Sam Harrison

A passionate restaurateur, Sam Harrison has been involved in restaurants and hotels since the age of 16. His career has taken him all over the world, from Australia to Canada, before bringing him back to London to open his own first businesses - Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison’s in Balham. Prior to this, Sam was General Manager for Rick Stein’s operations in Padstow, Cornwall, and also spent two years working in Sydney. Returning to the UK, Sam achieved financial backing from Rick Stein and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas to open Sam’s Brasserie in 2005, and then Harrison’s in 2007. Sam’s singular, owner-driven ethos of charming and professional customer service, together with his front-of-house experience and desire to serve high-quality food, proved to be a winning formula at both venues. In the summer of 2015, after a decade of hugely successful trading, Sam sold both of his restaurants to The Hawksmoor Group. Over the subsequent couple of years, Sam honed his hospitality experience to provide consultancy, coaching and training within the industry. In November 2019, Sam launched Sam’s Riverside, a contemporary European brasserie and bar with Harvey Trollope as Head Chef. Near Hammersmith Bridge and facing the Thames, the restaurant is adjacent to the Riverside Studios, which has undergone a total transformation.