Pidgin to cut number of courses on tasting menu

Pidgin in London's Hackney will reduce the number of courses on its tasting menu from nine to four from next year as the restaurant plans to go "back to its origins".

The east London eatery was opened by restaurateurs James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy in 2015 and became renowned for its weekly-changing, four-course menu, which has since grown into a longer full tasting menu.

Pidgin said the "world has changed" since it expanded its tasting menu offering and has seen "less demand for this kind of eating" over the past 18 months.

Ahead of its change in direction, Pidgin has launched a 30-day raffle to raise funds for an extensive refurbishment of the dining room, kitchen and outdoor area.

Raffle items range from £50 dinner vouchers to a private dinner for 24 at Pidgin.

The restaurant said "every penny over our target of £100k" will be donated to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).

Naz Hassan (pictured) was appointed as head chef of the restaurant in June this year, serving dishes such as hake and kohlrabi egg drop soup; duck breast, sweetcorn and raspberry; and rum baba and cherry.

He was previously at BiBi in London's Mayfair and Crispin in London's Spitalfields.