Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

What Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling does

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is a single-site fine-dining restaurant established in 2021 in Newquay, Cornwall, operating as part of the chef-owned Adam Handling Collection. The restaurant is located on the cliffs above Fistral Beach within The Headland hotel and serves modern British cuisine built on a hyper-local, whole-animal and whole-produce philosophy, sourcing exclusively from fishermen, farmers and foragers across the South West coast of England with the stated goal of zero kitchen waste.

The commercial offering comprises three revenue streams: an 11-course tasting menu at £175 per person, a 4-course restaurant menu at £120 per person, an award-winning afternoon tea from £57 per person, and a wine and cocktail programme with bottles from £30; prices are VAT-inclusive with a 10% discretionary service charge. Distribution runs through OpenTable reservations, the Squarespace-hosted direct website and cross-promotion across sister venues in the Collection (Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden, Eve Bar, Adam Handling Chocolate Shop, The Loch & the Tyne, The Tartan Fox).

The business is privately held by Chef Adam Handling MBE, who founded the venue and began his career at Gleneagles Hotel. In February 2026 the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star at the Michelin Guide Ceremony in Dublin — Handling's second star following Frog's 2022 award — concurrently with reopening after a major winter refurbishment that added a new kitchen, bar and afternoon tea lounge alongside a seafood-focused menu refresh. A six-event four-hands dinner series in 2025 brought together nine combined Michelin stars with collaborating chefs Nieves Barragán, Andy Beynon and Simon Hulstone, three of which were hosted at Frog by Adam Handling.

Name

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling

Legal name

Ugly Butterfly

Website

https://uglybutterfly.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is a single-site Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant in Newquay, Cornwall, serving hyper-local South West English cuisine via tasting menus, à la carte and afternoon tea to affluent food tourists and culinary enthusiasts, operating as part of chef Adam Handling MBE's restaurant group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Modern British cuisine
• Afternoon tea service
• Tasting menu experience
• Hyper-local sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Newquay

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Tasting and Restaurant Menus: Revenue generated from à la carte 4-course restaurant menus and 11-course tasting menus priced at £175 per person, with optional supplements. Additional revenue from wine, cocktails, and bar service.
2. Afternoon Tea: Award-winning afternoon tea served in a dedicated tea lounge, priced from £57 per person, providing an additional revenue stream distinct from the main dining experience.
3. Beverage Service: Revenue from wine list, cocktails, and bar service offered alongside meals, with wines available from £30 per bottle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant located on the cliffs of Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. It serves modern British cuisine through an 11-course tasting menu (£175 per person) and a 4-course restaurant menu (£120 per person), with ingredients sourced hyper-locally from the South West coast using whole-animal, zero-waste cooking. The restaurant also offers an award-winning afternoon tea experience in a dedicated tea lounge.

Product overview

Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling is a single Michelin-starred restaurant located on Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall. Founded in 2021, the restaurant offers a fine dining experience centered on hyper-local South West coast produce, sustainable cooking practices, and an ever-changing menu philosophy. The establishment features an 11-course tasting menu (\u00a3175 per person) and a 4-course restaurant menu (\u00a3120 per person), with seasonal terrace dining in summer months and an award-winning afternoon tea service. The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in February 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11-Course Tasting Menu An 11-course hyper-local tasting menu priced at £175 per person (with 2 optional supplements), featuring whole-animal and root-to-leaf dishes made from South West England produce. Available to individual diners reserving via OpenTable.
• 4-Course Restaurant Menu A 4-course à la carte restaurant menu priced at £120 per person (with 2 optional supplements), designed for diners to curate their own experience with hyper-local Cornish ingredients.
• Afternoon Tea Experience Award-winning afternoon tea served in a dedicated tea lounge, priced from £57 per person with a premium option at £65 per person. Combines the history of British High Tea with luxury afternoon tea tradition.
• Bar and Wine Service Beverage service offering a wine list (from £30 per bottle), cocktails, and bar service to accompany the dining experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• First Michelin star awarded February 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chef Nieves Barragán (Sabor & Legado)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Nieves Barragán of Sabor and Legado joins Ugly Butterfly's four-hands dinner series as one of three Michelin-starred collaborating chefs. She will create exclusive tasting menus alongside Chef Adam Handling in the restaurant's open kitchen.
• Chef Andy Beynon (Behind)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Andy Beynon of Behind joins the four-hands dinner series, bringing his Michelin-starred expertise to Ugly Butterfly for collaborative dining events running from June to September 2025.
• Chef Simon Hulstone (The Elephant)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Simon Hulstone of The Elephant joins the six-event series, cooking alongside Adam Handling in Ugly Butterfly's open kitchen. The series brings together 9 combined Michelin Stars.
• Frog by Adam HandlingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden hosts three of the six four-hands dinners, creating an exchange between the Cornwall and London restaurants within the Adam Handling Collection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ahrestaurants

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ugly Butterfly by Adam Handling