Stonegate reports adjusted Ebitda up 16.6%: Stonegate Pub Company has reported like-for-like sales were up 1.2% in the 52-week period ended 27 September 2015. The company also reported like-for-like gross margin has grown 3% and like-for-like pub profit was up 10.8%. Total revenue for the period was up 0.7% at £561.6m, operating profit at £31m and profit before tax at £4.2m. The company said it was focused on driving profit rather than chasing unprofitable sales. This and improved operational gearing improvements centred on pricing and labour efficiencies resulted in 16.6% adjusted Ebitda growth. Like-for-like food sales grew by 3% in the period and drink sales grew by 0.9%. Stonegate has completed 103 investments in the period with all formats being invested in, with particular focus on the ex-Bramwell, Common Room and Classic Inns formats, which are seeing the strongest returns. Three-year blended return on investment is above 40%. On 29th September 2015, Stonegate purchased 37 freehold and 16 leasehold sites from The Tattershall Castle Group. The sites will be converted into the existing Stonegate formats, strengthening the company’s presence, particularly in the south-east. The company is now the fourth largest managed pub operator in the UK, with 664 sites at the year-end, approximately 73% of which are located in town centres.

NosDa becomes first UK franchise of St Christopher’s hostel network: NosDa, the largest backpacker hostel in Wales, is to become the first UK franchise partner of Beds and Bars brand St Christopher’s Inns. As a part of the partnership St Christopher’s Inns, the biggest independent chain of backpacker hostels in the world, will share its booking engine and yield management technology with NosDa. Beds available in Cardiff can now be booked on the St Christopher’s Inns website and vice-versa. Sion Llewelyn, director of Cardiff Backpacker Caerdydd, which owns NosDa, said: “We believe this formal commercial agreement will elevate NosDa to a different level, providing access to expert market resources and technology, which would otherwise be out of our reach. It’s a perfect model, allowing us to maintain our own character and management independence whilst benefiting from all the advantages afforded by corporate scale.” Murray Roberts, managing director of St Christopher’s Inns, said: “We are delighted by NosDa’s early inclusion in our network roll-out. They operate an excellent quality business on very similar lines to our own.” NosDa Hostel and Bar overlooks Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and offers 150 beds, with plans for further expansion. St Christopher’s Inns operates 20 backpacker hostels, bars and pubs in ten cities and seven countries across Europe. In 2015, it was listed in the Sunday Times Track 200 list of Britain’s top private companies based on the fastest rate of overseas growth.

Rosa’s Thai Cafe secures £1.8m injection: Rosa’s Thai Cafe, which aims to combine “modern London with modern Bangkok”, is to expand this year with three new branches after securing £1.8m in funding from Santander. Husband and wife founders Alex and Saiphin Moore set up the business in 2006. Initially trading from a market stall in Brick Lane, the duo took over a greasy spoon cafe in Spitalfields called Rosa’s and revamped it into a Thai restaurant serving recipes Saiphin Moore brought from the Far East. Over the past five years, they have opened sites in Soho, Westfield Stratford, Carnaby Street, Chelsea and Islington and will spend the funds on opening in Victoria in April before possible launches in Shoreditch and Brixton. The opening of these new sites will create 100 jobs over the next two years. Alex Moore said: “The success of Rosa’s remains Saiphin’s traditional cooking: we still offer many of her original dishes.”