EC confirms that alcohol policy is national matter as EU intervention ruled out: The European Commission has issued a clear statement that public health and alcohol policy is a matter for national governments, ruling out harmonisation of rules across Europe. The Commission was responding to a House of Lords report on the EU Alcohol Strategy published earlier this year that called for greater European intervention, with new regulations on labeling, pricing, advertising and alcohol excise duties. Responding to the news, ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “We are very pleased that the Commission has listened to the representations we made and recognises that public health issues are best solved at a national level. Every country’s economy and culture is different and the EU’s strength is in its diversity – what works in Estonia or Luxembourg may not be right for Germany or the UK. It is far from clear that uniform rules are necessary or even desirable. Where the EU does have a role is in the supporting and promotion of best practice, with light touch regulation where goods or services are sold across borders. The Commission also confirmed that a report on labelling of alcoholic beverages was underway, which Nicholls said the ALMR looked forward to contributing to in its role as the UK representative on HOTREC, the European umbrella body for licensed hospitality trade groups. Our work with HOTREC puts us in an ideal position to feed into this review and ensure that expensive unintended consequences are avoided. While on-pack labelling can undoubtedly be useful to consumers, care must be taken not to impose disproportionate burdens on retailers by extending those requirements to menus.”

Four brewers now producing almost half of the world’s beer: A report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch has revealed that Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Heineken, and Carlsberg together produce about half of the world’s beer – and 74% of the profits in the sector. This market stake comes after 15 years of what the analysts call “massive industry consolidation”. In 2004 the industry’s top ten brewers controlled 51% of the market volume. By 2014, 47% of the market was held by just four companies. The four companies control about 74%, of the industry’s $33bn global profits.

Irish and UK consumers paying the most in Europe for alcohol: Irish consumers pay 70% more than the European average for a drink with the UK close behind, paying 65% more than the average, figures compiled by European statistics analysts Eurostat have revealed. Hungary and Bulgaria were found to have the lowest of the price ranges, with the Czech Republic not far behind them. The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland said in a statement: “Ireland’s high alcohol tax take has left us in the strange position where Ireland is now one of the most expensive countries in the world to buy Irish whiskey. Visitors may be shocked when they find they can often purchase two bottles of Irish whiskey at home for the price of one in Ireland.”

Historic Elephant & Castle pub declared ‘community asset’: A historic pub at the Elephant & Castle roundabout that was set to become a branch of estate agents Foxtons has been declared a “community asset”. The decision by Southwark Council effectively means the company cannot convert the Elephant & Castle off New Kent Road. The group claiming credit for the council’s decision is the conservation body the Walworth Society, reports Estate Agent Today. A society spokeswoman said: “The Elephant, Walworth and the Old Kent Road used to host around 200 public houses serving the local community and hosting their social events as well as welcoming people passing through our area. There are now less than 20 pubs left so we need to safeguard these to allow them to become pubs and entertainment places for the future.” Though it was built in the 1960s, a tavern of the same name has been there for 250 years – and gave its name to the surrounding area. The pub lost its licence and closed in March after a drinker was stabbed in January.

Rooney Anand – challenge now is to combine best of Greene King and Spirit: Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has stated that the challenge, in the wake of Greene King’s acquisition of Spirit is to combine the best of both businesses. He said: “Our focus now turns to building a combined business of our best brands, people, locations, and processes to ensure we succeed in the eating and drinking out markets for the long term. As we begin this exciting new phase in our history, Greene King will continue to focus on creating a great place to work for our people, delivering industry-leading value, service and quality to our customers and maximising value for our shareholders.” Mike Tye, chief executive of Spirit, added: “The combined business will be the largest managed pub company in the UK and a real force to be reckoned with, especially by taking the best of both businesses and creating a clear industry leader.”

Owner calls time on Australia’s best-known buffet chain Sizzler: Collins Food has reported that it will invest no more capital into Sizzler, Australia’s best known eat-all-you-want buffet chain with 25 sites. Furthermore, the owner will look now to close “a small number of restaurants”. Collins Food has also written down the value of Sizzler by $37.5m this year. The first Sizzler restaurant was opened in California by founders Del and Helen Johnson in 1958 and arrived in Australia in 1985. Sizzler’s revenue has fallen 8.5% to $88.5m in its most recent year. “After careful consideration and due to the year-on-year under performance of the Sizzler Australia business we no longer consider Sizzler to be a strategic growth prospect in Australia and therefore we will not be investing further capital into Sizzler,” Collins Food chief executive Graham Maxwell said.

Trade event Cider House Rising postponed until February 2016: Trade event Cider House Rising has been postponed until February 2016 where it will be amalgamated into the Craft Beer Rising show. Feedback from cider producers had been that February is a more natural time of the year to host a cider trade show. The 20 confirmed exhibitors from Bristol will attend the London show. “2016 is going to be a big year for the brand, and it is time to evolve our show and really capitalise on the success of three previous sold-out years, so expect a change in content, format, focus and venue,” said founder Daniel Rowntree.

Applications for new Athena Mentoring programme close on 6 July: Applications for the new Athens Mentoring programme, designed to recognise and develop female talent within the UK pub industry, close on 6 July. Mentors signed up to support the programme include Bruce Cuthbert, director commercial customers BT Sport, Ann Elliott, chief executive Elliotts, Chris Welham, managing director Spirit Leased and Stephen Gould, managing director Everards Brewery. Eight selected mentees will be paired with a personal mentor and over a series of one-to-one sessions will work with their mentor on pre-defined development areas, unique to each mentee. The combination of advice, support and guidance will enable mentees to channel their talents and encourage professional growth. The programme is free and applications to apply for the year-long scheme are currently being accepted. Prospective mentees can apply at www.athenamentoring.com/apply.html

Subway appoints sister of company founder as president: Subway has appointed Suzanne Greco, the sister of company founder Fred DeLuca – who is being treated for leukemia – as its new president. Greco has been part of the company since the first store opened nearly 50 years ago. She will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and will continue to report directly to DeLuca, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013. For 24 years, Greco led the research and development team, spearheading many initiatives designed to improve the menu and customer experience. In 2012 she began overseeing the operations department and her responsibilities expanded again earlier this year when she began overseeing the marketing team. “Suzanne has accomplished a great deal with Subway and I know there are many more terrific things to come,” said DeLuca. “I have always been impressed with Suzanne’s relentless desire to make continuous improvements to our products and customer experience.” Greco said: “My primary focus is to make our family business even better by making improvements wherever we can, especially at the store level where the food and in-store experience is critical to keeping our customers happy and coming back.” 

Safehands to expand accessible hotel concept after receiving extra £2.25m in funding: Safehands has expanded a hotel concept aimed at disabled people and their carers after securing more than £2.25m in funding from Yorkshire Bank. Safehands Holidays is part of the Blackpool-based Safehands Group of companies that is owned and operated by Simon Rigby. It launched the Mayfair Hotel, the UK’s first fully accessible hotel, in Blackpool in 2009 with support from the bank. The business has now unveiled its latest accessible holiday destination, The Esplanade Hotel in Llandudno, following a £2.25m investment from Yorkshire Bank. The property has 40 bedrooms, each with fully accessible shower facilities. The hotel, the largest in Llandudno, counts former prime minister Harold Wilson and the Duke of Kent among its previous guests. Paul Manning, managing director of the Safehands Group, said: “When we acquired our first hotel on the seafront in Blackpool this type of facility wasn’t something that had been tested elsewhere but it quickly proved to be highly sought after. At The Esplanade, which has listed building status, we made an investment of £3.5m to purchase the asset and complete a major refurbishment of the hotel, even with our own building company on board. We opened the order book in the middle of January and have already exceeded £300,000 in bookings so far.”

The Restaurant Group to open two venues in Northampton next week: The Restaurant Group is opening a branch of its Chiquito Tex-Mex chain in Northampton on Friday, 3 July. The company is opening the venue on the site of the former Red Hot Buffet in Sixfields. The Red Hot Buffet was destroyed by fire in December 2013 and the chain’s owners decided against rebuilding the site. The Restaurant Group is also opening a Coast 2 Coast restaurant on the same site, near to Cineworld. Both restaurants, which are creating a total of about 60 jobs, will be open between 9am and 11pm and include an outdoor terrace area.

Notes hits 80% funded mark in £600,000 crowdfunding push: Notes, the five-strong London-based coffee shop and wine bar concept, that launched a crowdfunding drive on Crowdcube a month ago, has passed the 80% funded mark with 16 days left – a total of 201 investors have pledged £481,300 of the £600,000 target in return for 7.5% of its equity. The offer values the company at £8m. The company is forecasting sales of £4.8m in the year to June 2016 with Ebitda of £539,939, rising to £18,702,462 and Ebitda of £2,957,241 by the financial year ending in June 2019.

Suburbia eyes national expansion ahead of second venue opening in Manchester: North west upmarket nightclub company Suburbia is eyeing national expansion as it prepares to launch its second venue in Manchester. The company, founded by husband and wife team Tom and Sarha Thornton-Brookes, opens on the site of the formerly Avici White nightclub in Ridgefield tomorrow (Saturday, 27 June). Suburbia already has a venue in Hale that it acquired from Living Ventures last August and has its sights on a third site in Harrogate. Tom Thornton-Brookes, who used to work for Living Ventures, told the Manchester Evening News. “Manchester has been crying out for a Suburbia. There’s lots of great bars but not too many places to finish your night. We want to open at least four of these, and I’ve got an idea for a couple of new bar concepts as well. I’m not going to limit myself and say ‘I’ll only have this many’; if I end up with 15 or 20, then happy days.” The over-25s venue will be open every Thursday from 9pm until 2am, and on Friday and Saturday from 10pm until 4am. It is also available for private hire from Sunday to Wednesday. The venue boasts five private booths, including a VIP table that seats up to 30 people and has a minimum spend of £1,500. Booths seat from six people upwards, and minimum spends start at £500.

JD Wetherspoon submits plans for Garforth pub: JD Wetherspoon has lodged planning permission to convert the former Garforth Liberal Club in Garforth, Leeds, (population 15,394) into a pub. The company acquired the Main Street building in April and has now applied to Leeds City Council to make changes. Plans for the site include a number of internal alterations as well as the creation of a beer garden. A design and access statement submitted to the city council on behalf of Wetherspoon said: “This proposal presents an opportunity to bring a viable, sustainable upgrade to this currently important site within Garforth townscape. The contribution this site makes to the quality of the area can therefore be considerably enhanced by this development. A separate planning application for signage will be submitted, respecting the building’s appearance and the surrounding area.” The pub, which would be Wetherspoon’s seventh in Leeds, would open from 7am-1.30am Sunday to Wednesday and between 7am-1.30am Thursday to Saturday.

Turtle Bay set to add to Midlands estate with Derby opening next month: Caribbean restaurant chain Turtle Bay will extend its Midlands footprint with an opening, creating 60 jobs, in Derby next month. Turtle Bay announced its move to Derby’s cathedral quarter in May and will open at the Wardwick at the end of July in a former Job Centre building. Turtle Bay has invested £800,000 in the refurbishment of the 4,000 sq ft site. Turtle Bay also has sites in Nottingham and Leicester. The company will host a recruitment day for chefs, cocktail bartenders, restaurant hosts and waiting staff later on Tuesday (30 June) at the Hallmark Hotel. Founder, Ajith Jaya-Wickrema, said: “The Caribbean ethos is founded upon the friendliness of its people which is why it’s so important we find staff who embody this and can make our customers feel comfortable and relaxed.”

Belgian beer specialist opens Belgian-focused micro-pub: Cornwall Specialist Beer, the Redruth bottled beer shop that specialises in hard-to-find Belgian beers, has opened a new bar. The micro-pub, at Unit 10C on Cardrew Industrial Estate, is next to parent company Coastal Brewery and features three cask beers from the brewer, as well as a line-up of keg beers, including Lowenbrau lager, Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, Leffe Blonde and Erdinger Dunkel, as well as keg versions of Coastal beers, such as the popular St Piran’s Porter. For owner Alan Hinde it’s a return to the bar, having run one of Crewe’s most successful pubs, the Borough Arms, before moving south to Cornwall in 2005. “I’ve always been a fan of Belgian beers and made them a speciality when I ran the Borough,” he said. “The Belgian beers have been very popular in bottle in the shop so now we’re getting some in on draught, all served in the proper glasses, which we also have available for sale. The bottles are available to be served in the bar, too.”

Popular Brixton venue to close after rent is tripled: One of Brixton’s best loved bars, Kaff, is closing after being hit by a substantial rent hike. Owner Steven Ross told Brixton Buzz that Kaff Bar’s landlord is tripling the rent making it unaffordable for the bar to stay in its current premises on Atlantic Road. It is set to close at the end of next month. Kaff opened four years ago serving wine, beer, cocktails and food, as well as putting on live music nights. A post on Kaff’s Facebook page said: “A quick message regarding our recent news. We appreciate all your kind words and support. Kaff has been an epic journey and we thought we were doing alright. Unfortunately we can’t afford the new rent proposals by our landlords. Sadly we’ve been dealing with this for almost a year now and there’s not really much more we can do.”

Pret A Manger to extend south-west reach with Exeter site: Pret A Manger is planning to extend its south-west reach, with a site in Exeter. It would be the furthest west of any other store, with the closest in Street, Somerset. The cafe would be situated on the junction across from McGahey’s Tobacconist on the high street. It was previously occupied by clothes store Republic.

Reading pub opens self-pour craft beer self-serve wall: A pub in Reading, The Queen’s Head, has installed a self-serve beer wall. The innovative dispense system allows the pub’s customers to pour their own craft beers and keeps track of how much each customer has poured. The Queen’s Head is owned by Andy Becalick, who said: “Having a self-serve beer system is unique around Reading. I wanted to present our craft beer offering in a different way, the customer reaction has been fantastic so far.” The system allows credit to be purchased onto a key fob and then customers pour fresh, cold beers at their own pace using the seven available self-pour taps. Touch screens at each tap helps the customer keep track of credit remaining. A control screen behind the bar allows bar staff to add credit and monitor the usage of the beer taps. The Queen’s Head chose Drink Command as the supplier for the system.

Cote to open in Amersham: French brasserie chain Cote is opening a new restaurant in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, on Monday, 29 June. The restaurant is located in The Broadway and replaces the former Chimichanga Tex-Mex restaurant, which closed earlier this year. Cote has more than 60 restaurants across the UK.

Queen to release own beer for Bohemian Rhapsody 40th anniversary: Queen is releasing its very own beer to mark the 40th anniversary of the band’s hit Bohemian Rhapsody. The lager, which is being produced in the Czech Republic, is said to be “golden” and “hoppy” in taste. Former frontman Freddie Mercury apparently designed the Queen crest that will feature on the label when he was a student at Ealing Art College, reports The Telegraph. The drink comes hot on the heels of the band’s own vodka, Killer Queen, which was released to celebrate the 40th birthday of their song of the same name. Queen are not the only musicians to dabble in beer brewing – Oklahoma trio Hanson famously produce their own beer while heavy metal group Iron Maiden have a beer called Trooper, made by Robinsons Brewery in Stockport.

Tedfords set to open second site in Belfast city centre: Award-winning Belfast restaurant, Tedfords on Donegall Quay, is set to open a second restaurant in the city centre in the next two weeks, creating 20 jobs. Owned and managed by husband and wife team Alan and Sharon Foster, over £250,000 has been invested in Tedfords’ Kitchen, which is scheduled to open at the beginning of July. Tedfords’ Kitchen will occupy a 4,500 sq ft unit at Lanyon Quay, and this new casual dining restaurant and wine bar will complement the original Tedfords Restaurant, which is coming into its 15th years in business. The new venture will seat 90 and has a terraced outdoor seating area, adding to the cosmopolitan feel of Tedfords’ Kitchen. Future plans include a further private dining space for 30 that is due to be completed later in the year.

Hastings Hotels unveils £30m hotel and restaurant plan for Belfast: Hastings Hotels has unveiled a £30m investment that will create more than 150 new jobs for Belfast. Last month, the hotel operator purchased Windsor House, which it will transform into a 200-bedroom hotel, subject to planning permission. The four-star property will also include 18 serviced apartments, a restaurant and bar, and office accommodation. The new venture, which will be called the Belfast Grand Central Hotel, is set to open in 2018. Sir William Hastings, chairman of Hastings Hotels, said: “This project is a huge undertaking for Hastings Hotels and it is has only been made possible by the strength of our existing hotels portfolio and the quality of our staff and management. It will bring the number of bedrooms in our group to more than 1,000, making us the largest privately owned hotel chain on the island of Ireland.”

Greggs offers free sausage rolls in conjunction with Vouchercodes.co.uk: Greggs has teamed up with Vouchercodes.co.uk to offer free sausage rolls this week, with 6,000 to give away each day until Sunday (28 June). Recipients are encouraged to download the VoucherCodes app, sign in to see the offer and show it to staff at the nearest Greggs store. They can choose from either a free sausage roll (from 80p) or cheese and onion roll (from 80p). There are 6,000 vouchers/codes up for grabs every day from 7am. Once downloaded, the code/voucher can be redeemed at any Greggs store (excluding franchise shops) by showing the code in the app, on a smartphone screen or printout at the counter.

Shepherds Inn takes Peterborough site: Agent Savills has let the site of a former Indian restaurant in Peterborough city centre to restaurant operator Shepherds Inn, which plans a European-themed venue. The company has agreed to a new ten-year lease on the property at 10 Park Road, which includes dining, kitchen and ancillary space totalling 2,292 sq ft. Shepherds Inn will pay an annual rent of £25,000. Edward Gee, of Savills Peterborough, said: “Situated in the heart of Peterborough city centre, the property benefits from the good level of footfall on Park Road, making it an ideal location for the new Eastern European-themed restaurant. We are very pleased to have secured this letting to Shepherds Inn, achieving strong returns for our client.” Shepherds Inn was unrepresented. Savills completed the letting on behalf of Whitfield Group.

McDonald’s to franchise entire 413-strong Taiwanese restaurant estate: McDonald’s is to sell all of its 413 stores in Taiwan to a franchise operator as part of a turn plan. The sale will end over three decades of company-owned stores on the island where it has 20,000 employees. McDonald’s said it would search for “suitable candidates” to become its developmental licensee. Last week, the chain also said that it would have fewer restaurants in the US this year than it did last year, after announcing in April the closure of 350 restaurants globally.

KFC to become first major western fast-food company to open in Myanmar: KFC is to become the first major western fast-food company to open its doors in Myanmar in south east Asia. The company, owned by Yum Brands, is opening a 240-seater restaurant in the country’s largest city Yangon on June 30 with franchise partner Yoma Strategic Holdings. The move makes Myanmar the 120th country where KFC operates. KFC chief executive Micky Pant said: “Myanmar is blessed with a rich history and culture and is poised for strong economic growth in coming years. Myanmar has only become accessible to many businesses in recent years because it has opened up to foreign investment amid gradual political change.”

Hotel Indigo in Liverpool sold for more than £11m to New York investment company: The Hotel Indigo in Liverpool, operated by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has been bought for over £11m by New York investment company MCAP Global Finance. The six-storey 151-bedroom hotel in Chapel Street, which contains a Marco Pierre White restaurant, opened in 2011 and was reported to have cost £15m to develop. MCAP Global Finance, an asset management company with offices in New York, Singapore and London, has bought the hotel for a “substantial offer in excess of the £11m asking price” reports The Liverpool Echo. The company, the UK subsidiary of Marathon Asset Management LP, manages funds of around $12.5bn and says it bought the hotel because it is “keen to acquire more hotel assets in the UK”. Investment managers Downing, which co-owned the hotel alongside Sanguine Hospitality Management, previously owned the DoubleTree in Chester, which it developed and then sold on to MCAP earlier this year. An undisclosed hotel management company, owned by MCAP, has also bought out the contract to operate the hotel from IHG. The sale was handled by Christie + Co.

Heineken brand Birra Moretti brings food and drink festival back to the UK: Heineken brand Birra Moretti is bringing its Gran Tour food and drink festival that showcases the best of Italy back to the UK this summer. The Italian beer brand will be heading to Edinburgh from 9-12 July followed by London’s Space Studio’s in Hackney from 15-19 July, and Leeds from 30 July to 2 August. Italian vendors including Arancina, Paste E Basta, Cooking Cooks, The Arencini Bros and Gelupo will be there for the second year running while another 12 new ones sourced from across Italy are expected to attend, reports Event Magazine. Guests will be able to learn about authentic Italian cooking methods as well as sample dishes, including pizza from Naples, arancini balls from Sicily and an Italian sandwich known as Panino Teca, which will be paired with truffles from Norcia. David Lette, brand director at Birra Moretti, said: “Last year’s events were hugely successful, so we’re really excited to bring the tour back again – taking the best of Italy to more cities and with more vendors. Enjoying great beer and food with friends is an important part of both Italian and British cultures, so together with our street food partners we are looking forward to creating an event that is not to be missed.” This year’s tour will also feature cooking masterclasses led by Italian street food chefs Bash and Joe Herd, where guests will learn how to make fresh pasta.

Velocity rolls out technology allowing customers to settle their bill by smartphone to bars and restaurants across the UK following trial: Mobile applications company Velocity has rolled out technology that allows customers to settle their bill via their smartphone to bars and restaurants across the UK following a successful trial, reports The Spirits Business. The company has developed a system where customers can pay for drinks and food directly from their phone, book tables and earn and redeem rewards through loyalty schemes by a mobile app. The app also suggests restaurants and clubs based on recommendations from friends in the user’s social networks and in return, customers must rate their visit in stars – providing venues with real-time feedback. Velocity first partnered with select London venues to trial the app in December before expanding it in February, working with restaurants, bars and nightclubs including the Gordon Ramsay group, Burger & Lobster, Gymkhana, Sumosan and Tramp. The company said on its website: “Velocity is increasing revenues for its restaurant partners by 11%. It makes dining out more personal and efficient for both the customer and restaurant, by eliminating time spent waiting for the bill, making staff more productive, increasing footfall and providing venues with rich insights into customer preferences. Thanks to integration with existing point of sale systems, Velocity is free to install.” Velocity said it plans to expand to venues overseas in New York.

Sealed bottle of beer produced for British Arctic Expedition in 1875 sells for more than £3,300: A sealed bottle of beer produced for the British Arctic Expedition sent to reach the North Pole in 1875 has sold for more than £3,300. Shropshire auctioneers Trevanion & Dean sold the bottle to an undisclosed UK phone bidder for the sum (plus £17.5% buyer’s premium). Aaron Dean, auctioneer and partner at the firm, discovered the bottle, the top of which is marked Arctic Expedition 1875, in a box in a garage in Gobowen, Shropshire. He told Antiques Trade Gazette: “I noticed the bottle poking out of the top of a box in the garage. The shape of the bottle is unusual and so immediately my mind started whirring. It wasn’t until I got up close to it that I realised how historically significant it is. After extensive research I found another example that sold in 2004 for £1,200. The market has changed dramatically and so I was conservative with an auction estimate of £400 to £600.” The 1875 voyage by HMS Alert and HMS Discovery, under the leadership of vice-admiral Sir George Nares (1831-1915), failed to reach the North Pole but succeeded in mapping the coast lines of Greenland and Ellesmere Island. Dean said: “This may explain why the ale remained undrunk – if their mission had been successful and celebrations were had, we may not be looking at the piece today.” He added part of the appeal was the bottle has remained unopened for so long, although some have been drunk and tasters report that it was “sweet tasting with a hint of tobacco”.

Propel Conference on 2 July at the Oxford Belfry: Multi-site operators can book up to two free places at the Propel Multi Club Conference on Thursday 2 July at the Oxford Belfry, followed by the summer party by emailing jo.charity@propelinfo.com. Cyril Lavenant, of NPD Group, looks at the current performance of the UK foodservice market, areas of growth and how the UK is performing within a European context. Steven Pike, managing director of HospitalityGem, talks about what operators can learn from listening to their customers and how it can drive sales. Berry Casey, founder of pioneering better burger brand Hache, celebrating its tenth birthday, talks about the better burger market, evolving and staying ahead in the increasingly crowded better burger market. Corrado Accardi, founder of Pizza Rossa, talks about transforming the pizza offer, creating an award-winning business plan, going through two rounds of successful crowdfunding and planning to expand the company. Keith Knowles, chief executive of Beds and Bars, explains how the company’s food beverage and accommodation performance has been transformed in the past 18 months. Giggling Squid founder Andy Laurillard, who was previously head of brand strategy and innovation at TUI, talks about his company’s steps towards becoming the first UK national Thai restaurant brand. Industry consultant Eddy Passey provides his top ten operational tips gleaned during a career that has spanned working at high volume beds, bars and buffet businesses. Darren Tristano, vice president of research and insights form Technomic, provides an overview of the most interesting and innovative new concept launches in the United States in the past year. Jamie Barber talks about how his Brazilian barbecue brand Cabana was developed from scratch, its birth, evolution and future prospects. Sector investor and Patisserie Valerie executive chairman Luke Johnson sets out the ten key steps in turning Patisserie Valerie into a national brand.