Philip Howard leaves the Square after 25 years

The Staff Canteen
Two Michelin starred chef Philip Howard will be stepping down from his role of chef patron at the the Square after Marlon Abela purchases restaurant. Today Marlon Abela Restaurant Corperation (MARC), announced plans to acquire the renowned London restaurant, The Square. MARC already have nine restaurants across London and the East Coast of the United States. Marlon Abela, Chairman of MARC (Marlon Abela Restaurant Corporation) Ltd, said: “I am delighted to welcome The Square into our family of restaurants. I have always admired its strong commitment to modern fine dining, devotion to quality and use of the finest, locally-sourced British ingredients. “The team’s approach to rigorous seasonality, passion for wine and dedication to delivering service excellence is in line with our core values.” Chef-patron Philip Howard will step down after 25 years at the helm. Philip said he is thrilled to pass on the restaurant to Marlon, who he describes as 'such a passionate restaurateur'. Philip’s business partner, Nigel Platts-Martin, the restaurateur behind notable London restaurants including The Ledbury, Chez Bruce and La Trompette added: “Phil and I have had a wonderful 25 years at The Square. I am confident that The Square will continue to thrive under the stewardship of Marlon Abela.” The Square first opened in 1991, and has had a long history as one of the UK’s finest restaurants, having retained its two Michelin stars for 19 consecutive years, since being awarded in 1998.
In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 22nd March 2016

Philip Howard leaves the Square after 25 years