennismore’s In-House Studios
Carte Blanched is one of Ennismore’s four specialised in-house studios, obsessing every guest touch point. These studios – a unique offering in the hospitality industry – work with owners to elevate their property and create an authentic brand experience for their guests. They include AIME Studios – an award-winning interior & graphic studio; Staymore – a Digital Product & Tech Innovation lab; Ennismore Partnership Studio – which drives global partnerships and brand awareness, and Carte Blanched.
