For over 25 years, Applebee’s has been a cornerstone of Borough Market, evolving from a humble fishmonger’s stall into one of London’s most beloved independent seafood restaurants. Founded by Joy and Graham Applebee, the business has remained family-run, with their son Jack Applebee now at the helm, leading Applebee’s into an exciting new era.

We sat down with Jack to talk about the legacy of Applebee’s, the challenges and rewards of leading a historic brand into the future, and, of course, his favourite food spots in Borough Market.

Applebee’s has been a Borough Market institution for over 25 years – what are some of your earliest memories of growing up around the market and working with your family? 

I remember coming to work with my Dad on the weekends when we had our original fish stall in the market. I was probably around 7 or 8 years old and would spend Saturdays on the stand helping to wrap the fish and taking payments.

How did your family’s approach to seafood evolve from the stall to the opening of your first bricks-and-mortar restaurant? 

Our approach to seafood then was always about getting the best possible seafood from both our shores and around the world. We still have that same ethos although we’re now much more focussed on British seafood and what we can get locally. Not only does this mean that we can get it from the sea to our guests’ plate that much faster but, we believe it’s important to showcase the amazing produce our country has to offer through the seasons whilst supporting British fishermen and their families.

Applebee’s has recently celebrated a milestone with an exciting relaunch. What were some of the key changes and updates you wanted to implement to usher in a new era for the restaurant? 

We’ve been on such a journey to build a fully traceable supply chain and minimise the time it takes for our produce to get from sea to plate. Along the way, we’ve made some amazing connections with like-minded producers, growers and suppliers and our seafood is now as fresh as can possibly be for a London restaurant. On top of this, we’ve built a new wine list which maintains that same ethos of championing British produce, from a wide selection of English growers 

How did you balance the tradition of Applebee’s with the need for innovation in the rebranding process? 

It’s been a challenging process to juggle the two, but our ambition as a business is to progress in a brave yet considered way and always ensure we’re delivering the highest quality. That being said, we spent a lot of last year working out what our identity is and where we wanted to be, including a refresh of our physical space and a redesign of our brand. 

In today’s dining landscape, what challenges do you face when sourcing sustainable British seafood, and how do you overcome them? 

The biggest challenge is changing the public’s perception of some of the lesser known varieties. There are some amazing species of fish that we don’t really eat in this country, and it’s a shame to be honest. We’re trying to incorporate these into our menu slowly and educate our guests along the way. 

You expanded with your sister site La Gamba two years ago. Can you tell us a little more about what diners can expect there? 

La Gamba is a lot of fun, it’s an amazing location within the Royal Festival Hall and a stone’s throw away from the National Theatre. Expect to see my brother there (!) Mahew, who’s our GM with a really great team surrounding him. Juan (our chef) has built a great menu of Spanish cuisine, with mostly seasonal British ingredients, including both classics and some of our ideas. 

Having worked in nearly every part of the business, what aspect of the company do you still find the most rewarding and fulfilling? 

I like the variety of my role, no two days are the same. What I love the most, however, is helping our team members grow and reach their potential. 

Favourite dish on the Applebee’s menu? 

It’s constantly changing to be quite honest! At the moment, it’s got to be the salmon en croûte, which we are serving just on Sundays as our version of a Sunday roast alongside roast turbot. 

If you had to choose your perfect Borough Market day – where would you go for coffee, lunch, and a treat? 

Coffee from Monmouth, lunch at Kolae, and a doughnut from Bread Ahead (but be prepared to queue!).

For more information on Applebee’s, see here.

5 Stoney St, London SE1 9AA