Mackenzie Wheeler was engaged on the first Livebait fish restaurant in the Cut in Waterloo that opened in 1996 and became an award winning classic. A further 6 restaurants followed in Central London, Oxford, Leeds and Manchester as the brand developed a new and distinctive style.

The highly original cuisine was matched with very distinctive and theatrical interiors, always with busy open kitchens set in wholly tiled and mirrored interiors that evoked the community spirit and energy of South London’s Pie and Mash shops. Much copied finishes such as the bevelled edged Metro tiles and reeded glass were introduced in Livebait, since becoming familiar elements of the modern English restaurant interior.