Plan launched to turn Swansea’s Salubrious Place into al fresco dining area: Plans have been submitted for a major revamp of one of Swansea's key restaurant, leisure and entertainment quarters. Paperwork has been submitted to the city council seeking permission to create an outdoor continental style eating area at the heart of the precinct. Mansford, the owner of Salubrious Place, plans to turn the street at the heart of the district into what it describes as a "a bustling al fresco dining area", designed to boost the appeal of the city centre. The move comes after the recent announcement that Luminar is to open a 1,700-capacity nightclub in the quarter, creating 60 new jobs. Salubrious Place includes a Vue Cinema and a Premier Inn along with restaurants including TGI Fridays, Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito's and Smoke Haus.

Two-year-old microbrewery links with Everards to open its first pub: A two-year-old microbrewery, the Lincoln Green brewery in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is taking over the Robin Hood and Little John in nearby Arnold as part of Everards' Project William scheme. The pub, the town's oldest, was acquired by Everards, the Leicester-based brewer and pub operator, last year and has been given a complete refurbishment. The Project William scheme involves Everards leasing out pubs to independent operators. Lincoln Green – named for the colour of the clothing worn by Robin Hood and his men – said it planned to "re-establish the pub as a community-led haven for cask ale and real cider." Founder Anthony Hughes said: "We intend to showcase real ales from near and far at the Robin Hood and Little John. There'll be Lincoln Green beers, but also a good range of guests, including Everards' Tiger. Ten handpulls on each bar will give us great flexibility, with the potential to host a whopping 20 beers if we want to hold a 'beer festival', all through handpull. Who knows, if the demand is there, maybe that could be every week! We're also looking to actively promote real cider at the pub. We're free of tie on ciders and will have a 'cider wall' behind each bar with a total of eight different choices. We're looking at sourcing these ciders from a range of different producers, both in the Midlands and from the traditional areas of Dorset, Somerset and Worcestershire."
 
Orderella partners Tamoco to bolster capabilities: Orderella, the app that allows its customers to order and pay for food and drinks with their phone, has teamed up with the proximity technology and mobile insight provider Tamoco to bolster its capabilities in NFC, iBeacon, QR and wi-fi-driven activity. Tamoco plans to work with Orderella to give customers the ability to quickly download the app with a tap of their NFC phone. Customers will also be able to receive special offers and promotions through iBeacon (Bluetooth) technology in their favourite sites, encouraging footfall and boosting sales for operators. Sam Amrani, founder and executive chairman of Tamoco said: “Tamoco are excited to be partnering with Orderella, who are at the forefront of transforming the way pubs and bars fundamentally work. By embracing proximity technologies such as Bluetooth and NFC, we are able to understand so much more about our customers, and provide rich analytics to businesses that are then placed to deliver relevant, contextual and individual offers to each and every customer.” Dennis Collet, Orderella's chief executive, said: “We’re always looking at how we can use technology to enhance a customer’s night out, which makes our new partnership with Tamoco particularly interesting. It provides customers with another way to interact with their favourite bars and restaurants, while also giving operators more opportunities to attract and increase footfall.”
 
Micropub opens in shadow of former Nottingham brewery: A new micropub, to be called the Abdication, will open its doors on Saturday, 23 August, in the Coronation Buildings in Mansfield Road, Daybrook, Nottingham, constructed by Home Brewery in 1937. The Coronation Buildings were meant to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VIII, but in the end they marked the accession to the throne of his brother King George VI, after Edward abdicated over his desire to marry a divorcee, Wallis Simpson. The pub is being opened by a former rail maintenance worker, Matt Grace, 44, who said: “It was all about a change of career. I decided the time was right to do something different and go out on my own. I thought about opening a microbrewery but there are already a lot of those around. We’ll be across the road from the old Home Brewery buildings so there are some links with Nottingham’s brewing tradition." The Abdication will be open on Wednesdays, Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm and from 2pm on Sundays, with last orders at 9.30pm each evening.
 
Burton nightclub opportunity offered: A nightclub in Burton upon Trent is being offered to let. Commercial property specialist Rushton Hickman has revealed that a second floor nightclub based at the former Robins Cinema, in Guild Street, is now up for let. Part of the Grade II listed building was recently reopened as The Ritz, "an around-the-world dining experience", after years of stalled developments. A first floor function suite is also for let , both with entrances via the ground floor.

New owner plans to expand Jamaica Inn: Businessman Allen Jackson, who bought the historic Jamaica inn in Cornwall in March for more than £2m, plans to expand the business. He has already added three bedrooms to make a total of 20 and a new cellar to the hotel and has ambitions to turn over £1.6m in his first year. Now Jackson is planning further investment in the property, including adding five rooms and a function suite with the capacity to hold 220 guests. "I've already submitted pre-application documents and received a very favourable report back to install a new kitchen and function suite – weddings should be very popular here at the inn and will have fantastic views of the moors," he said. "I'm also planning to take the hotel from 20 rooms to 25 rooms and add a farm shop." Jackson has also took a number of measures to boost business in the inn, including slashing beer prices, revamping food menus and increasing the museum's opening hours, which has resulted in a 67% spike in takings.

Belhaven partners MatchPint for key Scottish towns and cities: Belhaven, Greene King’s Scottish business, is launching MatchPint in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling. To coincide with the Belhaven partnership and celebrate the start of the new season, MatchPint is giving residents in each of these cities the chance to win prizes during September and October. Users checking in to Scottish pubs on MatchPint will be entered into competitions where each month one lucky supporter in each city will win football and rugby-related prizes. The competition aims to encourage app usage and drive footfall into participating sites. Dominic Collingwood, MatchPint's co-founder, said: “We’ve been fans of Belhaven pubs for a while: the addition of their sites to MatchPint will complement work we’re already doing in Scotland with Landmark, Beds and Bars, Intertain, and plenty of outstanding independent pubs.”
 
Brewery plans to develop campsite to encourage visitors: A brewery founded just a year ago in Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire is hoping to boost sales by creating a campsite next to the brewery to encourage visitors. The Handmade Beer Co was set up in August 2013 and was brewing its produce from a temporary site before securing a £5,000 business loan in January from HSBC, later extended to £10,000, helping the business boost its sales to 3,000 bottles and 18 casks a month. Ian Bowler, owner and head brewer at the Handmade Beer Co, said: "As the business began to receive more orders, there was a need to establish a dedicated bottling area. Now we’re looking into further expansion by creating a sampling area at the brewery, as well as a campsite next to the brewery, which would significantly increase footfall given that we’re located within a popular tourist destination."

Horizons – burger popularity has peaked in the UK: Eating-out operators are continuing to adapt to the changing demands of consumers with menus featuring more hand-held, easy-to-eat foods as Britons plump for casual dining over formal occasions, the latest research, undertaken by the foodservice consultancy Horizons shows. Horizon's findings, from a survey in June, showed that while burgers are still the nation’s number one main-course dish, their popularity has peaked. Some 17% fewer dishes on menus featured burgers compared to last year, while hot dogs continue to become more popular, appearing on 86% more menus than they did this time last year, with pork ribs the second biggest riser, at 15%. The survey found that operators are taking a more inventive approach to burgers, perhaps in a bid to boost sales, offering more gourmet versions of the long-term number one dish. Byron, for example, has the Miami Slice, a 6oz burger with potatoes, salami, cheese and smoked paprika ketchup in a sourdough bun, while Fayre & Square sells a "pizza burger", a cheeseburger with tomato sauce wrapped in pizza bread. The Menurama research reveals that American-themed dishes continue to gain popularity, with the provenance of dishes now referred to on menus. Examples include Chicken Louisiana Skins and New Yorker Crunchy Salad at Frankie and Benny’s, New Yorker on Rye at Pret A Manger and Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Denver Fries at Best Western. This innovation extends to new variations of old favourites like coleslaw (or "slaw"), which now comes in a variety of flavours. Blue Cheese Slaw with chopped jalapenos is on the menu at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, with Asian Slaw at TGI Friday’s and Spicy Slaw at Brewer’s Fayre. Salted caramel is one of the newest flavour combinations to feature on menus. Non-existent in summer 2010, salted caramel now appears in 37 dishes, growing 12% in popularity year-on-year. One of this year’s favourite cuts of meat has been the little-known flatiron steak, which can now be seen on 17 menus, including those of Beefeater and Scream. The steak, a cheaper cut, is taken from the shoulder of the animal. The report's author, Nicola Knight, Horizons’ director of services, said: “We are seeing a high level of innovation on menus. Many of the ideas are coming from the US, but street food and ethnic flavours are also influencing menus. Operators are also working hard at providing customers with something new, often by putting a twist on old favourites.” One example is the new toppings being added to macaroni cheese, a dish rarely seen on menus a few years ago. Pitcher & Piano sells Crayfish Mac ’N’ Cheese, while Revolution’s menu features Fennel Sausage Mac ’N’ Cheese. The biannual Menurama research, which surveys the menus of 116 branded hotel, pub, restaurant and quick-service outlets in the UK, reveals how menus are becoming more explanatory and accommodating dietary needs more readily. The term "gluten-free" was found on 8% more menus year-on-year, with "wheat-free" and "flourless" appearing as alternative descriptions. This is expected to show a significant increase as allergens regulations come into force later this year. Knight said: "Operators are working hard at providing consumers what they want. Breakfasts menus are now offering more healthy options, such as Bircher muesli, while sharing dishes continue to be popular – wings and sliders in particular.” The survey also reveals how operators are adapting their menus to incorporate some of the latest high street trends. Japanese Katsu dishes are now featuring on some pub and restaurant menus and street foods.