Camden Town Brewery defends £75m crowdfunding valuation: Camden Town Brewery has defended the eye-watering £75m valuation, more than 50x current Ebitda - it has placed on itself after launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise £1.5m in return for 2% of its equity. The campaign, launched yesterday, has raised £181,000 already. Asked to justify the £75m valuation, Camden Brewery's finance director, Patrick Franzen, who was an original investor in the business and also co-founded Barworks, said: “Camden Town Brewery has grown more than ten times in the last three years, which is a pretty fantastic rate of growth. We took the decision to value the business on the basis of where we see ourselves at the end of the investment plan, while considering the Ebitda forecast for 2015 as the anchor. We are trying to avoid talking in multiples at this early stage for reasons of high growth rate. Having said that, we are expecting Ebitda for 2015 to be around £1.45m. Current sales support this as we are above the curve for sales so far this year. This number includes the volume of beer that we are having to contract-brew because of our limited capacity at our current brewery. This volume, unfortunately, earns us a much lower gross profit than we see on ‘in-house’ produced beer. When we add back this volume and add the costs that we would incur if we had produced it ‘in house’, we end up with an Ebitda closer to £3m for 2015. We feel very strongly that any valuation today needs to factor this in. We took the decision to do that. Additionally, we have decided to add in the value of the perceived brand strength and the fact that we are going after the much bigger lager market as opposed to the relatively smaller ale market, which is the norm for smaller craft breweries due to the costs around lager production. We feel that craft lager has a fantastic growth opportunity globally. We are looking to produce a return for our investors by building the brand aggressively over the next five years. We are expecting that we will achieve an annual growth rate of just under 40%. This compares to an annual growth rate of around 110% to date, and so should be achievable over the investment period. Capital investment during this time will increase our beer production to 250,000 HL by 2020. This will drive an Ebitda of just under £13m and an equity value of around £151m using a very conservative industry multiplier of 11. This will give a compounded annual return of around 12.4% at exit at the current valuation. We strongly feel that a craft lager manufacturing business has a great future in a market where around 75% of beer sold in the UK is lager. The fact that we invest a lot of money to enable us to produce a craft lager is what we think will set us apart from the competition at exit, which in turn will help drive a high multiple. On the basis of this I am confident that we will see a multiple closer to our ‘high multiple’ scenario of 19 by 2020. This would give over 3x return on investment and a compounded annual return of around 22%. So in summary, we decided to use our current run rate adding back the GP lost due to contract brewing, and using the higher industry multiplier. We then added a value to the brand and our position as one of the few craft lager breweries in the UK. The management team strongly believe we will deliver an equity valuation around £250m at exit. All this in combination drove the £75m valuation. We genuinely believe that this valuation will drive a great return for our new investors in 2020.”

 

More than 300 booked in for Propel Multi Club Conference in March: More than 300 places are now booked for the first Propel Multi Club Conference of 2015 held on Thursday 12 March at the Lancaster Hotel, London. CLICK HERE to see the full programme and timings. Operators of multi-site companies can claim two free places by emailing adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

 

Deflation to hit UK for first time in 55 years: The Bank of England is expected to warn this week that the UK is facing its first period of falling prices in 55 years. Falling prices and rising wages could fuel a feel-good factor ahead of the general election in May. The prospect of deflation will increase speculation that the Bank of England will leave interest rates frozen at 0.5% until as late as 2016.

 

Chipotle founder – McDonald’s chicken farm 'most disgusting I’ve seen in my life': Chipotle Mexican Grill's founder and chief executive, Steve Ells, revealed that he was disgusted by a McDonald's chicken farm in Arkansas when he visited a decade ago. Ells saw the farm with McDonald's executives during the time he was partnered with the fast food chain between 1998 and 2006. He returned from the farm and told his father Bob Ells that it was "absolutely the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen in his life", according to Bloomberg News. McDonald’s had fully divested from Chipotle, which is known for using locally raised vegetables, hormone-free meat and eco-friendly practices, by 2006. 

 

The Daily Telegraph – ready-to-drink category in growth: The Daily Telegraph has reported that the ready-to-drink category is in growth. Diageo has reported ready-to-drink sales up 23% in the UK in the six months to December 2014. Growth was driven by its new take on Smirnoff Ice, Smirnoff frozen pouches, as well as its pre-mixed cans of G&T and rum ’n’ Coke. Global Brands director Simon Green said alcopops are riding the same “retro” wave that has catapulted the Mini and Converse brands back into favour. “Since its return in 2012, after a ten-year absence from the market, Hooch has delivered phenomenal sales growth,” he said. Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer also created a niche within the alcopop genre when it launched in 2009. By 2011, sales hit £23.7m and owner Halewood International began rolling out a host of new flavours.

 

More than 150 suppliers sign up to take part in Enterprise Inns roadshow: Dedicated zones featuring digital technology, the retail offer, gardens and business support are among the new attractions at Enterprise Inns’ 2015 roadshows. More than 150 suppliers from across the industry have already signed up for Enterpriselive, which kicks-off on 24 February at London’s Glow at Bluewater and takes in venues around the UK before finishing back in London, at Wembley Stadium, on 19 March. Enterpriselive is expected to attract more than 2,000 current and prospective Enterprise licensees. Enterprise's head of marketing, James Armitage, said: “There’s a real buzz of excitement as we get closer to the first roadshow, because we’re staging six spectacular events that will show people we are the pubco of choice for existing publicans wanting to grow their businesses, and prospective publicans thinking of taking on our pubs.”

Eataly plans second Rome store: High-end Italian food emporium Eataly, which is aiming to open in London in 2016 in partnership with Selfridges, is set to open its second food site in Rome, taking the place of McDonald's in Piazza Repubblica. The news comes three years after Eataly opened its first Rome store at the former air terminal beside Ostiense station in the summer of 2012. The second site will measure 1,000 square metres.

 

Campaign for duty cut launches website: The campaign to secure a third, historic cut in beer duty has moved up another gear, with the launch of a new website by the British Beer and Pub Association, where supporters can email their MP asking them to back the campaign. The website, www.beerandpubjobs.co.uk, provides a huge range of unique local data where campaigners can access figures on the positive impact of beer and pubs on jobs and the local economy in their own areas. The website also provides a new "email your MP tool, where by inputting their postcode, supporters can send a message to their local MP calling for a duty cut.

 

Street food venture to launch in Ealing: Street food is coming to the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre in West London. The Eat Me Drink Me food market says it aims to combine the London street food scene with talented local producers and businesses. The event takes place every Friday from 27 February to 17 April. Established street food traders Pulled (slow roasted pulled meats), The Cheese Truck (toasted cheese), Prairie Fire BBQ (Kansas City BBQ), Route 66 Streetfood (burritos, nachos and tacos) and Monkshood Coffee, will be in attendance alongside local set ups SUD Italia (Neopolitan pizzas) and Meat Heads (tasty balls of meat)e.

 

Birmingham pubs and clubs latest to breathalyse customers: A total of 40 pubs and clubs in Birmingham have become the latest area in the country group to agree to breathalyse customers. The project has been trialled in Croydon and Norwich. Door staff have been given detectors that indicate if people are more than twice the legal drink-drive limit. Central Birmingham police sergeant Dave Francis said: "In recent years we've seen an explosion in pre-loading culture - people coming into the city already drunk and even getting out of taxis holding bottles of wine and vodka and downing them before going into clubs." 

 

Government to act to ensure supply of essential services to insolvent businesses: The Business Minister, Jo Swinson, has announced that the government will be proceeding with plans to secure essential IT and utility supplies to distressed businesses being restructured or rescued out of formal insolvency. After consultation, amendments will be made to the Insolvency Act 1986 to prevent suppliers of IT, water, gas, electricity and communications services cutting off supply or increasing their charges on account of insolvency where insolvency practitioners are working to find a viable solution to rescue the business. Safeguards will be introduced for suppliers affected by these changes to ensure they are paid for services supplied during the insolvency. These safeguards, which have been strengthened in light of feedback to the public consultation, will enable the supplier to require a personal guarantee from the insolvency practitioner at any time during the insolvency process in respect of charges for the insolvency supply.

 

McDonald’s reports global sales down 1.8% in January, Japan slumps by 39%: McDonald’s reported a worse-than-projected decline in global sales for January, dragged down by a slump at its Asian restaurants. The like-for-like sales, which measure locations open at least 13 months, fell 1.8% last month. Analysts had estimated a 1.2% decline. US sales narrowly increased by 0.4% as “aggressive competitor activity” offset strong breakfast sales. It was the first time since October 2013 that McDonald’s has seen two successive months of sales gains in the US. But in the region that includes Asia, the Middle East and Africa like-for-like sales plunged almost 13%. In Europe, McDonald’s sales rose 0.5%, as strong results in the UK and Germany helped offset consumer-confidence issues in Russia and broader economic softness in France. The stock fell 1.4% to $92.72 on Monday in New York. McDonald’s shares declined 3.4% in 2014. In Asia, McDonald’s has suffered a series of setbacks, including the rationing of chips in Japan and a scandal involving a meat supplier. The woes have taken a heavy toll in Japan, where the company lost $186 million in 2014. The company’s sales plunged 39% in the country in January, marking the 12th straight month of declines.

Gambling Commission vows to seek law change if it fails to block Greene King bingo licence: The Gambling Commission has stated that, if it were to lose an appeal to prevent Greene King from getting a bingo operating licence, it would seek a change in the law, The Times has reported. The commission also claimed its position was supported by the government. Meanwhile, the commission has introduced a series of updated social responsibility measures to clarify the role of operators in protecting players, young people and the vulnerable from gambling-related harm. The updates to the Licensing conditions and codes of practice (LCCP) will come into force from 8 May, increasing the number of measures with which companies must comply under the terms of their licence agreement.

Subway plans 1,000 extra sites by 2020: Subway plans to invest £100m into opening 1,000 new UK stores by 2020, which will create 10,000 jobs. This year the sandwich chain expects to open 260 new outlets, creating more than 2,500 jobs. It currently employs 20,000 people and opened its 2,000th UK site last week. Greg Madigan, area development manager for Subway UK and Ireland, said: "There is a big drive towards healthy eating at the moment and we are benefitting from that with our low-fat menu and healthy products." One of the largest areas of growth for Subway is non-traditional locations, such as in petrol station forecourts and within convenience stores, universities and hospitals.

M&B launches football discount card at Sizzling Pubs: Mitchells & Butlers has launched a “Green Card" discount offer at its Sizzling Pubs brand, offering 20% discount on drinks around major football fixtures. Once activated, customers receive 20% off selected drinks 45 minutes before, during and 45 minutes after all major football fixtures at Sizzling Pubs, including Barclays Premier League, the FA Cup, the Capital One Cup and UEFA Champions League. Customers also receive exclusive offers, prizes, and rewards.

KFC marks 50th birthday in UK with year-long campaign: KFC is marking 50 years since the brand arrive in the UK with a series of campaigns. Created by BBH London, the year-long push spans broadcast, outdoor and digital. Yesterday (9 February), the multichannel "Families" campaign launched, reflecting on 50 years of KFC. The ad tells the story of a boy welcomed into his new foster family and shows that, while families may now come in different shapes and sizes, what brings them together invariably stays the same. A social media push, #50YearsOfKFC accompanies two adverts, also launching yesterday, leading the search for KFC's number one fans. David Timm, vice-president of marketing at KFC, said: "This is a landmark year for KFC and gives us the opportunity to remind our fans why they love KFC and to also hopefully bring some new fans to the Colonel's great-tasting chicken.”

Brunning & Price opens Cheshire pub: Brunning & Price has opened its latest site, the Hayhurst Arms in Bostock Green, Cheshire, a conversion of the village’s social club which closed its doors in 2012. Brunning and Price acquired the lease from the Tatton Estate and has connected the former social club to historic barns at the rear of the building.

Brasserie Blanc to be fully re-branded by end of 2015: Brasserie Blanc, the 20-strong French restaurant group led by chief executive Mark Derry and chef Raymond Blanc, will be fully evolved by the end of 2015. After the successful launch of the "evolved" Cheltenham and Winchester branches, Farnham re-opened to the public yesterday (9 February) to be followed by Portsmouth and St Albans in March and Oxford in April. Each will have what the company says is a new, understated and more contemporary approach to dining, with pantries where chefs will prepare freshly cooked dishes to order, and cheese and wine counters alongside enhanced bar and outdoor areas to create what is meant to be a "more casual" dining experience. Derry said: “We have been extremely pleased with the positive response to Cheltenham and Winchester so far, and very much look forward to hearing the comments from local residents of the forthcoming sites. The refurbished Brasserie Blancs reflect our passion for honest French cooking and an everyday, welcoming ambience.”

 

Chipotle’s Twitter feed hacked: Chipotle Mexican Grill's Twitter account in the US was hacked overnight for about two hours at the weekend, during which a series of offensive tweets were posted to the account, the company said. Hackers tweeted a number of racial slurs and profanities, including ones directed at President Barack Obama and various US government agencies. Chris Arnold, a company spokesman, said:  "We apologise for the nature of the posts that were made during that time, and we are now conducting an investigation to try to determine what happened and who might have been involved." The burrito chain took down the offensive tweets and has posted a message on its Twitter feed apologising for "the very offensive messages."

 

Giggling Squid brings forward Salisbury opening as work in Bristol is suspended: The Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid has moved forward the launch date of its new Salisbury store, its biggest site so far, from 31 March to 3 or 4 March. Work on the Market Walk venue, which had previously been occupied by Strada, had been expected to begin after work had been completed on a new Giggling Squid restaurant in Bristol. However, work in Bristol had to be suspended, so the company has moved its team of builders from Bristol to Salisbury. After the £150,000 revamp, the Salisbury site will have 150 seats.

 

Zonal completes Stonegate roll-out in three months: Zonal Retail Data Systems has completed the rollout of its Aztec software to the 614-strong Stonegate Pub Company estate in record time. The rollout, which took three months to complete, involved the installation of Zonal’s Aztec POS solution into Stonegate’s 2,500-plus tills, together with the introduction of Zonal’s system in both back and head office and the complete integration of the company’s loyalty scheme and app. Stonegate’s chief financial officer, Dave Ross, said: “We were looking for a partner that was able to implement a new system quickly and effectively with minimal impact on our dynamic business. We now have a solution that enables us to quickly view and understand productivity and efficiency on a site-by-site basis, so that we can analyse business performance effectively.” The ambitious rollout programme included a 40-site trial, to identify any teething problems, followed by a rapid implementation phase, with 50-60 sites converted per week.

 

New Bradford brewpub starts brewing: The new Bradford Brewery has started brewing on site after installing its brewplant in a renovated factory building, which has been transformed into the brewery and Brewfactory pub. Bradford Brewery’s first beer, The Origin, is a 4.2% dry-hopped pale ale, will be available when the venue opens to the public next week. The ten-barrel brewplant will be capable of producing around 16,000 pints a week. Managing director Matthew Halliday said: “We can literally taste our dream coming to fruition now – after nearly two years of planning and hard work. Yorkshire has a proud tradition of brewing and we’re now looking forward to putting Bradford on the map once again for producing some of the best beers in the country.”

New Wadworth initiative is launched to help licensees improve: Wadworth, the Devizes-based brewer and retailer, has launched an initiative that is designed to help its pubs re-evaluate their customer offer, a process which involves looking at the whole package of the pub through the eyes of the customer. The company said the initiative, labelled "Skin Deep", was "a natural progression" from an earlier Wadworth segmentation process, which divided the pub estate into five easily identifiable segments each with their own character and customer focus. Pub marketing manager Emma Cottam said: “We realised that while we take great care to package our beers in a way which will please the customer, our pub estate was not always presenting the consistent, quality messages that we would like,, When we looked at the existing signage of the pubs, it became clear that this could be updated, clarified and made more relevant to help customers quickly identify what the pub offers, and thus encourage them inside. In order to elevate the Wadworth brand excellent external pub presentation is essential, and while this starts outside the pub, it needs to extend inside too.”

  

PizzaExpress signs up for Bromley development: PizzaExpress is the latest big restaurant name to sign up to the St Mark’s Square development in Bromley town centre, Kent. Other chains already signed up include Dean’s Diner, Prezzo, Las Iguanas, Nando's and Turtle Bay. St Mark’s Square, which is scheduled for completion at the end of 2015, will also include a nine-screen multiplex VUE cinema, a 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel, 200 private and affordable apartments and a new 400-space secure underground car park. Cathedral Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Development Securities, expects St Mark’s Square to create 220 jobs in Bromley, injecting at least £220m into the local economy over the next 10 years. A total of eight restaurants are planned in and around the new public square and, with this exchange of contract, six have now completed while the two remaining units are under offer. PizzaExpress has taken 2,787 sq ft at St Mark’s Square, which will provide 25,000 square feet of new restaurant space in the heart of Bromley town centre. Richard Upton, chief executive of Cathedral Group Holding, said: “PizzaExpress is a much-loved high street favourite, so we are delighted that they will be part of our new development.”

 

Wasabi to open in Cambridge in the spring: Wasabi, the London-based sushi and bento chain led by Dong Hyun Kim, is to open its first outlet in Cambridge, in the former Phones 4 U store in Petty Cury, which has been empty since September, in the next two to three months. The Wasabi UK Twitter account said: "Our Cambridge store is scheduled for April/May opening – fingers crossed." The company operates more than 30 sushi and bento outlets in central London, and has also opened up stores in shopping hubs away from London, including in Kent, Essex, Leeds and even New York. It has plans to open seven more branches, including the Cambridge store, in the near future.

Kout seeks to change North Wales Little Chef into Burger King: KFG Restaurants, part of the Kout Food Group, has submitted plans to change the Little Chef restaurant at Halkyn, on the A55 in Flintshire, North Wales, into a Burger King. The Halkyn site is one of only four Little Chef restaurants left in North Wales. The chain of around 80 restaurants was sold to the Kuwaiti-owned Kout for £15m in 2013. The newly branded restaurant should open at the A55 site at some point in March. Kout's franchise operations in the UK include Costa Coffee and KFC, as well as Burger King.

Leisure entrepreneur to expand into Liverpool city centre: Merseyside entrepreneur Paul Adams has unveiled plans to open a Vincent Café and Cocktail Bar in Liverpool city centre this May. Adams, the owner of the Vincent Hotel in Southport, is to open stand-alone version of the hotel’s all day dining concept in Exchange Flags, in the heart of the city’s business district. The 6,000 sq ft venue will employ around 40 staff and will feature modern British and international dishes on its menu. Adams said: “We have had success with the food and beverage offering at the Vincent Hotel and it has become a real destination restaurant with the Vincent Café. We want to further build on that success by launching a stand-alone café and cocktail bar and we are looking forward to coming to Liverpool.”

 

Adam Hyman – Experimental Group to open new cocktail bar: Industry consultant Adam Hyman has reported that the Experimental Group is opening a new cocktail bar in Shoreditch, East London. He said: “The owners of Experimental Cocktail Club in Chinatown and Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels wine bar in Neal’s Yard [Covent Garden] will open the bar on Curtain Road with a focus on cocktails and eclectic music. The Clove Club’s Daniel Willis is consulting on the music.”

 

McDonald's 'to reflect' on Bristol rejection before deciding whether to appeal: McDonald's said it would "reflect" on a unanimous decision by councillors in Bristol to reject its application for a drive-through restaurant in the city's Fishponds suburb, before it makes a decision on whether to appeal. The company said it was disappointed with the city council's unanimous decision to reject the plan due to traffic concerns. McDonald's said the take-away would have created 65 jobs in the area. Residents in Fishponds had protested against the plans and gathered a 1,600-name petition.

 

Newspaper readers name new Wetherspoon pub in Huntingdon The Harlequin: Readers of the Hunts Post have voted for The Harlequin as the name for the proposed new JD Wetherspoon pub in the town's former post office. The Harlequin received 162 votes, compared with 155 for The Mail Room, and 120 for The Sorting Office. The company is awaiting the outcome of its planning application from Huntingdonshire Council. Its proposals include a 22-bedroom hotel in addition to the pub for which it will renovate the former post office, sorting office and George Hall, just off the ring road in George Street. Last week a council spokesman said that it was “very close to a decision”. Wetherspoon's founder and chairman, Tim Martin ,said: “We are delighted that so many readers of the Hunts Post took the time and trouble to cast their votes for the name for the new Wetherspoon pub in their town. We take the naming of our pubs seriously and are always keen to have a link to the town itself."

 

Costa and Burger King close outlets after health inspections: Costa Coffee and Burger King both had outlets closed last week after visits from health inspectors. The Costa in Lord Street, Liverpool agreed to shut after "issues relating to hygiene" were found. Kerry Parkin, head of corporate communications at Costa, told Liverpool Echo: “Following a routine inspection by an environmental health officer, we have voluntarily agreed to the closure of our premises in Lord Street while issues relating to hygiene are addressed. We have very high standards for our store and will be working around the clock to ensure this matter is addressed. We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience this may cause.” Liverpool Council said: “We will continue to monitor the situation.” In Birmingham, the Burger King restaurant in the Bullring Shopping Centre was shut down by environmental health officers after a mouse infestation. Environmental health officers from Birmingham Council visited the restaurant on Monday for a routine inspection, during which the infestation was discovered and the restaurant was forced to close. Officers returned to the premises on the morning of Wednesday 4 February to assess whether the problem had been dealt with. They discovered it had not, leading to an application at Birmingham Magistrates Court for a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order. Burger King said the restaurant was due to reopen late last week.

 

Hakkasan plans varied hotel portfolio: The restaurant, hotel and nightclub company Hakkasan plans to operate a varied hotel portfolio, president Nick McCabe has told Hotelier Middle East. Its first hotel in the Middle East, on the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, will be a resort hotel with its city sites different in nature. “The Dubai hotel will very much be a resort brand: it’s on the beach, it’s waterfront, so that will inform the design,” McCabe said. “The city-centric Hakkasan hotel which will come through, whether the first one will be in London or New York, will have a very different feel; more urban-focused and very different type of layout. So I think fairly soon after we get started in Dubai, our goal will be to secure a pretty major city site and develop a city-centric hotel. Our idea is that if we build a Hakkasan hotel there’s going to be an expectation of fantastic food and beverage to go with it. That doesn’t just mean a Hakkasan restaurant. That means for us leveraging all of the brand-building we’ve been doing in our restaurant and nightlife portfolio, making sure that to the extent we can we can control every single restaurant, bar and nightlife component ourselves.”

James Martin quits hotel at end of three-year contract: Celebrity chef James Martin is to end his involvement with the Talbot Hotel in Malton, Yorkshire as a three-year contract expires. Martin, who set up the hotel's kitchen before its launch in April 2012, has decided to leave the business where he was in charge of the menu creation and team development. Both parties have decided not to renew a three-year contract. Tom Naylor-Leyland, director and owner of the Talbot, said: "James's fantastic contribution to the success of the hotel and restaurant is without measure and I am sure we would not have reached such a strong position without his expertise and advice.”

Equity Estates puts Leytonstone pub on the market: Equity Estate has been put the Heathcote Arms in Leytonstone, East London on the market less than a year after buying it. The pub has been subject to a petition, which currently has over 1,000 signatures, calling for it to remain as a pub. In September, developer Equity Estates bought the pub and it has been closed since then with no planning application lodged. But campaigners believe they are close to claiming victory as the building was put back on the market by Equity Estates as a pub - to buy or to lease. 

Liverpool One owner plans four more restaurants: Liverpool One owner Grosvenor Liverpool Fund has submitted plans to create a new restaurant and bar complex in Liverpool One by converting a former furniture store on Hanover Street. The three-storey building would be split into four different premises operating between the Catalan and Spanish restaurant Lunya and the Brazilian eaterie BEM Brasil. Detailed documents submitted to Liverpool Council’s planning department reveal how, if the proposals are passed, the site will be turned into four separate businesses, two of which will be restaurants and the other two either restaurants or bars.