El Perro Negro’s Nick Watkins is opening a new venture in Shawlands next month. Birds, a brand-new fried chicken concept, aims to do to chicken what El Perro Negro did to shake-up the Glasgow burger scene, and will open within Phillies of Shawlands. Laura Hughes, General Manager of Phillies, will oversee all front-of-house operations for both businesses.
Recently crowned as the UK’s ‘Burger Chef of the Year’ at the National Burger Awards 2025., Nick Watkins, founder of El Perro Negro and co-owner of Birds, said, “Birds has been in the making for some time, and I’m absolutely buzzing to finally share what we’ve been working on.
“We’ve built a reputation at El Perro Negro for keeping things simple and letting high-quality ingredients do the talking, and Birds will be no different. Partnering with Phillies, a place that has become a real hub for great food and drink, is the perfect fit. We can’t wait for people to see – and taste – what we’ve got in store.”
The venture is a collaboration that sees Watkins and business partner, Peter McKenna, owner of The Gannet, and also a shareholder in El Perro Negro, joining forces with Luke Miskimmin and Phil Kirkpatrick, the duo behind Phillies.
Luke Miskimmin, co-owner of Phillies, said, “We’ve always been about bringing people together over great food, drinks, and atmosphere, and Birds will add another dimension to the Phillies offering. The opportunity to collaborate with Nick, Peter, and the whole Birds team was an absolute no-brainer – it’s going to be something really special for Shawlands.”
Picture: (L-R) Laura Hughes, Nick Watkins, and Luke Miskimmin.