Oakman Inns and Restaurants reports site Ebitda doubled to £2.2m, three new sites secured for 2016: Oakman Inns and Restaurants, led by Peter Borg-Neal, has reported site Ebitda doubled to £2.2m in the year to 5 April 2015. Turnover was up by 16.6% to £12.7m. The company reported like-for-like sales rose 9% in the year with average sales per core Oakman site continuing to exceed £30,000 net per week. Group Ebitda improved by £656,000 to £372,000. New equity of £2,329,000 was raised during the year. The balance sheet was restructured with all bank debt repaid and cash released to fund planned growth. Two new sites, The Beech House, St Albans, and The Akeman Inn, Kingswood, opened in the year and have traded “significantly ahead of their combined performance target”. Four new sites have opened since the year end – The Globe, Warwick, The White Hart, Ampthill, The Navigation Inn, Cosgrove, and The Kings Head, Chipping Ongar – and “are also significantly ahead of target as a group”. The company stated: “Oakman has sought with partners to further advance our strategic objectives. Increasingly, Oakman is able to leverage our high levels of ethical and professional reputation to attract people to work with us. Downoak, a new part of the wider group, has been created in partnership with Downing – it now operates four freehold sites. The Globe was acquired as part of a partnership agreement. Two of the sites developed in the new financial year have been jointly funded by their respective landlords. Oakman are in substantive discussions with other potential business partners.” The company had an operating loss of £1,079,000, compared to £1,415,255 the year before. Borg-Neal told Propel he was “very bullish” about the current year especially given the company has just had its best quarter to date. He said the company was looking to open six to ten sites in the next financial year with three already secured – two in Buckinghamshire and one in Warwickshire. Borg-Neal added he expected the company to turnover between £21m and £22m in the current year and £30m in 2016/17. 

Henry Dimbleby to present at Propel Multi Club Conference: Henry Dimbleby is to present at the first Propel Multi Club Conference of 2016, which takes place at Congress Hall in London on Wednesday, 16 March. Dimbleby, co-founder of London Union, will set out the company’s progress in creating neighbourhood food markets based on experiential food discovery, crowdfunding, and plans to create the world’s greatest food market and the development of 12 London neighbourhood markets. Multi-site pub, restaurant and foodservice operators can claim up to two free places by emailing Adam Dickinson on adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com

 

Night Time Industries Association and I’M IN app team up to promote venues across UK: Viral marketing and ticketing app I’M IN and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) are launching a new industry campaign to champion the night-time industries across the country and expand membership. As part of this initiative, I’M IN will offset between £200 and £375 of the cost of any NTIA member undertaking a campaign(s) on its platform. NTIA membership will be discounted between 50-100% depending on the size and location of the venue, with the additional benefit of increased promotion and marketing to one of the UK and Europe’s fastest growing databases for music and event audiences. This collaboration will also enable the NTIA to further increase its lobbying efforts, as well as expanding its network of venues across the UK that can therefore be represented on the national stage. The issues faced by clubs and live music venues across the UK have been particularly acute around licensing policy, and it is here the NTIA hopes to dramatically shift the national standard and bring about fairer legislation.

 

McDonald’s accused of abusing its market power: McDonald’s has been accused of abusing its market power by imposing unfair and restrictive contracts on people operating its franchise restaurants in Europe. A formal complaint has been made to the European Commission by a group of Italian consumers’ organisations. They accuse McDonald’s of forcing franchisees to pay excessive rents and high fees. McDonald’s said it shared risks and rewards with its licensees. In a statement, McDonald’s said: “We are proud of our franchisees and are committed to working closely together so that they have the support they need to operate their restaurants and their businesses. This approach, with the principle of sharing risk and reward, has been successful for many years and has helped create the best business opportunities for our franchisees and the best overall experience for our customers.” The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and European unions, including the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union in the UK, are supporting the formal antitrust complaint. “McDonald’s abuse of its dominant market position hurts everyone: franchisees, consumers, and workers,” said SEIU organising director Scott Courtney. “We strongly urge the European Commission to investigate the charges and to use all of its powers to hold McDonald’s accountable.” 

Kettle Chips takes 26% stake in Julian Metcalfe’s popcorn company: Kettle Chips UK has taken a 26% stake in the popcorn company set up by Pret A Manger founder Julian Metcalfe, Metcalfe’s Skinny. The investment will help Metcalfe’s Skinny with strategic and financial infrastructure to maximise the growth potential of the brand in the UK and Europe. Metcalfe’s Skinny has seen a growth of 67.4% year-on-year. Metcalfe said: “We are very excited about the opportunity to expand the Metcalfe’s skinny brand with the support and expertise of the Kettle organisation. This is a positive step that we know will not only showcase the brand’s potential but will benefit our customers in the long term too.”

Ordering and reservation platform TastyIgniter launches: TastyIgniter, an ordering and reservations platform for restaurants, has been launched, providing businesses with a powerful new way to increase their revenues and profits. The software is free to download, at tastyigniter.com, and restaurants can start taking orders via the platform in just five minutes. It’s a complete restaurant management system that has been specifically created to help restaurants take their business online, and eliminate the need for a costly IT department. It’s possible to accept payments using TastyIgniter, with a number of options for businesses to choose from. This platform can also be used to enhance and manage a restaurant’s marketing campaign, by enabling management to send out e-newsletters and create a database of customers’ emails. Many restaurants operate in different languages, and TastyIgniter caters for this by supporting multiple language translation. A spokesperson for TastyIgniter said: “We are delighted to launch TastyIgniter. Restaurants can quickly download the platform, free of charge, and start receiving orders in five minutes and greatly increase their turnover.”

River Cottage trained chef to co-launch wild food restaurant in Covent Garden next month: River Cottage trained chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes will co-launch a wild food restaurant in Covent Garden, London, next month. Tisdall-Downes, who fine-tuned his skills at River Cottage’s headquarters in Devon, and Imogen Davis, who ran her family falconry business in Northamptonshire, are opening Native in Neals Yard, reports Hot Dinners. The pair have operated pop-ups and at street markets but will now open a permanent site. The menu will have a big focus on game, rare-breed meats and wild food including raw Sussex venison, treacle cured pheasant egg, and hayonnaise and roast celeriac, whipped speltotto, Douglas fir oil, and kale, as well as more foraged and vegetarian dishes. Its website said: “Native looks to provide its guests with an original dining experience that encapsulates the country’s best wild food that is native to the UK through a combination of innovative cooking and country thrift. Our food looks to unite the country’s best foraged foods and game in a laid back, full flavour adventure through the British seasons.”

 

Flying Kiwi Inns reports pre-tax profit reduces by more than 50%: Norfolk operator Flying Kiwi Inns, led by chef Chris Coubrough, has reported its pre-tax profit fell by more than 50% for the year ending 31 March 2015. The company, which operates three sites, saw a pre-tax profit of £206,129, compared to £478,236 the previous year, according to accounts filed with Companies House. Turnover remained almost the same at £3,027,454, compared to £3,027,521 the year before. The company stated: “The group has spent money in the year improving the offering to the customer, in particular on the restaurant facilities. The rewards for this investment are being felt in the 2015/16 year. The company will also continue to implement efficiency improvements, which commenced in the current year, in line with its policy for maximising profits generated from the sales made. The group is not currently planning on investing in further outlets however, should an opportunity arise where we feel that an addition would significantly improve the profitability of the group then the possibility would be carefully considered.”

 

PizzaExpress secures Andover site in Hampshire: Agent Savills has advised Citylodge Hotel, The Star and Garter, on the letting of part of the ground floor of its property in Andover, Hampshire, to PizzaExpress. The company has agreed a new 25-year lease for circa 3,000 square foot (278 square metres) of space and will pay an annual rent of £60,000 per annum. The Star and Garter Hotel is located on the high street in the centre of Andover and has 35 bedrooms on the upper floors. Adam Bullas, director in the Savills licensed leisure team, said: “Securing PizzaExpress, a very popular and successful tenant and brand, is a great move for The Star and Garter Hotel as it will be an added attraction for staying guests. It will also provide the Andover community with a new and exciting place to wine and dine.” PizzaExpress was advised by Quirico Estates.

 

Coffee Republic opens first of ten cafes as part of Co-op franchise deal: Coffee Republic has opened the first of ten cafes that will be launched this year at Mid Counties Co-operative stores as part of a franchise deal between the two companies. The first outlet has opened at the Co-operative store in Walsall with the second in Highworth, Swindon, due to welcome customers from tomorrow (Friday, 14 January). The agreement will see a further eight cafes opening in Mid Counties Co-operative’s larger supermarkets in the West Midlands, Shropshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire in 2016 and is in addition to Coffee Republic’s target of opening 20 new franchises per year. As part of the partnership, Coffee Republic has launched Fairtrade coffee, which will be available in the new locations. Coffee Republic currently operates four company owned sites and 25 UK franchises, with 20 international venues.

 

Coffee#1 to open first site of 2016 in Hereford today, 15 planned this year: Coffee chain Coffee#1, owned by SA Brain, will opens its first new store of 2016 in the cathedral city of Hereford – the brand’s 58th coffee shop will open on High Town today (Thursday, 14 January). An aggressive programme of openings for 2016 is in place with at least 15 shops planned. Operations manager Jo Hamilton-Welsman said: “2016 is set to be another busy year for Coffee#1 with a number of exciting openings already in the pipeline. Coffee#1 has been very well received in a number of other city and market town locations including Thornbury and Cirencester and we were delighted to secure the perfect location for a shop in Hereford.”

 

Personalised coffee service Eight Point Nine reaches £150,000 crowdfunding target: Personalised coffee subscription service Eight Point Nine has reached its £150,000 target on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. The company, founded by Phillip Clarke and Chris Hewitt, has delivered over £50,000 bags of coffee since launching four years ago and was offering a 16.67% equity stake in return for the investment. It reached its target with the help of 139 investors, with the largest investment being £12,000. The pitch stated: “We’ve been really pleased with sales growth over the last 12 months, but we’ve barely scratched the surface. We believe that our co-brand partnerships will deliver us significant volumes of new customers. We need to invest now to maximise the opportunity and maintain our momentum. Having self-funded the business, we plan to invest in expanding our core team beyond the founders, to continue developing our technology platform (investment in mobile, social and our flavour-matching algorithm) and to invest in customer retention and advocacy. Revenues over the last 12 months exceed £110,000, and we believe we can achieve £694,000 in the next forecast year.” The company is forecast to make a pre-tax loss of £121,000 in year one, a profit of £202,000 at the end of year two and £1.1m in its third year. 

 

Starbucks UK introduces coconut milk lattes to menu: After a successful trial run in the US, Starbucks has introduced coconut milk lattes to its UK menus. But the coffee chain’s decision to include the plant-based milk alternative has been met with derision from those on Twitter, who have been flooding social media with their negative feedback. Many said the drink was “garbage” and “not nice”, and claimed to instantly regret purchasing it. Starbucks started testing coconut milk in stores in US last year as an alternative to dairy products. The coffee chain is not testing almond milk, a popular non-dairy option, at this time due to the “critically important safety of our customers with nut allergies”, a spokesperson said. The spokesperson added: “We’re pleased to offer our customers another non-dairy milk alternative and we’ve received some very positive feedback on our Coconut Milk Latte. We are committed to meeting our customers’ expectations for high quality ingredients that facilitate further customisation of our more than 170,000 beverage options.” 

Batemans acquires Rotherham pub/restaurant: Batemans, the family brewer based in Lincolnshire, has acquired the Fairways pub/restaurant in Rotherham for an undisclosed sum off an asking price of £1.1m. Agent Fleurets acted for the owners Yorkstone Property, which had owned and operated the former Spirit managed house in Bawtry Road since 2008. Batemans Brewery retail director Linda Green said: “The purchase marks a great step forward in terms of our strategic review and we look forward to introducing our beers to this part of South Yorkshire.” Nick Thomas, from Fleurets’ Leeds office, added: “The Fairways is a good example of a wet-led community pub/restaurant with the added benefit of seven letting bedrooms, which Batemans were able to readily appreciate. Management operated on a simple wet:dry format with the added benefit of letting income, the Fairways will readily transfer to Batemans intended style of operation and further cements their expanding presence in this part of Yorkshire.”

St Ives-based bar and restaurant concept to start expanding by opening second site in Exeter, new Cuban restaurant also set for city: St Ives-based bar and restaurant concept The Rum & Crab Shack is to start expanding by opening a second site in Exeter. The concept, which serves Louisiana style seafood and cocktails, has confirmed it will be launching a new outlet in the city centre in the next few months but remained tightlipped about its exact location. A spokesman told the Exeter Express & Echo: “The Rum & Crab Shack will offer a great atmosphere, have great food and drinks and lots of good food.” Meanwhile, a new Cuban restaurant concept is also set to launch in the city. Cuba Cantina is opening in Gandy Street on the site of the former jewellers Blue Wing Gallery, which is relocating to St Ives. The new restaurant’s owner has applied to Exeter City Council for a premises licence to permit the sale of alcohol and regulated entertainment.

 

Elle R Leisure seeks operations manager ahead of planned expansion: Hospitality company Elle R Leisure is seeking an operations manager as it gears up for expansion, Propel has learnt. The company is recruiting for the position, which will oversee the running of its restaurants and bars in the Greater Manchester area, as it plans three new openings in 2016. The successful applicant will work closely with the general managers of all sites and report directly to the directors. Elle R Leisure currently operates Albert’s Restaurants, which has three sites in Castlefield, Didsbury and Worsley, two of which have large cocktails bars and event spaces within. It also own Dukes 92 bar in Castlefield and three hotels in Leeds, Chester and Manchester. The company employs almost 600 people and had a turnover of £15m last year.

 

Caffe Nero plans first suburban location in Boston, Massachusetts: Caffe Nero is lining up its first suburban location in Boston, Massachusetts – an opening in the town of Wellesley, which has population of 27,000 and is part of Greater Boston. The brand is planning to open within the recently vacated Wellesley Hills railroad station building. The 1885 edifice is one of the few HH Richardson-built Boston & Albany Railroad depots still standing, according to local historian Joshua Dorin. Jay Gentile, USA director for Caffe Nero, said: “We are thrilled and privileged to work in such a great building designed by HH Richardson and one that has been a part of Wellesley for so long. We will do our best to treat this building with the respect it deserves. We also bring in quality baked goods every day from local artisan bakeries like Treats on Washington and fresh bread from Nashoba Brook Bakery. All of our dairy is locally sourced from High Lawn Dairy in Lee, Massachusetts. Wellesley would be very typical of our suburban locations in Europe. We find that communities that are well travelled and well educated have an appreciation for a true European Coffee House experience.”

 

Cambridge pub and restaurant operator to relaunch gastro-pub: Cambridge pub and restaurant operator Camscuisine is to relaunch a gastro-pub The Crown and Punchbowl in Horningsea in mid-February after a substantial refurbishment. “Firstly we will be restoring the exterior and opening the front door as an entrance,” a spokesman said. “There will be outside seating to the front of the building and a complete refurbishment of the pub and restaurant as well as the five guest rooms upstairs. We are also adding a conservatory over the present outside seating area to the rear. We aim to make the place more convivial and to welcome people in for just a drink – the bar area will be bigger, more appealing and will serve real ales straight from the cask.” Four further rooms will be added in a year’s time.

 

Patisserie Valerie to launch gluten-free range: Patisserie Valerie is launching a new gluten-free range, which will be available online and in stores from Monday (18 January). Customers will be able to enjoy a selection of five indulgent individual treats in cafes including a Belgian chocolate brownie, marble cake, flapjack, chocolate muffin and a ginger biscuit. Customers will also be able to place orders for a gluten-free double chocolate celebration cake – which is available in an eight-inch size (which serves approximately eight-ten people). Orders for this can be placed online through the Patisserie Valerie website, or with a team member in store. There are further plans to launch more gluten-free celebration cakes in the future. The launch of the new range comes after a lot of requests from customers. Nicola Hedley, group marketing manager, said: “We’ve been working on our gluten-free range for a while because we wanted to get it absolutely perfect. Our customers wanted gluten-free but they still wanted it to be indulgent and that’s exactly what our Gloriously Gluten Free range is.”

 

Nando’s set to open second site on Teesside: Nando’s is set to open its second site on Teesside. The company is launching the restaurant at Teesside Park in Stockton in either December this year or January 2017, reports Gazette Live. Work is now due to start on the single-storey restaurant, which is expected to create up to 40 jobs. It will be clad in black-stained timber and the plans include 49 staff car park spaces to the rear. The site, in the corner of the retail park next to Outfit and Asda Living, is currently used as a staff car park and was formerly the garden centre area of the ex-Homebase DIY store. Nando’s other restaurant on Teesside is at Middlesbrough Leisure Park, which opened in 2004 and was given a £250,000 refurbishment last year.

 

Elaine Beckett joins former colleague at Wadworth: Elaine Beckett, the former communications and compliance manager at Spirit Pub Company, where she worked for almost four years, has joined Devizes-based Wadworth as head of retail public relations and communications. She joins former head of Spirit leased Chris Welham, who became chief executive at Wadworth last year. Beckett joined Spirit from Greene King, where she also worked with Welham.

Ilkley Brewery Co appoints new head of sales and enlists PR agency to deliver national growth: Ilkley Brewery Co has appointed Josie Ludford as its new head of sales and I Like Press as its retained PR company to deliver national growth. Ludford, who previously worked for BrewDog, has been given a remit to increase coverage, routes to market and new ways of working. Ludford said: “The focus over the next 12 months will be identifying new markets both nationally and internationally as well as building a brand new field sales team – a challenge I’m very much looking forward to.” I Like Press will lead on national campaign to coincide with Ilkley Brewery Co’s big plans for 2016. The appointments are designed to emphasise the brewery’s new vision following the major share acquirement by Half Full Beer Co. The brewery is looking to build on growth maintained in 2015, having taken the capacity of the brewery to 45,000 pints per week and having sold nearly two million pints. It now exports to over ten countries including USA, China, Sweden and across mainland Europe. Ilkley Brewery director Luke Raven said: “We are all extremely excited about Josie joining the management team, as we feel she provides us with the best possible opportunity to grow and develop the Ilkley Brewery brand. I Like Press understood the aims and we look forward to working closely with them on the next chapter.”

 

Crowdfunding campaign to revive former Brighton pub passes 50% mark: A crowdfunding campaign to revive a former Brighton pub and prevent it becoming a Burger King has passed the 50% mark. Bison Beer is looking to raise £99,999 in return for a 6.66% equity stake to bring 80 East Street back into use as a pub called the Bison Arms. So far 178 investors have pledged a total of £51,589 with 20 days remaining. The pitch states: “We aim to revive 80 East Street, Brighton, as a pub specialising in craft beer, local beer, championing the best of what’s local including trades, artists, illustrators, writers and chefs to help us create this community based business. A real alternative to Burger King’s plans to open another franchise in this period property. We aim for it to be a modern pub with no ties showcasing the best of local cask and keg beers displayed in our ‘Tap Room’, the first in Brighton.” Bison Beer has received a boost in its bid to take over the site after city council planning officers refused an application by Burger King to convert the property. Award-winning restaurant 64° is in talks with Bison Beer to provide the food at the proposed pub.

 

New cereal cafe concept opening in Coventry on Saturday: A new cereal cafe concept is opening in Coventry on Saturday (16 January). Spangles, which owns American-style restaurant The Deli Diner at the Royal Priors Shopping Centre in Leamington Spa, is launching the new concept at the city’s creative quarter FarGo Village, reports the Coventry Telegraph. Diners can choose an array of American and British cereals, with other breakfast items, including Pop Tarts, also available. Alongside the cereal is a variety of milk such as almond, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, as well as custard.

 

Easyhotel plans first site outside of the UK in Barcelona: Easyhotel, the owner, developer, operator and franchiser of “super budget” branded hotels, has agreed the acquisition of land for a new-build Easyhotel in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, subject to planning permission. The project will be the company’s first owned hotel outside the UK and is in line with its European strategy. The planned 200-room Easyhotel is expected to open in 2018. The site is located on Gran Via, the main avenue of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, with easy access to Barcelona city centre and Barcelona Airport. The site has good transport links, with a train and Metro station adjacent to the proposed hotel, and is within walking distance of the Fira Barcelona Gran Via 240,000 square metre convention centre, the Barcelona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat City of Justice and the Gran Via shopping centre, which includes 180 shops, 24 cafes/restaurants and a 15-screen cinema. Subject to planning permission, the total anticipated investment on completion will be approximately €15m. Chief executive Guy Parsons said: “We are delighted to be investing in our first owned property in Spain. The Barcelona region is an extremely attractive market for us, with Barcelona being the 12th most visited city in the world. The strength of the ‘easy’ brand has already driven significant appetite for our hotels from the Spanish market, with Spanish customers currently accounting for 5% of all easyHotel guests. We are confident that there is considerable opportunity to expand the easyHotel brand through a mix of owned and franchised hotels in Europe and in Spain.”

 

Sticky Walnut owner set to launch crowdfunding campaign to open third site in Manchester: The owner of Chester restaurant Sticky Walnut and sister site Burnt Truffle in Heswall is set to launch a crowdfunding campaign to open a third site in Manchester. Gary Usher is hatching plans to open the new venture in the suburb of Chorlton called Hispi Bistro, reports the Manchester Evening News. A new Twitter account linked to the other restaurants’ profiles said it would be “another cosy neighbourhood bistro”. Usher opened Sticky Walnut in 2011 while Burnt Truffle followed last year after a crowdfunding campaign that saw supporters pledge £100,000 in 30 days towards the project. Hispi also looks likely to be funded through a Kickstarter campaign after a tweet from the Sticky Walnut account revealed: “Tomorrow first talks of Hispi Kickstarter video.”

 

Liverpool-based independent pizza shop opens third site: Liverpool-based independent pizza shop American Pizza Slice has opened its third site in the city. The company, which has a takeaway in Whitechapel and a shop in South Road, Waterloo, has launched the new eatery in Bold Street. The ground floor of the store has seating and the upstairs floor is currently being renovated and should be open by the end of February. Owner Paul Canning told the Liverpool Echo: “I’ve been looking to open a new store. We’ve had the shop on Whitechapel for nearly 15 years now and it was the right time. We decided to give away free slices to welcome our new customers and say thanks to our regular customers for all their support.”

 

Norfolk vineyard secures funding to research new grape variety: A Norfolk vineyard has secured funding from the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative to carry out research on “one of the UK’s most promising grape varieties”. Flint Vineyard is a new vineyard and winery based in Earsham, south Norfolk. It intends to use advanced and experimental winemaking techniques to produce premium wines with help from the £23,000 grant. With the funding, the company will carry out scientific fermentation trials using the Bacchus grape to develop the perfect taste and aroma in the wines produced. Bacchus makes a crisp and aromatic white wine, similar to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and is particularly well-suited to the East Anglian climate. A state-of-the-art winery with its own laboratory will allow the business to create a range of “exciting” wines. Ben Witchell, winemaker at Flint Vineyard, said: “We are thrilled to be in position to carry out such exciting trials. The UK is being taken more and more seriously as a cool climate grape growing region and needs research like this to be on an equal footing with other new world countries. The Bacchus grape has huge potential to really transform people’s opinions of English wines and we hope, through this work, to achieve this. It’s all about putting science into the art of winemaking.” The Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative is run by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with support from New Anglia LEP, Norfolk County Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, and the local authorities covering this area.

 

Huntingdon operator plans upmarket restaurant, coffee shop and wine bar after acquiring masonic lodge: Huntingdon businessman Raj Subhan, who has operated the Darjeeling restaurant in the town for 12 years, has bought the former masonic lodge in Huntingdon to convert into an upmarket restaurant, coffee shop and wine bar. Neighbours had feared Subhan would use the building as a nightclub after he applied to extend opening times to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Subhan, a former deputy town mayor, said: “Following discussions with the council’s planning officers we have compromised on our original opening requirements for Friday and Saturday and are now happy to operate until midnight on these evenings. The Darjeeling has operated across the road for over 12 years and we have never had any problems with our customers causing disruption to local residents.”

Eagle Resorts buys Surrey hotel and spa: Agent Knight Frank has sold the Lythe Hill Hotel & Spa in Surrey on behalf of a private vendor to Eagle Resorts. Eagle Resorts has added the property to its growing portfolio of high-end country house hotels, which includes The Old Thorns Hotel, Tracy Park, and Castlemartyr in Ireland. The company said it has “considerable plans” for the hotel. The country house hotel, set within 16 acres of Surrey countryside, is approximately 1.8 miles from the historic market town of Haslemere, located just 46 miles from London. The AA four-star rated hotel offers 44 en-suite letting bedrooms, self-contained garden suites, extensive conference facilities, six meeting rooms, a spa and gym as well as 70 car parking spaces. The grade II-listed freehold property has the potential to add additional bedrooms or conference facilities within the current building footprint as well as the option for alternative use subject to the necessary consents. Henry Jackson, partner in the Knight Frank hotels team, said: “The hotel market continues to improve and demand for high quality hotels in prime Home Counties locations is strong. We expect the market conditions to remain positive for 2016 as hotel trading performance continues to grow and purchasers are prepared to pay higher prices.” 

Savills sells manor house hotel off £5.6m guide price: A manor house hotel that has a history dating back to the 17th century has been acquired out of administration off a guide price of £5.6m. Property agent Savills has sold Hellaby Hall Hotel in Hellaby, near Rotherham, to Hellaby Hall Hotel, a business set up by the owner of the Best Western Plus Aston Hall Hotel in Sheffield. The sale was completed on behalf of Ryan Grant, Lee Causer and Catherine Williamson of AlixPartners Services UK, the joint administrators of Fontenhall. Hellaby Hall, which has retained many of its historic features including the original Jacobean façade, is now an 89-bedroom hotel. The venue offers an AA Rosette restaurant, health and leisure club with swimming pool plus conference and events facilities for up to 500 guests. Tom Cunningham, hotels director at Savills, said: “This picturesque hotel provides multiple income streams and has a strong trading record based on its popularity with both corporate and leisure guests. As such, we received high levels of market interest and were able to complete the sale process within just four months.” Hellaby Hall Hotel was part of the Prima portfolio of regional manor house hotels brought to market by Savills in September 2015. The portfolio also included Quorn Country Hotel in Leicestershire, Stanneylands Hotel in Wilmslow and Nunsmere Hall Hotel in Cheshire. The purchaser was unrepresented.

 

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 in 2015. 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