Cambscuisine to open smokehouse pub concept: Cambscuisine, the highly-rated operator of five Cambridgeshire gastro-pubs and the Chophouse brand, is planning to open a smokehouse concept within a pub environment. The company, led by Oliver Thain, Richard Bradley and Max Freeman, has paid a £110,000 premium to acquire the private lease on The Old Eraina Tavern site in Cambridge, in the middle of an emerging restaurant quarter that includes The Pint Shop and Cau. A total of £220,000 will be invested in the site, which will re-open at the end of June. Thain told Propel: “We have developed a smokehouse/BBQ concept called SmokeWorks. The strapline is ‘Slow Cooked. Fast’. We’ve worked very hard on the menu in the last six months and have come up with a basic premise of 12 dishes under £12. The quality of the food is paramount. We are producing the food in a central kitchen, which suits this style of slow-cooked food – and if the concept goes well, will enable us to develop this into something bigger. 90% of the menu will be available for takeaway. We are embracing the latest technology to enhance speed of service and hoping to have turnover of tables at 45 minutes. The concept is about energy, food quality and speed-of-service. It’s quite a different proposition from Cambscuisine’s other restaurants which are targeted at a very different demographic but there will be plenty of cross over since it is primarily for food lovers.” The site will offer 50 covers. Thain added: “The décor is industrial and raw, with an aged patina of metal and timber – think New York diner meets Sheffield steel works meets post-Second World War Polish café! We’re having a lot of fun with this concept and we hope this is reflected in the customers’ experience.” Thain said SmokeWorks would sit between Pitt Cue and Reds. “The bigger branded chain are taking the larger sites in Cambridge and we think we can punch well just below that gang in site terms – there are plenty of dodgy old pubs in Cambridge this offer would suit,” he said.

   

BT Sports reports 19,000 businesses have signed up: BT Sport has announced that more than 19,000 pubs, clubs, betting shops, hotels and other commercial premises have now signed up to its sports service. In just nine months since the channels went on air for the first time last August, independent research shows that BT Sport has captured 24% of all pubs, including groups and independents, putting BT Sport neck and neck with Sky at 25%. BT has increased the commercial market for TV sports packages, based on the number of new customers who have not previously subscribed, by around 26%. Bruce Cuthbert, director of commercial customers at BT Sport, said: “To sign up 19,000 customers is a fantastic achievement and underlines the appeal and the affordability of BT Sport. And to achieve a 24% share of pubs in our first year is phenomenal. A year ago we said we wanted to bring premium live sport to a wider audience, including those that were unable to afford Sky’s high prices, and that’s exactly what we’ve done. To be able to grow the market by 26% and to be a part of what pubs are able to offer their customers is enormously satisfying.”

   

All-you-can-eat buffet restaurant fines customers for leaving food: An eat-all-you-can buffet restaurant, Patrizietta, in Losone, Switzerland, is charging diners five Swiss francs (£3.35) for not finishing their plates. The restaurant runs an unlimited lunch buffet for 12 francs, and many customers were taking more than they could finish, resulting in a heavy amount of food waste. Patrizietta’s chef, Giovanni Tafuro, said: “I wanted to send a strong signal. It made me sick to see so much food being thrown out.”

   

Squatters move into Spirit pub to campaign for re-opening: Campaigning squatters have taken over a Grade II listed pub that has been derelict for three years in an attempt to get it re-opened for the community. The squatters, who moved in on Sunday, are hoping to agree a deal with Spirit Pub Company, which owns the Doctor Johnson pub in Longwood Gardens, Barkingside, near Woodford in Essex. Police attended the pub when the security firm Clearway was alerted to the squatters, but they were allowed to stay, as it is legal to squat in a commercial property.

   

Second Pound Pub opens: A second Pound Pub has opened located in Atherton, near Wigan, Greater Manchester. The first Pound Pub, in Stockton-on-Tees, opened last month. Four brands, Fosters, Theakstons, Strongbow and John Smith’s, are on offer at £1 for half a pint or £1.50 for a pint. The pub also offers bottles of Becks beer and the fruit drink J2O for £1, and pints of Pepsi and R Whites lemonade for the same price. The location has an EasyJet-style logo and the motto “more round for your pound”.

   

Tesco to introduce 80 family dining areas and 50 Harris & Hoole coffee shops this year: Tesco is to introduce 80 family dining areas, such as Giraffe and Decks, in the current financial year, and add 50 Harris & Hoole outlets and 100 bakeries, the supermarket chain’s UK managing director, Chris Bush, told its annual trade briefing at Wembley Stadium. The company is adopting a “food first” strategy in larger sites, with a front-of-store area for food on the go, which is currently on trial at 34 stores. The latest Decks carvery is opening in Lincoln tomorrow, creating 35 new jobs. Decks Lincoln will form part of the new Tesco store on Wragby Road. Amy Palmer, general manager for Decks Lincoln, said: “Decks Lincoln celebrates the best of British cooking. It seeks to satisfy our renewed interest in our own produce as well as the rejuvenation of quintessentially British eating customs – specifically the full English breakfast, the Sunday roast, and tea for two.”

   

Eataly looking to open second New York site – and expand to London: Eataly founder Oscar Farinetti has outlined plans to open two more sites in New York and expand to other international cities, including London. In addition to confirming plans for a new store in central New York, the company is also poised to open a third New York City store somewhere further out of the centre. In 2015, Farinetti said, Eataly will open its first South American store, perhaps in São Paulo, then will also look to expand to Moscow and London.

   

YO! Sushi signs new US franchise agreement for 50 sites: YO! Sushi has signed a deal with a new US franchisee who will open 50 sites in the US over the next six years, mostly focused on the Eastern Seaboard. The franchisee, One.23 Entertainment Group, will open the first site at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, one of the US’s top ten shopping malls. The company is in the final stages of signing deals for three other locations that are similar to the first. Chief executive Vanessa Hall said: “One.23 is a highly experienced operational team and we have been in discussions with them for some time to plan the appropriate pace of growth for the biggest dining out market in the world that has yet to have a fast casual sushi chain.” Coby DeVary, chief executive of One.23, said: “We were blown away with the food, concept and the fun dining experience this iconic brand provides. The flexibility of the footprint and the growing demand for quality sushi in the US is what led us to YO! Sushi. The timing is perfect.” Earlier this week, Propel reported that YO! Sushi’s first US site in Washington DC’s Union Station had closed less than two years after it had opened.

   

Fire closes original Wabi in Horsham five months after it was bought for more than £1m: A devastating fire has closed the original Wabi in Horsham five months after it was acquired for well in excess of £1m from the receivers by Paul and Verity Craig, owners of the hugely successful Bohemia bar in Brighton. Paul Craig has promised it will rise ‘like a phoenix from the ashes’ when it re-opens in three to six months time. Between £400,000 and £500,000 of damage was caused to the building by the fire. Paul Craig told Propel in January: “Wabi, Horsham is a viable healthy business and will keep trading as a stand-alone business. I intend to refurbish the site in coming months and lift the food and drink offering. It will remain a high-end cocktail bar, late lounge and Japanese restaurant.” Paul Craig was voted Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2010 Sussex Business Awards and has been in the industry over 20 years operating dozens of different sites.

   

Stephen Garrity opens second site: Stephen Garrity, the former Restaurant Group director and managing director of Est Est Est, has opened a second site to add to his recently opened Est Est site on Merseyside. The second restaurant, in Chester, is called Et Alia at The Red House. The Red House, on Dee Banks in Boughton, has been a part of local historical culture for over a century. The £200,000 3,500 sq ft restaurant redevelopment has been funded by a consortium of local investors. Ian Crosby, executive chef at Est Est and Et Alia said: “Although Est Est in Aigburth has only been open for five months, the feedback we have so far had from our customers has been absolutely fantastic. They have really embraced our menu of honest Italian food which we make with the finest, freshest ingredients from local producers and Italian deli suppliers.” 

   

St Austell Brewery buys Cornish hotel off £1.5m guide price: St Austell Brewery has bought the Port Gaverne Hotel in the coastal hamlet of Port Gaverne off a £1.5m guide price through the property agent Christie + Co, which was selling the site on behalf of vendors Graham and Annabelle Sylvester. The hotel occupies a picturesque location only yards from the beach, a short distance east of the neighbouring fishing village of Port Isaac, the location for the filming of the television series Doc Martin. Port Gaverne Hotel is a long established business with a main bar, dining room/restaurant, first floor lounge and 15 en suite letting bedrooms. St Austell will operate the business with a new lessee, David Barnard, who also operates The Molesworth Arms in Wadebridge on behalf of the brewery.

   

Draft House reports 13% like-for-likes in April: Draft House, the London operator led by Charlie McVeigh and backed by Luke Johnson, has reported like-for-like sales rose by 13% in April. The company has achieved 10% like-for-like growth since it’s the start of its financial year in November. A spokesman told Propel: “We are cruising – we just need more sites now.”

   

M&B opens first Miller & Carter on a retail development: Mitchells & Butlers will open its first Miller & Carter premium steakhouse site on a retail development tomorrow (16 May). The new opening is located on Hereford’s new retail development, the Old Market. Last year, M&B’s chief executive, Alistair Darby said the company planned to get its shoulder behind the wheel of Miller & Carter’s expansion. The Restaurant Group opened a Frankie & Benny’s at the Old Market on Monday (12 May).

   

Spirit opens 100th Flaming Grill site: Spirit Pub Company has unveiled its 100th Flaming Grill, after a £96,000 transformation of The Nags Head in Mickleover, Derby. Sally Whittaker, brand director for Flaming Grill, said: “Flaming Grill is fast becoming one of the UK’s most popular pub brands. Our ‘challenge’ dishes are becoming ever more popular with our guests, who like to team up and make an event of it when taking on one of our challenges. We’ve got a great year planned and we’re in a fantastic position to make the most of this summer and continue to grow the brand – I’m sure we’ll be celebrating our 200th milestone in no time at all.”

   

Five restaurant brands open at £7m extension to White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds: Five restaurant brands have opened at a new food court in part of a £7m extension to the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds. The openings are by Frankie & Benny’s, Prezzo, Wok & Go, Primo’s Gourmet Hotdogs and Handmade Burger Co. They join a line-up of 17 existing eateries at the centre, including Nando’s, McDonald’s, Costa Coffee and Bagel Nash.

   

James Rollo – Enterprise Inns shares offer an attractive risk to reward ratio: Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Jamie Rollo, who has a 200p price target on Enterprise Inns shares, has argued that the company’s offers an attractive risk-to-reward ratio. He said: “Enterprise’s trading performance seems to be stabilising, after six years of declining like-for-likes and earnings per share, and leverage is more manageable post the convertible bond issue. ETI is a cheap play on the UK consumer (8x p/e, 15% FCF yield) and real estate measures (0.5x NAV), and its leverage means 2% like-for-likes drives 12% EPS. With the UK economy improving, the pub industry seeing solid YTD trading, and ETI seemingly turning a corner, we think forecast risk is suddenly on the upside. NAV is double the current share price, providing an additional level of support. We see 2x more upside to our Bull case (260p) than downside to our Bear case (100p).”

   

Bill’s Restaurants lines up Marlow opening: Bill’s Restaurants has submitted an application to Wycombe Council to convert former office building at 48 West Street, Marlow into a restaurant with more than 100 covers. The design also includes an outdoor seating area, which has sparked concern with the owner of a neighbouring business, Marlow Nail & Beauty. In a statement of objection to the council, Simon Gibson wrote: “We offer quiet and relaxing therapies at all times of the day and I am concerned that these would be compromised by noise from happy patrons.” A decision date is yet to be determined.

   

Jamie Oliver signs three-year deal with Woolworths in Australia: The first campaigns of a three-year deal between Jamie Oliver and the Australian store group Woolworths begin this week, led by a collection of healthy food stickers for children called Jamie’s Garden Collectibles, with 128 stickers featuring fresh produce and garden animals. There will also be a range of 29 easy-to-cook, wholesome meals called Created With Jamie. Oliver said: “I’m incredibly proud and excited about the next stage of my partnership with Australia’s fresh food people at Woolies. Together we aim to inspire the 18 million customers that walk through Woolies stores every week with great recipes and fresh food inspiration and get them excited about what they can achieve in the kitchen at home.”

   

Eat Wild to open first restaurant: Eat Wild, the Cirencester company that specialises in game, wild meat and venison processed using traditional butchery techniques, is to open its first restaurant. The business, led by brothers William and Calum Thompson, has been named Local Food Champion for the Midland Region in the 2013 Countryside Alliance Awards, known as the Rural Oscars. The Thompson brothers are due to open their Eat Wild restaurant on Friday, 23 May at 4 Castle Street, Cirencester.

   

Cornwall Food Foundation plans Truro ‘field-to-fork’ restaurant: The charity behind Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall has plans to establish a new field-to-fork restaurant within a 92-acre project planned for Truro. The Cornwall Food Foundation has joined a partnership proposing a community farm project at Higher Newham. The farm project would sit within developer Living Villages’ plans for an “exemplar” village housing scheme of 155 new homes. The developer plans to gift 70 acres of land to a charitable trust formed to manage it on behalf of the local community. The Cornwall Food Foundation operates its Watergate Bay restaurant under licence from Jamie Oliver and delivers the chef training scheme. Its new venue would use farm-reared and grown produce, demonstrating the journey from field to fork. It will also offer a cook school and training kitchen for people of all ages and abilities to learn about preparing and sharing food. While the foundation has ambitions to open two new restaurants in the next five years, this restaurant will not be part of the Fifteen family.

   

Playnation acquires Funhouse Leisure: The Birmingham-based prize and vending equipment company Funhouse Leisure has been acquired by its rival Playnation. Funhouse Leisure was founded 18 years ago and operates more than 1,600 family-focused machines in the hospitality and leisure sector for clients such as Whitbread, Spirit Pub Company, Orchid, Greene King and Odeon. This is the first acquisition for Playnation, which is based in Cheshire, after a management buyout last at its previous incarnation, Inspired Gaming, backed by the private equity firm Palatine. The company provides its machines to holiday parks, motorway services, bowling centres and airports. The deal will allow Funhouse Leisure, based in Erdington, Birmingham, which has 15 staff and turnover of £3m, to capitalise on Playnation’s scale, size and UK support network while enabling it to continue to operate as a single business.

   

Bar Sport to roll-out Orderella in time for World Cup: Six-strong Bar Sport is rolling out Orderella, the leading mobile ordering app which allows its customers to order and pay for drinks and food with their phone, across its estate. The roll-out has started at its Cannock, Staffordshire site, with plans for it to be available at every site prior to the World Cup. Bar Sports, winner of Best Sport Bar 2103, will have Orderella available for use across the whole of the two-floor Cannock site, including its five bar areas, VIP lounge, private sports booths, games zone, and sports function room. Customers can view football and other sport fixtures from over 60 TVs and giant screens, without having to leave their seats to go to the bar and potentially miss a game-changing goal. Scott Murray, founder and managing director of Bar Sport, said: “We’re renowned for giving sports fans the best viewing experience bar none, and see Orderella as the perfect addition to our already award-winning offering. As we approach the most important event in any football fan’s calendar, we know they’ll be looking for somewhere they can watch matches without worrying about missing out when they go to the bar, which is where we know Orderella will prove hugely beneficial.”

   

Spanish tapas chain takes first London site: The Spanish tapas chain Mas Q Menos, which is well established in its home territory, has secured its first UK site, in High Holborn, Central London, on a ten-year lease at a rental of £175,000 a year exclusive. Simon Hill of BNP Paribas Real Estate’s retail agency team, who leased the site on behalf of a Far Eastern investor, said: “This letting demonstrates the depth of demand from established overseas operators looking to enter the Central London market. Mas Q Menos is well established in Spain and we are delighted to have secured 272 High Holborn for its first London store. BNP Paribas Real Estate is in discussions with other international brands looking to come to London and we look forward to assisting them in their search for premises.” The building is managed by BNP Paribas Real Estate’s property management team. Robin Calver Chartered Surveyors acted for Mas Q Menos.

   

Japanese chef Nobu to open Shoreditch hotel: The Japanese celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa is to open a 156-bedroom hotel in Shoreditch, London. The hotel, in Willow Street, is being developed by the London-based developer Meir Abutbul and will be managed under a long-term contract between Nobu Hospitality and the hotel’s owner Willow Corp. It will be known as Nobu Hotel Shoreditch in London. There is already a Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas.

   

Belfast nightclub fined for over-crowding: A Belfast nightclub has been fined after being prosecuted by the city council for allowing too many people both inside and in its smoking area. The proprietors of Thompsons Garage in the Patterson’s Place area were prosecuted for two breaches of the venue’s entertainment licence. The action was taken against Endless Music after an inspection last September. The company was fined £500 for failing to ensure numbers on each floor of the venue did not exceed those stipulated on the licence and a further £300 for failing to limit numbers in the smoking area to 50. The company was also ordered to pay £69 in costs to Belfast City Council.

   

Stockbroker’s move to re-open nightclub is blocked: A stockbroker’s controversial bid to re-open a nightclub that police warned was previously used by criminal gangs has been blocked. Nicholas Sams purchased the former Enigma Bar in Forest Road, Walthamstow, Essex and planned to transform it into a 400-capacity venue, open until 3am at weekends. Dozens of residents objected to his licence application, citing previous anti-social behaviour, and police said they believed it would lead to an increase in crime in the area.

   

Top Thai restaurateurs to develop retail range: The couple behind a restaurant in Fife, Scotland named the UK’s best Thai eatery by the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plan to use their success as a springboard to develop a new range of cook-at-home products. Sandy and Bee Mitchell, of the Nahm-Jim restaurant in St Andrews, are to give up their venue in the hope of bridging what they see as a gap in the UK market. They plan to use their contacts and expertise in Thai food and brand development to create and ship a new line of products from the Far East, and say the time has come to step back from the restaurant they have run for more than a decade. Sandy Mitchell said their plan has already been in development for 2½ years, with the move attracting a number of potential backers. He estimated that set-up costs to the point of first production will reach around £160,000, with products not expected to hit the shelves for at least 12 months.

   

Whitbread to open £11m Premier in Glasgow for Commonwealth Games: A new Premier Inn is due to open in Glasgow in time for the Commonwealth Games, creating 65 full and part-time jobs. The £11m Premier Inn, located on the banks of the Clyde opposite the SECC complex, is to open in June. The 180-bedroom hotel and restaurant has been built on a three-acre site between STV and BBC Scotland.

   

O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars owners to expand new artisan coffee shop offshoot: The owners of O’Brien’s Sandwich Bars in Northern Ireland are to open two more Synge & Byrne artisan coffee shops. Brothers Adrian and Damien Garvey opened their first Synge & Byrne at the Abbeycentre in December and plan to open two more in Belfast and Londonderry by the end of the year. The sites will be in Derry’s Foyleside Centre and Belfast city centre, with further branches planned for 2015. Another of the Garveys’ businesses, a stand-alone concern in Newry called Olive, will be rebranded similarly under the new banner. Damien Garvey said: “We have done extensive research before launching this and we believe there is a strong demand both here and outside Northern Ireland for a food and drink offering that has its roots very much in traditional ‘Ulster’ cuisine. There has been strong growth in recent years by the big coffee shop operators such as Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero, and also solid expansion by some very nice artisans, but we see our planned ‘artisan chain’ offering sitting in between these two sectors.”

   

Pub company’s Burger Craft brand to open fourth location: Burger Craft, the London burger concept developed and operated by the pub group Best Place Inns, will open its fourth site, in Victoria, next month. The handcrafted burger concept will open in the White Ferry House pub in Victoria in mid-June. Burger Craft has been voted one of the top five burgers in London by Twenty Something London. The addition of a better burger offer to the White Ferry House will go hand-in-hand with an extensive refurbishment of the “flat-iron” pub which was started this week. Best Place Inns’ founder and managing director, Ben Stackhouse, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing our love of quality, indulgent burgers to Victoria.” The better burger concept differentiates itself by setting up home in traditional London pubs, and has permanent kitchens in the Green Man in Paddington, the Great Eastern in the Docklands, and the Crown in Battersea.

   

Adnams creates partnership with developer on online walking guides: The Suffolk-based brewer Adnams has signed a partnership with the developers of an online walking guide to map out a series of rambles based around its pubs. The company has teamed up with iFootpath to create 11 walks exploring Norfolk and Suffolk beauty spots with refreshment stops at 15 Adnams pubs, including The Wherry Inn at Geldeston and The Ferry Inn at Stokesby. Emma Hibbert, head of corporate affairs at Adnams said: “Many Adnams pubs are situated in the perfect position to take advantage of East Anglia’s beautiful natural scenery. With a mix of coast, heaths and woodland walks, the terrain in this part of the UK is gentle enough for most walkers to enjoy and packed full of interesting sights as well as an abundance of wildlife.”

   

Birds Eye opens free pop-up restaurant: Birds Eye has opened a pop-up restaurant where diners pay by taking a picture of their meal, as part of a digital campaign to promote its new range of premium evening meals. Diners at the restaurant are invited to pay for their bill by taking a photo of themselves and sharing it on Instagram with the tag #BirdsEyeInspirations. The pop-up Picture House restaurant has opened at the Ice Tank in Soho, London, and will open in Manchester and Leeds in June. The activity is the digital and experiential arm of a wider campaign to promote the new range, which incorporates TV and a three-month sampling drive.

   

Enterprise Inns launches Food Club for licensees: Enterprise Inns has launched a new food club in partnership with Brakes, the foodservice industry supplier. The Enterprise Food Club is designed to offer tailored support to publicans, helping them to ensure they have the best menu for their customers, while providing deals, discounts and promotions to members. It will support publicans who already serve food as well as introducing new offerings to interested wet-led pubs, with the aim of helping them to boost profit and increase customer satisfaction. James Armitage, head of marketing at Enterprise, said: “We’re committed to helping our publicans make a success of their business, and for many, food has become a really important part of running a profitable pub. This partnership with Brakes will ensure our publicans have access to high-quality food at great prices, along with specialist advice that will help them keep customers happy and boost profitability.” Members of the Enterprise Food Club will be offered help with effective menu design along with advice on ingredients, food presentation and pricing.

   

Contract caterer partners Raymond Blanc at Royal Ascot: The contract caterer Rhubarb has teamed up with Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc to create gastronomic hospitality packages at Royal Ascot. The packages, which can be enjoyed by race-goers in a private box overlooking the course, are “inspired by the kitchens and gardens of Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons”, Rhubarb said. The menus feature some of Blanc’s signature dishes, and include a selection of canapés, a three-course lunch, wines, and an afternoon tea service. The meals will be served by Rhubarb throughout the five days of Royal Ascot, from Tuesday, 17 June to Saturday, 21 June. Each box will have a dedicated chef, waiter and hostess or butler.

   

Recruitment firm launches executive search and strategy division: Hospitality & Retail Recruitment has launched a head hunting executive search and strategy division. Dawn Redman, the company’s founder and managing director, said: “After launching our temporary staffing division 18 months ago and setting up our London office, we have been working more and more on bespoke head-hunting and confidential roles, and it is now the right time to put in place our specialist head-hunting executive search division. The division will provide not only head-hunting services but also help operators review their companies’ existing recruitment strategies and provide advice on implementing new company recruitment models.”