CERU is the new Levantine casual dining restaurant which has just opened its first permanent site in central London following a series of highly successful pop-ups in the City, West End, South Bank and at summer music festivals
The new site in South Kensington has received rave reviews from both the press and customers. There’s been a slew of five star ratings on Trip Advisor plus ecstatic praise from the capital’s foodies – “So CERU is amazing. We shared the dips, the salads and the vegetables. 2 of us had slow roast lamb and 1 had the prawns skewer. Servings are generous. 3 – 4 dishes each is perfect. Every dish has its own unique flavour, is individually prepared and presented and holds its own perfectly”.
CERU was inspired by the founder Barry Hilton’s trips to Istanbul and the surrounding areas, from which he returned intent on using authentic ingredients to create a menu style for the UK market which was contemporary, indulgent but healthy, with limited use of carbohydrates, gluten and dairy. In the words of the Evening Standard,
“As going gluten-free is proving to be more than just a fad, this year some restaurants are scrapping it from their menus altogether, meaning the gluten-intolerant can have their cake and eat it”.
CERU harnesses the diverse array of Eastern Mediterranean ingredients to provide a quick, healthy and affordable option for its core demographic of 20-45 year olds. The menu is adaptable to quick lunches or take-outs and equally suitable for a more leisurely dine-in experience, accompanied by delicious freshly made cocktails.
CERU believes their concept has the potential to be rolled out on a national basis, but for the time being intends to focus on the London market. There’s a welter of research to prove that the casual dining sector is the fastest-growing part of the UK eating-out market. And London, with its above average number of 21-41 year old professionals, is a magnet for both young people and overseas visitors.
CERU is now actively involved seeking further sites across Central London and also seeking the further funding required. We have around £1 million left in our current offer, which we hope to close out by around the end of February. The business is already up and running, so we are in a position to issue shares straight away, which in turn means we can make the EIS tax certificates available to investors very quickly.
“The beauty of Ceru’s menu is that you don’t miss the gluten and there is enough variety that you don’t feel limited in your options, as you do with many other food styles” says founder Barry Hilton.
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Martin Sherwood, Partner
Martin Sherwood has many years’ experience of small company fundraising and in particular the tax-efficient investment market, specialising in the Hospitality & Leisure Sectors. Martin is currently chairman of the four British Country Inns companies and of Halcyon Hotels and Resorts plc, which is in joint venture with Luxury Family Hotels, which he helped launch 20 years ago. He was founder and head of Tax Efficient Solutions, first at Teather & Greenwood (1997-2004) and subsequently at Smith & Williamson (2004-2010), which he left to found Enterprise.
Martin has been closely involved in both Venture Capital Trusts and Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) since their inception, and is a founder director of the EIS Association, the official trade association of the EIS industry.
Martin works very closely with a wide range of Hospitality & Leisure entrepreneurs and has a significant network of investors and professional contacts as well as being a serial investor in his own right.