Coffer Peach Tracker reports sector like-for-likes up 1.8% in December: Pub and restaurant groups saw collective like-for-like sales increase 1.8% over the six-week Christmas and New Year period. Latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker show that after a slow start most of the uplift came in the last two weeks of the festive season. The data covers the six weeks up to 3 January, with little difference seen in the performance of London against the rest of the country. Best performers were drink-led managed pub and bar businesses, which collectively saw a 3.1% like-for-like increase over the same period last year. Restaurant groups generally enjoyed a smaller uplift, with the best trading outside of London. “Perhaps the most interesting feature was that the big increases in sales were all seen in just the last two weeks, which included the Christmas and New Year holidays, when like-for-like sales were up by over 4.5% on 2014 in each week,” said Peter Martin, vice president of CGA Peach, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group, RSM (formerly Baker Tilly) and UBS. “The run-up was slow, and even negative in the last week of November, but built up into a crescendo in the two weeks when many people were off work,” added Martin. “Although the overall 1.8% increase over the entire period was less than the 2.8% increase seen last year on 2013, it is still a generally good performance, as the market as a whole has slowed since last year. Competition is increasing across the board.” Among the 30 companies that make up the Tracker cohort, total sales for the festive period, which include the impact of new openings, were ahead 5.2% nationally on last year. The underlying long-term trend shows that like-for-like sales for the whole 12 months of 2015, up to the end of December, were ahead 1.5% on 2014. Mark Sheehan, managing director of Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “Restaurant and pub groups reported another bumper festive period with very strong growth even against good like-for-likes in 2014. However, looking ahead we do predict a tougher 2016 with a marked downturn in consumer confidence and strong competition in the sector from the many expanding restaurant, bar and pub groups. Notwithstanding, overall we continue to expect growth ahead of inflation in most parts of the country and the various sub sectors.”

Trade bodies urge MPs to back beer duty freeze and sign Early Day Motion: Chief executives of a campaign coalition consisting of CAMRA, SIBA and the BBPA have sent a joint letter to MPs this week, urging them to support a new Parliamentary motion calling for a one-penny cut in beer duty in the Budget on 16 March. Early Day Motion 919 (EDM) has been tabled by Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans and already has the support of 24 MPs. The EDM highlights the 19,000 jobs generated by three, one-penny duty cuts in the Chancellor’s last three Budgets, as well as £1bn in investment. Brigid Simmonds, BBPA chief executive, said: “We have built a very strong case for further duty cuts to boost employment and protect pubs, as the industry still faces big pressures.” Mike Benner, managing director of SIBA, said: “Three consecutive duty cuts have led to increased investment across the independent brewing sector, creating jobs and providing support for important, local small businesses across the country.” Tim Page, CAMRA chief executive, said: “The ending of the beer duty escalator and three consecutive beer duty cuts have kept pubs open and kept the price of a pub pint down. The Centre for Economic and Business Research calculated that these changes have saved more than 1,000 pubs from closure.”

Piper Private Equity releases video stories revealing secrets of some of UK’s most successful entrepreneurs: Sector investor Piper Private Equity has released the first in a series of in-depth interviews with some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and managers. The interviewees, including a number from the foodservice sector, reveal their views on what it takes to build a brand. Piper will send out one video every two months, with the first interview covering why the people featured became entrepreneurs and what is required to become successful. In one clip, Alex Reilley, of Loungers, said: “It was an addiction growing the business. We had a great passion. It was the thing we enjoyed the most.” Ajith Jayawickrema, of Las Iguanas and Turtle Bay, said: “For me, the ability to do something creative, something no one else was doing, being better than the competitor, is the bit that drives me.” Other entrepreneurs in the first video include Adam Balon, of Innocent Drinks, and Steve Locke, of Be At One. Charles Rolls, of Fever Tree, said: “I’m so positive about British entrepreneurs. Encouraging them to start young. Because you’ll learn so fast and the learning curve will be so steep if you just try it.”

ALMR – Camden Council must show consistent, common sense approach: Ahead of this month’s vote on the introduction of a late night levy in Camden, The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has written to Camden Council urging them to not introduce the measure and is encouraging its members to liaise with the Council to make their objections known. The ALMR has also noted comments by the chief executive of the Council who is in the process of awarding himself a licence, and has asked the Council to show a common sense approach. Highgate Cemetery director Dr Ian Dungavell, also chief executive of Camden Council, has applied for an alcohol licence for the cemetery, stating: “We’re not going to be holding raves or have drunken parties.” ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “As we fast approach the date of Camden Council’s vote on a proposed late-night levy, we note that the Council has taken steps to effectively grant itself a licence. The chief executive of the Council has been quoted in the press justifying the arrangement by stating that the cemetery will act responsibly as a licensee. We hope that, given this development, the Council will show the same degree of consistency when they consider penalising hardworking businesses later this month. Camden Council’s approach to the levy has been frustrating and, despite delays and a potentially invalid consultation, we find ourselves in the testing position of facing down another potentially disastrous levy. The ALMR has vigorously lobbied against the introduction of a levy in the area and has highlighted to the Council the negative impact such a measure would have, as well as the alternatives that are available. The ALMR will be corresponding with the Council to remind it that late night venues in the area already contribute enormously by way of taxes, bring much-needed business to the area and carry out vital voluntary work to ensure safe, well-run nightspots.”

mySupermarket figures suggest ‘Dry January’ gaining momentum: Sales of alcohol in supermarkets have halved as more Brits attempt a ‘Dry January’. In the first two weeks of this year sales plunged compared with 2015. Meanwhile purchases of non-alcoholic drinks soared by almost a third. Beck’s Blue, a non-alcoholic lager, even got into the top ten most popular ‘alcoholic’ drinks for the first time. Non-alcoholic drinks such as juice, squash and mineral water, normally make up 30.4%, but since New Year that has risen to 39.2%. Kim Ludlow, of comparison website mySupermarket, which compiled the figures, said: “It’s possible the concept of Dry January is gaining momentum.”

Host of buyers line up to acquire Peroni and Grolsch: A host of buyers are lined up to buy Peroni and Grolsch beer brands and Greenwich-based craft brewery Meantime, which are being sold in the wake of AB InBev’s £71bn takeover of SABMiller, according to The Sunday Times. Private equity firms that have registered an interest include Lion Capital, PAI Partners, BC Partners, KKR and Bain Capital. Spanish brewer SA Damm is also in the frame to buy the brands, which are valued at circa £2bn. However, Japanese brewer Asahi, which lodged a first round offer last week, is widely regarded as the most likely home for the beer brands.

CPL Online launches ‘Next Generation’ of e-learning courses: CPL Online has launched a range of ‘Next Generation’ e-learning courses aimed at mobile devices. The first to be launched are compliance courses ‘Fire Awareness’, ‘Food Safety’ and ‘Health and Safety’, which are available from today (Monday, 18 January). David Dasher, CPL Online managing director said: “The courses are all built for mobile, the fastest-growing form of e-learning, and are available via the CPL app, meaning learning is truly possible ‘on-the-go’.” New developments include language translation, pre-course assessment, gaming technology, voiceover options, and 3D videos. On the language translation feature, Dasher said: “This was developed after a member of the team pointed out the large proportion of migrant workers in the UK hospitality industry who consider English as their second language. This workforce will find the language translation facility hugely useful, and their employees will be confident that their staff are informed and qualified.” The full catalogue of CPL Online’s e-learning courses will be redeveloped into ‘Next Generation’ courses in the upcoming months.

Mission Mars set to roll out Albert’s Schloss concept, key lies in finding right buildings: Albert’s Schloss, the new £3.5m bar and restaurant concept in Manchester opened by Mission Mars, the joint venture between The Trof Group founders Adelaide Winter and Joel Wilkinson and Revolution Bars founders Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod, is set to be rolled out. Chief executive Ellis told Propel it had earmarked a number of major cities where the company is hoping to find the right sites. These comprise Glasgow, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and London. However, Ellis said the future expansion plans rest on finding the right buildings. “We’d never think of putting it into any mall or concrete block,” he added. “We need big, palatial buildings. We could go for an ‘Albert Schloss-lite’ version but that’s for Costa Coffee where it’s all about branding and growth strategies. We’re doing this to create the greatest bars in the world and for this you need the best locations and the best buildings in these locations.” Ellis said, to make the search easier, the required size could be reduced down to 20,000 square foot – but it must incorporate both bar and restaurant areas as well as the entertainment venue space “otherwise the true essence of the Albert’s Schloss concept will not be delivered”. The £3.5m Albert’s Schloss opened in October on the ground floor of the grade II-listed 3,000 capacity Albert Hall. The 28,000 square foot venue has a capacity of 700 in the bar/restaurant on the ground level and another 2,800 in the Albert Hall entertainment venue that sits above the Schloss. It regularly takes £300,000 a week. Ellis added the four partners looked at the building and thought: “We don’t want a theme like Disney with its branding but wanted something that was true to the building that built on the success of the Albert Hall [upstairs]. We were keen it did not betray this big, grand, beautiful terracotta-clad 1908 iconic building that looks like a palace.”

Nick Batram – we’re nervously waiting for JD Wetherspoon’s pre-close trading update: Peel Hunt leisure analyst Nick Batram has reported he is “nervously waiting” for JD Wetherspoon pre-close trading statement. He has a ‘Sell’ recommendation and a 700p target price on its shares. He said: “JDW’s pre-close statement may make for better reading as it comes against softer comps (+2.8% in Quarter Two of the financial year 2015 versus 6.7% in Quarter Two of the 2014 financial year) and, most recently, 2.4% in Quarter One of the 2016 financial year (+6.3%; Quarter One of the 2015 financial year). December has been tough going for restaurants and JDW’s update will give an indication on how the pub market fared. Management flagged the drop in pub openings from 20-30 in Quarter Four of 2015 financial year to circa 15 in Quarter One of the 2016 financial year and we expect this may continue in next week’s update. We also hope to hear more on how the group will address the issue of rising labour cost pressures in the absence of price rises, although if recent updates are anything to go by we may be waiting a while longer. The shares have come down a long way since the November Quarter One trading update and trade on c14x FY2016E, but we are still concerned about the continued erosion in the operating margin.”

Jamie Rollo – we wonder whether the major pub players can energise their weak performance: Morgan Stanley leisure analyst Jamie Rollo has argued that the focus will turn to whether the major pub players can energise their weak performance when they report Christmas trading figures in the coming weeks. He said: “With JD Wetherspoon, Mitchells & Butlers and Greene King all reporting sales figures over the next three weeks, investors are starting to focus on the pub sector’s Christmas trading. Food retailers have generally reported better than expected growth over the festive season, whilst clothing retailers’ sales have generally proved more resilient to the very unhelpful December weather than some had feared. Some private pub operators such as TLC Inns, Coaching Inn Group and Oakman have reported strong December like-for-like sales. More broadly, the Visa UK consumer expenditure index recorded an improvement in spending +2.3% in December (versus November 2015 +1.0% and December 2014 +1.2%). On the other hand, as we outlined in our note “Why Aren’t Pubs Enjoying the Economic Recovery?”, pub trading has been dull for some time now, with the Coffer Peach industry tracker averaging 1.4% like-for-like sales over the last 18 months. There was even a small contraction in like-for-like sales in November in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and difficult comparisons. And the trading update by The Restaurant Group implied a 1.7% drop in like-for-like sales in the final seven weeks of the year, coupled with a cautious outlook. While the Christmas market for pubs gets larger every year as more families decide to eat out, the “Dry January” movement also gets larger every year. Against this backdrop, we will be looking at whether Mitchells & Butlers’ new CEO can energise its weak like-for-like sales record, whether Greene King can return to a period of relative outperformance, and whether JD Wetherspoon can arrest its weak sales performance.”

Peel Hunt moves Restaurant Group shares from ‘Hold’ to ‘Sell’, share price collapse ‘overdone’: Peel Hunt analyst Nick Batram said that although last Thursday’s trading update from The Restaurant Group was disappointing and raised a number of questions, the 18% fall in the share price looked harsh. He stated: “At the moment it looks as though RTN has simply lost its ability to outperform in a difficult trading backdrop, as opposed to ‘the wheels coming off’.” Batram argued The Restaurant Group had been a “victim of its own success”. He added: “The higher the rating, the harder the fall was amply demonstrated by the reaction to the disappointing trading update. At the current time it is difficult to see whether The Restaurant Group’s performance is simply a reflection of the broader market backdrop or whether there is something of more fundamental concern within the business. In many respects, The Restaurant Group is a victim of its previous success, as historically there has been clear outperformance during periods when peers have struggled. This no longer appears to be the case. With confidence shaken, we believe investors will look towards more short-term valuation metrics as opposed to the long-term discounted cash flow that has driven the price over recent years. However, after yesterday’s 18% fall, the short-term metrics now look more reasonable. The group is still generating excellent returns on new openings, and we still expect earnings per share growth in 2016E. At <8x Ev/Ebitda FY2016E, we consider the price correction has played out. Therefore, we move to ‘Hold’ from ‘Sell’.”

Outlandish demand landed Davis top BrewDog US role, BrewDog names Employee of the Year: Jason Davis has revealed he landed the role as vice-president of BrewDog USA thanks, in part, to an outlandish, humorous request. He said that when he was contacted enquiring if he would be interested in the job, he emailed BrewDog HR director Zarah Prior stating: “For me to take this job, I want an alternative-fuel monster truck.” Davis figured that attitude would either grab attention or knock him out of the running. It worked – he started the role this week. The Scottish brewer is investing $32.5m into building a brewery and pub/restaurant called DogTap in Canal Winchester, in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. It’s also looking to open a pub with a pilot brewing system in downtown Columbus. BrewDog has an aggressive goal of producing 80,000 barrels in its first year and hopes to be producing beer in Ohio by 16 August. Davis, who is Ohio born and bred, said: “It’s exciting times. I can’t express how inspired I am.” Davis previously worked for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co for 13 years. The monster truck has yet to arrive. Meanwhile, BrewDog has named off-trade sales manager Steve Ricketts as its UK Employee of the Year, its ‘Alpha Dog’. The company stated: “Nobody across the company had a better 2015 than Steve. Evangelising beer at every turn, he utterly killed it from start to finish, growing our grocery business 130% and our convenience business 140%. With Steve’s tireless work, last year we achieved more new listings than ever, enabling more and more (and more) new converts to craft beer to be supplied. Steve is utterly uncompromising, dealing with the financial requests of our major customers with aplomb and moving our sales forward at every opportunity. He is the perfect ambassador for BrewDog at events from craft beer festivals to gatherings of company directors, and has become the Dogfather to our sales team, helping others within our company progress and develop at every turn.”

Plans for London’s first underground hotel rejected: Plans for London’s first underground hotel, 50ft below street level with windowless rooms, have been rejected by councillors, who warned it would be a “minus five-star” destination, The London Evening Standard reported. Criterion Capital applied to convert an underground NCP car park in Bloomsbury into a 166-room Tokyo-style ‘pod hotel’. The LDN hotel, on the fourth and fifth floors beneath a commercial block in Great Russell Street, near Tottenham Court Road Tube station, would have no restaurant and bar. It was touted as budget accommodation for tourists and business travellers but Camden council turned down the scheme on Thursday night (16 January). Coun Stephen Stark said: “With no windows in the rooms, it’s not a zero-star rating for the hotel but probably minus five-stars.” Coun Adam Harrison said: “We need to ensure it’s safe staying five storeys underground in a part of London with some of the worst air quality in Europe.” Tom Edmunds, for Criterion, argued it would “have much benefit to the area and create 24 jobs”.

Hawthorne Leisure to bring pub management services back in-house: Hawthorne Leisure is to bring management of its pub services back in-house, Propel has learnt. The company has been using Country Estate Pubs but from Monday, 25 January, administration, accounts, credit control and all other support services will be in-sourced and managed through its new support centre in Marston Green, Birmingham. Hawthorne Leisure, which was formed in 2013, currently owns more than 350 pubs across the UK having bought 275 sites from Greene King in 2014.

Tasty eyes Wildwood opening in Crawley: Tasty is set to open in Crawley with a deli area selling fresh produce. The company has put forward plans to open a Wildwood, which specialises in pizza, pasta and grilled meals such as burgers and steaks, at a site previously trading as a Chinese buffet in the High Street. Design consultant Brown Studio has submitted a planning application on behalf of the company to Crawley Borough Council for listed building consent to refurbish part of The George Hotel in the High Street and create a deli area inside the main entrance. Wildwood wants to takeover the existing home to A Chef Buffet. The online application reads: “The site is currently a Chinese restaurant, accessible, both directly from the High Street, and via a step free route through The George public.” The application includes plans to create an outdoor seating area as well. Crawley Borough Council’s planning officers are due to announce a decision by 8 March. It is understood the company hopes to open in Crawley this summer.

Stonegate Pub Company reports 6% increase in December sales, to increase estate investment this year: Stonegate Pub Company chief executive Simon Longbottom has reported December sales rose by 6%. The company, which is the UK’s fourth largest pub and bar operator with 664 sites, has a turnover of £558m and an operating profit of £23m. Longbottom told The Mail on Sunday: “Acquisitions are our lifeblood. It’s brought us some terrific synergies and terrific people, and the returns on investment are stellar. We’re getting over 40% return. We spent £25m developing the business last year and we’ll spend more this year as the returns are so strong. We can dominate in town centres through our different brands. In Leeds, for example, we’ve got ten licences within half a mile of the city centre. We’re able to split those licences across the formats to get the most out of them. So we’ve got pubs that are gay clubs, pubs in our Common Room format for students. We’ve got a late night venue, a Yates’s, a Slug & Lettuce. We cover the whole area. That’s unlike JD Wetherspoon, for example. It has five pubs, all within the same area, but all with the same offering.” 

UK’s fourth best restaurant relocates, plans pizzeria and tapas bar additions: The long-awaited new branch of Casamia – the UK’s fourth best restaurant – has opened its doors on Bristol’s Harbourside. After 19 years in Westbury-on-Trym, the Michelin-starred restaurant has relocated to the former Bristol General Hospital building. The restaurant was founded by chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias and his late brother Jonray, who died in November after battling skin cancer aged 32. His death came just days before Casamia was named the UK’s fourth best restaurant in a Sunday Times list. In December, Casamia announced it will add a pizzeria and tapas bar to its new restaurant in the coming months. The two new dining concepts, Paco Tapas and Pi Shop, will sit on the newly pedestrianised Lower Guinea Street. Peter Sanchez-Iglesias said: “They will offer distinctly different options to guests, but in different ways both have been inspired by Casamia’s past.” Whilst Casamia will continue to offer a fine dining experience, Paco Tapas and Pi Shop guests can expect to find a more casual place to eat, where you can grab a simple lunch or dinner made from the best ingredients around.

PizzaExpress selects Bavaria 0.0% as non-alcoholic beer: PizzaExpress has chosen Bavaria 0.0% Original as the only non-alcoholic beer it will serve in its UK restaurants. Independent research suggests that non-alcoholic beer consumption has been steadily rising in the UK, with one in seven (14%) regular British beer buyers also purchasing non-alcoholic beer over a 12 month period – this rises to over a quarter (26%) of 18-34 year-olds in the same timeframe. Where other non-alcoholic beers are brewed with alcohol that is later stripped out, Bavaria 0.0% Original is brewed without alcohol all through the process. Rob Page, managing director at Bavaria UK, said: “Bavaria and PizzaExpress are the perfect fit. Both businesses were founded with a vision to produce fresh and well-crafted products. Both PizzaExpress and Bavaria are fully committed to bringing choice, quality and authenticity to our customers.”

Virgin Hotels brings online reviews to life: Virgin Hotels was so impressed by some of the online reviews it received from guests of its year-old site in Chicago, it has brought these reviews to life in the form of animations. The clips debuted on Friday (15 January) to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the hotel’s opening. The first video praises the hotel’s design, while another entitled Eye Of The Dog, to be released on 19 January, highlights the hotel’s pet-friendly amenities. Doug Carrillo, Virgin Hotels vice-president of sales and marketing, said: “Very quickly after we opened Virgin Hotels Chicago, the guest reviews started pouring in. We realised that not only were they super-positive and witty, but they also highlighted the pain points of travel that we set out to alleviate for our guests. As such, we wanted to find a unique way to bring these to life. We thought a series of creative animations was the perfect way to do so.” There are six animated videos in the series, with two released per week until the end of January. To watch the first, visit www.virginhotels.com

El Gato Negro eyes Leeds for expansion: Simon Shaw’s Michelin-Bibbed El Gato Negro tapas bar concept is eyeing expansion in the north of England and is searching for a site in Leeds. Shaw and his business partners at Mills Hill Developments are relocating the concept to Manchester next month having made a name for itself in Ripponden. Shaw, a former executive head chef at Harvey Nichols in Leeds and then at its London flagship, has teamed up with a group of experienced entrepreneurs and operators to expand the concept in the north. Steve Bottomley, commercial director at Mills Hill Developments, told The Business Desk: “As we finalise our plans for opening in Manchester our sights are firmly set on Leeds. We are keen to find the right location and, with a fair wind we could be open in the city at the end of this year. With this in mind, we are keen to talk to landlords, agents and developers.” The concept that focuses on modern and traditional Spanish flavours and techniques while taking inspiration from closer to home was born in 2005 when Shaw returned from London to open his first restaurant in an empty former pub in Ripponden. The Michelin Guide awarded a Bib Gourmand to the restaurant in 2014 and 2015.

Starbucks pairs with cosmetics firm for free coffee and make-up offer: Starbucks has joined forces with Benefit Cosmetics to offer free coffee and make-up in February via its #bestfriends campaign. The brands will launch a ‘Month of Love’, allowing consumers complementary makeovers and coffee across the UK. From 1 February, visitors to Starbucks can pick up a pink emoji coaster to redeem a free ‘makeupper’ or makeover at a Benefit boutique. Similarly, customers can visit any Benefit Cosmetics boutique and collect a coffee sleeve, which can be redeemed at any Starbucks store for a buy-one-get-one-free hot drink. Steve Flanagan, Starbucks marketing director for the UK, said: “What a way to show our appreciation to our customers with coffee offers and some well-deserved pampering.” Pop-up pamper parlours will also appear in selected Starbucks stores in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool. Starbucks is also adding two new limited-edition drinks to its menu: Burnt Caramel Latte and Pistachio Rose Mocha.

Freehold of pub let to Stonegate Pub Company offered at auction with a guide price of £1.5m to £1.6m: The freehold of a pub in Harlow let to Stonegate Pub Company, which trades the site as Yates’s, is be offered for sale at an Allsop auction on Monday 8 February with a guide price of £1.5 to £1.6m. The site, being sold on behalf of administrative receivers, has a lease that expires in 2034, without breaks, with Stonegate paying a rent of £105,000 per annum, rising to a minimum of £125,500 in 2019.

Prezzo to open Chimichanga site in Derby: Prezzo is to open a Chimichanga in Derby city centre in April. The Tex-Mex restaurant will open next to the recently opened Zizzi, Joe’s Kitchen, Byron and YO! Sushi at the Intu Derby shopping centre. Following a surge in lettings at the dining quarter, planning permission has been granted to turn the third-floor car park to a 40,000 square foot leisure development, with an adventure golf course and bowling alley, opposite Nando’s and PizzaExpress. Recent research by JLL suggested that in ten years, food and beverage retailers could take up 20% of space within malls as “eating becomes the new shopping”. Martin Breeden, regional director of Intu, said: “The restaurant and leisure offer is key to encouraging customers to visit more often and stay for longer.” Christian Poole, Chimichanga marketing director, said: “The location will be a great addition for us in the East Midlands and will extend our UK coverage.”

Harry’s founder launches new restaurant venture: The businessman behind the critically acclaimed Harry’s in Bridgend and Harry’s Shack in Portstewart is set to launch a new restaurant venture. Donal Doherty plans to launch Harry’s Wagon, which will be further down the two-mile stretch of sand at Portstewart Strand and feature a custom-built trailer with beach-style benches, The Irish Times reported. Doherty’s father started Harry’s Restaurant in Bridgend, Donegal, 25 years ago and it is still a family-run firm. Doherty admits that, like many other restaurant businesses, the first Harry’s Restaurant struggled during the downturn. It was a challenge to maintain what Doherty describes as a massive commitment to what “makes it special and different” – sourcing only local ingredients and cultivating a walled garden where the Portstewart restaurants will grow all their own vegetables.

Chipotle to launch marketing push next month to win back customers after food scares: Chipotle will launch a marketing push in the US next month to begin its road to recovery after a series of food scares and said it’s confident it can win back customers over time. The company saw sales plunge 30% in December following an E. coli outbreak that came to light at the end of October, with additional cases being reported over the next several weeks. Then in what Chipotle said was an unrelated case, some 80 Boston College students became ill with norovirus after eating at a restaurant in Cleveland Circle. At an investment conference in Orlando, Chipotle executives said the company is taking measures to reduce the risk of another food scare to “near zero”. They added they would start “inviting customers back” to restaurants in February with stepped-up marketing and direct mail offers, reports Associated Press. Chipotle said food safety will not be explicitly referenced in the marketing, but that there might be a “clever headline”. Chief financial officer Jack Hartung said the company’s recovery would be “messy,” with investments in food safety and marketing eating into profit margins. The company, which has more than 1,900 sites, is already investing in food safety with new protocols that will include more testing of fresh produce. It will close all its restaurants for a few hours on Monday, 8 February to explain the new procedures in greater deal to staff. Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of customers left sick after eating at the chain.

Lake District operator opens third site, plans further acquisitions: Lake District operator Colin Monk has opened his third site, this time a pub. Monk and business partner Alex Mauro have opened the Flying Pig on the site of the former Sutherlands restaurant in Bowness on Windermere, which Monk bought for £380,000 last summer. He is continuing to search for businesses in the area to add to his portfolio of the Howbeck Retreat hotel and Caffe Riva bar and restaurant in Windermere. Monk said: “We love the Lake District and so we felt it important to do more for the local economy and people. But we don’t plan to stop. We want to keep on bucking the trend and are actively on the acquisition trail for more venues to establish more businesses in the Bowness, Windermere and Ambleside area to continue investing to benefit local people and tourists alike.” The entrepreneurs are also pioneering a scheme in which locals are given a discount card so they can eat and drink for cheaper, to ensure that residents avoid the premium prices designed for tourists.

Patrizia Immobilien sells Manchester city centre hotel for £30m: Patrizia Immobilien has sold the four-star Melia Hotel in Manchester city centre to an undisclosed privately owned UK group for about £30m. The deal represents a yield of 4.85% on a 25-year lease to hotel group Melia. The hotel has 208 rooms, a Mediterranean street-food restaurant and a wellness centre, including a Finnish sauna. The Street on First restaurant within the hotel is open seven days a week and serves a range of contemporary dishes based on the Mediterranean tradition of sharing meals. Operating as Innside Manchester, a new brand by Melia, the building is at the centre of the 20-acre First Street development, which includes a mix of offices, residential space, retail and leisure components. The site also contains the Home cultural complex and the Number One First Street office block.

Stonegate Pub Company invites customers to be a January saint or sinner: Stonegate Pub Company is introducing its ‘saints and sinners’ promotion again at its Classic Inns venues this January. The 46-strong group of classic country-style pubs is once again inviting customers to test their willpower and choose from four indulgent dishes or five saintly lower-calorie choices. Customers can join the sinners camp and tuck into a range of burgers, including the mac ‘n’ cheese version, with manchego and chorizo topping and chips. Those committed to January healthy-eating regimes, however, can choose from five saintly dishes, all less than 500 calories, including smoky Spanish-style chicken, pasta Mexicana, and mushroom and green bean risotto. Sam Maynard, Classic Inns marketing manager, said: “Customers don’t want to stop going out and socialising over a meal with a partner or friends just because it’s January, but they do want to know there are healthy options to choose from.”

Giuliano Lotto to launch restaurant on Lake Como: London restaurateur Giuliano Lotto, the man behind the Côte d’Azur-style La Petite Maison and Il Baretto, is opening a restaurant on Lake Como in northern Italy. The restaurant will be part of a new hotel, Il Sereno. Lotto has appointed Alex Simone as head chef, who joins from Il Baretto. Simone plans a menu highlighting the destination, with fish, herbs and ingredients from the foothills of the lake itself and around the River Po, and wines from the valley of Valtellina, produced mainly from Chiavennasca. Getting there will be fun. Il Sereno has promised private transfers via two custom-made Ernesto Riva boats. Lotto gave several world-famous chefs their start in the restaurant world, including Marcus Wareing, Gordon Ramsay and Giorgio Locatelli. The luxury hotel will have 450ft of coastline, a private beach, and a 60ft freshwater infinity pool flowing on to the lake. Il Sereno is due to open in the summer.

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 open for bookings: The Propel and Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) 2016 Chicago Study Tour is 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