What Carousel does

Carousel, operated by Templeton & Templeton Ltd., is a London-based independent hospitality collective founded in August 2014, originally in Marylebone and relocated to a three-building Georgian townhouse site on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia in November 2021. The core proposition is a rotating international guest chef residency program: weekly, Carousel hosts a different chef from its network of more than 350 chefs spanning 80+ cities and 50+ countries, offering set tasting menus at £65–150 per person with optional wine pairings. The model functions as a curator and platform, turning underused kitchen capacity into a stream of high-profile, short-duration dining experiences and surrounding editorial coverage.

Around the residency engine, the group has built a multi-venue portfolio: Cometa, a contemporary Mexican seafood restaurant open Tuesday–Saturday; No. 23, a 23-seat walk-in cocktail bar featuring Chuck George's smashburgers (ranked #5 by Time Out London); the Shoreditch Arts Club at Redchurch Street, a former warehouse with a 24-seat cinema used for private events; and the seasonal Ashcombe Estate in Wiltshire, a partnership with Guy Ritchie's estate offering WildKitchen lakeside dining and accommodation May–September. The business also runs an award-winning private events division serving corporate, wedding, and brand activation clients, a {PAIRED} food-and-music experiential series at premium cultural venues, gift cards, and a 10-year anniversary merchandise line.

Commercially, Carousel is a B2C-heavy group with a secondary B2B events layer. Revenue streams include per-cover residency and restaurant sales, nightly accommodation and event packages at the estate, venue hire and catering for 20–200+ guests, and ancillary merchandise. Distribution runs through direct walk-ins and reservations, the OpenTable platform, an 'Me First' newsletter, active Instagram (@carousel_ldn), earned media in Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Vanity Fair and Elle, and beverage partnerships with Estrella Damm, Monkey Shoulder, Champagne Bollinger, Eau de Provence, Saicho, Cointreau, and Rémy Martin. The company is privately held, has no disclosed external funding, and employs 11–50 staff.

Name

Carousel

Legal name

Templeton & Templeton Ltd.

Website

https://carousel-london.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carousel is a London-based independent hospitality collective operating a rotating international guest chef residency program (350+ chefs since 2014) across a multi-venue portfolio including Cometa (Mexican seafood), No. 23 cocktail bar, the Shoreditch Arts Club, and the seasonal Ashcombe Estate in Wiltshire, serving individual diners, private events clients, and luxury lifestyle guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Guest Chef Residencies: Rotating international guest chef residencies offering set menus at £65-150 per person, with wine pairings available. Each residency runs for 5 nights with multiple sittings.
2. Restaurant Operations (Cometa & No. 23): Contemporary Mexican seafood restaurant Cometa and cocktail bar No. 23 with smashburgers generate recurring revenue from daily dining service.
3. Ashcombe Estate Retreats: Luxury countryside retreats in Wiltshire featuring guest chef dinners at £175 per person and accommodation starting from £375 per night for en-suite doubles.
4. Private Events & Catering: Award-winning events division offering venue hire and catering for corporate events, weddings, and private dining for 20-200+ guests.
5. Merchandise: Commemorative merchandise including apparel and lithographs celebrating the 10-year anniversary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No source-backed evidence of the company's core offerings is available in the provided input.

Product overview

Carousel is a London-based hospitality collective operating a multi-venue culinary hub in Fitzrovia. The core offering centers on an international guest chef residency program (350+ chefs from 80+ cities) complemented by three food and beverage concepts: Cometa (contemporary Mexican seafood), No. 23 (cocktail bar with smashburgers), and the Ashcombe Estate countryside experience. The business also offers private event hire, gift cards, merchandise, and a food-music pairing series called {PAIRED}. All produce is sourced from ethically-minded UK farmers, foragers, and fishermen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350 guest chef residencies hosted since 2014 from chefs across 80+ cities in 50+ countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• MasafinacoreOthersIngredient supplier sourcing heirloom Mexican ingredients directly from their network of farmers in Mexico to their West London base, supporting Cometa's authentic Mexican seafood concept.
• Estrella DammstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage partner for {PAIRED} events series, providing Estrella Damm beer for food and music pairing experiences.
• Monkey ShoulderstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage partner for {PAIRED} events, providing whisky for cocktails at food and music pairing experiences.
• Champagne BollingerstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury champagne partner for Ashcombe Estate retreats and special events, supporting the premium countryside dining experience.
• Eau de ProvencestrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium rosé partner collaborating on the Ashcombe Estate summer series, contributing to the 'UK's most delicious weekend away' experience.
• Saicho Sparkling TeasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Saicho Sparkling Teas for Tam Chudaree residency, providing sparkling tea pairings for the Thai fine dining experience.
• Cointreau & Remy MartinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpirits partners for Tam Chudaree residency, providing liqueurs for cocktail pairings during the Baan Tepa tasting menu experience.
• OpenTablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBooking platform partner enabling advance reservations for guest chef residencies and dining experiences at Cometa and Carousel venues.
• Eddie's HatchminorOthersSupplier of Ozone coffee for the venue, providing daily coffee offerings for staff and potentially customers.
• Shoreditch Arts ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond London venue at Redchurch Street, featuring a 24-seat cinema and super-stylish former warehouse space for private events, expanding Carousel's footprint across the city.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dinner by Heston Blumenthal: Iconic London fine dining venue with two Michelin stars and a chef pedigree (Heston Blumenthal) Carousel references through its visiting chefs. Comparable premium experiential positioning and London destination status.
• Spring (Skye Gyngell): Seasonal, produce-led fine dining restaurant at Somerset House, London. Comparable chef-driven premium dining with similar price points and London destination status.
• Sketch (London): Multi-concept London venue combining the Lecture Room & Library, The Gallery, and The Parlour under one roof — directly comparable to Carousel's multi-F&B-venue strategy (Cometa + No. 23 + residency kitchen + events).
• Sessions Arts Club: Members' arts club and restaurant in Old Street, London, offering rotating chef collaborations, art programming, and event spaces. Closely comparable to Carousel's hybrid of dining, art, events, and chef-led experiences.
• Fallow: London sustainable nose-to-tail restaurant from Jack Croft and Will Murray (who have hosted a Carousel residency). Operates in the same premium-casual dining category with sustainability-led, design-forward concepts.
• Hide餐厅: Multi-floor Michelin-starred London restaurant from Ollie Dabbous. Comparable multi-concept London dining venue combining fine dining, all-day café, and bar concepts under one brand.
• Gymkhana: Two-Michelin-star Indian fine dining in Mayfair from JKS Restaurants. Comparable premium London destination with similar price points, strong brand recognition, and Michelin/award pedigree relevant to Carousel's residency positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global private members' club with extensive restaurant and event programming. Comparable in terms of premium experiential hospitality, event venue model, and curated chef/cultural programming, though at much larger scale.
• The Wolseley: Long-established London all-day grand café from Corbin & King. Comparable premium-London dining destination with broad menu, full-day service, and event capabilities, though without the residency concept.

Regional players

• Inko Nito: Contemporary Japanese robatayaki concept with locations including London. Comparable casual-premium positioning and design-led F&B concept with bar program, though not a residency model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/carousel_ldn
• Xx.com/Carousel_LDN

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carousel