CAMRA Pub of the Year winner writes to prime minister warning lowering drink-drive limit could kill off rural pubs: The operator of last year’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Pub of the Year has written an open letter to the prime minister urging him not to lower the drink-drive limit. Peter Tiley, who runs the Salutation Inn in Ham, Wiltshire, believes a further cut would kill off rural pubs and their communities. Tiley, who swapped a job as a business analyst in London for his current career, said village pubs were the glue that held village life together, reports the Bristol Post. He added: “I believe that reducing the limit to less than one pint of beer would have a disproportionately negative impact on our rural pubs and communities. In 2015 we were presented with the Campaign for Real Ale’s National Pub of the Year award. If the drink-driving limit is lowered in England, I am not sure my pub will survive. Without a pub for people in rural areas to socialise in, we might expect to see an increase in people drinking cheap alcohol at home, without the watchful eye of a licenced publican to ensure alcohol is consumed responsibly.” Tiley’s campaign is backed by the British Beer and Pub Association and CAMRA. Health experts are calling on Cameron to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales after Scotland cut the amount drinkers would need to consume to be over the limit. Analysts in Scotland said the drop has changed drinking habits and is already damaging the pub industry, particularly in villages north of the border. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The drink-driving limit for England and Wales strikes an important balance between safety and personal freedom. By having our limit, we are not criminalising those who drink a small amount a long time before driving, but our advice remains unchanged: don’t take the risk by driving after you have had a drink.”

Phil Sermon to present at Propel Multi Club Conference: Phil Sermon, managing director of Vapiano, is to present at the first Propel Multi Club Conference of 2016, which takes place at Congress Hall in London on Wednesday, 16 March. He will talk about progress in the UK as well as the company’s fresh approach to recruitment, training and development of its people and interaction with its guests. Multi-site pub, restaurant and foodservice operators can claim up to two free places by emailing Adam Dickinson on adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

Piccolino operator reports sales increase, loyalty club has 545,000 members: Sales have risen 4% to £59.4m at 32-strong Restaurant Bar and Grill, which operates Piccolino, in the year to 31 March 2015 thanks to a 6% like-for-like sales uplift. Restaurant Ebitda climbed by 16% to £11.6m while group Ebitda increased by 6% to £5m over the same period. Meanwhile, pre-tax profits jumped by 298% to £555,474. Restaurant Bar and Grill operates Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill restaurant brands. It reported its Club Individual loyalty scheme now has 545,000 members who contribute about 30% of group revenue – £18m. The company stated: “The board is delighted to report another record year in terms of both revenue and earnings. Like-for-like sales growth of 6% underpinned the £2.2m increase in revenue to £59.4m. The board continues to have great confidence in the trading strength of the brands and has been encouraged by post-year-end trading. Like-for-like sales are tracking at 7% as at the date of this report, putting the company on track for another record year.” A consortium called W2D2 bought and delisted Individual Restaurant Company, the parent of Restaurant Bar and Grill, in 2011. W2D2 is led by Individual Restaurant Company founder Steven Walker and Iceland founder Malcolm Walker. Since the year-end, Individual Restaurant Company has teamed up with Gino D’Acampo, the star of Gino’s Italian Escape and a regular on programmes such as This Morning, to launch new restaurant brand Gino D’Acampo – My Restaurant in Manchester and London.

Beds and Bars franchise deal produces 36% revenue uplift: Beds and Bars, the pan-European hostel and bar operator led by Keith Knowles, has revealed its first franchise partnership, with Copenhagen Downtown Hostel in Denmark, has led to a 36% increase in revenue, year-on-year. Beds and Bars managing director Murray Roberts said: “We are delighted with these early results. Bearing in mind the time of year and the seasonality, this uplift far exceeds all expectations. The success of any franchise arrangement should be based on a win-win model, so that both parties benefit. That is most definitely the case here.” Danish partner Jesper Elkjær said: “The results have exceeded our expectations. We can say with certainty, that we made the right decision by going into partnership with Beds and Bars.” Roberts added: “We have our sights set on ten initial network deals and we are actively working on these, with Lucie Perin appointed as the Beds and Bars franchise sales manager.” Anyone interested in becoming a potential partner with Beds and Bars can send their enquires via email to network@bedsandbars.com. Beds and Bars operates 20 backpacker hostels, bars and pubs in ten cities and seven countries across Europe. Key locations include London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam. Its brand St Christopher’s Inns is the largest independent chain of backpacker hostels in the world without private equity backing.

Fuller’s acquires lease of Herne Hill pub closed for three years: Fuller’s has acquired the lease of the Half Moon in Herne Hill, London – three years after it was closed by flooding. The Half Moon shut in August 2013 after an 88-year-old water main burst, leaving homes and businesses in five foot-deep floods. A deal was announced on Monday between the pub freeholders The Dulwich Estate and London brewers Fuller’s to reopen it later this year. A spokeswoman for Fuller’s said: “We are delighted to announce that we have acquired the lease for The Half Moon, Herne Hill. In conjunction with The Dulwich Estate, we will be making a substantial investment in the pub to return it to its former glory. We aim to be reopening the pub, complete with a small number of hotel bedrooms, in the late summer, subject to gaining relevant planning and listed building consents. Fuller’s is famous for providing great hospitality, a fantastic range of beers, wines and delicious, fresh food in an excellent environment and The Half Moon will be no exception. Our aim is to create a wonderful pub that the local community can be proud of and that will have a place in the daily life of Herne Hill for many years to come.” Will Thomas, from Fleurets, said: “Our targeted marketing generated a great deal of interest in this historic and iconic pub, which has sat vacant for a number of years now. We had proposals from a range of operators who were all interested in resurrecting the pub to its former glory. Internally there is a host if fantastic features that will no doubt make this the go-to venue in SE24 once reopened by Fuller’s later this year.”

 

Galvin brothers to launch flagship London pub serving craft beer and hot dogs this month: Michelin-starred Galvin Restaurants will launch HOP, described as a “Galvin Pub de Luxe”, on what is currently the site of Galvin Café A Vin in Spitalfields Market, London, on Wednesday, 27 January. HOP, based in Spital Square off Bishopsgate, will offer fresh unpasteurised Pilsner Urquell tank beer delivered weekly from the Czech Republic, a range of craft beers, a new menu featuring classic pub dishes and a range of premium hot dogs. The menu at HOP, designed by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, will feature pub dishes made with seasonal ingredients cooked using a mixture of classic and modern techniques. Pilsner Urquell beer master Robert Lobovsky is coming from the Czech Republic for the opening. HOP will become the flagship London pub for the recently created Galvin Pub Co, which is opening its second pub, Green Man in Chelmsford, this summer.

 

Alton Towers to open UK’s first rollercoaster restaurant: Alton Towers is opening the UK’s first rollercoaster restaurant in May. The new restaurant is set below a rollercoaster track where diners will see their orders take on two loops and dropping eight metres down a tornado spiral to their table. Gill Riley, of Alton Towers, said: “The new rollercoaster restaurant will offer guests a unique dining experience that they can’t find anywhere else in the UK. The intricate network of loops and spiralling tracks is an incredible spectacle and we feel that the new restaurant is an attraction in itself. Each diner will enjoy a full 360 dining experience at one of the 13 tables and will get to select from the brand new menu of family favourites – including the big bowl of lemon meringue mess. We’re looking forward to welcoming guests in 2016 and we believe that the new restaurant will be a top attraction for both theme park guests and those staying with us as part of a short break.” The restaurant will be accessible via a walkaway from the Enchanted Village and hotels. The dishes will be tested to make sure they can withstand the force of flying down the rollercoaster, allegedly faster than Mo Farah when he ran the 10,000 metres at the London 2012 Olympics. The restaurant will be available for pre-bookings.

Deltic describes Gatecrasher Birmingham acquisition story as ‘pure speculation’ as ‘deal not done’: The Birmingham Mail has claimed Deltic Group is set to acquire Birmingham superclub Gatecrasher, which lost its licence after a string of violent incidents, and will reopen on 1 March. The newspaper claimed it will form part of the Pryzm chain, which has sites in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds and Kingston-upon-Thames. A spokesman for Deltic Group has claimed the article is “pure speculation” and the company is in talks but that “no deal has been done”. 

Amber Taverns acquires former nightclub in Burton: Amber Taverns has acquired a nightclub, latterly known as Ambience, in High Street, Burton. It has now applied to East Staffordshire Borough Council for permission to install a replacement frontage, reinstate windows as well as replace its metal staircase. The firm also wants to partly bulldoze a bottle store to make way for outdoor seating. In a report to the council’s planning department, Gary Roberts, of Amber Taverns, said: “The building has undergone several unsympathetic alterations to its frontage over the past 20 years. The property has recently been purchased by Amber Taverns, which proposes to invest in the proposed redevelopment of the building in order to grow its business.” 

Birmingham brewery Davenports set to launch first bar in more than 30 years as it plans series of openings in city after raising £10m: Birmingham brewery Davenports is set to launch its first bar in more than 30 years as it plans a series of openings in the city. The company, which was founded in Birmingham in 1829, has submitted plans to open a new craft beer and cocktail cafe on the ground floor of the Big Peg in the Jewellery Quarter, which was previously used by West Midlands Police as a district station. The new bar will be called Dares Cafe, named after Davenports’ craft beer brand, which was established in the 1920s and it is hoped the 1,200 square foot venue will be open by the spring. In addition to cocktails and craft beer, it will serve coffees and what it called “grill style street food”. Davenports said the new bar would be one of the first in the city to sell brewery fresh tank beer, which will be transported from its brewery in Smethwick and dispensed from large 500 litre tanks, which are hung from the ceiling. The firm was taken over by Smethwick-based Empire Star ten years ago and has secured £10m in investment to broaden its estate of pubs and bars, refurbish its existing property and expand the brewery. In addition, the company was awarded £100,000 match funding from the Birmingham Post Growth Fund, which it is using to support the launch of the Jewellery Quarter bar and a second in Moseley later this year. Marketing and brand director Simon Key told the Birmingham Mail: “We have several planned openings in the city, all fit the similar demographical nature of Hockley as urban villages, where people live work and play.”

 

Oakman Inns and Restaurants reports £2.1m sales in four weeks to Sunday, 3 January, up 55%: Oakman Inns and Restaurants has reported total sales of £2.1m for the four weeks ending Sunday, 3 January 2016, an increase of 55% on the previous year, with like-for-like sales up 11.8%. Founder and chief executive Peter Borg-Neal said: “We got up a very good head of steam going into the Christmas trading period and had put a lot of work into getting our Christmas offer spot-on. As a result we were hopeful of a good outcome but our performance has been at the upper end of our expectations. The 13 pubs in the Oakman Collection have averaged well over £40,000 net per site per week. In addition to the excellent performance from the core estate our 2015 acquisitions also did very well with The White Hart, Ampthill, being a star performer.” The numbers for the 39 weeks up to the end of quarter three show like-for-like sales up 6.2% and total sales of £14.5m, up 52.7% on the previous year. Borg-Neal added: “Over the past 18 months or so we have strengthened our team and have introduced a wide range of employee and management initiatives designed to drive performance improvement. The fact that our sales have grown progressively over the course of the last 39 weeks is evidence that these programmes are bearing fruit. I am confident we can maintain this momentum through to the end of 2015/16 and, in so doing, will complete another excellent year.”

 

London’s first Chinese hot pot restaurant opens in Soho: London’s first specialist Chinese hot pot restaurant Shuang Shuang has opened in Soho. The concept has been launched in Shaftesbury Avenue by Fah Sundravorakul, who previously ran a collection of restaurants in Thailand, reports The Londonist. Seated at their individual hot pot, diners can choose from among 50-or-so British and Chinese ingredients on a passing conveyor belt to add to their stockpot and cook for themselves. Sundravorakul said: “Hot pot is something I have enjoyed ever since I was a child – at family get-togethers, birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations. It is a part of my Chinese heritage that I am very proud of. Hot pot is all about sharing and cooking good food with friends and family – choosing the ingredients, and creating something delicious together.” Sundravorakul’s Bangkok restaurants included Imperial Duck, Boon Tong Kee and Yamagoya. He previously worked for Diageo, leading the Johnnie Walker team in Thailand.

 

Wahaca again offering free tacos in exchange for spoon return: Wahaca is again offering free tacos to diners who return the brand’s brightly coloured spoons this month. The company is giving people until the end of January to recoup some of the 5,000 spoons stolen each year as part of its #SpoonAmnesty. Wahaca is offering a free bowl of tacos to any customer willing to walk into one of their restaurants and hand back its sought-after brightly coloured plastic spoons. The free plate will consist of one of the two new specials launched this month – achiote cod or pork cheek tacos. The amnesty was first launched in 2012 and Wahaca has since recovered about 100 spoons a year. The company, which was co-founded in 2005 by Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers, has 20 sites and has just secured a location in Brighton.

 

Las Iguanas reports turnover passes £50m, eyes 100-plus sites in the UK: Las Iguanas, the brand acquired last summer by Casual Dining Group, has reported turnover of £52,41,157 in the year to 28 March 2015, up from £47,053,389 the year before. The company opened four sites in the year with ten planned to open in the current year – and ten each in the next two years. It reported a pre-tax profit of £3.8m (2014: £4m). However, excluding exceptional costs, the majority relating to new site opening costs, the underlying pre-tax profit is £4.5m. It added: “Since March 2015, the business has made improvements in the design and layout of its new sites which has led to its latest three sites to outperform sales and profit expectations.” Opening costs in the year were £810,318 (2014: £1,141,386). 

 

Most of Scotland’s biggest Indian restaurant company sold after £2.4m goodwill writedown: The owner of Scotland’s biggest Indian restaurant company, best known for the Ashoka brand, has sold most of the business. Sanjay Majhu, who runs Harlequin Leisure Group, hopes to branch into television cookery, overseas healthcare and online opportunities following the sale. Accounts filed at Companies House showed a retained loss of just over £2m, reports Herald Scotland. Majhu said this was the result of a £2.4m goodwill writedown on the sale of six restaurants to their franchisees. “I always had a ten-year plan and told everyone that 2015 was the year I sold off the restaurants,” said Majhu, who bought the business from Charan Gill for £8m in 2005. “The market wasn’t great for sales and we’ve had to reflect that with a goodwill write-off. I was never going to get the money I would have liked for the restaurants. Pre-2008 before the crash I could get anything from the banks. But banks don’t lend against leases, so none of the franchisees could raise money from the banks to buy the restaurants – they used all of their own reserves and cash. The biggest challenge and probably the biggest reason why I’ve decided to sell is that it’s difficult to staff Indian restaurants.” Two remaining Ashoka restaurants in Coatbridge and Dundee would hopefully be sold this year, Majhu added. He said he had paid off the £2.5m raised to buy Harlequin in 2005. “Ebitda was positive at about £300,000,” Majhu said. “But if you’re writing off £2.4m goodwill, you’re going to wipe everything out.” Majhu said he might revisit the restaurant business in future, but in cuisines other than Indian.

 

Starbucks plans its first drive-thru in North Wales: Plans have been submitted for North Wales’ first Starbucks drive-thru. The first Starbucks drive-thru in Europe opened in 2008 in Cardiff. Since then, in Wales, the company has opened branches for drivers in Swansea and Bridgend. Plans have been submitted for the coffee house on green space and shrub land on the junction with Deiniol Road and Sackville Road in Bangor. The second drive-thru in Wales opened last summer at Bridgend. At the time Simon Redfern, director of corporate affairs at Starbucks, said: “With our lives becoming increasingly busy we want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to enjoy their Starbucks on the move. Customers tell us that the drive-thru store formats are convenient for them whilst they commute to work, grab a coffee shopping or head home from the gym.” In 2011, Starbucks announced plans to introduce 200 drive-thru venues, which would create about 5,000 jobs, the Bridgend shop was the 38th.

 

Leon introduces new menu: Healthy food brand Leon has launched a new menu for the new year. The company has introduced the items after working with three of its nutritional advisors to create a menu “that makes us feel good”. It aims to focus on and celebrating the good things people want to eat rather than think about the things they are denying themselves or trying to avoid. The themes of the menu are: the power of plants – providing a range of colourful plants, and therefore a full range of “phytonutrients”, protein power, slow-burning carbs, good fats, paleo and healthy versions of indulgent classics. The items include rainbow roasted vegetable salad featuring roasted sweet potato, courgettes and red and yellow pepper, superclean chicken quinoa salad consisting of shredded chargrilled chicken, semi-dried tomatoes, fresh mint and parsley topped with pomegranate seeds and a dressing, a paleon bar with cranberries, hazelnuts, roasted pistachios and dates and a chocolate shake made with cacao and almond milk, naturally sweetened with dates.

 

Prezzo submits plans for new restaurant in Carlisle: Prezzo has submitted plans to open a new restaurant in Carlisle. The company has lodged an application with the city council for the outlet on the site of the Andalusian tapas bar in Warwick Road. The restaurant would seat 166 people in total, split over the ground and first floors, creating about 30 jobs. Existing residential accommodation on the second floor does not form part of the application. A Prezzo spokesman told the News & Star: “The fact that our planning application has been submitted shows that we are keen to open a Prezzo restaurant in Carlisle. We will await the outcome of the planning decision.” Prezzo, which opened its first restaurant in London in November 2000, confirmed its interest in Carlisle back in November when it applied to erect new signs at the site, which has since been approved. Barnaby Bowman bought the grade II-listed building, formerly The White House pub, for £275,000 in July 2009 after it had stood empty for five years and opened it as the Andalusian with his now wife Tracey.

 

Greene King reopens salmonella scare pub after two-week closure: Greene King has reopened a pub/restaurant closed as part of an investigation into an outbreak of salmonella poisoning. Grove Farm, near junction 21 of the M1, was closed before Christmas and all bookings over the festive period were cancelled. Now, after “intensive cleaning” and a variety of tests, which the owners said included a negative result for salmonella, the venue has reopened. Amy Robertson, manager of the pub, said: “We are pleased to say that after extensive testing Grove Farm has now fully reopened and all test results have been found to be negative for salmonella. The safety of our customers is our top priority. Over the past couple of weeks, working with Environmental Health and Public Health England, all areas of the pub, including our kitchen, have been intensively cleaned and sanitised. We would like to stress that at no point were our food safety and kitchen hygiene standards called into question and extensive testing proved our food is safe. All of our food handlers – from kitchen porters to chefs – must be qualified to the level two Food Hygiene Certificate before being allowed to work in our kitchens and we are proud of our extremely strict hygiene regime.” The pub, in Barton Close, Enderby, was voluntarily shut by Greene King in the middle of December while an investigation was carried out by Public Health England.

 

Healthy restaurant and dry bar concept Redemption starts expanding by opening second site in Shoreditch: Healthy restaurant and dry bar concept Redemption has started expanding by opening a second site in Shoreditch, east London. Redemption, which opened its first permanent site in Notting Hill last year following a series of pop-ups, has launched in Old Street, reports The Handbook. The concept is the brainchild of former Virgin marketing chief Catherine Salway and experienced restaurateur and executive chef Andrea Waters. Redemption’s motto is “spoil yourself without spoiling yourself” with an ethos of caring for the planet, animals and ourselves. All the dishes are sugar-free, wheat-free, vegan while the cocktails are all non-alcoholic. The menu includes kelp noodle and lemongrass laksa, roasted pumpkin coated in cashew and gamasio with avocado, lemon, garlic with horseradish guacamole and beetroot spaghetti with kale and almond pesto. Virgin and Salway parted ways in early 2011. She spent 15 years at the company, the last seven as group brand director with responsibility for the overarching Virgin brand and marketing strategy.

 

Greggs set to open dozen sites in Northern Ireland this year after launch of first stand-alone store: Greggs will add at least a dozen stores in Northern Ireland this year, after it finally revealed the location of its first stand-alone store there, according to the Belfast Telegraph. It is creating 12 jobs at Boucher Road Retail Park, with a new store opening in March. Criona Collins, director and head of retail agency at Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “Greggs are on record as saying their planned shop at Boucher Road will be the first of a dozen.” A Greggs spokesperson did not confirm the additional stores that are due to open in the country. “At present, we can confirm that we will be opening a company-managed shop on Boucher Road in Belfast and a franchise shop in partnership with Applegreen,” a spokesman said. “We are continuing to look for further opportunities to open more shops in Northern Ireland this year and will share additional information as soon as we are in a position to do so.” The chain opened its first store at the Applegreen service station on the M2 in April last year. Greggs has 1,670 stores located across Great Britain.

 

AB InBev UK reveals details of pledge to provide full ingredient and nutritional information: AB InBev UK has revealed the role it will play in AB InBev’s European pledge to provide consumers with full ingredient and nutritional information for its beers. The information will be available per 100ml as well as per portion size and will cover energy values, fat, saturated fats, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins and salt (the Big 7). The changes will begin this year and be in place on at least 80% of European volumes by the end of 2017 with full information on all AB InBev brands already available online via www.tapintoyourbeer.com. The pledge follows results from a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Mori for AB InBev that revealed UK consumers have limited knowledge of calorie levels in beer, with less than one in five claiming to be aware of them. The survey showed providing more information on beer would be beneficial for consumers where over a third of respondents said they pay close attention to their daily calorie consumption (36%), and 35% actively look at the calorie information of their drinks. This figure rises to nearly 50% (48%) among 18-29 year olds – the largest percentage among millennials across Europe. UK consumers identified packaging (67%), brand websites (54%) and other information available online (43%) as the most essential channels for communicating calorie levels, nutritional information and information about ingredients.

 

Marston’s set to open new-build carvery pub/restaurant on Isle of Sheppey in April: Marston’s is set to open a new-build carvery pub/restaurant at a retail park on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent in April. The company is currently fitting out The Four Bridges – believed to be a reference to the four crossings that have spanned the Swale over the years – at Neats Court in Queenborough, which will create 40 jobs, reports Kent Online. The two-storey building, which will seat 150 diners, is located next to Morrisons and the A249 and Marston’s said it expects to serve about 3,000 people a week. The retail park is currently home to seven companies, which include B&M Bargains and Poundland.

 

World’s self-styled first pan-Caribbean restaurant to launch in Leicester this week as Sutton Coldfield site ‘stalls’: The world’s self-styled first pan-Caribbean restaurant is set to launch in Leicester this week as plans for a site in Sutton Coldfield have “stalled”. White Sands, which is the brainchild of Lloyd Waldron and Jermaine Jarratt, will give diners a choice of food from all the 28 island nations in the Caribbean. The inaugural restaurant was meant to be in Sutton Coldfield but the owners said the proposed site in Birmingham Road that has been beset with planning issues was no longer viable. Waldron told the Sutton Coldfield Observer: “We thought the premises were licenced for liquor and Birmingham City Council has said there is no proper planning consent for a restaurant. We need proper clarification on that unit. We have wasted thousands on legal bills for no reason. It should have been opened way beforehand. A site in Leicester is opening this week, which was meant to be way after the Sutton one. But we are definitely opening in Sutton Coldfield. We are looking at other sites now. There’s a massive demand and we definitely won’t let it go. We hope to open in the next few months.” Waldron and Jarratt are also planning to open a flagship base in Birmingham city centre this year as well as sites at Touchwood in Solihull and Leamington Spa as it looks to create a chain across the Midlands.

 

Fine-dining vegan restaurant to open in Liverpool: Liverpool is to get a new fine dining vegan restaurant. The Allotment is due to launch next month on the site of Purple Carrot in Smithdown Road. It’s the brainchild of vegan chef Matthew Nutter, who wants to bring his cutting edge cuisine to the city. “I’ve been thinking about opening somewhere in Liverpool for a while,” he said. “I was surprised how few vegan restaurants there were in the area, while demand seems to be growing.” Nutter is also known as the plant food power chef. “We’re here to show you just how easy it is for you to bring veganism into your life, without sacrificing your taste buds,” he added. “We’re not here to convert you or change your views. This isn’t a cult. But we see nothing wrong with wanting people to try out a healthier way of living.” Dishes on the initial menu include pureed celeriac and chimichuri dressing, South Carolina lentils, toot vegetable crisps, sprouted chickpea and roast habanero hummus.

 

Everyman reports 2015 trading was in line with expectations: Everyman cinemas has reported trading for the 12 months to 31 December 2015 has been in line with market expectations. The company ended the year operating 16 cinemas. These include the four Odeon sites acquired in August 2015, of which Gerrards Cross and Esher were both fully refurbished to the Everyman offer before the year-end. The directors expect the refurbishment of the remaining two sites at Muswell Hill and Barnet to complete during the course of 2016, in line with expectations at the time of acquisition. It added: “The group has continued to find attractive new venue opportunities for future investment. As previously announced contracts have now been exchanged on venues at Bristol, Harrogate, Chelmsford, Cirencester, Stratford-upon-Avon and King’s Cross. Everyman benefited from the strong cinema market during the second half of 2015 and the directors expect this momentum to continue into 2016.” 

 

Cote aiming to open new Cirencester restaurant in March: French brasserie Cote is aiming to open its new restaurant in Cirencester in March. The company is converting the former Hares Antiques site in Black Jack Street into its second outlet in Gloucestershire. Marketing and PR manager Paola Voiro told the Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: “We are very excited about opening in a charming town like Cirencester, although we don’t have a confirmed opening date we are hoping it will be in March. We have long thought that Cirencester would be the perfect setting for Cote, as we pride ourselves on the neighbourhood feel our restaurants have and Cirencester is a friendly place with great local spirit. We are confident that our ethos of offering high quality food at value for money prices and personable customer service will fit in well in Cirencester.” Cote has more than 70 restaurants across the UK, including its other Gloucestershire site in Cheltenham.

 

Mandarin Oriental buys Boston, Massachusetts hotel: Mandarin Oriental International is to acquire the freehold interest in the property that houses Mandarin Oriental, Boston together with its hotel business for US$140m. The company has managed the 148-room hotel, which is situated on Boylston Street in Boston, under a management contract since its opening in 2008. The group also manages 85 privately owned Residences at Mandarin Oriental connected to the hotel. Mandarin Oriental has exercised its right under its long-term management contract to acquire the hotel from CWB Hotel Partnership. The hotel had been offered for sale by auction, and a number of bids had been received. Under Mandarin Oriental’s management contract, it has the right to acquire the property for a sum equivalent to the highest bid. Completion of the sale and purchase of the hotel, subject to final court approval of the terms agreed at auction, is currently expected to take place in the first quarter of 2016. Edouard Ettedgui, group chief executive, said: “We are delighted to acquire the property that houses our luxury hotel in the heart of Boston. This acquisition ensures the continuity of our position in Boston, and we look forward to maintaining our award-winning service in this key gateway city.” 

 

Owners of Chester tapas bar eye expansion, reveal deal for site in Manchester fell through: The owners of Chester tapas bar Porta are eyeing expansion and have revealed a deal for a second site in Manchester fell through. Brothers Ben and Joe Wright, who launched the concept in 2013, came “painfully close” to signing for a property in Oldham Street late last year, reports the Manchester Evening News. Writing in a blog post on sister restaurant Joseph Benjamin’s website, Ben Wright wrote: “We’ve spent quite a bit of 2015 working on plans to expand Porta to another town in the north west. In early November we were painfully close to signing on a great site on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter – it really was our kind of place – but after a couple of miserable weeks stuck in the legal weeds, that particular plan finally fell through. Extremely disappointing to say the least, but we now have a few new irons in the fire and are looking forward to hammering those as hard as we can.” The brothers said Manchester was “on the very periphery” of their search area and they remain open-minded about the location – it will be the building that seals the deal. Ben Wright wrote. “That’s the ‘thing’ we’re after; hopefully 2016 will be its year.”

 

London-themed bar set to open in Swansea next month: A London-themed bar where drinks are served out of a vintage double decker bus is set to open in Swansea next month. Li’l London is being launched in The Strand with the team behind the venue claiming it will have the most extensive cocktail menu in the city as well as serving gourmet hot dogs. There will be “VIP caravan and bus booths” along with table service, reports Wales Online. Its Facebook page said: “The combined imaginations from two of the city’s most popular bars (‘Flickering Light’ and ‘Fancy a Rum?’) are proud to announce the opening of this unique, one of a kind venue in the centre of Swansea. For the past year we have been extensively researching, developing and more recently creating the quirkiest bar you’ll see in town and we are excited to tell you that we are almost finished. It’s been hard trying to keep it a secret, not only as we had to get a vintage double decker bus through the front door, but mainly because we cannot wait to reveal all the surprises we have in store for Swansea.”

 

Itinerary unveiled for second Propel and Thinking Drinkers Craft Beer Retail Study Tour: The itinerary has been unveiled for the second Propel and Thinking Drinkers Craft Beer Retail Study Tour. The event, which this year focuses on south London, takes place on Thursday, 28 January and will visit seven of the capital’s leading craft beer retailers in an eight-hour period. It starts at the Four Thieves brewpub in Battersea, owned by Laine Pub Company. The tour will then visit hybrid craft beer and bottle shop We Brought Beer in Clapham Junction, which was founded by former BrewDog employee James Hickson, followed by the Craft Beer Co site in Clapham Manor Street. The next stop will be the Crown & Anchor in Brixton run by London Village Inns before heading to independently operated Stormbird in Camberwell Church Street, which was runner-up in the Timeout Love London Awards this year. The tour then continues to Late Knights Brewery’s micro-pub Beer Rebellion in Gypsy Hill and ends at Utobeer’s The Rake in Borough Market. The tour will again be led by Thinking Drinkers, award-winning beer writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, who will provide the latest craft beer facts and figures, market segmentation, analysis and spot up-and-coming trends. The day includes lunch and breakfast and travel between venues by coach. Tickets are £345 for Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) members and £395 for non-ALMR members. To book, email adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

ALMR National Restaurant Association Study Tour to Chicago opens for bookings: The Propel and Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) 2016 Chicago Study Tour is now open for bookings. The trip, sponsored by CPL Training and Sky, takes place between Thursday, 19 May and Monday, 23 May 2016. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) draws 58,000-plus industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries, seeking the newest innovations and up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues. The ALMR trip provides: insights from industry experts on the rise in fast-casual dining, social media, new and emerging brands, menu development, staff management and a host of other issues – with 70 free education sessions at the NRA show. It also involves two tours of Chicago’s hottest concepts and a market overview briefing sessions from US experts. Paul Charity, managing director of Propel Info, said: “The NRA show combined with our tour of Chicago is a fantastic opportunity to find fresh inspiration and understand the emerging trends shaping the fast-changing US market.” To get more information or to book, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com