Multi-site operators scoop six accolades at Star Pubs & Bars awards: Multi-site operators scooped six accolades at Star Pubs & Bars’ 2016 Star Awards. Flying Pig & Lobster, the pub operator set up by Revolution vodka bar founders Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod and celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, won two trophies – team training and, for the second year running, retailer of the year, for The Elephant in Liverpool. Gastro-pub operator Whiting & Hammond received Star pub of the year for the Blue Ball at Walton on the Hill in Surrey, while Iain Pert and Gordon Hooley, of PG Taverns (Scotland), won best bar team for the Jolly Botanist in Edinburgh as well as a finalist position for retailer of the year. Michael Thomas, of The Roseacre Pub Company, which has grown to four pubs since launching in December 2014, was named newcomer of the year for his first venture, the Dovecot in Narborough, near Leicester, while Tony and Stephen Martin were awarded pub with the best pint for the Three Wheatsheaves in Nottingham. The winners were revealed at a ceremony hosted by Sky Sports pundit and former footballer Chris Kamara at the Titanic Hotel and Rum Warehouse in Liverpool. A total of 14 awards were presented to licensees from across the UK in categories ranging from best newcomer to best food pub, with half the 60 finalist sites being run by multiple operators. All 14 winners’ pubs had strong menus, reflecting the increasingly important role good food plays in pubs. Top for food in the Star estate was chef licensee Mark Anderson, who has worked for Michel Roux and Gordon Ramsay, and his wife Sarah, who won best food pub for The Ruddington Arms in Ruddington, Nottingham. Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens said: “Standards were higher than ever this year and the competition was very tough. The new talent we’re attracting to Star is of a high calibre, as these awards demonstrate. Likewise, many of our existing operators are at the forefront of the sector, pushing standards ever higher for the pub industry as a whole. It was a great honour to be able to recognise some of the country’s greatest licensees in our Star awards.”

Advanced Marketing and Insights Masterclass open for bookings: Propel is partnering with leading sector public relations and marketing expert James Hacon for the Advanced Marketing and Insights Masterclass, which is now open for bookings. The event takes place on Thursday, 12 January at One Moorgate Place in London. Oliver Taylor, senior insight manager at Elliotts, will share the latest insight on how consumers are making decisions on where to go to drink or dine out, what inspired them, how they plan their evening and how they prefer to book. This is benchmarked on last year’s data presented at the marketing masterclass and there will also be an overview on how to develop similar insight for your brand. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) members and £345 plus VAT for non-ALMR members and are available by emailing Anne Steele on anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Next Propel Premium audio presentation to feature Roy Ellis: The next audio presentation sent to Propel Premium subscribers today (18 November) will feature serial sector entrepreneur Roy Ellis, who presented at last month’s Bar and Nightclub Conference. Ellis sets out how his Mission Mars vehicle has hit annual turnover of £23m only three years after launch and the group’s plans for Albert’s Schloss. Propel Premium subscribers also receive the Propel Blue Book guide to sector turnover and profitability. The Blue Book lists and ranks 200 sector companies by turnover, profitability and profit conversion. It also provides a five-year overview of profitability and directors’ salaries. The current free service to all existing readers remains the same, but readers can opt to upgrade to receive the Propel Premium service. Propel Premium subscribers will be able to receive the Morning Newsletter, which is sent at 6.30am each weekday, 12 hours earlier at 6.30pm the day before. Subscribers will also receive a copy of the Propel database of 700 multi-site companies, which will be updated every six months, and receive a digital version of Propel Quarterly magazine a week before publication. For operators, annual subscription costs £345 plus VAT, with an extra £50 per additional subscriber at each company. For suppliers, annual subscription costs £445 plus VAT, with an extra £50 per additional subscriber at each company. To subscribe to the Propel Premium service, email Anne Steele at anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Seedrs reports ‘record-breaking month’ after almost £20m is pumped into crowdfunding campaigns: Crowdfunding platform Seedrs has reported a “record-breaking month” after almost £20m was pumped into campaigns in October, with world number-one tennis player Andy Murray among investors attracted to opportunities on the site. More than £160m has been invested via Seedrs following its launch in July 2012. In the third quarter of 2016, it exceeded the amount invested on the platform throughout the whole of last year. Co-founder and chief executive Jeff Lynn told Insider Media: “We are breaking records this year. Despite Brexit, the UK is still attractive and safe for inward investment and will continue to be one of the number-one destinations for entrepreneurs to set up a business with its favourable tax reliefs, streamlined business incorporation and simple transport abroad.” Notable investments for October included employee and customer engagement provider Perkbox, which smashed its £1m target to reach £4.35m, making it Seedrs’ largest campaign to date. The business attracted more than 300 investors, including Murray, who took over as the world’s top tennis player earlier this month. Seedrs has also opened offices in Amsterdam and Berlin as it looks to expand the business.

Lords licensing committee to hear from private members’ clubs and supermarkets: The House of Lords committee investigating the Licensing Act 2003 is to ask private members’ clubs and supermarkets whether the law should be changed. Giving evidence on Tuesday (22 November) will be Peter Adkins, director of regulatory services at Emms Gilmore Liberson Solicitors; Paul Varney, from the Association of London Clubs; and George Dawson, union president of the Working Men’s Club and Institute Union. They will be asked if they think the licensing system works, how well temporary event notices work, and whether the system is flexible enough for clubs. Meanwhile, representatives from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado will also give evidence. They will be questioned on whether Britain has become a home-drinking nation, how pre-loading can be addressed, whether street drinking is fuelled by the sale of cheap super-strength alcohol, whether minimum unit pricing for alcohol should be introduced and how supermarkets monitor the age of customers who order alcohol online.

Wahaca faces compensation claim over suspected norovirus outbreak: Mexican restaurant brand Wahaca is facing a claim for compensation from the family of a girl hospitalised after a suspected norovirus outbreak. Public Health England said more than 300 people fell ill because of the infection, which led the Mexican restaurant chain to shut nine branches. Sarah Cousins, 16, from Wallingford in Oxfordshire, visited a branch of the restaurant in White City on 29 October. Now her father, Mike, has instructed solicitors Irwin Mitchell with a view to claiming compensation. The teenager, who is an A-level student with Type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease, said she began to feel ill in the days after her meal and suffered from persistent vomiting. She was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis and ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes caused by lack of insulin. The teenager, who said it was “probably the sickest I’ve ever been”, was put on a drip and kept in overnight until she was well enough to return home. She missed a week of college because of the illness and said the company paying her compensation would be the “decent thing to do”. A Wahaca spokeswoman told the BBC: “We are greatly saddened by this case and, promptly after the family in question was in touch with us, our co-founder responded personally. Wahaca has been proactively working with the relevant authorities in order to limit the impact on our customers and employees following the recent outbreak of suspected norovirus in some of our outlets.”

US restaurant like-for-like sales hit three year low: US restaurant like-for-like sales fell 0.6% in October in the worst performance for the industry in more than three years, according to the latest MillerPulse survey. Quick-service like-for-like sales were flat, the worst performance for the segment in at least five years. Meanwhile, casual dining restaurants saw like-for-likes fall 1.4%, the worst this year for the segment and its worst since 2013. Overall visits fell 2.2% for the second straight month. Like-for-like visits fell 2.8% at casual dining restaurants – the 16th straight month of decline for the segment and the 19th in the past 20 months. Quick-service visits fell 1.7% – the seventh straight month of decline. MillerPulse co-founder Larry Miller told Nation’s Restaurant News: “The malaise continues. Visits were very soft and have been soft for quite a period of time. And it’s not just soft for one segment, it’s soft for everybody.” Miller said the presidential election could have pulled sales down this year and he noted the savings rate of 5.8% suggested consumers were skittish and holding off on spending. He added that the wide price gap between food-at-home and food-away-from-home remained a major factor in this year’s depressed like-for-like sales at restaurant chains. Miller said sales would continue to be weak in the fourth quarter and he does not believe they will improve in the first quarter of 2017. “It’s just less people coming in the door,” he said.

England sporting victories boost pub beer sales: England’s victories in football and rugby last weekend boosted beer sales in UK pubs, according to analysis by beer quality and insight expert Vianet. England’s 3-0 defeat of Scotland at Wembley on Friday, 11 November saw sports pubs enjoy a 5.8% increase in sales versus the same day last year. Analysis showed the average beer volume on the day was 265 pints. The pre-match run rate was 14 pints per hour, during the match consumption was 34 pints per hour, and post-match was 20 pints per hour. The match also provided an uplift to non-sports pubs, with sales up 7.68% against the same day last year, either indicating consumers uninterested in the football attended these venues instead or, with the match broadcast free-to-air, these pubs also benefited by showing the games without the need for Sky or BT Sport. England’s dominant rugby display against South Africa at Twickenham the following day attracted a 4.1% increase in beer sales compared with the same day last year for sports pubs, with non-sport-focused pubs registering a 1.98% increase. The corresponding day last year saw England take on the All Blacks; the positive difference against control pubs may suggest rugby is attracting a larger share year-on-year and increasing in popularity. The pre-match consumption rate was eight pints per hour, during the match it was 21 pints per hour, and the hour post-match was 25 pints per hour. Data comes Vianet’s iDraught cellar and bar management system, which gives detailed analysis of pint per hour consumption at key times during sporting events. The sample comprised more than 2,200 sports pubs showing the matches, versus a “control” group of about 4,000 non-sport-focused pubs.

Michel Roux Jr pays kitchen staff below minimum wage: Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux Jr has been paying some kitchen staff at his Mayfair restaurant Le Gavroche less than the minimum wage. Several staff have been paid as low as £5.50 an hour – well below the £7.20 National Living Wage introduced in April, a Guardian investigation found. A spokeswoman for Le Gavroche admitted the restaurant had paid some staff less than the National Living Wage and said there would be immediate pay rises for affected workers and reductions in hours for all staff. She declined to say how many current staff had been underpaid, only indicating it was less than a dozen. The restaurant made almost £250,000 in profit last year, according to abbreviated accounts filed at Companies House. Roux Jr is the majority shareholder and has been running the restaurant since 1991, when he took over from his father, Albert Roux, who opened it in 1967. The restaurant could now face an HM Revenue and Customs investigation into underpayment of the minimum wage.

Burning Night Group crowdfunding peer-to-peer investment moves through £1.5m mark: Burning Night Group, operator of four multi-branded Bierkeller city centre bars in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff, has raised more than £1.5m via a peer-to-peer, three-year lending investment on crowdfunding platform Crowdstacker to fund further roll-out of the concept. The investment pays 7% interest per annum, paid quarterly. The operator is set to open a 22,000 square foot Bierkeller in Broad Street, Birmingham, on Thursday, 8 December. The bar will feature brands created in Burning Night Group’s other venues – Shooters Sports Bar, Around the World Bar (world beers and food), and Bavarian Bierkeller, with entertainment from live oompah bands. Shooters Sports Bar will feature the largest indoor LED wall in the city, measuring 4.8m by 2.4m and displaying the latest P3.9 format. In addition, work has started on a 28,000 square foot unit in the centre of Nottingham, close to Market Square. The expected opening date for the venue is March 2017. Allan Harper, group managing director, said: “The addition of Birmingham and Nottingham in bustling city centre food and beverage thoroughfares will further enhance our existing successful brands. It is great that businesses like ours can benefit from lending platforms such as Crowdstacker, enabling the investor to achieve a good return while allowing Burning Night Group to achieve its corporate goals.”

MOD Pizza raises £42m to continue US and UK expansion: Fast-casual artisan pizza brand MOD Pizza has raised £42m to continue its expansion in the US and UK. The round of funding by parent company MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings was led by Fidelity Management & Research Co and PWP Growth Equity. It will be used to continue MOD Pizza’s growth. The company operates 177 sites in 19 US states and it will continue growing in existing markets and move into new states, including Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Utah, as well as expanding in the UK, reports Nation’s Restaurant News. MOD Pizza co-founder Scott Svenson said: “We believe that MOD’s mission of making a positive social impact in the communities we serve has been a key factor in our success as we have expanded across the US and the UK. We’re very grateful that Fidelity, PWP Growth Equity and our other investors have chosen to support our continued growth so we can introduce more communities to the unique MOD experience, which is fuelled by our purpose-driven culture.” The funding is the second round for MOD Pizza this year, bringing the operator’s total capital to date to almost $150m. In March, MOD Pizza raised $32m in funding, also led by PWP.

Chester-based restaurant operators start expansion of tapas bar concept Porta with Altrincham opening: Chester-based restaurant operators Ben and Joe Wright have started expansion of their tapas bar concept Porta by opening a second site, this time in Altrincham. The new restaurant is in Greenwood Street at the site of a former gift shop and features an open kitchen overlooking the downstairs dining area. The intimate space seats about 50 diners upstairs and down, with more tables on a small terrace outside. Diners are seated around high tables on bar stools to enjoy small plates, ranging from salted Catalan almonds and Padrón peppers to air-dried and cured meat, jamon croquetas and slow-roasted ox cheek with caperberries. Drinks include Spanish wine, cava and sherry, beers from Barcelona’s Damm Brewery and Manchester’s Track and Blackjack. Ben Wright handles front of house and operations, while Joe is head chef. Ben told Manchester Evening News: “The whole vibe is no bookings, no reservations, just being true to the ethos of what a tapas bar is about – informal and fun.” The Wrights have run the Joseph Benjamin restaurant in Chester since 2006, which has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2012. Four years ago they opened their first Porta next door.

Barburrito continues Scottish expansion with Aberdeen site: Mexican brand Barburrito, which is backed by the British Growth Fund (BGF), has continued its expansion in Scotland by opening a site in Aberdeen. The 46-cover restaurant has opened on the first floor of Hammerson’s Union Square shopping centre. Last year, the BGF helped fund the acquisition of Pinto Mexican Kitchen in Scotland and has provided funding for the chain’s growth during the past five years. Barburrito now has three restaurants in Edinburgh and three in Glasgow, alongside the new venue in Aberdeen. Founder and chief executive Morgan Davies told The Press and Journal: “The oil and gas industry is going to come back. It is really just a question of timing. Long-term, I think Aberdeen is going to bounce back. Union Square is a very strong centre and, even with the recent drop-off, it continues to do well.” Sarah Fox, head of restaurants and leisure at Hammerson, added: “With its diverse line-up of restaurants, the centre has become a hot spot for new and exciting dining in the city and Barburrito is a great addition to the offer.” Barburrito has 19 sites in ten UK cities and is targeting a further ten outlets during the next two years. The next opening is set to be at Paddington train station in London.

Former Tamarind Collection director opens Grand Trunk Road concept in South Woodford: Former Tamarind Collection director Rajesh Suri has opened Grand Trunk Road, an Indian restaurant with a historically inspired south Asian menu, in South Woodford, north east London. The restaurant in High Road is Suri’s first solo venture and features traditional cooking methods, with a focus on regional dishes that would have been consumed in towns along the Grand Trunk Road, a route that spans 1,600 miles between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Suri has teamed up with former Zaika head chef Dayashankar Sharma, whose dishes include crusted scallops with roasted red pepper, garlic and tomato chutney, and lobster with three types of pepper, mixed mushrooms and fenugreek, while vegetarians have been promised a “lusciously fragrant take on healthy eating”, Hot Dinners reports. Suri was director of Tamarind Collection, including Tamarind of Mayfair, Imli Street in Soho and Zaika in Kensington, for 17 years until 2015.

PizzaExpress opens restaurant at East Kilbride leisure hub: PizzaExpress has opened a restaurant in East Kilbride, Scotland. The company has opened the site in the new multimillion-pound leisure hub at East Kilbride Shopping Centre, creating 20 jobs. Restaurant manager Darren Gray told the Glasgow Evening Times: “I am incredibly excited to be bringing the nation’s best-loved pizza to East Kilbride and to be at the helm of such a great group of people.” PizzaExpress will join ten other restaurant brands at the 70,000 square foot development, including Nando’s, Cook & Indi, and Bella Italia, which is owned by Casual Dining Group. The leisure hub also features an ice rink and nine-screen Odeon cinema.

Meantime launches Brewery Fresh Pale Ale in UK first: Greenwich-based Meantime has become the first brewery in the UK to offer Brewery Fresh Pale Ale. The company is making the ale available at three of its London venues – The Bull in Streatham, The Beer Box next to the O2, and The Tasting Rooms in the Meantime brewery. The beer, which is a traditionally brewed pale ale with a combination of British and American hops, will be delivered by Meantime’s tankers direct from the maturation tanks within the brewery to the outlets’ tanks. Brewery Fresh Pale Ale will continue to mature in the tanks, allowing flavours to develop even further. The process also means the beer has no contact with oxygen until it hits the glass. Meantime pioneered the introduction of Brewery Fresh tanks in bars and pubs in the UK in 2013 and now dispenses Brewery Fresh Lager straight from custom-built tanks in 33 outlets in the capital. With public demand for pale ales continuing to grow, the craft brewer has decided to expand its Brewery Fresh offering. Meantime brewmaster Ciaran Giblin said: “We’ve seen how popular our Brewery Fresh Lager has been over the past three years and now is the perfect time to launch Brewery Fresh Pale Ale. We’re passionate about being at the forefront of the modern beer scene and, as we’ve seen our London Pale Ale become ever more popular with beer fans, we decided to give them it in its freshest form.”

Fife-based operator acquires Kingdom Taverns restaurant: Fife-based operator Bryan Reid has acquired the Tipsy Cow restaurant in Kirkcaldy from Scottish pub company Kingdom Taverns. The Tipsy Cow was opened in High Street by Kingdom Taverns in June. Now the restaurant has come under the ownership of Reid, who runs the Drummonds Hotel as well as the Society bar and Legends restaurant in the town. Reid told Fife Today: “Liam and Lewis Melville launched a super brand earlier in the year and have dovetailed well with our business at Society over recent months. It was such a great relationship that led us to this fabulous addition to the Society, Legends and Drummonds Hotel families. We plan to continue the development of the ‘Tipsy’ brand to bring you even greater things moving forward into 2017.” Kingdom Taverns added: “We would like to wish the new owner every success in their new venture.”

Exeter property home to Bella Italia sells for £3.55m: A property in Exeter where one tenant is Casual Dining Group brand Bella Italia has been sold for £3,550,000. The grade II-listed building in Queen Street has been acquired by a private client through agent Coffer Corporate Leisure from real estate company Valad Europe. The deal reflected a net initial yield of 6.75%. The building is arranged as a Bella Italia restaurant and retail unit on the ground floor, late-night bar in the basement, and four floors of offices above. Coffer Corporate Leisure associate director Jack Silvani said: “Outside London, strong property fundamentals are crucial. Properties in strong trading locations in quality cities are extremely defensible and provide a steady income with good scope for rental growth in the future. Over the past decade Exeter has benefited from huge infrastructure improvements, which has seen a wealth of fashionable leisure operators open in the city. Queen Street in particular has benefited from this, with a swathe of new operators due to open in the Guildhall scheme opposite, including Turtle Bay, The Stable (Fuller’s) and Gourmet Burger Kitchen.” Valad Europe was advised by CBRE Bristol.

Gail’s Bakery opens 34th site, in East Sheen: Gail’s Artisan Bakery, which is backed by sector investor Luke Johnson, has opened a site in East Sheen, south west London. The bakery, which is in Upper Richmond Road and is the company’s 34th site, sells loaves, including Gail’s French dark sourdough, mixed olive sourdough, quinoa sourdough, and honey and almond sourdough. It also specialises in pastries, cakes, yogurt pots, seasonal soups, sandwiches, salads and quiches. A hot brunch menu is served until 3pm. Gail’s Artisan Bakery was founded in 2005, when Ran Avidan, Tom Molnar and Emma King opened the first site in Hampstead. Previously, Johnson said he could see the brand growing to at least 70 sites.

Rio Ferdinand’s Manchester restaurant Rosso plans huge refurbishment and relaunch: Manchester restaurant Rosso, co-founded by former England footballer Rio Ferdinand, is planning a huge refurbishment and relaunch. The venue in Spring Gardens will host its New Year’s Eve party and then close to allow the overhaul to take place before reopening on Thursday, 26 January. The restaurant opened in November 2009, featuring plush grey and black interiors with splashes of red to match the “Rosso” name, which is the Italian word for red. Exactly how the venue will look post-transformation is being kept a closely guarded secret, with bosses aiming to keep the new look under wraps until the big reveal. A spokeswoman told the Manchester Evening News: “The new Rosso will open with not only a major facelift but with new food and drink menus. The bar at Rosso is to undergo a major overhaul with new wines, beers, champagnes – many exclusive to Rosso and rivalled by few outside London. It will encapsulate everything that is a fine Italian dining and drinking experience.”

Rhubarb to open flagship restaurant in London’s Centre Point redevelopment: Food experience brand and events caterer Rhubarb will open a restaurant in the Centre Point redevelopment in London. The all-day restaurant, scheduled to open in late 2017, will be the flagship dining destination within Centre Point. The grade II-listed building, located between Oxford Street and Covent Garden, is being transformed by owners Almacantar to create 82 apartments, with a new square at the base of the skyscraper that will be surrounded by 45,000 square feet of restaurants and shops. The new square will be next to the Crossrail entrance at Tottenham Court Road and create a link between Fitzrovia and Covent Garden. Rhubarb’s restaurant will occupy the main floor of the bridge link at Centre Point, overlooking the new square and Oxford Street. Rhubarb managing director PB Jacobse said: “We are delighted to be developing another distinctive new food and drink concept in what is one of the London’s most iconic buildings. Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street in the City trades beyond expectations and Centre Point provides us with another opportunity to create an engaging and innovative concept, this time in the West End.” Almacantar property director Kathrin Hersel added: “Rhubarb’s focus on creativity and exceptional quality perfectly complements our rejuvenation of Centre Point.” Rhubarb operates outlets in some of London’s most high-volume visitor attractions, including the Royal Albert Hall, as well as Heathrow T3 and T5, Royal Ascot racecourse and, most recently, the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex.

Nando’s opens Stafford site: Nando’s has opened its latest restaurant, this time in Stafford. The opening of the 122-cover venue in Riverside Shopping Centre has created 37 jobs and coincides with the launch of the company’s first Christmas menu, which features two new festive additions. Nando’s regional managing director Martin McTigue told The Sentinel: “In true Nando’s style, the restaurant features a range of stunning southern African-inspired interiors and artwork, including slatted tabletops with cast aluminium bases, genuine reclaimed oak flooring, yellow leaf-shaped and black-side chairs, as well as urban-inspired graffiti-painted ceilings.” Nando’s operates a site at the Intu Potteries complex in nearby Hanley, with a second site in the town currently under construction.

Stonegate Pub Company launches new Missoula menus: Stonegate Pub Company has launched new food and drink menus for its Western-inspired Missoula brand. The drinks menu introduces four smoked cocktails, made in conjunction with Funkin New Smoked Syrup. The cocktails – Smoky Pineapple Daiquiri, Smoke & Oak Clubman, Big Smoke Bloody Mary, and Smoke & Coke Iced Tea – are served with a smoking toy gun. Missoula’s new “Steeped” section offers infused premium spirits, including Vanilla Vodka, Jasmine Gin, Tea-Bagged Tequila (Earl Grey teabags in Olmeca Gold Tequila) and Roquito red chilli pepper-infused rum. Completing the drinks menu is a selection of beers, wine and four-cocktail Ciroc Super Sharers served in pitchers. The revamped food menu features an extended tapas range, chicken wings in red-hot naga sauce, mac ‘n’ cheese pizza, and three-way chicken burger. Missoula head of marketing Alan Armstrong said: “Our new cocktail menu offers bold, exciting alternatives to the classics, with interesting flavours that will definitely be remembered. Our infused spirits also give customers the chance to try something new. While we’ve kept the timeless classics on the food menu, we’ve amplified our offering with items not available anywhere else that we hope will help Missoula stand out even more on the high street.”

Cafe and antiques concept Partisan opens in York city centre: A cafe restaurant concept with the ambience of a French antiques house has launched in York city centre. Ethical chef Florencia Clifford and partner Hugo Hildyard have opened Partisan at a grade II-listed building in Micklegate. The venue offers “food to connect with the soul”, while the decor features a selection of antiques, from tables and chairs to lighting and mirrors, which are all for sale. Partisan can cater for 25 covers upstairs, while the area downstairs can double as a 20-cover private dining area, which is also available for hire. Clifford has spent ten years as a chef at spiritual retreats and is author of Zen cookbook Feeding Orchids To The Slugs. She told The Press: “The name Partisan stresses a resistance to multinational coffee chains that don’t pay tax. It is an asset to the community, a place where people can come for some good food. Everything we have gone for is the best quality. We get a lot of our supplies from Suma, the whole-food co-operative, and we try to support fair trade and independent farmers and growers. It’s about putting your heart into it.”

Dalata to bring Maldron hotel brand to England: Dalata Hotel Group, Ireland’s largest hotel operator, is expanding its Maldron brand into England with a new-build site in Newcastle. Dalata has signed a lease agreement with ES Newgate, a subsidiary of McAleer & Rushe, to build a Maldron Hotel. Dalata will run the hotel through a 35-year operating lease, which is subject to five rent reviews linked to the retail price index. The four-star hotel, expected to open in summer 2018, will have 226 bedrooms, a restaurant and meeting room facilities. Dalata operates nine hotels in the UK, including six under its Clayton brand. The company also operates Maldron hotels in Belfast and Derry. Deputy chief executive Dermot Crowley told the Independent: “This development provides us with an exciting opportunity to launch our Maldron brand in the English market, in line with our strategy of rolling-out our Clayton and Maldron brands in large regional UK cities.”

Plans lodged for £100m leisure village in Yorkshire: Plans have been lodged for a £100m leisure village on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Isle of Man-registered Ballan is behind the 340-acre Kellwell Point Leisure Village scheme, which would be built to the west of Hellifield village and between the Carlisle to Settle railway line and the A65. Outline approval is sought from Craven District Council for the development of a leisure centre, a 100-bedroom hotel and up to 300 lodges, alongside a park-and-ride facility and pedestrian access to Hellifield station. According to plans, the lodges would range between two and four bedrooms, set in small clusters within a landscape of trees and water features, reports Insider Media. Incorporating pools, a gym, sports hall, climbing wall, cinema and restaurant, the leisure centre would be a low-lying structure set within the landscape to minimise its impact on surrounding viewpoints. The hotel proposes 100 bedrooms split over four floors, with ground-floor reception, bar and restaurant facilities.

South African barbecue concept Hammer & Tongs to launch in Clerkenwell this month: South African barbecue concept Hammer & Tongs will launch in Clerkenwell, London, this month. The restaurant in Farringdon Road is set to open on Monday, 28 November and will feature a three-metre braai grill on which the majority of dishes will be cooked in front of customers. The menu will be split in two – cuts and steaks, and skewers – and priced accordingly, Hot Dinners reports. Starters include braai-pot baked bread, while at the top of the scale diners can enjoy 700g T-bone steak with reblochon and tarragon gratin, smoked buchu and monkey gland sauce. Skewers will be available as whole or half portions, including Arctic spruce-salted monkfish with confetti bush and aji panca pepper. The cocktail menu, curated by Pete Kendall of Milk and Honey, will include a Stellen-Spritz with caperitif rosso, Graham Beck sparkling wine and wild jasmine syrup. Ice for drinks will be cut from a huge piece of ice on the bar.

Enterprise Inns invests more than £1m in Gloucestershire pubs: Enterprise Inns has invested more than £1m in pubs across Gloucestershire over the past year. Pubs that have received investment include The Shutter Inn, Gotherington; The Yew Tree Inn, Dursley; and the Black Horse, Amberley. Enterprise divisional director Beki Davies said: “In the past 12 months we have made investments totalling more than £1m across Gloucestershire. With Enterprise’s unique segmentation tool, we’re confident this money has been spent developing the right offer for each pub. Working in partnership with the right publican we have therefore been able to realise the full potential of each site. Moving forwards, we will continue to invest in the region and work closely with our publicans to help them run great pubs that are the epicentre of the community.”