Peach Pub Company planning to add five new sites and four partners before ‘reassessing options’, reports like-for-likes up 11% at Christmas: Independently owned gastro-pub company Peach has said it is planning to add five new sites and four partners before “reassessing its options”. The company, formed in 2001 by Hamish Stoddart, Lee Cash and Jo Eames, currently has 17 sites and 11 partners. Stoddart told Propel it plans to take those numbers to 22 and 15 respectively before deciding what to do next but the team currently has no plans to sell up. For its expansion plans, for which it has raised £4m from the bank, it will continue to focus on character buildings located in market towns and also in country pubs. Stoddart said: “Our aim at the moment is to get to 22 pubs from our current 17 with 15 partners (from our current number of 11), which we hope to do in the next couple of years. At that point we will reassess and decide what we want to do next. We don’t worry about tenure; we will consider all from pub companies to private landlords. Once we reach 22 pubs we will then be at a different level, turning over about £35m; we will see if we want to go bigger than that when we reach that number. We are currently about £6m in debt with £12m of freeholds, and with more funds now available for expansion, mainly in leasehold.” For the year ahead, Peach is aiming for two more leases. Stoddart added: “We will also definitely be opening a boutique hotel alongside an existing pub called the High Field in Edgbaston, because the building next door has become available.” Stoddart said the company had a “fantastic” Christmas, trading at double the average across the estate. He added: “We were up 11% like-for-like. A big week is now £750,000 for the full portfolio. During Christmas week our biggest pub took £70,000. The past year was our best year by miles, showing how robust our model is now.” Stoddart also said the company was willing to share its “central” services with operators or investors to reduce costs and share expertise or multi-site set-up and is now working with one other pub operator.

 

McDonald’s to roll-out table service and premium burgers: McDonald’s is to roll-out table service and cooked-to-order gourmet burgers – table service will be introduced at 400 restaurants before the end of 2016 after a successful trial last year. It will also double the number of locations selling a new range of premium burgers, called the signature collection. Sales have grown for 39 consecutive quarters in the UK and recorded a “mid-single-digit” rise year-on-year in the final three months of 2015 – in line with global sales up 5%. Paul Pomroy, the chief executive of McDonald’s UK, said: “Together with our franchisees we have delivered another strong year of growth, fuelled by a relentless focus on our customers’ evolving expectations and tastes. Investing in our customer experience is paramount. It’s important that we continue to listen to the 3.7 million people who visit us every day and respond with even more reasons for them to come to our restaurants. In 2016 we will continue to focus on providing great value and variety, as well as invest in our restaurants, our people and our menu, to ensure customers enjoy a great experience every time they visit us.” McDonald’s had been trialling table service in 14 restaurants. The number of locations selling the signature collection will double from 30 to 60 within six weeks. These burgers come in classic, BBQ and spicy versions and are served in brioche-style buns. They cost £4.69. The company is taking advantage of the table service system to launch the burgers. The extra thickness of the meat means customers have to wait for their burger to be served, in contrast to hamburgers and Big Macs.

Japanese restaurant owner bans mobile phones: Leamington Spa-based Japanese restaurant owner Darren Yates has banned mobile phones at his venue. Jones said diners should enjoy the quality time they spend together, rather than checking themselves in on Facebook and sending messages. Staff at the Auradaze Japanese restaurant aren’t shy about stepping in if they spot the glow of a phone screen – but it has meant it’s been given a lot of negative feedback on TripAdvisor from unhappy phone users. But others love the policy – one user gave the restaurant a five-star rating. Jones told the Metro: “It’s very typically Japanese – I trained in south east Asia and no mobiles at dinner is very much a part of their culture. I’ve thrown people out before – there’re a few people you have to tell to do one, but the majority of customers are very respectful. It’s just about etiquette really – there’s a time and place for everything, and a restaurant isn’t the place for a phone. If you want to be scrolling through your mobile as you eat dinner, you may as well sit on a park bench with a chippy meal. Not everyone will like what we do, but I’m alright with that – it’s about having manners, I’ll never please everyone but the majority of people love it.”

 

Martin Cooper joins Propel: Veteran journalist Martin Cooper has joined Propel as deputy editor. Cooper has worked for a wide variety of regional newspapers and is an experienced sub-editor – he is also lead singer with pub rock band The Fish Brothers, known for their enthusiastic advocacy of the drinks industry with self-penned songs such as “I’m a drinker”. Meanwhile, Paul Bishop has been promoted to managing editor. Propel managing director Paul Charity said: “Martin is a great addition to the team at a time when we are planning a number of exciting new initiatives. Congratulations also go to Paul Bishop, who has become an invaluable member of the team in a short period of time.” 

 

Battle for beer duty cut ramps up with pub poster campaign: The campaign for a fourth cut in beer duty stepped up another gear yesterday (Monday, 25 January), with more than 100,000 posters, postcards and beer mats distributed to pubs, urging the public to back the campaign. The British Pub & Beer Association posters, alongside postcards developed by the Campaign for Real Ale, highlight the huge difference in beer duty between the UK and other major European countries. Pub-goers are being urged to back the campaign by emailing their local MP via www.beerandpubjobs.co.uk, and urging them to back Early Day Motion 919 (EDM). Campaigners can also download a free copy of the poster. EDM 919 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.

 

Jamie Oliver show leads McDonald’s largest franchisee to eradicate ‘pink slime’ in Costa Rica: Arcos Dorados, McDonald’s largest franchisee in the world in terms of system-wide sales and number of restaurants, said it had stopped “washing” the fatty parts of beef in ammonium hydroxide in its restaurants in Costa Rica. The company, which operates more than 50 McDonald’s in the country, said the move came in response to television show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. During the show, Oliver said he was shocked to learn ammonium hydroxide was being used by McDonald’s to convert fatty beef offcuts into a beef filler for its burgers in the US. He said: “Basically, we’re taking a product that would be sold in the cheapest way for dogs and, after this process, is given to human beings.” Oliver showed US audiences the raw “pink slime” produced in the ammonium hydroxide process used by producers Beef Products and asked: “Why would any sensible human being put meat filled with ammonia in the mouths of their children?” Argentina-headquartered Arcos Dorados has the right to own, operate and grant franchises of restaurants in South and Central America and the Caribbean. The company opened its first venues in Costa Rica in 1970.

 

Tom Aikens – Londoners turning their backs on traditional fine dining in favour of more casual restaurants: Chef-entrepreneur Tom Aikens has argued Londoners are turning their backs on traditional fine dining in favour of more casual restaurants — but are still happy to pay as much for the experience. The two Michelin-starred chef said more laidback venues such as Bubbledogs in Fitzrovia, The Typing Room in Bethnal Green and Lyle’s in Shoreditch were more popular than formal restaurants, although the latter would “always have their place”. Aikens, who runs branches of his casual restaurant and deli concept Tom’s Kitchen in London at Canary Wharf, Chelsea, Somerset House and St Katharine Docks, told the Evening Standard: “That doesn’t mean that people aren’t prepared to pay a lot of money when they eat out. They still want the excellent food associated with fine dining. It’s just that people want something more casual with a more relaxed and less formal style of service and feel. That’s what’s more popular now. Chefs like Tom Kerridge and The Hand and Flowers — a two-Michelin star pub. That’s good example of high-end casual.” Last week, Aikens announced he is opening his second outlet in Dubai – The Deli – following the success of his Pots, Pans & Boards restaurant. He also has two venues in Hong Kong and one in Istanbul in Turkey.

 

Clydesdale Bank suffers £3.2m deficit on Marco Pierre White pubs in Norfolk: Clydesdale Bank has suffered a £3.2m shortfall on the debt it is owed by Horatio Inns, the holding company for Marco Pierre White’s four pubs in Norfolk that fell into administration a year ago. A report by administrator AlixPartners revealed Clydesdale Bank was owed £7.4m at the point of administration but a sale of the company’s assets has raised £4.2m for the bank, leaving the £3.2m shortfall. The company’s most valuable asset The Lifeboat Inn in Thornham sold for £2,886,176, The Chequers in Thornham sold for £1,143,764, whilst Wayford Bridge sold for £749,950 and the Acle Bridge Inn sold for £122,700, a total of £4,902,590. The pubs produced a trading loss of £190,000 during the period of administration with each individual site loss making, with the exception of the Acle Bridge. The Lifeboat Inn and The Chequers Inn have been sold by agent Fleurets to hotel group Agellus Hotels. Other Agellus-owned properties include the Tuddenham Mill, near Newmarket, the Westleton Crown, Westleton, and the Ship, in Dunwich.

 

McDonald’s to trial recycling of plastic-coated paper cups in UK: McDonald’s has unveiled a trial recycling partnership with British papermaker James Cropper that will lead to previously non-recyclable paper cups used in its UK restaurants being recycled into paper and plastic products. The trial – a UK first – has been rolled out across 150 of McDonald’s 1,250 UK restaurants so far. Paper cups are collected from McDonald’s and then baled by Simply Cups, the UK’s only paper cup recovery and recycling scheme, before being delivered to James Cropper for reprocessing. Reclaimed fibre can be used in everything from brochures and stationery to designer gift boxes. Helen McFarlane, McDonald’s UK sustainability consultant, said: “Paper cups constitute about 30% of our packaging waste and this is a great opportunity to ensure that the quality fibre used in making those cups gets another life. We have recently started to introduce recycling stations in our restaurants to allow customers to separate paper cups, and we’re eager to see what this trial with James Cropper and Simply Cups will look like, hopefully helping set up the infrastructure for others to use in future.” Richard Burnett, market development manager at James Cropper, said: “The partnership with McDonald’s has been nearly two years in the making and signifies an important step towards recycling used paper cups and, ultimately, reducing waste going to landfill.”

 

Joe & The Juice to open central London venue, its 16th in UK: Smoothie and juice chain Joe & The Juice will open its 16th venue in the UK, in one of London’s most desirable retail locations. The new 942 square foot site is on the junction of Wigmore Street and Thayer Street in Marylebone, just behind Oxford Street. It replaces social cafe Carmina & Lancelot. The new Joe & The Juice will have more than 20 covers and is due to open this month. International leisure specialists Restaurant Property advised Carmina & Lancelot on the deal and said there was a rent of £70,000 per year on the venue, with the lease an assignment. Sally French, of Restaurant Property, said: “This is a modern, forward-thinking brand which complements the vibrant food and beverage scene in Marylebone.” Copenhagen-headquartered Joe & The Juice has nine venues in London and the south east, three in the Birmingham area, two in Manchester and one in Newcastle. The company’s other European venues are mainly in Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

 

Multi-site restaurant owner jailed for failing to preserve company records: The ex-owner of a former Chinese restaurant chain, which had two venues in Birmingham, has been sentenced to 33 weeks imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of failing to preserve company books and accounting records. William To, aged 54, was sentenced following a hearing at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court for offences relating to three separate restaurant management companies. The three companies – BMBQ, Shef, and Broads Cat, based in Sheffield and Birmingham, went into liquidation with an as-yet-unpaid combined debt of £302,105 to HM Revenue & Customs. In Birmingham, To was behind Broadway Plaza’s Dragon BBQ and Flaming Dragon, which was based on Broad Street until its failure in 2012. The investigation found the director had failed to ensure the companies were in order, as such, they could not be delivered up to the liquidator as required. In the absence of books and records, the Insolvency Service was prevented from accurately investigating the reasons for the failures of the companies and from protecting any existing assets. To’s conviction follows an initial investigation by the Insolvency Service and a full criminal investigation and prosecution by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). BIS deputy chief investigation officer Simon Button said: “The Insolvency Service and the Department for Business will take firm action when we find that office holders of limited companies have clearly failed to comply with their legal responsibilities and this has led to an undermining of the insolvency regime.”

 

Hall & Woodhouse buys Dorset pub: Dorset based family brewery Hall & Woodhouse has bought the Anvil Inn, Pimperne, Dorset. Hall & Woodhouse is undertaking a full refurbishment of the property and is currently recruiting a tenant for the site. The company is seeking further acquisitions that fit into two of its identified pub segments; food-led village pubs and wet-led town pubs or suburban outlets on major A roads leading out of conurbations. The ideal sites will be capable of a turnover in excess of £500,000 a year, will be freehold pub houses and with the potential to grow via operator change, capital investment or best practice. The brewer is looking for pubs across southern England from south of the M4 and west up to the M25; cities and towns highlighted include Exeter, Brighton, Southampton, Bristol, Bath, St Albans, Newbury and Chichester. Matt Kearsey, business partnerships director for Hall & Woodhouse, said: “Last year was very successful for us, with turnover, like-for-like sales and profit all up year-on-year. Investment into the existing pub estate, and acquisition of new sites, was key to this success and will remain a key part of our strategy for 2016. We are in the process of identifying the type of pubs we wish to add to our portfolio, with a real focus on identifying sites that will generate success for both our business partners and ourselves.”

London’s first organic, vegetarian, zero-waste restaurant opening on Thursday: London’s first organic, vegetarian, zero-waste restaurant will open on Thursday (28 January). Tiny Leaf will take up temporary residence in Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill. The pop-up’s owners are looking for a permanent home for the concept, which turns surplus food donated by local suppliers into a “guilt-free gastronomic experience”. The venue spans four floors, including a ground-floor bistro and juice bar, zero-waste fine-dining restaurant, cinema and events space, and botanical cocktail bar. Reflecting the restaurant’s surplus supply chain, menus change daily depending on would-be-waste deliveries from partners including Planet Organic and Langridge, the UK’s largest local and seasonal organic produce wholesalers. Tiny Leaf has been formed by chef, writer and food activist Justin Horne, general manager Jonathan Krauss (formerly of Chiltern Firehouse) and marketing director Alice Gilsenan. Horne said he believed one way to tackle the 18 million tonnes of food ending up in landfills each year was to “change people’s perception of what waste is, then we can change out how much waste we create”. Diners can take leftovers home in free “bio-boxes” manufactured from biodegradable vegetable polymers.

 

Carluccio’s signs to open in £85m extension to Eastbourne shopping centre: Carluccio’s is the latest restaurant brand to sign up to open in the £85m extension to the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne, East Sussex. The restaurant will be situated on the ground floor of the 170,000 square foot scheme. It is the sixth brand to sign up after Nando’s, Wagamama, Byron, and Chiquito and Frankie & Benny’s, which are both owned by The Restaurant Group. With the exception of Carluccio’s and Wagamama, the other restaurants will be located on the first floor alongside the entrance to the new nine-screen cinema that will be operated by Cineworld. Arndale Centre retail development manager Neil Crawford told The Eastbourne Herald: “It’s a great start to 2016 to sign up another high quality restaurant for the scheme. Demand has been very strong and negotiations with other tenants are at an advanced stage. We therefore hope to make further announcements very soon.”

 

Wagamama gets go-ahead to open in Peterborough: Wagamama has been given the go-ahead for a new restaurant in Peterborough city centre. The company will open the 100-plus seat venue in Cathedral Square after the city council approved a change of use application at 37-39 Long Causeway, which are currently occupied by Blacks and Asylum Industries. Wagamama told Peterborough Today it is currently looking to move into large towns and cities where the brand has little representation and had identified Peterborough “as an area with great potential”. Its nearest restaurant is located about 30 miles away in Cambridge. It is the latest brand to be attracted to the revamped Cathedral Square area in recent months with French bistro Cote having submitted plans to convert a former Santander Bank branch in Church Street into a restaurant.

 

Amber Taverns to open seventh Hogarths site in Leicester on Friday: Amber Taverns will open its seventh Hogarths gin palace on Friday (29 January), this time in Leicester. The company is launching the venue on the site of the former Square Bar in Hotel Street, creating 24 jobs. It purchased the property for £600,000 and has invested more than £800,000 refurbishing the site. Amber Taverns operations director Gary Roberts told the Leicester Mercury: “Hogarths gin palaces create a fantastic venue for a quick pint or a gin or for a chilled evening out. All the sites retain their own individuality to reflect their customers’ requirements – but all deliver exceptional gins. The concept is to develop a premium community centric bar with a gin twist, while embracing a wide range of innovative spirits such as the cold pressed coffee liqueur from Australia – Mr Black. We also stock a wide range of cask and craft beers and regularly rotate both classic and contemporary cocktails.” Amber Taverns opened its first Hogarths in Bolton in October 2014 and now has sites in Preston, Wakefield, South Shields, Ilkeston and Swansea.

 

Record number of suppliers to attend enterpriselive 2016: Thousands of publicans and a record number of suppliers are set to attend enterpriselive 2016 – the annual trade show organised by Enterprise Inns. More than 160 suppliers will demonstrate their products and services at the show, up from 120 in 2015. The fourth annual show returns to Olympia on Tuesday, 23 February, having been at Wembley Stadium in 2015, and will also visit Bristol, Coventry, Farnborough, Leeds and Manchester. For the first time the show will feature business advice sessions from leading industry experts at all six events. Enterprise sales and marketing director James Armitage said: “We’re expecting a higher number of visitors than ever before thanks to some impressive new suppliers, including Booker, and a whole host of industry guest speakers who will deliver practical business advice.” The advice sessions will cover topics including pub menu trends, social media and website best practice, making the most of televised sport, and maximising profits from game machine technology. Diageo’s Bar Academy will run sessions on best bar practice, while There’s A Beer For That will run a beer clinic. Live cooking demonstrations are another addition to the itinerary. Publicans who register to attend will receive a book of vouchers worth more than £7,000, which they can use to redeem free products and enter prize draws. A dedicated Facebook page will provide show news and updates.

 

Pho gains gluten-free accreditation: Pho, the Vietnamese street food restaurant group, has gained gluten-free accreditation from Coeliac UK for its 17 restaurants across the UK. All of the group’s main menus (eat-in and Pho To Go) are now almost completely gluten-free. Pho have worked closely with Coeliac UK, the oldest and largest charity for coeliac disease in the world, for more than six months during the accreditation process, which included a series of audits, menu development, ingredient sourcing and staff training. Both front-of-house and back-of-house teams in all of Pho’s restaurants have received training in the preparation and serving of gluten-free food. Co-founder Juliette Wall said: “Having been loved for our gluten-free options since we opened ten years ago we saw an opportunity to make almost our entire menu gluten-free, by replacing only a few ingredients with certified gluten-free options, without compromising flavour. After months and months of working with Coeliac UK, we can now safely serve a huge amount of people in the UK who probably find it quite tricky to dine out.”

 

Bitters ‘n’ Twisted plans Leicester city centre bodega: Birmingham-based bar operator Bitters ‘n’ Twisted has applied for planning permission to open its first venue in the east Midlands. The company has applied to Leicester City Council for permission to turn the Sweater Shop site in St Martins Square in Leicester city centre, into a South American bodega-style bar and restaurant. Bitters ‘n’ Twisted, founded by Matt Scriven in 2006, already has nine other bars and restaurants in the west Midlands, including two other bodega-style venues in Birmingham and Worcester. The site is opposite another restaurant – Oklahoma-style smokehouse Grillstock. The Leicester Mercury reported documents lodged with the council stated the new venue would add to the buzz and vibrancy of the location and complement, rather than rival, Grillstock.

London’s first gyoza bar to open in Covent Garden: London’s first ramen and gyoza bar will open in Covent Garden at the beginning of February. The gyoza (Japanese dumplings packed with meat, salmon or vegetables) can be accompanied by combinations of chilli oil, garlic vinegar or usami soy, to name a few. Only local organic food will be used and the ramen (noodle soup) and gyoza are all made on site using original Japanese equipment and to a traditional recipe. Gyoza can be deep fried, pan fried or steamed. There will also be seven ramens, which can be mixed with side plates such as crispy tofu with teriyaki sauce, and deep-fried salmon katsu on skewers served with wasabi mayo. The venue will feature an open plan kitchen. Gyoza Bar will offer a wide range of wines, cocktails and Japanese beer or sake.

 

Staycity to open second Birmingham site next month featuring company’s inaugural food and beverage offer: Aparthotel operator Staycity will open its second Birmingham site on Friday, 5 February, featuring the company’s inaugural food and beverage offer. The company, which launched its first site in the city in 2006 at the Arcadian Centre, is opening 170 new apartments in Newhall Square within the historic Jewellery Quarter. The site, which has taken nearly two years to complete, consists of four studios, 142 one-bedroom apartments sleeping three to four people, and 24 two-bedroom apartments accommodating up to six people. All have fully-equipped kitchenettes, sitting areas and bathrooms, with a 24-hour reception service, fitness room and on-site parking. It will also have a lounge area on its ground floor with Staycity’s first food and beverage offer. This will include freshly ground coffee and tea, continental breakfasts in the morning and light snacks in the afternoon. Staycity chief executive Tom Walsh said: “Birmingham has been one of our best-performing sites, with strong demand from leisure and corporate bookings. We are confident Newhall Square will be just as popular.” Staycity serviced apartments and aparthotels can now be found in eight major cities across the UK and Europe. The company’s European expansion plans will take it from 1,000 apartments to 3,500 over the next 24 months.

 

Patisserie Valerie launches gluten-free range: Cafe chain Patisserie Valerie has launched a new range of gluten-free products. Patisserie Valerie said the move was sparked by increased demand for gluten-free treats from customers. The five-strong range, which features brownies, cakes, biscuits, flapjacks and muffins, are now available across online and in stores. There is also a new gluten-free double chocolate celebration cake that customers can order for special occasions. Chief executive Paul May said: “We’re really excited about our new gluten-free range, and we hope that our customers will enjoy the products on offer. This is the first step in expanding our offering to meet dietary needs and we hope that we can cater for everyone in the future.”

 

Burger King submits plans to open first site in Channel Islands: Burger King has submitted plans to open its first site in the Channel Islands. Sandpiper CI has agreed a deal to operate the franchise and an application has been lodged for a 60-seater restaurant in York Street, St Helier, Jersey, which could open by the spring. Sandpiper said it is also looking for suitable sites in Guernsey and hopes to open there by the end of the year. Chief executive Tony O’Neill told the BBC big high street brands make the Channel Islands more attractive. He added: “You’re going to get polarised opinions – we’ll have a view that says well it’s not another local brand, but as I’ve said before I think these brands we’re bringing in are complementing local ownership. It’s a marriage that put together well makes the islands a more attractive place both for islanders and for visitors alike.”

 

Chef opens new bar and grill restaurant concept in Oldham: A new bar and grill restaurant concept has opened in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Chef Anthony D’Alessandro and wife Carolina have launched The Grill@No 20 in Retiro Street on the site of the former Don Pedro’s restaurant. They have invested a “significant amount” of money as well as receiving a grant from Oldham Council to refurbish the venue. Anthony D’Alessandro, who has been in the industry for more than 18 years, is serving traditional English cuisine along with an array of Mediterranean dishes embracing his Italian heritage. The 50-seat restaurant also stocks a selection of wines from across the world and premium beers. Anthony D’Alessandro told the Saddleworth Independent: “Our aim is to offer something for everyone, especially families, at affordable prices. We chose Oldham town centre as I know the area well and can see it is on the up. That was one of the main reasons why we decided to invest here.”

 

Starbucks launches National Green Juice Day through Evolution Fresh brand: Starbucks has declared today (Tuesday, 26 January) the first National Green Juice Day through healthy drinks brand Evolution Fresh. It has teamed up with on-demand delivery service Postmates to deliver free “Green Juice Breaks” to customers in 15 US cities as part of a healthier January. To order a Green Juice Break – a three-pack of cold-pressed, high-pressure-processed Sweet Greens and Lemon juice – customers must visit www.greenjuiceday.com or use the Postmates smartphone app. The offer is not available at Starbucks venues. Jeff Hansberry, Evolution Fresh president, said: “By celebrating the first-ever National Green Juice Day on 26 January, we hope to inspire people to keep their wellness resolutions in the New Year.” Sweet Greens and Lemon is one of six juices in the Evolution Fresh portfolio.

 

Preston cinema let to Odeon sold for £10.2m: The Odeon Multiplex Cinema in Preston has been sold by owner LondonMetric Property for £10.2m. It has been acquired by Blackrock UK Long Lease Property Fund, reflecting a net initial yield of 5.75%. The ten-screen 33,000 square foot cinema is let to Odeon Cinemas for the remaining term of 23 years. The lease is subject to annual rental increases of between 1% and 5% linked to RPI. The property formed part of a portfolio of ten Odeon Multiplex Cinemas acquired by LondonMetric in November 2013 at an overall net initial yield of 7.2%. LondonMetric chief executive Andrew Jones told The Business Desk: “This sale attracted good institutional interest for a long-dated and inflation linked income let to a strong covenant, particularly as the cinema market has continued to strengthen on the back of an impressive film slate.” BlackRock portfolio manager Geoffrey Shaw added: “This is the latest in a series of acquisitions we are making to obtain long-dated cash flows to match the liabilities of our clients.” Knight Frank advised LondonMetric and CBRE advised Blackrock.

 

Soho’s Shackfuyu launches private dining room: Following its relaunch as a permanent restaurant in Soho in December, Japanese comfort food venue Shackfuyu has opened a private dining room, accommodating up to 16 guests. Diners can select one of two set menus or a bespoke menu created by head chef Ben Hughes. Shackfuyu regulars such as sweet, sticky and spicy Korean fried wings and aubergine with four miso and bubu arare feature on the £35 per person set menu, alongside new dishes such as kare pan, a rabbit curry doughnut served with daikon mayonnaise. Other dishes such as nama harumaki, a fresh spring roll made with Cornish crab, can be found on the £40 per person set menu. Desserts include Shackfuyu’s signature kinako French toast with soft-serve matcha ice cream. Owner Ross Shonhan originally opened Shackfuyu as a pop-up restaurant in February 2015.

 

Scunthorpe fish and chip restaurant owners to open new American-style diner concept in town: The owners of Scunthorpe fish and chip restaurant Scalinis 2015 are to open a new American-style diner in the town. Nicos and Judy Trantalis have taken over the Yum Stars Cafe in Ravendale Street and will reopen it as Route 15 next month, creating six jobs. Greek-born father-of-four Nicos Trantalis said the 29-cover Route 15 would trade from 11am until 8pm, Monday to Saturday. He told the Scunthorpe Telegraph: “We shall be selling many of the products made popular by Yum Stars like milkshakes, luxury cakes and Belgian waffles but we shall add a range of traditional American food to the menu. There will also be a free jukebox for customers to choose their favourite songs from the 1950s and 1960s and we shall cater for children’s parties.” The Trantalis are also planning a £50,000 extension to Scalinis to increase the present 2,500 customers a week the restaurant serves.

 

Full speaker programme for Propel Multi Club Conference on 16 March unveiled: The full speaker programme for the Propel Multi Club Conference on Wednesday, 16 March at Congress Hall, London, has been unveiled. Multi-site pub, restaurant and foodservice operators can book up to two free places by emailing Adam Dickinson on adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com. The conference series is the best-attended in the sector. Speakers are: Nicola Knight, analyst at insights firm Horizons, investigates the key trends in the UK foodservice market, including major menu trends, growth areas and discounting – and looks ahead to the key trends of 2016 and beyond. Adrian Blair, chief operating officer for Just Eat, provides an overview of the company’s role in the takeaway market, current key trends and future potential for operators to develop revenue. Steve Kenee, partner at investment firm Downing, talks about the firm’s long term investment partnership with Antic London, developing an estate of more than 30 London pubs, the businesses USPs, the risks and rewards of operating near the leading edge of urban regeneration and the development of non-licenced premises. David Singleton, vice-president of hospitality for Al Tayer Group, provides an overview of the foodservice landscape in the United Arab Emirates, the brands that are winning, the potential for UK brands and his company’s approach to growing sales. Punch Taverns chief strategy director Neil Griffiths outlines the company’s evolved strategy, involving as much as £300m of investment over five years, developing operator and trading agreements, expanding its fledgling concepts and brands, taking greater control of its retail offer and realising additional value from its property portfolio. Simon King, managing director of Burger & Lobster, talks about the progress of Burger & Lobster in London and elsewhere, the unique thinking and philosophy behind the brand, sourcing quality ingredients, recruiting and training staff, evolving the offer, expanding outside of London and international prospects. Phil Sermon, managing director of Vapiano, talks 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. David Mooney, co-founder of New Moon Pub Company, arguably the UK’s most versatile food pub operator, talks about the company’s approach at country and city pubs, its Beef and Pudding concept, New York-influenced The Bronx brand, its pizza concept Casa Matta, evolution and future plans. Roberto Morretti, chief operating officer of Bill’s, talks to Elliotts managing director James Hacon about the brand’s USPs, trading all-day, developing a retail dimension and staying true to the brand founder’s vision. Henry Dimbleby and Jonathan Downey, co-founders of London Union, set out their progress in creating neighbourhood food markets based on experiential food discovery, crowdfunding, their plans to create the world’s greatest food market and the development of 12 London neighbourhood markets.

 

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