The Hawksmoor Story

As with most things we’ve done, what happened next didn’t quite go to plan.

What began as one restaurant slowly turned into a few, then a few more, and eventually restaurants across the UK, Ireland and the United States. Today, there are Hawksmoors in cities like London, Manchester, Dublin, New York and Chicago, with Boston next. Looking back, it is not something we could have planned, and definitely not something we expected.

All the way through, we have had a healthy fear of getting it wrong. The worry was always that growth might mean compromising on the things we care most about. That people might stop having a genuinely good time when they visit. That the food and drink might slip. That the experience of working at Hawksmoor might become less rewarding. Or that we might lose sight of trying to run a business that does some good in the world.

What we are most proud of is that, as we have grown, those things have improved rather than slipped.

Growth has brought better people into the business than we could ever have been on our own. It has created opportunities for people to build proper careers, take on responsibility and shape what Hawksmoor becomes. 

Many of the people who joined us early on are still with us, which feels like a good sign that we are doing something right. 

Looking back, Hawksmoor is really a story about people. The people we work with, the farmers and suppliers we rely on, and the guests who choose to spend their time with us. The relationships we have built over the years matter more than anything else. 

Along the way, we have been lucky enough to receive some recognition. Being named the World’s Best Steak Restaurant and being recognized by the James Beard Foundation have meant a lot to us. We have also been named one of the best places to work in the UK for many years. 

We are proud of those things, but they are not what we think about day to day. 

It has also allowed us to take a longer view on how we do things. We became the first UK restaurant group to be a certified B Corp because we believe businesses should try to be a force for good. We are now carbon neutral and continue to look for ways to reduce our impact and work more responsibly, especially when it comes to farming and sourcing beef. 

The food has always been at the center of it. From the beginning, we became slightly obsessive about beef. Where it comes from, how cattle are raised, how the meat is aged and how it is cooked. 

The thick steaks we first served in that small Spitalfields restaurant, cooked simply over charcoal, are still at the heart of what we do today. 

Around that, we have tried to build restaurants that feel full of life. Proper bars, generous drinks, and rooms that you want to spend time in. Places that feel welcoming, whether it is your first visit or your fiftieth. 

We used to worry a lot about becoming what people might call a chain. In truth, some of those places have been part of our own lives for years. The kind of restaurants you return to without thinking too much about it. Familiar, reliable and always a good idea. 

That has become something we quietly aspire to. 

The business has grown, but the original idea has not really changed. 

To build restaurants where people have a genuinely good time. 

To serve great steak and good drinks. 

And to look after people properly.