Meet Chef Sommelier Melanie Brown: The Kiwi Behind The Laundry
Meet Chef Sommelier Melanie Brown: The Kiwi Behind The Laundry
The Laundry has always been more than a restaurant on Coldharbour Lane.
Behind the brunches, the wine list, the covered terrace, the long tables, the private events and the very strong belief that food should feel generous, there is Melanie Brown, Chef Sommelier, restaurateur and the Kiwi force behind The Laundry.
Melanie is best known as the founder of The Laundry, Brixton’s all-day neighbourhood bistro and wine shop. Her approach brings together European bistro tradition, New Zealand flavour, thoughtful wine and the kind of hospitality that feels polished without ever feeling stiff.
From New Zealand to Brixton
Melanie’s cooking and wine style is shaped by a mix of New World energy and Old World influence.
Raised in New Zealand with Swiss heritage, her food world has always been led by flavour, seasonality and a deep respect for provenance. That mix comes through clearly at The Laundry, where classic bistro dishes sit alongside fresher, brighter influences and a wine list that does not just play it safe.
The result is a restaurant that feels relaxed, but considered. Familiar, but not predictable. A neighbourhood spot, but one with proper food and wine thinking behind it.
A chef sommelier with serious wine credentials
Before The Laundry, Melanie’s career moved through pastry kitchens, front-of-house roles and some of London’s most influential food and wine spaces.
Her early experience included Raymond Blanc’s Le Petit Blanc, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen and Vinoteca, before working with Peter Gordon at The Providores. There, she pioneered the UK’s first 100% New Zealand wine list, which later led to her launching The New Zealand Cellar, which became Specialist Cellars and received and multiple awards for its New Zealand wine selection.
So when wine takes centre stage at The Laundry, it is not just because it looks good on a menu. It is because wine has always been part of Melanie’s story.
The list at The Laundry balances Old and New World bottles, with rare finds, unexpected producers and drops bottles that are chosen to be explored, not just ordered by habit.
The Laundry;, built around food, wine and feeling looked after
Opened in Brixton, The Laundry is Melanie’s flagship restaurant and the home of her wider food and wine world.
It is an all-day neighbourhood bistro inspired by European cafés, but with its own New World warmth. Brunches, lunches, dinners and sundowners all have a place here, with food that is bold, generous and made to be enjoyed properly.
That philosophy shows up across the menu, from Turkish Eggs and The Laundry Fry Up at brunch to steak frites, duck confit, veal piccata, desserts, digestifs and L’Apéro drinks in the evening. The uploaded menu also reflects the restaurant’s all-day bistro feel, with brunch, snacks, mains, cocktails, desserts, BYO wine and group dining all sitting under one roof.
It is not just about what is on the plate. It is about how the whole table feels.
Beyond Brixton
The Laundry is the centre of Melanie’s brand, but not the limit of it.
Through Laundry Bespoke, Melanie brings restaurant-quality catering to weddings, corporate events, private parties and hosted dining. Through The Wild Table, she explores fire-led, immersive dining experiences rooted in connection, provenance and open-air cooking.
In recent years, Melanie has also been recognised for her wider influence in food and wine. She was named a KEA World Class New Zealander in 2023 and recognised by Cuisine Magazine as Global Ambassador for Women in Food & Drink in 2025.
Her work has taken her from Brixton to festivals, long-table feasts, open-fire experiences and national food platforms, but the feeling is still very much The Laundry. Warm. Generous. Wine-led. Properly hosted.
The Kiwi behind the table
At the heart of Melanie’s work is a simple idea: food and wine should bring people together without making them feel small.
That is why The Laundry works as a brunch spot, a dinner plan, a private dining room, a terrace table, a wine stop and a local favourite all at once. It is shaped by someone who knows food, knows wine and knows that the best hospitality should feel easy from the guest side, even when a lot is happening behind the scenes.
So yes, The Laundry is a Brixton restaurant. But it is also a very Melanie Brown kind of place.
Thoughtful, bold, generous and always ready for another glass.