Pioneering London restaurant The Providores to close

Pioneering New Zealand restaurant The Providores on Marylebone High Street in London, run by Kiwi chef Peter Gordon, is to close at the end of July.

Peter Gordon will close his pioneering NZ restaurant The Providores in July

As reported by Eater London, the venue, which introduced the flat white coffee and Turkish eggs to London, will close at the end of July after 18 years.

“Being in London since 2001 has been absolutely brilliant, but, we’ve decided that it’s time to close the doors, and so at the end of July we’ll do just that.

“It’s been an incredibly tough decision and we’re sad in many ways, but this is the right decision for us and we want to go out on a high,” Gordon told Eater.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the restaurant we have created. We have had a huge amount of fun and have been an unofficial NZ trade showroom showcasing NZ food, wine and drinks, an NZ way of service, and an NZ vibe,” he added.

Gordon opened The Providores with his business partner Michael McGrath in 2001, which was ahead of its time in the championing of small plates, bounteous brunches and no reservations, all of which have become the norm in the capital.

Since opening, Gordon has built up one of the finest New Zealand wine lists on offer in the UK, shining a light on both big guns and small growers.

The Providores brought Turkish eggs to the capital

The Providores played a pivotal role in introducing urbanites to the delights of lesser-known New Zealand wines from all over the country.

Gordon’s wine roots run deep – he dabbled in winemaking in Melbourne before becoming a chef, and once co-owned a vineyard in North Otago called Waitaki Braids, which made Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and rosé.

A decade ago he made the bold decision to turn his wine list 100% Kiwi.

“It was always my dream to have a New Zealand-only wine list, but when we opened 18 years ago it was too early to do it, so we steadily built up our collection over the years and decided to take the plunge in 2008,” Gordon told db.

“New Zealand does so much more than Sauvignon and we wanted to show what the country was capable of. Being able to help producers secure distribution in the UK makes us feel like proud parents.

Prior to The Providores, Gordon worked with Fergus and Margot Henderson at St John, and The Modern Pantry’s Anna Hansen at The French House. Both Gordon and McGrath plan to take some time off this summer after the restaurant closes to relax, travel and work on personal projects.