A powerhouse of London’s Indian dining scene has just landed in Canadian hands, so it might only be a matter of time before Torontonians get a taste of the UK’s most iconic Indian eats!
MW Eat, also known as the Real Indian Food Group, is behind some of the UK’s most celebrated Indian restaurants! MW Eat has spent the past 35+ years redefining what Indian restaurants look and feel like in the UK, focusing on fine dining as well as more informal spots. It was recently acquired by affiliates of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings in a deal framed as a sort of launchpad for global expansion that can lead to “significant investments” in new markets and formats.
Fairfax is very much a hometown heavyweight. The company controls Recipe Restaurant Group (better known as Recipe Unlimited), which is Canada’s largest full-service multi-brand restaurant company, boasting more than 1,200 restaurants across brands like Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, The Keg, Montana’s and New York Fries.
If you’ve ever been to Central London, you’ve likely spotted some of MW Eat’s most popular Indian spots. Veeraswamy opened in 1926 just off Piccadilly Circus, and is widely known as the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant (it even holds a Michelin star). The menu ranges from elevated street snacks to dishes inspired by royal recipes, using top British produce like Welsh lamb.
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Chutney Mary is the group’s first restaurant (launched in 1990). Here, diners can expect Indian food to be as creative and design-led as any Western fine-dining room in London.
Amaya is a Michelin-starred grill restaurant in Knightsbridge, so diners can expect refined, contemporary Indian cooking. Toronto does have a few quick-service Indian takeout spots with the same “Amaya” name, but they’re part of a separate Canadian-born brand and aren’t connected to MW Eat.
For more informal Indian cuisine, Londoners favour the four Masala Zone restaurants found in trendy neighbourhoods (Soho, Covent Garden, Earls Court and Piccadilly Circus). These restaurants focus on “proper Indian food”, so you’ll find pioneering street food, thalis, flavourful grills, regional curries, biryanis and more!
For now, none of the locations mentioned above have been announced for Canada, but with this new deal, maybe we can expect Veeraswamy or Chutney Mary logos glowing over our Toronto streetscape soon?
