Stonegate CEO – ‘we've grown profitability in more than 95% of the sites that we've transitioned’, expects positive outcome from talks with landlords: David McDowall, chief executive of Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has told Propel that the business has grown profitability in more than 95% of the sites that it has transitioned from its managed estate into its Craft Union or leased and tenanted divisions. Stonegate announced last year it was to streamline its managed portfolio to around 320 sites by the end of this September, from what was once a circa 850-strong estate. Speaking after Stonegate reported group profit grew 7.5% in the 16 weeks to 18 January 2026, McDowall told Propel: “The goal is to set the pub up to succeed in its local area and its local community and match it with the right operating model in which to do that. We do that in a very data informed way. It's about the central oversight that goes into running a managed business versus an operator-led business versus a leased and tenanted business. It's about the capital intensity. The strike rate in success is impressive, and we've grown profitability in more than 95% of the sites that we've transitioned.” The now 650-strong Craft Union continues to be the group's main driver of growth. McDowall said: “Craft Union is trading ahead of the market; a couple of points ahead of wet-led pubs, consistently. It's in very strong double-digit profit growth. So, we are really encouraged by it. I don't think it'll get massively bigger, if I'm honest. We're still moving sites into Craft Union. We're probably a little bit more selective about it now.” In January, Stonegate appointed FRP Advisory to help streamline its structure. Talk has been of rent concessions, and a possible restructuring plan for its leasehold estate, which makes up less than 10% of its portfolio. McDowall said: “We're working hard to mitigate in our leasehold estate the impact of everything that everyone else is fighting against – the impact of inflationary pressure, the impact of legislative pressures. So, the whole project is about us trying to ensure that high street leasehold estate is viable. And we're looking at options to achieve that. We're going to see, in most cases, a positive collaborative approach with our landlords.” Stonegate rolls out refreshed drinks menu and identity for Be At One – see Company News

 

Sponsored message – Paulig PRO unveils The World of BBQ range: Paulig PRO has unveiled The World of BBQ, a new Santa Maria range created to bring authentic global barbecue flavours straight to UK foodservice menus. A spokesperson said: “With barbecue continuing to rank as one of the strongest and most reliable flavour profiles in the market, operators are increasingly seeking bold, smoky and flavour forward dishes that deliver both comfort and crave appeal – without adding complexity to the kitchen. Developed specifically for professional chefs, the Santa Maria World of BBQ collection features eight sauces inspired by iconic barbecue regions and grilling traditions from around the world, including Kansas City, Memphis, South Carolina, Alabama, South Africa and Korea. The range spans rich and smoky classics through to tangy, sweet and the on trend ‘swicy’ heat operators are looking for. This global line up allows kitchens to experiment with flavour effortlessly while ensuring absolute consistency, speed and reliability across every dish. Highly versatile, the sauces work across core barbecue heroes such as wings, ribs and brisket, as well as wraps, loaded fries, bowls, burgers and mac ‘n’ cheese, helping operators refresh menus with minimal effort.” The Santa Maria World of BBQ range is available now via national wholesalers. Download The BBQ Playbook to inspire menu ideas and recipe innovation. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated searchable and segmented New Openings Database on Thursday: The updated Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers on Thursday (2 April). The database will show the details of 136 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published monthly, and Premium Club subscribers will also receive a 10,359-word report on the 136 new additions to the database. It is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel chief operating officer – editorial, Mark Wingett, and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel’s paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

One in five UK hospitality businesses fear collapse as costs surge: One in five hospitality businesses fear collapse in the next 12 months, according to an industry-wide survey that comes days before rises in tax and employment costs kick in. From Wednesday (1 April), many pub, restaurant and hotel companies face the prospect of a higher bill for business rates paid to their local authority, while an increase in minimum wage thresholds takes effect on the same day. One in five of the survey respondents, who between them operate more than 20,000 venues, said their businesses were at risk of failing in the next 12 months. Almost half (44%) were pessimistic, while 17% were operating at a loss and 2% believed their businesses were already unviable, according to data shared with The Guardian by sector analysts CGA by NIQ. The mood is likely to have worsened since the survey was performed in February, after turmoil in the energy markets following the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. Survey respondents put increased employment costs at the top of their list of worries, followed by business rates and inflation in the cost of food and drink. UKHospitality, which commissioned the survey alongside trade bodies from the pubs sector, said the increase in the national living wage and national minimum wage would result in an extra £1.4bn in costs for the sector.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fast-growing, international drink business that is looking for a head of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The focus is on building a high-performing commercial function to accelerate growth across the UK market. The head of sales will fundamentally be responsible for driving new business across their specified category, along with a bringing their commercial excellence and leadership to the role. The position requires five days in the London office (with days in trade or meetings included) along with a black book of contacts across either on or off-trade.” The salary is up to £70,000. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com

Parogon Group – ‘potential 40 to 50 locations that suit Willow concept’, recent trading ‘encouraging’, Mark McQuater steps down as chair: Richard Colclough, managing director of Parogon Group, has told Propel that there is potential for 40 to 50 locations for its all-day dining Willow format. The 12-strong company currently operates three Willow sites. Colclough told Propel: “Our premium destination, drive-to sites are still performing very strongly and provide expansion opportunities in addition to Willow and Orange Tree. The three formats allow us the option to look at attractive sites in different settings and select the most appropriate offer. Willow offers the most scope for expansion based on the type of sites that suit the format and their availability generally. As we trade the offers out of different areas we're building a profile of the ideal location. This translates into a potential 40 to 50 high footfall locations with the profiled demographic that suits Willow. We have significant headroom in our loan to value covenant that would allow us to finance any opportunities that arise. The big focus for the team over these first two quarters of 2026 is to develop and launch a loyalty app for Parogon, which about to enter closed beta testing. Our research suggests that due to the breadth of daypart offers and occasionality we offer guests as a group in a relatively tight geographical area, the impact of driving extra visits through a loyalty scheme could be material.” Colclough said sales for the financial year to date are 2.2% ahead of last year on a like-for-like basis and the last couple of months have shown growth “closer to 4% which is really encouraging”. He said: “Key dates such as Mother's Day have also been excellent with sales increasing by 5.8% like-for-like.” Meanwhile, Mark McQuater, the former chief executive of Revolution Bars Group, has stepped down as Parogon's non-executive chairman after two and a half years in the role. McQuater is currently chairman of Professionals at Play and Social Pantry. Colclough said David Myers, co-founder and non-executive director, is currently assuming the responsibilities of chair while it considers options.

Amber Taverns – ‘we’re comfortable spending between £30m-£40m annually on new openings’: James Baer, chairman of wet-led, community pub operator Amber Taverns, which is backed by Epiris, has said he would be comfortable investing between £30m and £40m annually on the 188-strong group’s expansion, as it looks to further grown in the south of England. The group’s heartlands have traditionally been north and west of Watford, but it has started to push further into the south of England over the past year. “How big is the war chest? I don’t want to say it’s unlimited, but it is substantial,” Baer told The Sunday Times, adding he would be comfortable splashing between £30m and £40m annually on the expansion. The firm is looking at sites in Kent, Essex and other counties for potential openings. Baer said: “We will take both ex-retail and unloved pubs. That does give us quite a lot of flexibility and the ability to grow on high streets. Clearly, traditional retail is in a bit of a mess and there are lots of properties coming up that will make great pubs. We make the investment in the pub, we do the beer buying to leverage our scale, we look after all the health and safety, licensing, insurance, all the things that would trip up a talented entrepreneur. I call it sweeping up and making the tea.” He is also reviving the £3 pint at a time when such prices are few and far between. Baer added: “The average price of every pint, which would include some more expensive drinks — the premium lagers, Guinness — would be just over £3. But the entry level — Gosport, John Smith’s — is under £2.50.” Baer will be speaking at Propel's Excellence in Pub and Bar Retailing Conference on Tuesday 19 May. Click here for full speaker schedule. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book tickets.

Barworks secures pub in London’s Clerkenwell, plans more Mare Street Kitchen sites: London bar group Barworks has told Propel it is back on the expansion trail after securing a new pub in Clerkenwell. The Marc Francis-Baum-led business has acquired the George & Dragon in St John Street for its fifth site in total. The company also operates sites in King’s Cross and Hackney, plus The Starman in Mayfair and Two Floors in Soho. Francis-Baum told Propel that Barworks had a further Mare Street Kitchen site lined up for next year in the capital, in a “secret location”, and was interested in taking the concept overseas. He said: “We start building on the George & Dragon today (Monday, 30 March) and giving it a good spruce up. We plan to turn the first floor into a lovely dining room. Unlike The Starman, there will be more of a focus on food. We want it to be a lovely, traditional, beautiful pub. We are sort of starting back up again. We have always been a pub group foremost, but Mare Street has been very much a big focus. The idea is to do both again, and so if we see a nice pub we’ll take it. But the focus is Mare Streets, and we do want to do more. We've got one earmarked for just over a year's time in a secret location in London. And then we want to go international – Brooklyn, Toronto, Austin, places like that.” David Gooderham, of AG&G, acted on behalf of the landlord on the Clerkenwell deal.

Bunsik franchisee has new sites in development after success of debut site: Will Bray, who became the first franchise partner of the Maguro Group-owned, Korean street food concept, Bunsik, after selling his four-strong Subway portfolio in the south west, has new sites in development in Cardiff and Southampton, after the success of his debut site in Bristol. Last September, Maguro Group opened its first franchise location with the launch of a Bunsik in Bristol’s Cabot Circus in partnership with Bray. The company said six months after opening, Bunsik Bristol has served more than 150,000 items of Korean street food and welcomed approximately 66,000 customers, demonstrating “strong regional demand beyond its established London and Manchester markets”. The business said: “The site has maintained consistent high-volume trading since launch, with one item served every 45 seconds during peak periods, highlighting both operational efficiency and sustained consumer appetite for fast-casual Korean street food.” Following the strong performance of its first franchise site in Bristol, the group said Bray is progressing expansion across the south and west, with new locations in Cardiff and Southampton in development. Jae Cho, founder of Bunsik, said: “The Bristol site has been a key milestone as our first franchise location, and its performance has reinforced the strength and scalability of the Bunsik concept. We’ve seen that our combination of high-quality Korean street food, strong visual identity and efficient operations translates successfully into regional markets, and we’re excited to continue expanding into new cities across the UK.” The group opened its ninth Bunsik site last December, in London’s Shepherd’s Bush.

The Ivy Collection hires Pollyanna Midwood as new CMO: The Ivy Collection, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant group, has hired Pollyanna Midwood, formerly of Starwood Hotels and The Birley Clubs, as its new chief marketing officer, Propel has learned. Midwood joins The Ivy Collection after three and a half years as regional director of marketing UK & EU at Starwood Hotels. She also spent six and a half years as a marketing and communications executive at The Birley Clubs. She said: “The Ivy Collection spans more than 60 restaurants and a private members’ club, from The Ivy in West Street, founded in 1917, to The Ivy brasseries and cafes, The Club at The Ivy, The Ivy Asia, Harry’s and Brasserie of Light. It’s a real privilege to join a brand portfolio that holds such a distinctive place in the UK and Ireland’s cultural and culinary landscape.” The company will open an Ivy Brasserie in Chester next month. Propel revealed in November that The Ivy Collection was planning to open on the former All Bar One site in the city’s Newgate Street. The company will now launch an Ivy Brasserie there on Tuesday, 28 April. Earlier this month, Sky News reported Caring was closing in on a deal to sell the bulk of his hospitality empire – which includes the Ivy restaurant brand and the Annabel’s members’ club – in a deal worth up to £1.3bn, to Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company, which is controlled by the Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Stonegate rolls out refreshed drinks menu and identity for Be At One following 30% uplift at London flagship: Stonegate Group is rolling out a refreshed drinks menu and identity across its Be At One brand following a strong performance at its London flagship Piccadilly relaunch. The changes form part of an offer evolution for the brand, which has 32 sites across the UK. The refreshed concept was first introduced at Be At One Piccadilly in November following a significant investment and transformation of the site. Since reopening, the venue has delivered a more than 30% uplift in like-for-like sales, alongside positive run rate metrics. Following the success of the trial, key elements of the Piccadilly concept – including the updated drinks menu, enhanced food range and updated brand creative – will now be introduced across all sites. The evolution introduces a streamlined menu, new signature serves, bar bites and draught beer across the estate, which has already proven popular at the Piccadilly site where it accounts for 13.5% of the drink sales mix. The brand’s “Happy Hour” remains central to the offer, with an updated proposition including two-for-one cocktails alongside fixed price offers across beer, wine and spirits, as well as a two for £7 shooters deal. Stonegate chief executive David McDowall said: “Be At One has always been known for delivering incredible cocktail experiences and unforgettable nights out. What we’re doing now is building on that heritage and evolving the offer so that it feels even more relevant for today’s guests. The success of the Piccadilly relaunch has shown how much appetite there is for a more versatile Be At One experience.” 

Just Eat’s new owner pushes for European revival: The new owner of Just Eat Takeaway has pledged to restore growth towards pandemic-era levels, setting an ambitious target despite years of slowing growth at the European delivery food group. Fabricio Bloisi, chief executive at Prosus, told The FT he aims to lift annual order growth to 20% before 2030 following its €4.1bn takeover of Just Eat last November. If achieved, it would reverse years of declining order growth at Just Eat. The group’s orders declined 5% between 2023 and 2024, after rising as much as 33% during the covid-19 pandemic. Bloisi said: “When they get to 20%. I don’t have this date, but it’s not 2030, it’s before. I want [it to be] tomorrow, but it will take more time.” He added it would adopt several initiatives from its Brazilian delivery company iFood to drive growth at Just Eat, including using artificial intelligence to suggest orders and more personalised marketing.

Wingers builds pipeline with two acquisitions, including Welsh debut, as it accelerates 50-site target: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant brand Wingers has built is pipeline with two further acquisitions, including a debut site in Wales, as it accelerates its 50-site target. Wingers, which currently has 25 locations, has acquired new properties in Leighton Buzzard in Buckinghamshire and Swansea – which will be its first in Wales. The company previously said it was aiming to reach 50 sites by the end of 2027. Doug Tweedie, of property consultants FHP Advisory, said: “It's been a busy start to the year for our client Wingers as we complete a new acquisition in Leighton Buzzard and an exchange in Swansea Fforestfach Retail Park, which once fitted out, would take the current estate to 27 national outlets. With a further 18 in legals, we continue to target 50-plus by the end of 2026, so if you have any opportunities within strong roadside, neighbourhood centre or retail park locations, we would be delighted to hear. An ideal size is between 1,000-1,500 square feet. We are looking nationwide, with a particular focus on Milton Keynes, Coventry, Northampton, Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol and Manchester, but all opportunities will be considered on their own merits.” Wingers was founded during the covid pandemic by Amran, Dylan and Bill Sunner.

Fast-growing US fitness brand Jetset Pilates to launch in London: Jetset Pilates, one of the fastest-growing boutique fitness businesses in the US, is set to launch in the UK for the first time. The brand’s debut studio will open at Norton Folgate in London located between Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street stations. Jetset Pilates has secured a 2,200 square-foot studio within the destination developed by British Land, with the London flagship expected to open in May or June. Jetset Pilates, which has more than 350 studios open or in development across the US, the UK, and Australia. has built a strong following across the US for its modern reformer Pilates concept, combining design-led studios, technology-led workouts and a premium fitness experience. Jetset Pilates founder, Tamara Galinski said: “London is where I first discovered reformer Pilates after the birth of my first daughter, and it profoundly impacted both my body and my mind. When I later moved to Miami and couldn’t find the kind of studio experience I loved, I created Jetset Pilates. Bringing the brand to London now feels incredibly special.” Shelley Sandzer acted on behalf of Jetset Pilates, Davis Coffer Lyons and Savills acted on behalf of British Land.

 

Five Akhis to expand London presence as it reveals pipeline to take it beyond 20 stores: Gourmet burger concept Five Akhis, which has fast-pizza brand Fireaway founder Mario Aleppo as a backer, is to expand its presence in London, as it reveals a pipeline to take it beyond 20 stores. Five Akhis currently has 17 locations including one in the capital – at 42 Whitechapel Road in east London. Propel understands that its next pipeline of openings will include a second location in the capital – in north London. Five Akhis is also understood to be lining up sites in Blackburn, Cambridge and Peterborough. Aleppo invested in the fledgling business in 2023, taking a 5% stake as well as lending his expertise. Five Akhi’s was founded in 2021 by four friends, or “brothers in Islam” (Akhi meaning “brother” in Arabic), who grew up in Milton Keynes together.

 

Bakery and retailer Flapjackery opens permanent site in Bath for 16th store: Bakery and retailer Flapjackery, which offers handmade gluten-free flapjacks, has opened a permanent shop in Bath as it continues to expand its presence. Now in its tenth year, Flapjackery has launched at 8 Pulteney Bridge, following a period operating as a pop-up at the location. It marks a 16th store for the business, which also has a presence at food festivals and events. Flapjackery co-founder Carol Myott said: “Pulteney Bridge brings together a wide mix of customers from across the UK and overseas. Many are new to flapjacks, so we take the time to introduce them properly. It is always encouraging to see people return shortly afterwards to take more home with them.”

Wiltshire and Oxfordshire McDonald’s franchisee sees significant cost pressures impact margins and operating profit: Wiltshire and Oxfordshire McDonald’s franchisee Jaam Restaurants has reported significant cost pressures have led to a fall in margins and reduction in its operating profit. The company, founded by Joanna Jones in 2017, operates 14 restaurants. The company reported turnover of £65,603,162 in the year to 31 March 2025 compared with £91,443,965 in the previous 17 month period. The company’s pre-tax loss stood at £528,408 against a profit of £76,282 in the 17 months prior. As its estate expanded, costs rose to £56,588,239 and administration expenses were up to £33,484,411. Dividends of £36,000 were paid (2024: £78,000). Jones said: “We are disappointed with the results for the year but confident the company can return to profit in 2025-26. Gross profit as a percentage of sales has decreased by 0.79% from 38.12% to 37.33% due to food cost inflation and increased labour costs. The company has positive cashflows and the balance sheet shows net assets of £147,352. The re-imaging strategy continued to have a positive impact on sales growth, which is in line with the director's expectations and objectives. The company continued its investment in the national McDonald's refurbishment projects. The IRLX (In Real Life Experience) upgrade programme was carried out at one restaurant during the year and is designed to provide greater speed, efficiency and choice in how consumers order their food. The company is expected to be profitable in the next accounting period despite the impact of rises in food cost inflation. We are confident the company will continue to grow due to the strength of the brand and success of delivery and digital services.”

Better burger business Mr T’s to open second London location next month: Better burger business Mr T’s will open its second London location next month. The site will open in King Street, Hammersmith, joining its only other location in the capital, in the Exchange Mall in Ilford. Mr T’s, founded in Bradford in 2016 by Tauseef Malik, currently has 11 locations, predominantly in Yorkshire. Malik said: “Mr T’s is coming to Hammersmith. Bringing our signature mix of burgers, parmesans, pizza, and shakes, this expansion is another step in the business’ rapid growth across the UK! Hammersmith’s food scene continues to evolve, and this is one to watch.” Malik is also behind the My Peshawar restaurants in Bradford, Batley and Manchester, with a Birmingham location also set to open this spring.

London Italian sandwich concept Dal Fiorentino opens fifth site for West End debut: London Italian sandwich concept Dal Fiorentino has opened its fifth site – and first in the West End. The company, founded by Cristina Affortunati and her husband Andrei Bazavan in 2022, has opened in the former Made in Little France unit at 38 Westbourne Grove. Dal Fiorentino focuses on Schiacciata – a flatbread synonymous with Tuscany and Umbria and widely available throughout Florence. The Schiacciata is made daily and filled with Italian ingredients. The menu includes the Machiavelli made with Tuscan pancetta, Stracciatella cheese, nduja cream and grilled courgettes, and the Giotto featuring black olive spread, beef tomatoes, fresh basil and Extra Virgin olive oil. Dal Fiorentino also has locations in Brick Lane, Fitzrovia, Holborn and Hoxton. In November, Affortunati told Propel: “We would love to open more shops around London, ideally expanding into new areas beyond east and central. There’s still so much potential for growth across the city – we see opportunities in neighbourhoods where people value quality, authenticity and a sense of community.”

London dog care business launches café concept: London dog care business WagWorks has launched a dog-friendly café concept. The Coffee House has opened at its Islington location in Upper Street. WagWorks offers premium dog care services spanning training, daycare, healthcare and grooming from its sites in Islington and Fulham. The business was founded by lifelong dog lovers and city-dwellers James Netherthorpe and Rhi and Ollie Hudd-Williams, “to make life easier for urban dog owners and better for their dogs”. 

Yorkshire gin company acquired out of administration but sole retail site closes: The business and assets of Yorkshire gin company Slingsby Gin have been acquired out of administration, but its Harrogate shop has closed. Matthew Russell and Gareth Lewis, of Lewis Business Recovery & Insolvency, were appointed as joint administrators of Spirit of Harrogate on 18 March 2026. The company is the retailer and owner of the Slingsby Gin product range. Founded in 2014 by Marcus Black and Mike Carthy, the business traded from a store in Montpellier Parade. The business and assets were sold to Brightside Spirits immediately following the joint administrators’ appointment, but the shop has closed due to large overheads. Chris Williams, director of Brightside Spirits said: “We are delighted to be part of bringing this much-loved gin back to life. As long-time supporters of independent Yorkshire producers, we couldn't stand by and watch a brand with such strong heritage potentially disappear. Our immediate focus is on stabilising the business, rebuilding production, and ensuring that the outstanding quality and character of Slingsby remain at the heart of everything we do. Over the coming months, we will be investing in the brand, strengthening local partnerships, and exploring new ways to celebrate the craftsmanship that made this gin so special.”

Birmingham restaurateur selling up to focus on new hotel venture: Birmingham restaurateur Raj Rana is selling up to focus on a new hotel venture. Rana has run fine-dining Indian restaurant Itihaas, in the city centre, for more than 21 years. The restaurant is being offered either as a freehold sale or as a leasehold opportunity, as Rana prepares to launch an “ambitious new venture” in his home county of Worcestershire. He plans to launch a new hotel featuring an on-site restaurant and dedicated wedding and banqueting facilities, bringing with him his management team and chefs. He said: “I will be sad to close this chapter at this location, but at the same time, excited about the new journey ahead. Running a hotel with an on-site restaurant and wedding banqueting operation is a significant undertaking, but my team and I have been preparing for this transition for some time. We are highly motivated and excited about the next chapter for the Itihaas family.” Itihaas is on the market with an asking price of £1,250,000 for the virtual freehold, with offers also being invited for the leasehold. Christie & Co is marketing the site.

 

IHG Hotels opens ‘Gloucester’s first boutique hotel’: IHG Hotels has opened “Gloucester’s first boutique hotel”, which also includes its first rooftop bar, as the centrepiece of the city’s £107m Forum development. The 129-room Hotel Indigo, whose décor has been inspired by Gloucester’s Roman and cultural heritage, has already taken more than 1,000 bookings. Gloucester City Council provided a commercial loan of up to £4m to IHG to open the hotel. Cllr Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “This will be our first boutique hotel, and it will be a game changer in terms of what we can offer our thousands of visitors. It will mean that Gloucester is not just a day trip but an overnight destination with a quality hotel right next to transport links.” IHG, which has 24 Hotel Indigos across the UK, said the rooftop bar, named Crimson Spire, offers panoramic views over the city and its historic cathedral. The hotel’s West Window all-day bistro and Terraé café complement The Forum’s 44-tonne glass and steel skybridge, now an event space. Meanwhile, IHG has reopened its Hotel Indigo in London’s Shepherd’s Bush following a complete transformation. Once home to the BBC’s Kensington House recording studios, the design of Hotel Indigo London K West Shepherd’s Bush pays homage to its rich musical heritage – where legends David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley once recorded. The hotel features 231 bedrooms, including a collection of suites, an all-day restaurant with an open kitchen, a neighbourhood bar and flexible co-working spaces. An urban spa will follow later in the year.

 

Cheshire hotel acquired out of administration: Cheshire hotel the Forest Hills Hotel has been acquired out of administration, saving 60 jobs.  The hotel, in Frodsham, offers a leisure club with a swimming pool, a sauna, 58 bedrooms and restaurant. Over its 120-year legacy, Forest Hills Hotel has hosted performers including Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, Lulu and The Beatles. Lisa Moxon and Christopher Barrett, of DSW Business Recovery, were appointed as administrators of Mersey View Pleasure Grounds, the company behind the hotel, on 17 March. Following a sales process, the administrators identified Elmstech as a buyer for the hotel’s business and assets for £1.55m, ensuring its continuation. Simon Dunn, director of Elmstech, said: “Acquiring Forest Hills Hotel will preserve a historic and much-loved property for the Frodsham and wider Chester community.” The administrators were advised on the transaction by Hill Dickinson and Landwood Group. 

Surrey resort to open new restaurant as part of £1.5m F&B investment: Foxhills Club & Resort, which is owned by Surrey operator Alexander Fraser Holdings, is to launch new restaurant Lomri as part of a £1.5m investment in its food and beverage offer. The new restaurant – opening on Thursday (2 April) – is part of a wider repositioning of the Manor House, the next stage of Foxhills’ evolution and continued reinvestment. This follows a wider multimillion-pound programme of enhancements across Foxhills in recent years, including bedroom refurbishments, new padel and pickleball courts as well as its family leisure facility The Pavilion. Lomri will be led by head chef Achal Aggarwal. Named after the Hindi word for Fox, a nod to the resort’s heritage, the restaurant concept reflects both Britain’s long-standing culinary connection with India and a growing appetite for regional, experience-led dining. Lomri will seat 80 covers and have a semi-private dining area. Alongside Lomri, the Manor Lounge and Bar will be relaunched. Alexander Fraser Holdings also operates Farleigh Golf Club in Surrey.