In August 2007, Thomasina Miers, who had won the BBC television competition MasterChef two years earlier, opened the first Wahaca in London's Covent Garden. The chain grew into a well-known UK casual dining brand before undergoing a Company Voluntary Arrangement in 2020 that closed several sites but allowed the core operation to continue. The story of Wahaca is one of a founder who used a cooking show victory to fill a gap in the market for authentic Mexican street food, then had to restructure when the pandemic hit.
Miers co-founded the venture with Mark Selby. The name Wahaca is a phonetic spelling of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, whose cuisine had inspired Miers during her travels. The Covent Garden site was the first of what would become a chain across the UK, built on a promise of sustainably sourced ingredients and a casual dining experience that was then rare for Mexican food in Britain.
From MasterChef Winner to Restaurant Founder
Thomasina Miers won MasterChef in 2005, a victory that gave her a platform but not a ready-made enterprise. Before the show, she had worked in food media and had spent time traveling in Mexico, where she developed a deep interest in the country's regional cooking. The UK at that point had few venues serving Mexican food that was not heavily adapted for British tastes. Miers saw an opportunity to introduce a version closer to what she had eaten in Mexico, using fresh ingredients and traditional techniques.
Her co-founder Mark Selby brought operational experience. Together they secured a site in Covent Garden, a location that drew tourists and office workers. The doors opened in August 2007, serving tacos, quesadillas and other street-food staples. The early menu emphasised corn, beans, chillies and chocolate, sourced where possible from producers who followed sustainable practices.
The Meaning Behind the Name Wahaca
The name Wahaca is a deliberate misspelling. It takes the Mexican state of Oaxaca, pronounced wa-HA-ka, and writes it as it sounds in English. Oaxaca is known for its indigenous cuisine, including mole sauces and tlayudas, and Miers wanted the name to evoke that culinary heritage without requiring customers to navigate the Spanish spelling.
The phonetic choice also made the brand easier to remember and to search for online in the late 2000s, when restaurant discovery was moving from print to digital. The name did not try to sound Mexican in a stereotypical way. It was a practical nod to a specific place, one that Miers believed had the food culture to support an entire concept. The brand identity that followed used bright colours and a casual aesthetic, matching the street-food positioning.
Early Growth and Expansion Across the UK
New Sites and a Consistent Format
After the Covent Garden opening, Wahaca expanded to multiple sites across the UK. The chain grew steadily through the 2010s, opening in locations such as Canary Wharf, Westfield London, Manchester and Brighton. Each new outlet followed the same format: a relaxed setting, a menu built around tacos and sharing plates, and a bar serving margaritas and Mexican beers.
Funding and Competitive Positioning
The expansion was funded through a mix of internal cash flow and external investment, though the precise terms of those deals are not publicly recorded in detail. What is clear is that the brand became a fixture in the UK casual dining sector, competing with chains such as Tortilla and Chilango. Wahaca differentiated itself through its sustainability message and its association with a well-known chef, which gave it media coverage that competitors without a television founder could not match.
Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing as Brand Pillars
Ingredients and Supply Chain
From the start, Miers positioned Wahaca as a chain that cared about where its food came from. The operation sourced free-range chicken, sustainable fish and organic corn for its tortillas. It also worked with suppliers who paid fair wages and used environmentally friendly farming methods. This was not a marketing add-on. It was central to the brand's identity, at a time when few casual dining chains in the UK made such commitments explicit.
Operations and Public Voice
The sustainability focus extended to the sites themselves. Wahaca used recycled materials in its fit-outs and aimed to reduce food waste. Miers also wrote cookbooks and articles that reinforced the message, making her a public face for ethical eating. For customers, the promise of food that was both authentic and responsibly sourced justified a price point slightly above that of a standard fast-casual chain.
The 2020 CVA and Financial Restructuring
The Pandemic's Impact
In 2020, the COVID-19 crisis hit the UK hospitality sector hard. Wahaca, like many restaurant groups, saw its revenues collapse when lockdowns forced closures. The firm responded by entering a Company Voluntary Arrangement, a legal process that allowed it to restructure its debts and close several underperforming sites. The CVA was approved by creditors, and the core operation continued to trade.
A Leaner Operation Emerges
The restructuring meant that Wahaca emerged from the pandemic with fewer locations but a more sustainable cost base. The exact number of sites closed and the total debt restructured were not disclosed in detail in public filings. What is known is that the brand survived, unlike some competitors that entered administration. Miers remained involved, and the chain continued to serve customers. The CVA was a corporate milestone that marked the end of the first growth phase and the beginning of a leaner operation.
Legacy and Impact on UK Casual Dining
Redefining Mexican Food in Britain
Wahaca's influence on UK casual dining is that it proved a chain built around a specific regional cuisine, with a strong sustainability message and a celebrity chef founder, could scale. Before Wahaca, Mexican food in Britain was largely limited to Tex-Mex chains such as Chiquito or the fast-food brand Taco Bell. Wahaca introduced a version closer to what is eaten in Mexico, and it did so at a price point that made it accessible for a mid-market audience.
A Lasting Founder-Led Enterprise
Miers also demonstrated that a MasterChef win could be turned into a lasting venture, not just a cookbook deal. Her career as a food writer and author continued alongside the restaurant group. As of April 2024, Wahaca remained a trading brand. The company's trajectory, from a single Covent Garden site to a chain that survived a pandemic restructuring, is a case study in how a founder's personal brand, a clear concept and a willingness to adapt to financial reality can sustain an operation through a crisis.
Key Facts
- Founder: Thomasina Miers (MasterChef winner 2005)
- Co-founder: Mark Selby
- First restaurant opened: Covent Garden, London, August 2007
- Name origin: Phonetic spelling of Oaxaca, Mexico
- Corporate milestone: CVA restructuring in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic
FAQ
What does Wahaca mean?
Wahaca is a phonetic spelling of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, pronounced wa-HA-ka.
When did the first Wahaca open?
The first Wahaca restaurant opened in Covent Garden, London, in August 2007.
Did Wahaca survive the pandemic?
Yes. The company entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in 2020, closed several sites, and continued operating.
