Nigel Platts-Martin

Nigel Platts-Martin (born in Germany) is a British restaurateur and wine expert. Notoriously, Platts-Martin co-owned a Michelin star restaurant Harveys (restaurant) with its own chef patron Marco Pierre White from 1987 to 1993. He also co-owned another Michelin-starred restaurant The Square (restaurant) with its own chef patron Phil Howard from 1991 to 2016, the same year when Platts-Martin and Howard sold The Square. Platts-Martin currently co-owns other Michelin-starred restaurants Chez Bruce, The Ledbury, La Trompette, and The Glasshouse.
Nigel Platts-Martin was born in Germany. His father was an Army officer. Platts-Martin attended The King's School, Canterbury and then the University of Oxford to study law.
Platts-Martin worked for a law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and then S. G. Warburg & Co. until he quit the firm in 1987.
When he resided in Battersea, Platts-Martin dined one night at the restaurant Lampwick and met one of its chefs Marco Pierre White, whose cooking skills amazed Platts-Martin. Platts-Martin became Lampwick's regular customer since.
Platts-Martin and another Lampwick's regular Richard Carr bought a wine bar Harvey's, which originally served just burgers and was a couple miles away from Lampwick. Platts-Martin and Carr originally planned to appoint White's friend Alan Bennett, head chef of Lampwick, the head chef of the upcoming restaurant that would replace Harvey's, prompting Bennett to permanently close Lampwick in summer 1986.
However, Bennett did not have enough money to buy shares, and Platts-Martin and Carr found White more qualified as the potential head chef. White did not have enough money for investments, so Carr as a guarantor loaned White , taken from a Sheffield branch of Yorkshire Bank, to make White one of shareholders and the chef patron.
The restaurant opened in January 1987 at Wandsworth Common with the apostrophe dropped, becoming Harveys (restaurant). Under White as chef patron, Harveys earned its first Michelin star in January 1988 and then its second in January 1990. Also appeared in print edition of 27 April 1998 issue. Harveys had been critically successful but less profitable than anticipated. White spent less time at Harveys and more at The Canteen, which opened in November 1992 without Platts-Martin. In 1993, White sold his shares of Harveys to his business partners, including Platts-Martin, and left Harveys in July, allowing White to further achieve his ambitions.
Platts-Martin and Marco Pierre White, while operating Harveys (restaurant), planned their upcoming second restaurant located at West End of London. Phil Howard, a chef de partie of Harveys who was sacked nine months prior but then rehired in 1990 by White, was planned and trained to be appointed head chef of the upcoming venture. Platts-Martin's partnership with White for the upcoming second restaurant fell through. Without White involved, Platts-Martin and Howard were left handling the project themselves, but both were at the time inexperienced in running a restaurant.
The restaurant venture opened on 13 December 1991 as The Square (restaurant), initially located at King Street, St James's. With Howard appointed head chef and then chef patron, The Square earned its first Michelin star in December 1994. It relocated to Bruton Street, Mayfair on 17 February 1997 and then earned its second Michelin star in January 1998. After years of critical and commercial success, Platts-Martin and Howard sold The Square to Marlon Abela's restaurant group in March 2016 for . Because Abela's restaurant group suffered from financial issues and mismanagement, property management administrators abruptly closed The Square during its lunch service in February 2020 for an indefinite amount of time.
Platts-Martin also co-owns The Ledbury with Phil Howard. The Ledbury's chef patron has been Brett Graham, who worked at The Square (restaurant) from 2001 to 2005. Document no. 929673077. Document no. 222790875. Howard has not operated The Ledbury as much as Platts-Martin has had. The Ledbury has been indefinitely closed since June 2020, citing social distancing Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom as impractical for the restaurant. Also accessible via ProQuest; document no. 2413273636.
Platts-Martin as co-owner opened Harveys's replacement site Chez Bruce at Wandsworth Common in February 1995 under its chef patron Bruce Poole, who previously worked at The Square (restaurant) in its original St James's location until January 1994 and then worked for twin brothers Marc and Max Renzland. Prior to the opening, Harveys was permanently closed for dining room refurbishment in six weeks since New Year's Eve 1994. Furthermore, Platts-Martin came up the name of the newer restaurant, and Poole reluctantly accepted it in order to promote himself. Chez Bruce earned its first Michelin star in early 1999. Chez Bruce has been indefinitely closed amid COVID-19 pandemic since 18 March 2020.
Platts-Martin and Poole also opened The Glasshouse at Kew in early 1999. Anthony Boyd, who previously worked at Chez Bruce and then The Square, was appointed head chef on its debut. It earned its first Michelin star in 2002. Boyd left The Glasshouse in 2010 for a Hertfordshire restaurant.
Platts-Martin and Poole also opened La Trompette in Chiswick in late January 2001. Ollie Couillaud was appointed head chef on its debut. Couillaud left La Trompette in early 2005 to become the head chef of a Dorchester, Dorset restaurant in May 2005. James Bennington, a sous-chef of Chez Bruce, succeeded Couillaud as the head chef in that same year. In 2010, The Glasshouse's former head chef Anthony Boyd returned from Hertfordshire and replaced Bennington. La Trompette was closed in January 2013 for wider building expansion. Rob Weston, after sixteen years as the head chef of The Square (restaurant) under chef patron Phil Howard, replaced Boyd amid reopening in late February 2013. La Trompette has held one Michelin star since early 2010s.
In 2006, stocks of Platts-Martin's five remaining restaurants, including The Square, were worth, including numerous wines. About 45% of total sales of the restaurants generated from award-winning wine lists and accounts. The expansion of his restaurant group benefited from cash flow.
Platts-Martin has operated his restaurant group at his home; the group has lacked a head office.
Platts-Martin won the Independent Restaurateur of the Year at the 2004 Catey Awards. He was appointed Order of the British Empire at the 2009 New Year Honours for serving the British hospitality industry.
Out of top 100 most influential people in the UK hospitality industry, The Caterer ranked him 72nd in 2005, 24nd in 2010, 40th in 2011, and 35th in 2012.
Platts-Martin married in late 1980s or early 1990s.
Category:British restaurateurs
Category:British wine experts
Category:German people
Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford