Kerbisher & Malt
A former London chain of fish-and-chip restaurants founded in 2011.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Kerbisher & Malt was a London fish-and-chip restaurant chain established in 2011 by chef Saul Reuben and his brother-in-law Nick Crossley. The first restaurant opened in Brook Green, a suburb of West London, and the business subsequently expanded to six London locations by 2015. Its concept was built around a contemporary presentation of a traditional British fish-and-chip shop, with attention to the freshness of the fish and the quality and preparation of the chips. The name combined family and product references. “Kerbisher” referred to a fishing boat crewed by Crossley’s grandfather, who had worked as a herring fisherman. “Malt” referred to malt vinegar, a customary accompaniment to fish and chips. This naming linked the restaurant to both the founders’ family history and the established rituals of the British fish-and-chip trade. The brand’s offer was centered on fish and chips rather than on a broad casual-dining menu. Existing descriptions also associate it with other casual restaurant items, including burgers and milkshakes, but the available reference material does not provide a complete menu or identify specific product ranges. Its positioning was that of a quality-focused, mid-market casual restaurant: familiar British food prepared with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and traditional standards. Kerbisher & Malt received favorable attention for its opening from food writer Zoe Williams in the Sunday Telegraph. Her review highlighted the freshness of the fish and praised the chips for recalling the traditional experience of visiting a local chip shop. This reception helped frame the chain as a modern restaurant interpretation of a familiar British institution rather than simply a takeaway operation. After reaching six London restaurants in 2015, the chain gradually closed its branches. The final Brook Green location was put on the market in February 2020. The operating business was held by CRFC Ltd, a private company limited by shares, which was dissolved in 2021. On the available evidence, Kerbisher & Malt is therefore a defunct restaurant brand rather than an active national or international chain.
History
Kerbisher & Malt began in 2011 in Brook Green, West London. It was founded by chef Saul Reuben and his brother-in-law Nick Crossley, who created a restaurant concept focused on fish and chips while presenting the category in a more polished casual-dining setting. The business was associated with fresh fish, traditionally prepared chips, and the familiar accompaniments of the British fish-and-chip trade. The brand name reflected both family history and the food it served. Kerbisher was the name of a fishing boat associated with Crossley’s grandfather, a herring fisherman. Malt referred to malt vinegar, a customary condiment for fish and chips. The name therefore connected the restaurant to maritime heritage and to the established eating habits surrounding its core dish. Kerbisher & Malt attracted favorable critical attention at the time of its opening. Zoe Williams, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, praised the freshness of the fish and the traditional quality of the chips. Her response emphasized the restaurant’s ability to evoke the familiar experience of a British chip shop while meeting the expectations of a sit-down restaurant. The review positioned the business as a quality-led reinterpretation of a well-established national food tradition. The chain expanded during its early years and had six London restaurants by 2015. The available reference material does not identify every location or provide detailed information about the company’s staffing, menu development, supply chain, or financial performance. Existing descriptions associate the business primarily with fish and chips and also mention burgers and milkshakes, suggesting a broader casual restaurant menu, although the fish-and-chip offering remained its defining product. Following its period of expansion, Kerbisher & Malt’s restaurants were gradually closed. The last reported branch, in Brook Green, was put on the market in February 2020. The business was owned by CRFC Ltd, a private company limited by shares. CRFC Ltd was dissolved in 2021, and Kerbisher & Malt is consequently treated as defunct. No evidence in the supplied material indicates that the brand continued operating under another owner or that it developed beyond its London restaurant chain.
- 2021
Owning company dissolved
[1]CRFC Ltd, the private company that owned the chain, is dissolved.
- 2020
Final Brook Green branch is put on the market
[1]The last reported branch is put on the market in February as the chain’s locations have gradually closed.
- 2015
Chain reaches six London restaurants
[1]Kerbisher & Malt has expanded to six restaurants across London.
- 2011
First Brook Green restaurant opens
[1]Saul Reuben and Nick Crossley establish the first Kerbisher & Malt restaurant in Brook Green, West London.
Products and positioning
Quality-focused, mid-market casual dining centered on fresh fish, traditionally prepared chips, and a contemporary interpretation of the British fish-and-chip shop.
Main dish · 2011
Fish and chips
Kerbisher & Malt’s defining offering was fish and chips, presented as a quality-focused restaurant dish. Contemporary descriptions emphasized fresh fish and chips prepared to retain the traditional character associated with British chip shops. The dish formed the core of the brand’s identity and was the basis of its positioning within London’s casual dining market.
Main dish
Burgers
Burgers are identified in existing descriptions as part of the broader Kerbisher & Malt restaurant offer. The available sources do not specify the recipes, range, ingredients, or period in which particular burger products were sold. They appear to have complemented the chain’s fish-and-chip focus within its casual restaurant format.
Beverage
Milkshakes
Milkshakes are listed among the brand’s reported casual-dining products. Specific flavors, recipes, serving formats, and launch dates are not identified in the available material. They formed part of the supporting menu around the restaurant’s principal fish-and-chip offering.
Recent events
- 2021
CRFC Ltd dissolved[1]
Bankruptcy
CRFC Ltd, the private company identified as the owner of Kerbisher & Malt, was dissolved.
- 2020
Final Brook Green restaurant put on the market[1]
Other
The chain’s last reported branch, in Brook Green, was put on the market in February 2020 as the locations had gradually closed.
- 2015
Kerbisher & Malt reaches six London restaurants[1]
Other
By 2015, the London fish-and-chip chain had expanded to six restaurants.
Sources1 sources
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