Thirty years of Nando’s, Wagamama and a British food revolution
In the mid-1990s, 4a Streatham Street in central London was arguably the hottest address in British food. By 5pm, a queue would form outside this basement noodle bar, Alan Yau’s first Wagamama, and, remembers head chef, Chi San: “As soon as we opened, the kitchen printers wouldn’t stop.”
Opened in 1992, this minimalist canteen, with its communal seating and democratic pricing, chimed with the coming New Labour era. Flashy material wealth was out, “experiences” were in, says Perry Haydn Taylor, the head of branding agency Big Fish: “Hipsters were off eating in interesting places.”
Did Wagamama feel revolutionary? “One hundred per cent. There was nothing like it,” says San. Pizza Express may have invented modern casual dining, but Wagamama would influence the look and feel of the fast-casual end of that market (literally, a quicker turnover of greater numbers) like few others – one of these being Nando’s, which also made its British debut in 1992.
Inauspiciously opened on 1 April in suburban Ealing, Nando’s had a cooler reception. Its early branches only achieved traction as they began to focus on eat-in dining over the takeaway that had made Nando’s name in its native South Africa. This improvised UK model (fast food-style counter ordering, DIY drinks, cutlery and sauces; but attractive spaces and table service) now looks inspired.
Across the UK and Ireland, Nando’s has grown into a 458-restaurant behemoth that unites grime MCs, young families and the Observer’s restaurant critic, Jay Rayner, in admiration. “It’s straightforward, well done, delicious,” says Rayner, who used Nando’s takeaways to raise household morale during lockdown. “Is it the greatest piri-piri chicken? No. But it’s very, very reliable.”
Wagamama is a
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