Forbes Solicitors serves up lease for Great British Menu champion

Forbes Solicitors has secured a new 10 year restaurant lease for chef Kirk Haworth who was recently crowned the Champion of Champions on the BBC’s Great British Menu 2024.

Born in Blackburn, Kirk Haworth was the first plant-based chef to appear on the highly competitive TV cooking show and has opened his new restaurant Plates in Shoreditch, London.

The restaurant will be run by Kirk in partnership with his sister Keeley Haworth. It marks the successful relocation from Plates’ former premises in Dalston, London, with Forbes Solicitors negotiating the lease for the new premises, which includes an outdoor courtyard for customer dining. 

In addition to serving plant-based dishes inspired by nature, the new restaurant offers a cook school, a special series of events and consultancy services that draw on Kirk’s Michelin-Starred experience. For a limited time, Plates will serve the dishes created by Kirk during the Great British Menu, including his ‘A Taste of Unity’ dessert, which was declared the best dish at the TV show’s banquet.

Anjli Mistry, a solicitor in the commercial property team at Forbes Solicitors, said: “Kirk and Keeley had a clear vision for what they wanted to achieve with the lease agreement and a strong desire to quickly open the restaurant to satisfy demand. This became even more important as Kirk progressed through the Great British Menu and reservation enquiries flooded in for the new restaurant. 

“In addition to the lease, we also worked to secure a premises licence for the on-site sale of alcohol. There were many different parties involved throughout negotiations and various factors in play that could have proved complex. It was crucial that we carefully and efficiently managed the entire process to achieve the right terms and conditions for the Plates team.”

Helen Marsh, a partner at Forbes Solicitors, added: “We worked closely with all parties involved in the lease agreement to hit their key deadline, which enabled renovations and fitting out to progress on schedule. It’s a hugely exciting time for Kirk and Keeley, and everyone in the chain pulling together has helped Plates to open at the perfect time.

“There’s a lot of demand for prime locations for restaurants and lease agreements can become competitive and complex, especially when urgent deadlines are in place. Having knowledge of the sector and strong partnerships in place helps to keep lease agreements on track.”