(L-R) James Timmins and Julia Jefferis at Utter Waffle restaurant

(L-R) James Timmins and Julia Jefferis at Utter Waffle restaurant

Food van operator Utter Waffle has opened a bricks and mortar restaurant after the coronavirus outbreak forced it to shift its business strategy.

Based at The Prince food venue in West Brompton, the restaurant was developed by co-founders James Timmins and Julia Jefferis in 100 days.

Utter Waffle had been forced to cancel more than £50,000 worth of events during the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the business being offered a free food unit at The Prince to run Deliveroo from.

The Prince management team then asked Timmins and Jefferis to become permanent partners.

After creating a new menu and expanding the workforce, the team now consists of seven members of staff with Timmins and Jefferis working on the ground at The Prince.

“This is a significant milestone for us personally and for Utter Waffle. When the coronavirus lockdown first struck, we were very worried and anxious about its future and particularly our four-wheeled friend, street-truck Reggie, who has helped us build our brand from the ground up and provided us a mobile place to travel and work around the country,” said Timmins.

“Having to completely re-think our business strategy because of Covid-19 was a challenge but one we were up for: The Prince showed us great kindness at the beginning of lockdown and have been fantastic partners to us since, supporting and welcoming us to the family.”

The new menu includes The Vatican, a pesto and mozzarella-stuffed waffle topped with fresh tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, rocket and balsamic glaze; and the winner of Best Dessert in the UK, the Utter Waffle, topped with cinnamon apple compote, Biscoff cream and crumb, salted caramel and fudge.

Its new Wafflin Chicken comprises a smoked cheddar-stuffed waffle topped with fried chicken, spicy honey, garlic aioli and pickles.

“We’re delighted to welcome Utter Waffle to our line up here at The Prince. The waffles and awards speak for themselves and we’re really looking forward to offering our customers something new, exciting and delicious,” added Rory Graham, head of creative development at The Prince.

Launched in 2018, Utter Waffle creates and serves savoury and sweet waffles for events and markets across the UK. All the waffles are gluten-free with a vegan batter.