Bella Italia is staking its growth on ethical and healthy dishes after unveiling its biggest ever menu launch.

The Italian-style family restaurant chain tasked executive chef, Vittorio Lettieri, with devising the new menu, which launches this month, and he clocked up the hours in its development kitchen to create a series of dishes that will be rolled out across its 111 sites.

The menu showcases the company’s continued focus on innovation, with a range of specialist dishes for those with dietary requirements featuring more than 20 options for vegans, vegetarians, and customers seeking gluten-free and dairy free options.

Marc Saunders, head of brand at Bella Italia, said the chain aims to offer customers a wide and varied choice of quality Italian dishes.

“Ethical and healthy dishes are becoming increasingly important factors in where consumers decide to eat, which has been an important influence in our latest menu innovation.

“In a highly competitive market, you have to continually move forward and evolve as a brand in order to stand out on the high street. Crucially, we’ll always do this while staying true to our identity and brand DNA, which for us is creating genuine Italian dining experiences to enjoy with friends and family.”

Reflecting the growing consumer trend for healthier alternatives, a selection of the new dishes will build on Bella Italia’s existing lower calorie range.

These include Gamberoni Spirali, a dish under 300 calories with spiralised carrot, golden beetroot and courgette with king prawns in a spicy garlic and tomato sauce; and three new salads, all under 600 calories, called Giardiniera, di Verona and Parma Bufala, to name a few.

Indicative of its rich Italian heritage, the company has also launched a series of traditional main dishes, such as Cacio E Pepe, a dish dating back to Roman times, featuring Gramigna pasta with chicken and pancetta in a pecorino cheese; and Tagliatelle Capra with pomodoro and pepperonata sauce.

Bella Italia is part of the Casual Dining Group, which also owns Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas. The brand is currently undertaking a refurbishment programme, introducing a revitalised look and feel to the existing restaurant portfolio.

Casual Dining Group (CDG) has taken home Springboard’s ‘Best Career Progression’ award in recognition of its industry leading learning and development programmes.

The award coincided with the launch of CDG’s second cohort of participants for its ‘Elevate’ programme.

The ‘Elevate’ course, which is run in partnership with Profitably Engage, targets high-performing general managers within the business that are looking to progress to multi-site leaders.

Over the period of a year, 14 employees undertake an extensive training programme, split into three modules, which provide insights into areas of the business they may not get exposure to.

Before its completion, the first cohort of ‘Elevate’ participants has already proved a success, with two participants receiving a promotion to operations manager, and another on secondment position within the Support Centre.

In addition, the company’s ‘Future Leaders’ programme, a three-month development course available to all high performing assistant and deputy managers, giving them the skills needed to step up to general managers, has also delivered positive results.

Over the last 12 months, 29 participants have graduated the course, completing operationally-led briefs to enhance their skills and knowledge on leadership, time management, employee relations and financials. Out of those, 22 have already been promoted to general manager.

Victoria Wreford, a participant on the ‘Elevate’ programme, who recently gained a successful promotion from general manager to operations manager, said: “The Elevate programme has enabled me to take the next step in my career, by giving me the opportunity to work closely alongside my operations manager so that I can take up various responsibilities to gain a better understanding and insight of the role.

“It has made me a better leader, improved my influential and coaching skills, and allowed me to manage my time more effectively by focusing on what is important and what has a real impact on the business.”

Casual Dining Group is one of the largest independent mid-market restaurant operators in the UK, with nearly 300 sites located across the country.  It operates primarily under the Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas and La Tasca formats in the UK, as well as under the brands of Belgo, La Salle, Huxley and Oriel.

Casual Dining Group leans on its 280 kitchens to propel delivery growth after weighing up ‘dark kitchen’ argument

Deliveroo has launched a new fundraising function for customers to donate in-app and help bring 500,000 free meals to NHS staff and vulnerable groups across the UK.

Customers had donated more than £130,000 within the first 48 hours of the initiative going live, equivalent to nearly 35,000 meals.

The company has been working with restaurant partners to secure donations of free food and will make these available to NHS staff and groups of vulnerable people.

Hospitals that Deliveroo is delivering to this week include Charing Cross, St Mary’s, Lewisham and Barking Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

Burger King is among those that have pledged to donate free meals, while other restaurant chains to come on board include Bella Italia, Pizza Hut, German Doner Kebab, Itsu and Neat Burger.

Deliveroo has so far received pledges of more than 350,000 free meals.

This week Deliveroo will deliver almost 20,000 meals to the NHS. The firm is also working closely with Leon and providing free delivery to restaurants that are supporting ‘FeedNHS’.

Will Shu, CEO and founder of Deliveroo, said: “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our customers we are able to deliver free meals to those in the NHS working night and day to save lives. As a British company, nothing makes me more proud than being able to support the NHS, as well as delivering free food to vulnerable groups during this period.”

Meals will be made available where Deliveroo currently provides coverage. Deliveroo and the groups will initially focus on making deliveries in London and Manchester before seeking to do this in other parts of the country.

All the money raised by Deliveroo will be committed to covering the cost of delivery or food.

Neither Deliveroo nor any of the restaurant partners it works with will make a profit from the initiative. Any excess funding raised by Deliveroo will go to the NHS.

Itsu reopens kitchens to supply meals to NHS hospitals

Bella Italia, part of Casual Dining Group, has committed to providing 1,000 free meals to NHS staff serving on the frontline during the coronavirus crisis this month.

Dedicated Bella Italia team members reopened the company’s South Kensington branch last week and began preparing freshly cooked pasta and pizza from its spring menu.

The team is working with Deliveroo to provide the meals every week over the next month, as part of the delivery provider’s campaign to make 500,000 free meals for NHS workers.

The meal donations, which have received heartfelt praise from the West London NHS Trust, are the latest in a number of efforts Bella Italia has implemented to support the NHS.

When the nationwide lockdown commenced, sites gave away their fresh food to the NHS, as well as elderly members of the communities they serve.

The restaurant has put a range of strict extra procedures in place to ensure the safety of all team members involved, which includes social distancing measures between staff and delivery drivers, contact-free handover of prepared meals, and regular sanitisation of the pass.

Lisa Gibbons, brand director at Bella Italia, said: “This initiative, which the entire team has got behind, is indicative of our amazing team culture at Bella, something I’m immensely proud to be a part of. We’re delighted to contribute to this scheme and do our bit to support the NHS through these difficult and unprecedented times.

“As always, the safety of our team and guests is absolutely paramount, so we have taken extensive precautions and introduced new procedures and protocols to ensure that we can meet this commitment.”

Bella Italia is also offering 50% off the total bill to all NHS workers and first responders, via a small number of sites that remain open for delivery via Deliveroo.

Main image: Beatrix Zoltan, head chef at Bella Italia, South Kensington.

Bella Italia exec chef Vittorio Lettieri leads monumental menu revamp

One of the UK’s largest casual dining operators has filed its intent to appoint administrators at the High Court.

Casual Dining Group – which runs 300 restaurants – said the move will give it 10 days breathing space to consider “all options” for restructuring, according to the BBC.

The company, which owns Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas, employs 6,000 people in the UK.

Earlier on Monday, Casual Dining Group said it had begun working with corporate finance firm AlixPartners over a potential restructuring programme.

A spokesperson for the business said: “As is widely acknowledged, this is an unprecedented situation for our industry and, like many other companies across the UK, the directors of Casual Dining Group are working closely with our advisers as we consider our next steps.

“These notifications are a prudent measure in light of the company’s position and the wider situation.”

The notice of intent to appoint administrators gives the firm 10 days to put a restructuring plan into place.

After that period has expired, it could let the notice lapse if a viable restructuring plan is drawn up.

However, if that doesn’t happen it would need to either ask for another 10 days to come up with one, or it could appoint administrators for the business.

The company remains under pressure following the closure of its restaurants at the end of March to comply with lockdown measures.

Casual Dining Group leans on its 280 kitchens to propel delivery growth after weighing up ‘dark kitchen’ argument

The Casual Dining Group – owner of Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas – has entered administration.

91 of the group’s 250 sites will close immediately, and 1,900 of its 6,000-strong workforce will be made redundant.

Administrators Alix Partners are now seeking offers for all or parts of the remaining business.

“We are acutely aware of our duty to all employees and recognise that this is an incredibly difficult time for them,” said chief executive James Spragg in a statement.

“Working alongside the administrators we will do everything we can to support them through this process with a view to preserving as much employment as we are able to.”

Reports suggest the company – the UK’s second largest midmarket dining collective behind TRG – has already received multiple offers for the business.

Casual Dining Group filed its intent to appoint administrators at the High Court back in May to protect itself from threats of legal action from its landlords.

The administration leaves it trading with 159 restaurants.

Casual Dining Group, the operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge, has reopened a number of its concession sites situated at Center Parcs villages across the country.

In total, six sites have reopened as Center Parcs welcomed back guests following a four-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For a limited time from the relaunch, the six restaurants will offer a specially curated menu for delivery and collection only.

In total, CDG operates 12 restaurants, which are primarily split across its Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas brands, within Center Parcs locations at Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest Breaks, Elveden Forest and Longleat Forest.

CDG’s other six restaurants located within Center Parcs properties will reopen on 27 July, whereupon all sites will resume full restaurant service, accommodating customers within the restaurant on a reservation and walk in basis.

In addition, five Café Rouge sites will also offer a full-time delivery and collection service.

Ahead of reopening, all employees have undertaken rigorous training in new health and safety, cleaning and hygiene procedures to ensure a safe environment for employees and customers.

Damaien Houghton, Center Parcs’ group F&B operations manager, said: “We’re thrilled to be reopening our villages to guests after an almost four-month closure. All the Casual Dining Group brands across our estate are incredibly popular with customers and form a vital cog in the overall experience that we pride ourselves on delivering. We’re delighted to have them reopening with us.”

Casual Dining Group files for administration, closes 91 restaurants immediately

The Big Table Group – the new name of the business that was the Casual Dining Group – is to invest £50m in a huge opening and refurbishment programme over the next three years.

The company, which operates the Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Las Iguanas brands, aims to open 50 additional branches and upgrade 70 sites.

The new openings will cost it £35m and create 1,250 new jobs, while around £19m will be spent on renovations.

In its heyday, the former business operated 300 sites but the number reduced dramatically in recent years due to restructuring as a result of financial pressures. The investment programme will push the estate back to up 200 restaurants.

The Big Table hopes to almost double the current number of Las Iguanas restaurants in the next three years, opening 35 locations in major towns and city centres.

The group recently appointed Paul Stokes, former head of franchise development at KFC UKI, as head of acquisitions, and further expanded its acquisitions team, to deliver the growth programme.

Bosses at The Big Table said that Las Iguanas has exceeded all expectations since reopening after lockdown, persuading them to accelerate its roll-out. A new site opened in Plymouth last week, with a further branch set to follow in Southampton before the end of the year.

Alan Morgan, chief executive of The Big Table Group, said: “Las Iguanas has consistently proven to be an extremely popular choice with consumers, and now is the perfect time to grow the brand across the country, targeting high footfall locations in major towns and city centres.”

While the company’s main priority is the rapid expansion of Las Iguanas, it intends to open new Bella Italia sites in leisure parks and town and city centres.

Every single existing Bella Italia site will be refurbished in the next three years, with renovations also planned for several Café Rouge sites.

The Big Table recently extended its successful partnership with Center Parcs, and will add two more Las Iguanas sites to take its total number of restaurants at Center Parcs’ five holiday villages in the UK to 14.

The group is also trialling new brands, including premium Italian restaurant brand, Amalfi – a casual dining concept serving a menu of Italian food and drink inspired by the Amalfi Coast.

It has already opened a site at Center Parcs, Woburn, and further locations are planned elsewhere, including in London.

Additionally, The Big Table opened its first ever dark kitchen in Battersea this month, with a second site planned for Birmingham in the New Year.

The delivery-only sites will sell menu items from Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas.

The Big Table Group is owned by Epiris, which acquired the business with the aim of supporting new site growth opportunities and is described by the firm as “probably the best capitalised restaurant group in the UK”.

Casual Dining Group renamed The Big Table as it emerges from administration