Giggling Squid extends tentacles westwards

The fast-growing Thai tapas concept Giggling Squid, has announced record profits and has acquired a prime site in the upmarket Clifton Village area of Bristol, known for its wealthy sophisticates and vibrant student population.

“I’ve wanted to open in Bristol for quite a while - it’s a great city with possibly the most exciting restaurant scene in the country right now – I can’t wait to become part it,” said Giggling Squid owner Andrew Laurillard, whose family originates from Cornwall and was educated in Devon.

Giggling Squid will invest around £100,000 refurbishing the Princess Victoria Street site, currently operational by an 88-seater Strada restaurant, and expects to open after Christmas, creating around 20 new jobs.

Giggling Squid currently operates successful venues in Brighton, Hove, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, Henley-on-Thames, Reigate, Stratford-upon-Avon, Marlow, Horsham and Sevenoaks.

Co owned with Andy’s wife Pranee Laurillard (the brand is derived from the nickname of one of their three children), Giggling Squid’s formula of serving “rustic” Thai cuisine, with the emphasis on sea- and street-food, is a winning one. Fans compliment the restaurants for having the “feel” of a one-off independent, rather than a mass “produced” corporate chain.

Meals are freshly prepared in the kitchen from scratch, and its healthy tapas menu, had proved universally popular, especially at lunchtime with office workers, “yummy mummies and “ladies who lunch.”
Since opening the first Giggling Squid in 2009, the pair deliberately set out to look and cook different – using drift wood and reclaimed timbers, to create a modern chic environment.

The lunch menu offers a choice of six Tapas-style ‘tasting sets' that allow diners to sample several of different dishes in at a single sitting, costing between £8.00 and £10.50 with 16 individual dishes priced under £4.00. “Big” dishes with rice cost £6.50 to £7.95. “Combi” meals with starters are priced between £6.00 and £7.25.

The evening menu is more extensive with over 50 dishes available. The ever popular Thai Green Chicken Curry is £8.95.

“It’s all down to the food,” says Pranee commenting on what makes the restaurants a success, whose expansion has come against a back drop of one of the longest economic down turns in recent history.

More information at gigglingsquid.com.