Notting Hill’s hottest new venue isn’t some swish restaurant with a hotshot chef. And it’s not a scene-y spot filled with the capital’s style set. Unusually, it’s a frozen yoghurt brand that has a cult following in Australia a following that’s been transferred to London, judging by the hours-long queues in the first few days since it opened, last Thursday, August 20.
Yo-Chi was founded in Melbourne in 2012, but it’s only in the last few years its popularity has skyrocketed. In 2020, when it was taken over by current owners Oliver and Riley Allis, it had just four sites down under, but now it boasts more than 75 spots across Australia. Broadsheet Australia has billed the brand’s venues “Australia’s hottest club”, thanks to the queues it draws and the party-like atmosphere that it’s created below its signature disco balls (its venues even have bouncers for crowd control).
Here in London, Yo-Chi is already making an impact – co-owner and chief brand officer Oliver Allis says a big part of the groundswell of support in London is thanks to the podcast The Girls Bathroom, whose hosts went on a trip to Australia two years ago. “They continued to bug us over here because they loved it so much,” he tells Broadsheet. “Then we had honestly hundreds of Brits who had travelled to Australia and done Tiktoks or Instagrams about how Yo-Chi needs to come here – the community did a lot of work for us.”
Allis says Yo-Chi – which invites customers to build their own bowls of fro-yo from nine flavours, with more than 30 toppings – offers Londoners an alternative to boozy socialising. “We’re trying to be a non-alcoholic third space that’s not the pub,” he says. “It’s a really fun, welcoming experience, and could be a night out for some people, like it is in Australia. That’s probably the biggest gap [in the market in London].”
The Notting Hill venue is 2000 square feet and sprawls across two levels. Patrons build their own fro-yo bowls below a custom-made strawberry-shaped disco ball in a space Allis describes as “whimsical”. It’s fitted out with organic materials like timber and copper, and red and white tiles sourced from Italy. “This could be my favourite venue,” Allis says. “[We’ve] taken everything learnt from seven years of experience in Australia, then [brought] the best of the best to a new market.”
Part of Yo-Chi’s appeal is in the hundreds of variations at customers’ fingertips. Frozen yoghurt flavours include classic vanilla, signature tart (like Greek yoghurt), chocolate and mango – then punters can load on their choice of more than 30 toppings. There’s treats like dark chocolate pretzels, chocolate fudge brownie, bananas in caramel and Maltesers, as well as fruit including kiwi fruit, strawberries and watermelon. There’s also Nutella flowing from a tap, among other warm sauces to drizzle over the top. UK exclusives include candy kittens, sour watermelon sweets, apple pie filling and cherry compote. Customers pay for their bowls by weight, meaning mixing and matching toppings is more than encouraged. More UK-only flavours will be introduced as the brand embeds itself locally.
For Allis, the Yo-Chi experience in Australia goes beyond the fro-yo – and it’s something he wants to bring to London. “The overarching thing is that [we are] are positive force,” he says. “And we feel mega grateful for the love the UK audience has shown us, even the ones who haven’t been to a Yo-Chi in Australia before. It is really crazy what we’re experiencing.”
Yo-Chi
81–85 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JS
Hours:
Mon to Wed 10am–10pm
Thu to Sat 10am–11pm
Sun 10am–10pm
