Fin and Lorcan Spiteri’s takeaway-fuelled Perudo party

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For Fin and Lorcan Spiteri, the lead-up to Christmas is less about celebrating and more about work. The brothers run Bruno’s and Caravel, a floating cocktail bar and restaurant duo on two converted barges on Regent’s Canal: Fin handles drinks; Lorcan is the chef.

Lorcan and Fin Spiteri with their father Jon, a hospitality consultant, and Chinese takeaway from Three Uncles © Poppy Thorpe

Stylist Nicole Hawker, Lorcan’s girlfriend, with Fin’s dog Bruno in the kitchen © Poppy Thorpe

The festive period is necessarily a busy one but it’s familiar to all in clan Spiteri. Jon Spiteri, their hospitality consultant father, helped open restaurants including St John and The French House Dining Room. Their mother Melanie Arnold co-owns Rochelle Canteen with Margot Henderson. Sister Molly works for Koya noodle bars.

From left: Fashion entrepreneur Chiara Menage, Lorcan and Fin’s sister Molly, who works for Koya noodle bars, Hawker, Lorcan and Jon © Poppy Thorpe

A bottle of Trinnes rosé on deck © Poppy Thorpe

From left: Max Halley, owner of Max’s Sandwich Shop, Fin and Lorcan, and Deloitte consultant Naf Flanders © Poppy Thorpe

Tonight, however, is a rare night off, and the brothers are hosting a family tradition on the barge – the Spiteri Perudo tournament. The game involves bidding on how many dice of a certain number are on the table: you lose when your bid is successfully challenged. Jon and Arnold started the tradition when their children were young; winners of each competition have their name inscribed on a trophy. “I remember trying to go to sleep upstairs,” says Fin. “All you’d hear would be dice rattling.” Guests this evening are a mix of players old and new. “The two tournaments are joining – there’s some proper experience in there, but also some youthful vigour,” says Fin. The first camp includes hip surgeon Tim Nuthall and Max Halley, owner of Max’s Sandwich Shop. Among the greener players are stylist Nicole Hawker, Lorcan’s girlfriend, and Deloitte consultant Naf Flanders.

Dinner is a takeaway from Three Uncles, a series of Cantonese restaurants that are a Spiteri family favourite. “It’s nice to have a night where you don’t have to worry about cooking or washing-up,” says Lorcan, who is usually in the tiny kitchen cooking bistro-style food: confit duck legs, skate with brown shrimp and potato rösti with caviar. The brothers hand out boxes of roasted pork, chicken and duck with cans of Three Uncles lager while Bruno, Fin’s Staffordshire cross, snuffles around the table hopefully. “We’ve always been suckers for Chinese takeaway – we lived in Soho,” says Lorcan, who first did the “pilgrimage” to Three Uncles’ Liverpool Street site with Molly during lockdown. “We wouldn’t cook for these kinds of nights – we just get stuff in.”

From left: Lorcan and Fin’s mother Melanie Arnold, co-owner of Rochelle Canteen, Lorcan, Hawker, Jim Gale, head of programme at Sessions Arts Club, and PR consultant Jamie Green © Poppy Thorpe

A restaurant window aboard the Caravel boat, Poppy © Poppy Thorpe

Lorcan sets up for a game of Perudo with Jon and producer Charlie Palmer © Poppy Thorpe

The game begins almost immediately, as does a rabble of questions, posturing and affectionate squabbling. “You little shit,” cries Halley when Fin starts a round of bidding too high (an aggressive competition tactic). A paddle boarder in a puffa jacket peers curiously through one of the circular windows. Ultimately the trophy is taken by Fin, who relies on a combination of bold moves and relaxed showmanship – an approach not dissimilar to how the brothers treat hosting in general. “It’s that thing of not trying to be too clever or too complicated,” says Fin. “Make sure they have nice food. Make sure we welcome them. The rest takes care of itself.”