The outstanding south London bakery formerly known as Frog has renamed itself Toad following a legal challenge from Michelin-starred Covent Garden restaurant owner and former Masterchef: The Professionals semi-finalist Adam Handling in July.
The business, which is owned by Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello, and among the best bakeries in London, announced its name change online this weekend. “We’ve evolved; Same shit, brand-new name. Long live TOAD.”
It marks the end of a process which saw the duo hit with a surprise cease and desist from Handling’s AHRG restaurant group this summer. Later it emerged that Handling’s lawyers, Taylor Wessing, had issued a similar legal threat to Frog restaurant in Harrogate. That restaurant is now known as Lilypad.
One of the AHRG trademarks is for “THE FROG” — his restaurant is referred to as both Frog by Adam Handling and The Frog on its website. The legal case against the bakery was built on the idea that there was a potential cause for confusion between two operators that exist in the London hospitality industry.
“It’s all been resolved amicably,” Spaven told Eater London via Instagram. “It was a great opportunity to rethink our brand so early on and have fun with it. We’ve had a great response to TOAD and we’re looking forward to growing into the new name!”
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Eater London
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https://london.eater.com/23408412/frog-bakery-camberwell-new-name-toad-adam-handling-trademark-cease-desist
