Wellington Pub Company reports 13 lease forfeitures in most recent quarter: Wellington Pub Company, the 798-strong free-of-tie pub estate owned by the Reuben brothers but subject to a securitisation, has reported ten properties were re-let and there were 13 lease forfeitures in the most recent quarter to 31 March. A report to bondholders stated: “At the quarter end there were 798 public houses in the estate. This is three fewer than the last quarter. The disposal strategy remains to sell bottom end and / or problem properties and those that have a higher alternative use value. 679 pubs (85% of the estate) are let on a long lease. Ten properties were re-let on a long lease during the quarter and there were 13 lease forfeitures. The estate is producing an annual income of £27.5 million, which is 0.7% below last year.” Average Ebitda per pub has fallen from £26,366 in the year to December 2001 to £19,097 in December 2012, a drop of 28%. In December, ratings agency Fitch downgraded Wellington Pub Company’s notes and reported a “negative outlook”. It stated: “The lease renewal process remains an area of concern for Fitch as a significant portion of the portfolio is due for renewal over the next three years - more than 16% of all leases are set to expire by 2013. Wellington continues to experience a shortage of experienced and financially strong tenants looking to enter substantive agreements for residential pubs, and as a result, 159 pubs are (as per September 2012 reporting) not on long leaseholds (up from 102 pubs at the same time in 2011), of which 55 are vacant. During the four quarters up to September 2012 73 properties have been repossessed (up from 38 properties the year before) - the highest number within any four quarter period thus far.”

Planning rules could hasten demise of high street pubs: Changes to planning rules that make it easier for owners to convert buildings from one use to another could decrease the number of independent shops and hasten the decline of the British pub by allowing businesses to convert them into offices without the need for planning permission, critics have claimed. The new laws, which will apply for two years, would allow businesses such as betting shops and pay day lenders to open up in a wide array of high street locations without the need for a public consultation. Officials at the Department for Communities and local government said the measures are designed to cut red tape and will apply to empty or redundant shops.

Boston Marathon customer return to settle their bills: Many customers who fled from Boylston Street businesses in the chaos of the Boston Marathon bombings are now making good on their bar and restaurant bills. Dozens of customers have got in touch with the restaurants and hotels where their tabs went unpaid after two explosions near the marathon’s finish line, local reports said. Tony Castagnozzi, owner of the Rattlesnake Bar and Grill, said he has so far recovered some $1,200 of the $3,000 he estimates he lost when customers were evacuated by police in the bombing’s aftermath. “There are so many good people out there,” Mr Castagnozzi told the newspaper. Over-the-phone payments have come in from across the US, including Colorado, Florida and Virginia.

Barbeque food sales increase by 30% in pubs in the summer: Insights firm CGA Strategy has reported that revenue from barbeque foods - burgers, steaks and ribs - leap 30% in spring/summer compared to autumn/winter. This equates to at least 6% more sales per week in summer versus the rest of the year, based on CGA’s performance tracker Trading Index. Rural and suburban areas see a greater uplift for BBQ style items than their high street counterparts. In fact, sales of burgers and steaks are higher in the autumn/winter on the high street, than they are in the summer. This outdoor eating occasion fits perfectly with current cider trends which show that packaged brands also see greater uplifts in suburban (+59%) and rural (68%) outlets than they do on the high street (+39%) when comparing summer and winter trends. CGA’s Tom Lynch said: “Summer typically sees consumers expand their repertoire with a broader range of pub visits; creating genuine opportunities for outlets to exploit any outdoor space. Al fresco dining is a real feel good summer pastime, providing a genuine competitive advantage for outlets who successfully utilise their garden or terrace. BBQs, garden games and festivals can ensure that our often scarce sunshine converts directly into pounds and pence.”

Innventure reports Ebitda of over £1m expected in current financial year: Innventure, the six-strong operator of gastro-pubs headed by former Mitchells & Butlers executive Chris Gerard, has reported its expects Ebitda in excess of £1m in the current financial year ending next month. A Companies House filing reported that sales were essentially flat in the year to 30 June 2012, masking success in growing sales at The Wellington, Welwyn and The Forresters pub in Hampshire. In June 2012, the company opened The Cross Keys in Saffron Walden, incurring significant pre-opening costs, which reduced the profits of the company. Turnover for the year was £5,282,532 (2011: £5,271,269), operating profit was £425,495 (2011: £508,648) and pre-tax profit was £237,889 (2011: £357,915). During the year, Innventure negotiated the repayment of an £1.3m external shareholder’s loan, with the repayment funded with a new facility from National Westminster Bank. The company stated: “Performance going forward is forecast to be strong with an anticipated Ebitda of over £1m for the financial year 2012-2013, complete with anticipated strong cash flows. The company’s cash position is expected to be in excess of £1m by 30 June 2013. The business is now set-up strongly with billing services provided by Pelican, Indicator providing profit and loss reportage to sub-department levels, enabling new rewards opportunities for key staff in charge of those sub-departments. From the customer’s perspective, the business continues to work on food that is delicious, service that is personal and individual and a drink and accommodation offer that is distinctive.” 

Greene King buys Marston’s pub for Hungry Horse opening: Greene King has bought a Marston’s community pub in Blackpool whose future was in doubt just a few years ago and will convert it to its Hungry Horse brand. Planning permission was granted in 2009 to bulldoze The Welcome Inn on Vicarage Lane in Marton and replace it with shops, flats and a smaller licensed premises – but the plan was not actioned. Greene King has now revealed it is making a “substantial investment” to convert the pub into a Hungry Horse. A Greene King spokeswoman said: “The Welcome Inn will be re-opening as a Hungry Horse in August, bringing around 40 new full and part time jobs to the local area.”

Marston’s get go-ahead for new-build in Swansea: Marston’s has been given the go-ahead to open a new-build pub restaurant in Fforestfach. A Swansea Council planning committee approved the Marston’s application for a pub/restaurant opposite Tesco. It will be built on land at Fforest Mill Garden Centre at the junction of Pontarddulais Road and Ffordd Cynore, opposite Tesco. The application is for a two-storey building, with a three-bedroom manager’s flat on the first floor, parking, play area, pergola and service yard.

Seafood Pub Company to add two sites: Two new openings will double the size of the Seafood Pub Company estate to four. The Fenwick will be relaunched in the Lune Valley of Claughton, near Lancaster, in June, while the refurbished Farmers Arms at Great Eccleston, north of Preston, will open in August. The Seafood Pub Company opened its first restaurant, The Oyster & Otter, in Feniscowles, near Blackburn, in 2011. Its second pub launch was The Assheton Arms at Downham in the Ribble Valley. The Seafood Pub Company is operated by father and daughter team Joycelyn and Chris Neve, a Fleetwood fish wholesaler, and international chef Antony Shirley. Joycelyn Neve said: “The brand allows each of our pubs to build its own character, but everything centres on providing customers with consistent qualities that they know to expect - exceptional quality locally sourced food, cooked and presented in the straightforward uncomplicated way that it should be.”

Turtle Bay gets backing for ten site expansion from Santander: Caribbean restaurant chain Turtle Bay is set for a major expansion after it received funding from Santander bank. The brand will open up to ten new restaurants and create 200 jobs following the deal with Santander. The group has sites in Bristol, Southampton, Nottingham and Milton Keynes. Bristol-based founder and managing director Ajith Jajawickrema founded Las Iguanas in 1991. He said: “I am delighted that we have secured this funding with Santander, which will enable us to open up to ten new restaurants and create around 200 jobs over the next couple of years. Santander has really taken time to understand our business and understand the potential of the concept. I look forward to working with them in the future.” Simon Whyatt, relationship director for Santander Corporate & Commercial, added: “I am delighted we have been able to support the growth plans of Turtle Bay. The casual Caribbean dining concept works really well and is something that hasn’t really been done before. Ajith’s vision has worked incredibly well in the past, with Las Iguana’s for example, so we have complete faith that he will make a real success of this, his next venture.”

YO! Sushi confirms Cheltenham opening: YO! Sushi has confirmed that it will open in Cheltenham by the end of 2013. Replacing the current town centre-based Pizza Hut on The Promenade, YO! Sushi is set to open its doors to customers before the end of 2013, whilst also creating up to 30 new jobs in the local area. Chief executive Robin Rowland said: “We are very excited about opening in the great town of Cheltenham, which allows us to reach a brand new audience and enable more customers to experience the unique dining experience that we offer.”

Bath Ales creates craft brewery Beerd: Bath Ales has created a new brewery operation called Beerd that will tap into the growing consumer interest in quality craft beers with a range of fresh and innovative brews. Shane O’Beirne is the experimental head brewer at the helm of Beerd. He said: “Demand for locally produced craft beer continues to rise and we want to offer drinkers something genuinely new and different. At Beerd Brewery we combine traditional British brewing techniques with unconventional ingredients to give our beers unique flavours and a clear point of interest. The huge range of craft beers available in the US is a big inspiration for us. Every one of our beers is a one-off, though the most popular may become more permanent fixtures. The first Beerd beers to hit the pumps include Superweizen!, a Hefeweizen style beer with a banana aroma and a hint of clove, an American Brown Ale made with five malts and four hops, and Porters in a range of flavours including chilli, liquorice, vanilla, mint and almond.” The new Beerd Brewery is based within the expanded Bath Ales brewery between Bristol and Bath. Roger Jones, managing director of Bath Ales, said: “We wanted something with its own identity which would allow us to experiment with new brews. We want people to try the Beerd beers and judge them entirely on their merits as different and unique expressions of the brewers’ art. Our focus will remain on driving forward our core range, but the Beerd Brewery is a great way to demonstrate what we are capable of and we hope and expect that it will further the move of more drinkers considering quality, flavour and authenticity in what they enjoy.” Beerd Brewery beers are on sale now in namesake craft and pizza bar in Bristol and will be available in venues across the south west.

Lord of the Rings themed pub to open in Harborne: A new Lord of the Rings inspired pub is to open in Harborne. The former Kings Arms pub on Harborne High Street is due to reopen as The Huntsman under new owner Aman Rishi at the end of June. A large ‘tree’ will serve as a focal point and help create a Middle Earth feel, while open books used as lamp shades will appear to float in mid-air. Rishi said: “My hopes are that it will be a fun celebration of JRR Tolkien’s literature and poetry, giving Harborne High Street a mystical touch and patrons a chance to swap their usual quiet drinks for a few enchanted hours in the magical, Lord of the Rings inspired world of The Huntsman.”

Cupcake brand opens canteen and bakery site: Cupcake brand Fancie, based in Sheffield, opened its first canteen and bakery this week. The new brand extension, on Ecclesall Road, will offer breakfast, a day menu, a supper club, a private dining and events space and an outside catering facility. Earlier this month, however, the business closes the doors on its Meadowhall shop, after three years in business. The firm, run by Amanda Perry, has two dedicated cupcake shops in Sharrowvale Road, and The Winter Gardens, in addition to the new bakery.

Award-winning Yorkshire chef opens The Spiced Pear – with vintage tearoom: Award-winning chef Tim Bilton has opened the The Spiced Pear, on Hepworth’s Sheffield Road, a freehold, having moved across from the leased Butchers Arms in the town. Formerly The Hepworth, and prior to that Cragrats, the restaurant features an a la carte menu with five starters, five mains and five desserts of seasonal artisan produce. The new cocktail lounge/bar offers bespoke cocktails, wines and beers – accompanied by music from a grand piano – and the newly-created Fourteas tearoom, decked out with antiques from the 1940s, serves up coffees and a range of speciality teas accompanied by sandwiches, cakes, croissants and any-way-you-like eggs. There is an unusual ‘Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea’, which includes homemade bread and dripping, mini Yorkshire puddings, roast beef pork pie, scotch eggs and balsamic onions. Bilton won Best Gastro Pub 2010 at the Great British Pub Awards for The Butchers Arms. He also won the title of ‘Delicious Yorkshire Champion in 2011-12, Pub Restaurant Chef of the Year 2011 in the Craft Guild of Chefs Award and appeared twice on the BBC’s Great British Menu and the Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Leon founder takes to Twitter to find new head of marketing: Leon founder Henry Dimbleby has taken to Twitter to help find the company a new marketing chief. Dimbleby tweeted: “I am desperate for a head of marketing. Anyone know of anyone? Or any good headhunters. Please email beth@leonrestaurants.co.uk.”

Suffolk family opens second pub: A Hadleigh pub has re-opened after a complete refurbishment at the hands of a family hoping to repeat the success of its first business. Lorna Macmillan and her brothers Oliver and Iain have overseen the transformation of The Ram in Market Place and will open the new-look pub and restaurant tomorrow. They have been running their first pub, The Swan in Long Melford, since August 2011, with Lorna in charge of front-of-house, Oliver as head chef, Iain as a trainee chef and dad Andrew keeping tabs on the finances. “It has been a seven-week rebuild,” said Miss Macmillan, from Hadleigh. “The Ram is a really historic building and there are lots of quirky bits about it we have left – we want it to feel like a modern country pub.”

Punch Taverns launches new marketing initiative: Punch Taverns has launched a new marketing initiative – a CD will be sent to all licensees with a copy of Marketing Your Pub, a free guide which gets sent quarterly to every Punch pub. The disc will contain a range of resources, including printable POS and advice on driving footfall, improving drinks quality and saving money. Stephen Martin, drinks category manager for Punch Taverns, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve our marketing support and give our Partners effective communication tools. The disc has given us the ability to make a greater amount of resources available. We have already received positive feedback from Punch area managers and trainers as well as our licensees who like the fact that they can pick and choose what point of sale they want to print. Our partners have commented that it is user-friendly and they can share it with staff.”

Buffet restaurant operators take on second site: Buffet restaurant operators Tony Jiang and Li Xin, who own the Hongxin Oriental Restaurant in Pepperbox Hill, have bought The Plum Tree public house in Swindon’s Regent Street – and plan to convert the property into a modern Oriental buffet restaurant. The Plum Tree was sold for an undisclosed sum but was listed at an asking price of £485,000. Nicholas Calfe, of specialist property advisers Christie + Co, who brokered the sale, said: “We wish Mr and Mrs Li luck with their new venture. This sale is representative of the current market. Purchasers are often local operators looking for businesses in prime locations where they are able to expand their business concepts.”

Masterchef winner plans restaurant opening: Masterchef’s youngest ever winner in 2011, Tim Anderson, is planning on opening up a new restaurant, Nanban in London this year. The focus will be on Southern Japanese food, specifically Kyushu, where Tim lived for two years, but also cuisine from the islands of Okinawa.

Wagamama signs deal to open in Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal shopping centre: Wagamama has signed a 20-year lease on a 3,000 square foot unit at Edinburgh’s Ocean Terminal shopping centre. The brand has agreed an annual rent valued at £20 a square foot. Resolution Property, the European real estate fund which acquired Ocean Terminal in January 2012 for an undisclosed sum, said the new let to Wagamama forms part of a major new development on the top floor at Ocean Terminal to enhance the centre’s catering and leisure offer. The development programme at Ocean Terminal will also include the renovation of all three floors to help invigorate the ten-year-old centre, Resolution said. Wagamama is due to open its new Ocean Terminal outlet later this year. It will take the total number of restaurants and cafes at Ocean Terminal to sixteen, which includes Frankie & Benny’s, Zizzi, PizzaExpress and the Handmade Burger Company.

House opens second site: House, the café, bar and restaurant concept co-owned by the husband of Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton, has opened in Worcester’s CrownGate. The 3,500 sq ft site features a café, restaurant, champagne and cocktail bar over two levels with extensive outside seating. More than 350 guests attended the venue’s launch event earlier this month. It is the second House opening in the UK since the concept launched in Liverpool late last year and the owners are currently planning a range of other openings across the UK. Erica Burlace, CrownGate’s centre manager said: “We’re delighted to welcome House to the scheme. Worcester is an affluent city so a quality eating and drinking experience like House is a natural fit with our existing retail offer.”

Richoux Group to open second Zippers: Restaurant operator Richoux Group is to open a new Zippers restaurant in Port Solent. The American restaurant, bar and grill is set to open in August 2013 at the waterfront leisure destination. It will be the second Zippers restaurant, with the other one located at Chatham, Kent. The announcement comes a week after Richoux Group opened Dean’s Diner in Fareham, its 15th restaurant. Zippers will undergo a £500,000 refurbishment project and create 20 new jobs. It will join a host of restaurants, including Dean’s Diner, PizzaExpress, Harvester, Chiquitos and Prezzo. Richoux Group managing director Ed Standring said: “We are looking forward to opening Zippers at Port Solent. Our first Zippers restaurant has proven very successful and we are confident that the new one will enjoy the same levels of success and be a good addition to the Port Solent marina development. Port Solent is a superb destination for dining out, entertainment and sailing and we are pleased to be opening Zippers in the company of other excellent restaurants. We already have a Dean’s Diner restaurant at Port Solent and the opening of Zippers within the development shows our confidence in our different branded restaurants working alongside each other. We will continue to look for great locations in order to open new restaurants across our four brands; Richoux, Dean’s Diner, Villagio and Zippers.”

11 Atmosphere Bars sites to close this Friday if company not sold: Administrators for Atmosphere Bars and Club will close another 11 sites this Friday if the company is not bought out of administration in the meantime. The administrator has already closed three sites meaning that just ten of the original 24 sites will be open at the weekend. A deadline for expressions of interest in rescuing Atmosphere Bars and Clubs from administration passed last Friday. Administrators Deloitte say there have already been “a number” of expressions of interest for the company, based in Seebeck Place, Knowlhill. The spokesman would not confirm which 11 outlets have been selected to close, saying: “Our priority is to tell the employees first.” At the start of the administration process, the business had 75 full-time and 418 part time employees. Daniel Butters and Adrian Berry of Deloitte are joint administrators to Atmosphere Bars and Clubs. Butters said, when the company went into administration on 14 May, that “unfortunately, as a consequence of cash flow problems, the decision was taken by the directors of Atmosphere Bars and Clubs to place the company into administration.” The spokesman added that the administrators would “like a conclusion as quickly as possible” not least for the company’s remaining employees. The group posted an annual pre-tax loss of £4.1m for the year to 26 February 2012, with management blaming “unsustainable” discounting by rivals for the loss. This came after a pre-tax loss of £5.2m the year before. Two Chicago Rock Café sites in Maidstone and Warrington have already been closed by the administrator.