Platter John Lewis will replace the long-standing The Place To Eat brand across 32 cafés, including the one at Westgate Oxford.

The first refurbished spaces will reopen from this month.

The investment forms part of John Lewis’ £800m multi-year investment in its brand, stores and customer experience, as the retailer focuses on giving customers even more reasons to visit, meet and spend time in its stores.

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Refurbishment work has started in three John Lewis stores, with Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street, London, the first branches to undergo investment.

A Place to Eat at John Lewis (Image: Ed Burnett)

The scale of change will vary from store to store, with Oxford Street receiving the most extensive revamp

The Oxford Street restaurant will reopen in early August as the flagship Platter John Lewis, following a 13-week transformation.

All 32 cafés will be refurbished and rebranded by the end of 2027.

There are 62 cafés and restaurants across the store estate, with hospitality accounting for more than 20 per cent of John Lewis in-store transactions.

A Place to Eat at John Lewis (Image: Ed Burnett)

Katie Papakonstantinou, director of services and hospitality for John Lewis, said: “Customers are spending more time in our shops, and food and drink is an increasingly important part of that experience.

“Platter John Lewis will give customers a more modern, welcoming place to pause, meet and enjoy something delicious while they shop.

“This is an exciting investment in our hospitality offer and an important part of how we’re making John Lewis shops even better places to visit.

“We’re pleased to get the first refurbishments underway and look forward to opening our flagship at Oxford Street this summer.”

John Lewis at Westgate Oxford (Image: John Lewis Partnership)

John Lewis has linked up with hospitality specialist Benugo to transform and operate the new restaurants.

The partnership builds on an existing 10-year relationship with Benugo, which already runs cafés under its own name in 10 John Lewis stores.

Platter John Lewis will sit alongside the retailer’s wider hospitality offer, which includes Benugo, Ori cafés, Huffkins tea rooms, Jamie Oliver Cafe and Kamakura at Oxford Street.

While offering a refreshed menu, Platter will keep John Lewis customer favourites, as well as popular My John Lewis membership offers such as free hot drinks and cake.

John Lewis opened as the anchor store at Westgate Oxford when it relaunched in 2017 following a £440m revamp, which included 100 new shops and restaurants, including some at the centre’s rooftop terrace.

It is now the city’s only remaining department store, following the closure of family-run Boswells in 2020, and the closure of Debenhams in early 2021.

The space occupied by Boswells on the corner of Cornmarket and Broad Street is now occupied by The Store hotel, while the former Debenhams in Magdalen Street is to become a £125m lab space overseen by The Crown Estate.

John Lewis Partnership owns the Waitrose supermarket chain.

Organised by the parish of Witney, the Witney Festival of Food and Drink was held on Saturday, May 16, from 10am to 4.30pm.

Nearly 70 stalls were on St Mary’s Church’s grounds and inside the medieval place of worship, offering a wide range of food and drink from local producers.

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Richard Young, licensed lay minister, said he was “delighted” by the event.

He said: “The weather was kind right through to mid-afternoon and there was a wonderful atmosphere across St Mary’s, the churchyard and Church Green from start to finish.

“The expanded programme in the Festival Arena proved especially popular and helped create a real sense of energy and community throughout the day.

The Witney Food and Drink Festival 2026 (Image: Ed NIx)

“Even a few late afternoon drops of rain could not spoil the occasion.”

This expanded programme included a festival bar serving craft ales from Little Ox and Tap Social, alongside cider from Old Stag, and coffees and cocktails from UE Coffee and the Wood Brothers Distilling bar respectively.

A children’s scavenger hunt was put on and live music included Sol Samba on the Church Green at 12.30pm.

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“One of the most encouraging things,” said Mr Young, “was hearing such positive feedback from our stallholders”.

Indeed, Jenny Allsopp from Sutton Courtenay Berry Biscuits said: “We had an incredible sales day. We beat all previous years since we’ve been coming.”

Mr Young added that he and his fellows at St Mary’s Church wanted to thank the volunteers, traders, performers, sponsors and visitors for making the event a reality.

Earlier this month, Abingdon School announced it is to merge with two prep schools in the town.

Independent schools across the county are now agreeing to mergers as they seek ways of consolidating their position, with mergers a method of building ‘resilience’.

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Abingdon School, a private boys’ school which is one of the top performing schools in the country, has joined forces with Abingdon Prep School and The Manor Prep, to form the Abingdon Schools Group at the start of the new academic year.

Abingdon Prep School is in Frilford near Abingdon, while The Manor Prep is in Faringdon Road, close to St Helen and St Katharine school for girls, another top performing independent school.

From left to right: Nicky Black, Head Abingdon Prep School; Rachel Hamlyn, Head The Manor Prep; and Mike Windsor, Head, Abingdon) (Image: Abingdon School) (Image: Abingdon School)

The announcement follows Abingdon School’s decision to become co-educational, admitting girls to the first year (Year 7) and Sixth Form (Year 12) from September.

James Sporle, chair of governors at Abingdon School, said earlier: “The formation of the Abingdon Schools Group is a commitment to the future.

“By joining together from a position of strength, we are creating a robust and sustainable group united by excellence that offers our families long-term stability and breadth of choice.

Abingdon School (Image: Contributed)

“Families, pupils and staff can continue to expect the same distinctive educational experience and sense of belonging that defines each school, while benefiting from the advantages of closer collaboration and shared expertise.”

Peter Dickson, chair of governors at The Manor Prep, said: “This partnership marks a significant and exciting milestone that celebrates and protects the unique heritage of each of our schools, while our shared commitment to educational excellence will unlock even greater opportunities for our pupils.”

In May last year, Radley College and Prep Schools Trust, which includes Cothill House and Chandlings Prep School, announced they were merging.

Chandlings and Cothill House, which educate boys and girls from two to 13, are close to Radley College – one of three remaining full boarding schools for boys aged 13-18. 

George May, headteacher at Cothill House (Image: Contributed)

Prep Schools Trust is a family of seven junior schools across the country, including Kitebrook in the Cotswolds on the Oxfordshire border which educates 330 pupils.

All eight schools joined forces to form Radley Schools Group in September 2025.

The Council of Radley College, which manages the private school, took on the controlling responsibility for the group.

Prefects at Radley College (Image: Andrew Walmsley/Radley College)

Radley Schools Group said in a statement at the time: “Radley Schools Group believes in the timeless and authentic values of high quality charitable independent education.

“Through the strength and stability of our group, we are committed to providing exceptional educational opportunities for all our pupils throughout their childhood.

“Blending the very best of tradition and innovation, we seek to develop young people of outstanding character and purpose for generations to come.”

Kingham Hill School (Image: Ollie Tigwell)

In July last year, Kingham Hill School, near Chipping Norton, which educates 325 pupils aged 11 to 18, became part of the Cheltenham-based Dean Close Foundation.

It decided to join the foundation based on “shared values and a commitment to developing the unique potential in every pupil,”.

Rye St Antony in Headington (Image: Contributed)

And in September, 2024, Headington School and Rye St Antony School merged to form Headington Rye Oxford.

The new school includes facilities for a prep school for pupils aged three to 11 at the Rye site, and for girls aged 11-18 at the Headington senior school site.

Our Lady’s Abingdon private school closed suddenly last year, citing financial pressures.