Fri 20th Feb 2015 - Update: BrewDog, Geronimo, Marco Pierre White, tied tenants BrewDog updates on UK openings: BrewDog has updated on its UK bar openings plan for 2015, with new venues in Leicester, Leeds, Glasgow, Brighton, Southampton and Islington in the pipeline. The company said: “We are just about to begin work on converting a fantastic site into what will shortly become BrewDog Leicester. The property, formerly known as Wills Bar, has a two-level interior, majoring on a really cool feature horseshoe bar, and is on Friar Lane, mid-way between the town hall and the castle. Our re-fit there will start as soon as possible. The curving bar gives us plenty of room to imminently load 20 draught taps for the drinking pleasure of all Leicesterians. Alongside the beer, we’ll also be serving a full BrewDog food menu, there will be tastings and other events, and the place will be stocked out with vintage pinball and arcade games. Opening in April, it’s going to be awesome. Also in the pipeline is our second bar for that great beery bastion – Leeds. Our first BrewDog bar there is going great guns, but the chance to open in a landmark Grade II listed corner unit was just too good to pass up. So we’ll be arriving very soon at Crispin Lofts, on the corner of North Street and New York Road, at the southern edge of Lovell Park. The curved glass frontage there looks truly amazing, and the sheer size of the unit gives us a huge amount of space – arranged over two floors – to play with. Look for a typically BrewDog-esque number of taps and a great selection of food to complement. Leeds is such a great city for beer; we can’t wait to open our second location there. Whilst we’re on the subject of doubling up, our plans for a more food-focused second site in Glasgow are still running along nicely. We have a corner unit – always with the corner units – in the Merchant City, at the junction of Hutcheson and Garth Streets. There’s a bit more work to do yet, but we’ll be up and open there ready for an early summer opening. A short zip across the central belt, and we are really excited to be able to announce that we have found a site to open our next BottleDog in Edinburgh. Our bar in that city was the second we opened – in fact, BrewDog Edinburgh will shortly celebrate its fourth birthday – so it’s high time we helped the citizens of this beer-knowledgeable city get their hands on even more great takeaway craft beer. BottleDog Edinburgh will open at 25a Dundas Street in June. We’re also still working hard to finally get over the line on the south coast. We have the location earmarked, but the paperwork has taken some time to work through. However, we’re hopeful all that will be completed imminently and we can get down to business. Our site is the former Blind Tiger Club on the corner (of course) of Marlborough Place and Kingswood Street, just north of the iconic Royal Pavilion. Once we’re good to go, BrewDog Brighton can finally take shape. Looking further ahead, also on the south coast we are really keen to finally open the doors to BrewDog Southampton – look for announcements there in the near future – as well as a further bar site in Edinburgh. In London, the refurbishment continues at the Essex Road site in Islington, and we are looking forward to announcing monumental plans for the people of Dalston.”   Hogs Back Brewery engages Magners in legal dispute: Hogs Back Brewer has begun legal proceedings against Magners in relation to an alleged trademark infringement. Hogs Back owner Rupert Thompson said: “On 11 February, Hogs Back Brewery began proceedings in the High Court of Justice Chancery Division (Intellectual Property Enterprise Court) against Magners GB Ltd, who we believe have infringed our trademark Hazy Hog in relation to cider. Hogs Back launched Hazy Hog in March 2013, a distinctively different cloudy cider. We believe the name and branding clearly indicate its distinctive character, and firmly position it as part of the established Hogs Back range. We registered the name for use on cider in Trade Mark Class 33 (for cider) to complement our other rights in the name. The brand has been well received and is growing fast. When Magners subsequently launched a portable cider dispense system called Cider Hog in June 2014, using what we believe to be a similar name and graphics, we contacted them and sought to resolve this in an amicable manner, suggesting some changes to Cider Hog. Magners denied their mark was similar to ours and pointed out that Cider Hog has been registered in Trade Mark Class 11 (for refrigerated packaging). Over the past six months, we have tried to find a solution which would satisfy both parties, but without success. Regrettably, we have turned to court proceedings, but still hope that discussions may generate an acceptable resolution.”   Marco Pierre White to launch third franchise brand: Marco Pierre White is to revive one of the capital’s most celebrated restaurant names by opening a new venue in the City of London. Wheeler’s Rib Room & Oyster Bar will open in Threadneedles Hotel, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of independent luxury hotels, next month. The new menu, written entirely by White and executed by head chef Stephen Smith, is meant to be "affordable and approachable", according to the company, with an average spend of £25 to £30 per person. The menu will include classics such as Wheeler’s fish pie and some of what are said to be White's favourite dishes, including grilled Dover sole a la salamander and quails' eggs Maintenon. A dedicated oyster bar will sell "a variety of bivalves" and the main bar will offer wines, champagnes and cocktails. White said: “The Wheeler’s brand was originally created in 1856 by Captain Wheeler in Whitstable. It was later brought to London’s Old Compton Street by Bernard Walsh and was regularly visited by, amongst others, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Walt Disney. It has a fascinating history as the oldest fish brand in the world and it’s great to be bringing it back to the City after a 20-year absence. As custodians of the name, the tradition and history will remain at the restaurant’s heart, but we’ve tweaked and evolved the menu to create an offer that is more in tune with what today’s customers want with lots of meat choices – it’s not just for fish lovers. I’m truly delighted Threadneedle Street will be the location for this new venture.” Wheeler’s Rib Room & Oyster Bar is the third brand in the Black & White Franchising portfolio. Chief executive Nick Taplin said: “The importance of Wheeler’s Rib Room & Oyster Bar to Marco cannot be overestimated. He is passionate about the brand and extremely excited about the launch hence his close involvement. We feel privileged in bringing this new restaurant to the heart of the City.”   Geronimo Inns hires new food director: The gastro-pub operator Geronimo Inns has hired a new food director, Jono Jenkins. His career has included spells with River Cafe, Manicomio and Soho House Group. In 2008, Jenkins became product development chef at the dessert company Gü Puds, which involved designing and launching new products. A couple of years later he moved on to L'atelier des Chefs to help the UK relaunch of the cookery school, later becoming a company director, a position he stayed at for almost three years before now joining Geronimo Inns. The company said: “Jono brings with him a huge wealth of knowledge and will oversee the food offering across all 35 pubs.”   Paul Martin – it’s time to protect tied pub tenants in Scotland: The MSP for Glasgow Provan, Paul Martin, has submitted a Members’ Business Motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for a statutory code of practice for pub companies to be implemented in Scotland. The UK Parliament recently amended the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill to introduce a code of practice designed to govern the relationship between pub companies and their tenants in England and Wales. Martin said: “Now that the rent-tied pub model has been radically overhauled in England and Wales, investors and pubcos will now be turning their attention to the industry in Scotland. If we don’t legislate to protect rent-tied tenants, then the impact on pubs north of the border will be devastating. I have heard from brewers, licenced trade organisation, tenants and unions who are all eager to see a statutory code of practice for pub companies put in place to protect hard-working licensees. If Scotland had its own adjudicator, it would also allow pub tenants to offer a wider selection of beers, which would promote market competition.” John Gilligan of Tennent Caledonian Breweries said: “This is a massive step in the right direction and we wholeheartedly welcome the motion. Unless the Scottish government move to protect our licensed trade in the same way afforded to England and Wales, the impact will be catastrophic. Meetings with political representatives have been very encouraging so far, so we are hopeful that we can move forward at pace.”