Story of the Day:

Busaba Eathai reports turnover and Ebitda boost: Busaba Eathai, the Thai chain founded by Alan Yau and led by chief executive Jason Myers, has reported a turnover and Ebitda boost. The company, which has 17 sites, reported turnover increased 6% to £27,719,000 for the year ending 28 May 2016, compared with £26,207,000 the year before, showing an average mature restaurant does north of £2m sales. Restaurant Ebitda was up 16% to £4,650,000 from £4,014,000, while group Ebitda climbed 21% to £2,008,000 from £1,662,000, according to accounts filed with Companies House. Its pre-tax losses rose to £806,438, compared with a loss of £546,126 the previous year. The company stated: “During the year the company continued its expansion programme with two new restaurant openings, one in Manchester and one in Liverpool. During the year under review, turnover increased by 6% to £27.7m and Ebitda increased by 21% to £2.1m. The director’s objective is to develop the company as the country’s premier Thai restaurant group. To this end, a funding package of up to £17m was agreed with the group’s bankers in June 2016 to fund the company’s expansion plans.” New sites in London and St Albans opened in October while the company said two refurbishments have been undertaken with four more planned for this financial year to ensure interiors reflect the brand’s modern Bangkok proposition. New menus have been introduced including a “Best of Busaba” set menu that heroes the group’s most popular and iconic dishes and a “Bangkok Express Lunch” menu offering speedy, single-pot meals that can be customised with spices, pastes and meats to diners’ tastes. Myers said: “We are delighted with the group’s performance. The investment in systems the brand and our people have delivered this year’s results. Improvements and controls put in place in terms of training and menu development have delivered a good trading result for Busaba Eathai whilst our mobile loyalty and payment programme has increased spend per head and repeat business. The fall in the value of sterling and the absorption of the National Living Wage will provide challenging conditions for the casual dining market, but through careful negotiation with suppliers and the continued evolvement of our reward-driven mobile app, we are confident Busaba will continue to perform well and remains on track to grow across the UK.”

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. Cote marketing director Andrew Gallagher will share what’s on the top of his marketing agenda and what he thinks will have an impact on this during 2017. 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

Deal to reopen London nightclub Fabric at ‘advanced stage’: Lawyers for London nightclub Fabric are in advanced talks with Islington Council in a bid to agree licensing conditions that would allow the Farringdon venue to reopen. A deal could be reached this week if the parties are able to get a judge at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court to rubber-stamp the agreement, reports the Islington Tribune. It comes ahead of a court date on Monday, 28 November at which Fabric will appeal against the council’s decision to revoke its licence in September. A review was sparked after Ryan Browne and Jack Crossley, both 18, died after taking ecstasy at the club on 26 June and 6 August respectively. Last week, Fabric submitted a 155-page “operational policies and procedures manual”, setting out in detail the security, welfare and medical facilities to be provided at the club, as well as management and audit procedures, as part of its appeal. It has suggested 32 new licence conditions to give further assurance that, if permitted to reopen, the club would operate to a “gold standard”. London mayor Sadiq Khan has previously urged the two parties, and Islington Police, to come together to “find an approach that protects clubbers’ safety and the future of the club”.

CAMRA works with brewers to bring licensing reform to Northern Ireland: The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has brought together brewers and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to discuss how new legislation on licensing can help Northern Ireland’s brewing industry thrive. The round-tables focused on how the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill, which is currently making its way through the Assembly, should include a new “sell at source” licence to provide greater flexibility for brewers and cider producers. The proposal has the support of a number of MLAs from across the political spectrum. Brewers highlighted to MLAs how, under current legislation, they cannot hold a “premises licence”, which means they cannot sell their product on-site or online. They are also prevented from applying for occasional licences to take part in events such as farmers’ markets or food and drink festivals, including the BBC Good Food Show, which has a huge impact on their ability to grow their business. CAMRA chief executive Tim Page gave evidence to the Committee for Communities, which indicated it would propose an amendment to the bill that would introduce a “producer’s licence” to support brewers and cider producers on this issue. Page said: “It is very encouraging that the MLAs we’ve spoken to recognise the importance of this proposal, which would enable artisan producers in Northern Ireland to sell their products directly to customers. It makes no sense that they are currently unable to do so, which damages them and the country’s economy – particularly when there is such interest in craft brewing and cider production among local residents and visitors.”

Cocktails with a culinary twist and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine among top trends for 2017 – report: Cocktails with a culinary twist, the “nose-to-tail” movement, Mediterranean-influenced cuisine, and reimagined childhood desserts are among the top trends forecast for 2017, according to the latest Culinary & Cocktails Trend Forecast from US boutique hotel and restaurant operator Kimpton. The third annual trend report surveyed chefs, sommeliers, general managers and bartenders at more than 70 Kimpton venues across the US. The report forecasts that top culinary trends next year will include a surge in Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as sesame hummus with braised chickpeas, olive oil-charred octopus, and Moroccan spiced lamb chops. The survey also forecasts the resurgence of childhood desserts such as sour cherry mascarpone-flavoured frozen push-ups. It also highlights the growing interest in “nose-to-tail” cooking – using the whole carcass to create dishes such as oven-roasted bone marrow burgers, chicken skin chips encrusted with quinoa and marcona almonds, braised pork neck ragout pappardelle, and pig face candy bars with country-style pate and raw sugar brulee. The report also predicts the appearance of lean meat alternatives on menus, including elk, venison, ox, bison, boar, and ostrich. Leading cocktail trends forecast to feature next year include adding a culinary twist to classic cocktails using unique ingredients such as roasted grape, salt-roasted plantain, smoked tomato water, pureed red pepper, snap peas, corn, and even pickling brine to create sweet or savoury culinary cocktails. “Fat-washing” cocktails, with non-meat-based fats such as milk, coconut and peanut butter, are also forecast to be popular. Wine and cheese remain the top food and drink pairing but new combinations such as oysters and gin, and sherry and fries will emerge as chefs and bartenders collaborate more on tasting menus and small plates, the report said. Alex Taylor, Kimpton senior vice-president of restaurants and bars, said: “These are the most creative and cutting-edge culinary concepts that will pepper menus and home kitchens in the coming year.”

Former Noma chef to launch pop-up restaurant on Mount Everest: Former Noma chef and Tom Aikens protege James Sharman will hike to Mount Everest base camp next month to build a pop-up restaurant. The venture is the latest in Sharman’s One Star House Party series, which will see him host dinners in 20 countries in 20 months. Each month, Sharman and his team of four friends (including a former Soho House manager and a chef from the Ledbury) will spend three weeks planning and building a restaurant and one week serving food. Everest will be Sharman’s fourth location following Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, and Bangkok. He told the Independent: “Since we began travelling from country to country, the food we have fallen in love with the most has been the food created under unique or challenging circumstances.” Sharman is planning an authentic Nepalese menu for his Everest site. There are 15 spaces available to join the 14-day trip (from 10 to 23 December) but adventurous foodies must be prepared to hike to Everest Base Camp and pay £848.

Company News:

Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer sells Hale restaurant to local operator: Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer has sold his Hale restaurant, Earle, to local operator Barry Hogan. Hogan, who already owns Hogan’s of Hale, has acquired the Cecil Road venue, ending Rimmer’s ten-year association with the Cheshire village. Hogan has now moved his kitchen and front-of-house team at Hogan’s – including head chef Majic Mordel – over to the restaurant, with Hogan’s itself moving to more of a set-menu approach particularly targeted at parties. Hogan said he would be keeping the “best bits of the Earle menu” but looking to “100% improve all aspects”. He told Altrincham Today: “I am looking at tweaking things rather than doing anything dramatic. It has a lovely feel – I don’t want to destroy the feeling of Earle. It’s important to understand that I’m here to improve what was already a popular restaurant. Hogan’s is doing fine – we’re chocka with bookings all through next week and December. The quality of the food at Hogan’s will remain the same as it is now.” Flying Pig & Lobster, which has two pubs, is co-owned by Rimmer and Revolution vodka bar founders Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod. Rimmer also has a restaurant in Dubai.

Veeno to open second Leeds site next month, tenth in total: Italian wine cafe Veeno will open its second site in Leeds – and tenth to date – next month. The company, led by Nino Caruso and Andrea Zecchino, will open the new venue in the Wellington Place development on Thursday, 8 December. The new cafe, which will seat 100 customers, follows the success of its first site in Leeds, which opened in July 2014. As well as wine, cocktails and Italian beers, there will be a food menu with platters of Italian meat, cheese and bread, and desserts. Veeno sources its wine from Caruso’s family vineyard in Marsala, Sicily. It has been growing vines there since the 19th century. Zecchino told BDaily: “We are looking forward to opening our second wine cafe in Leeds, especially in such a fast-growing area of the city. It will be a fantastic addition to our brand.” Veeno opened its first venue in Manchester in 2013 and also has sites in Bristol, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Liverpool, Nottingham and York. It has also been given the go-ahead for a cafe in Warrington. Last year, the company revealed it plans to expand to 80 sites by 2020.

Revolution Bars Group opens first Revolución de Cuba site in Scotland: Revolution Bars Group has opened a first site in Scotland under its Revolución de Cuba brand. The new venue in Aberdeen is at the Academy Shopping Centre, housed within a 5,200 square foot listed building, and is the 11th Revolución de Cuba site in total. With Cuban-inspired interiors, the 130-cover site includes an outdoor bandstand with 40 covers, a Havana bar and a live music stage. On Thursday (24 November), the group will open the next Revolución de Cuba, this time in Reading. The venue will be spread across two floors and feature a retractable roof, which will be used year-round to accommodate 40 additional covers with a heated terrace. Revolution Bars Group chief executive Mark McQuater said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring the Revolución de Cuba experience to Aberdeen. Our passion is to spread Cuba’s rich culture nationwide and we are pleased that vision continues to grow as we open more venues.”

Giggling Squid opens Warwick restaurant, 18th site: Thai brand Giggling Squid has opened its 18th site, this time in Warwick. The 120-cover restaurant offers lunchtime tapas through to curries, street food, salads, rice and noodles based on the sharing culture of Thailand. Like all Giggling Squid venues, the Warwick restaurant has its own character and charm, with open fireplaces shaping the centre of the restaurant and antique beams throughout. Wooden floors and exposed brickwork, combined with a variety of reclaimed mirrors, create a warm ambience. In keeping with the upcycled theme, the space showcases hand-made driftwood artwork and a hand-woven web of flowers made by Giggling Squid co-founder Pranee Laurillard. The downstairs room is decorated with trellises covered in foliage. Founded by Thai-born Pranee and husband Andrew, Giggling Squid opened its first site in Hove in 2009.

Manchester-based Damson Restaurant Group to start expanding new tapas bar concept with Didsbury site: Manchester-based Damson Restaurant Group is set to start expansion of its tapas bar concept La Cantina with a second site, in Didsbury. The company, owned by Steve Pilling and chef Simon Stanley, launched the concept in Heaton Moor in September after taking over the bar area at Damson. Now it has lodged a licensing application with Manchester City Council to open La Cantina in Wilmslow Road, inside the former Sanctuary unit. La Cantina offers tapas and a selection of Spanish gin, beer, wine and sherry. The rest of Damson in Heaton Moor is also set for a major revamp and rebrand in the new year following the closure of its MediaCity outpost in September. Pelling told the Manchester Evening News: “We are going to be deformalising it and hopefully making it more casual but (retaining) a real focus on quality food.”

Hart Brothers reopen Barrafina at Quo Vadis site: Barrafina, the Michelin-starred tapas bar run by Sam and Eddie Hart, has relocated from Soho to its new location inside the brothers’ Quo Vadis venue. A redevelopment plan led the Harts to relocate Barrafina from Frith Street to occupy the ground floor of Quo Vadis, which itself relocated to the basement of the Dean Street venue following a refurbishment in September. The new Barrafina will offer 29 covers, with an outdoor terrace for a further 12. The transformation of Quo Vadis, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this month, includes a new members’ restaurant on the first floor and a library bar on the floor above. Sam Hart, who took over Quo Vadis with his brother in 2008, said: “Bringing Barrafina into the building as well as giving the whole building a well-deserved makeover has been nearly two years in the planning.” Barrafina has two sister sites – in Drury Lane, Covent Garden, and Adelaide Street. Barrafina Soho opened in 2007 and was awarded a Michelin star in 2014. The Harts will launch Mexican taqueira concept El Pastór in Southwark next month.

Enterprise Inns gets go-ahead to build and operate fish and chip shop at Yorkshire pub: Enterprise Inns has been given the go-ahead to build and run a fish and chip shop connected to one of its pubs in Yorkshire. Kirklees Council’s planning department has granted permission for the company to create the chippy at the Westfield pub in Whitehall Road in Wyke, near Bradford. The building will be extended to make room for the shop, which will serve pub customers and takeaway clients, the Spenborough Guardian reports. Planning documents submitted by the applicant read: “The proposed layout has been designed to achieve an increase in trading area by providing an ancilliary fish and chip shop with a combined commercial kitchen serving both the existing public house and proposed shop. Shop access will be carried out safely, directly from the on-site car park. Minimal internal alterations are proposed to the existing public house.” The development is subject to planning conditions stating the shop can only open between midday and 9pm daily.

London-based Angel Comedy Club reopens at new home following crowdfunding campaign: London-based Angel Comedy Club has reopened at its new permanent home following a successful £46,000 crowdfunding campaign. The club, which operated in a small room above the Camden Head in Islington for six years, secured the lease on a nearby Victorian pub, formerly known as The Mucky Pup, earlier this year. It launched the fund-raise on Kickstarter to fit out the site, aiming to raise £20,000. It closed the campaign having raised £46,643 from 1,049 investors. The team behind Angel Comedy – Barry Ferns, Sarah Pearce, Dec Munro and Rachel Warnes – has christened the pub The Bill Murray after the American actor and comedian. It retains the feel of a backstreet pub, with an 80-seater room for comedy, seven nights a week.

Itsu to debut in Bristol next month: Itsu, the healthy Asian food chain created by Pret A Manger co-founder Julian Metcalfe, will make its debut in Bristol next month. The company is opening a site at the Broadmead shopping centre on Wednesday, 14 December in the former Apricot clothes store. It will offer salads, noodle soups, miso soups, sushi and “yoga” pots, as well as puddings. There will also be a bar serving soft drinks, wine, beer and prosecco. In keeping with Bristol’s green credentials, Itsu will try its best to prevent food going to waste by reducing all sushi and salad boxes to half price half an hour before closing. Itsu head of regions Agne Kazberaite told the Bristol Post: “We’re excited to be introducing our eat beautiful concept to Bristol as it is vibrant, relaxed and quirky, just like Itsu. Add to that the thriving food scene and desire for healthy, tasty food, and it’s a perfect fit for us.”

Gordon Ramsay-trained chef opens British-cooking concept Harborne Kitchen in Birmingham: Gordon Ramsay-trained chef Jamie Desogus, co-owner of Birmingham pop-up The Butchers Social, has launched his own venture in the city – Harborne Kitchen – following a £900,000 investment. The restaurant has opened in the former Walter Smith’s butchers in High Street, Harborne, which was home to The Butchers Social – a pop-up by Desogus and Mike Bullard that closed late last year. Following extension and renovation of the property, Harborne Kitchen features a 50-cover restaurant with 30 further covers in the bar. The tasting menu includes langoustine, and pig’s ear and venison loin with arabica coffee and butter sauce. Snacks include cod quavers with rosemary vinegar and piccalilli pakora. Desogus told the Birmingham Mail: “The kitchen is very much the focal point for the whole restaurant – we have a kitchen table we can seat ten people around where they can watch their food being prepared. I wanted something very informal – top food in a totally relaxed atmosphere. People can come in for one course and a glass of wine or just order drinks at the bar.”

Hotcha continues expansion with 12th site, in Exeter: Hotcha, the Chinese takeaway franchise, has continued its growth in the south west of England by opening a site in Exeter. The company, founded in 2011 by James Liang and Andy Chan, has opened the outlet in Sidwell Street – its 12th to date. It said Exeter presented a new opportunity for Hotcha as one of the largest urban centres in the west of England, along with a significant student population – a key target demographic for the company. To standardise product quality all core ingredients, including meat, fish, marinades and sauces, are prepared by Hotcha’s central production facility before being sent to stores where they are used to prepare dishes in line with Hotcha’s house recipes and presentation styles. Liang said: “We are delighted to be opening our first store in Exeter, enabling us to cook for customers in this thriving city. Our ambition is to become the first national Chinese takeaway chain in the UK and we feel opening our 12th store in Exeter is a natural step as we continue our rapid growth from our beginnings in Bristol five years ago. Following our recent £7.5m funding round, we are well positioned to deliver our pipeline of a further 20 openings across the UK in 2017.”

Parkdean Resorts set for £1.4bn sale: Parkdean Resorts has attracted attention from a trio of US and Canadian private equity giants are locked in a £1.4bn battle for Britain’s biggest holiday park operator. Onex, Advent International and Centerbridge are in detailed talks with Parkdean as they hope to cash in on a boom in “staycations”. Parkdean’s owners, buyout firms Electra Partners and Alchemy Partners, are set for a windfall after a rise this year in the number of Britons holidaying in this country. Overnight holidays in England rose 10% in the first quarter, according to tourism site VisitBritain. Travel companies expect more Britons to take their holidays in the UK after the sharp fall in the value of sterling since June’s EU referendum. Parkdean’s owners hired investment bank Rothschild to run an auction in August. The business’ 73 parks attract more than 1.8 million visitors a year. It is chaired by Alan Parker, the former chief executive of Whitbread, who now chairs Mothercare, and made an underlying profit of about £90m last year. The interest is expected to see the business fetch about £200m more than originally expected and a buyer will be picked in the next month, reports The Sunday Times. Deal makers at Electra are ready to sell Parkdean as they prepare for a parting of the ways with the FTSE 250 investment trust Electra Private Equity.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen to open third Bristol site next month: Gourmet Burger Kitchen will open its third Bristol restaurant next month. The company is opening the site at The Mall shopping centre in Cribbs Causeway on Monday, 12 December, creating 30 jobs. It has taken a 3,135 square foot unit at the complex having previously agreed a 15-year lease. Gourmet Burger Kitchen marketing manager Laura Pettingale told the Bristol Post: “We’re really excited to be opening our third restaurant in the Bristol area. We know locals love our burgers so we look forward to welcoming them through our doors at Cribbs Causeway. We’ll be joining a great line-up of restaurants and shops and we can’t wait to be part of the buzz, especially as Christmas approaches.”

Wood-fired pizza and craft beer concept Tank & Paddle to open in the City this month: Wood-fired pizza and craft beer concept Tank & Paddle is set to launch in the City of London this month. The restaurant will open at Minster Court in Mincing Lane on Monday, 28 November, with pizzas including Holy Smokes (pulled chicken and smoked bacon) and Veg Your Bets (sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke and mushroom). The venue will also specialise in mac ‘n’ cheese dishes, with added pulled chicken and barbecue sauce (The Mac Attack) and another with pepperoni and chilli. There will also be a good selection of salads, as well as the naughtier Nutella dough balls with maple cinnamon syrup and chocolate dipping sauce, Hot Dinners reports. Craft beer will include offerings from Meantime Brewery and BrewDog, with complimentary draught beer tastings throughout the week. Tank & Paddle will run daily offers, including on Tuesdays, when the first 100 pints served will cost £2 each. On Thursdays, Tank & Paddle will hold bottled beer tastings.

Merseyside-based Costa Coffee franchisee sees future in desserts following Kaspa’s opening: Merseyside-based Optimum Group, which operates 23 Costa Coffee franchises in the region, has said it sees a booming future in desserts following its launch of a site for US-style dessert parlour brand Kaspa’s Desserts in Liverpool city centre. The new venue has opened in Crosshall Street, creating 30 jobs, with help from a funding package from Yorkshire Bank. Optimum Group said it decided to launch the Kaspa’s venue after identifying prepared dessert restaurants as a growing UK market. Optimum Group managing director Mark Bryan told BDaily: “We think dessert houses are going to boom in the UK over the coming years and saw this as a complement to our already successful Costa Coffee-focused franchises. Kaspa’s is an exceptional brand and we’re excited to see it going so well, with very positive feedback from staff and customers. However, entering into a new franchise and market sector is always an intense undertaking and we were grateful to our relationship manager Mike Scott (of Yorkshire Bank) for taking the time to understand our vision and find a way to help us fulfil it.” Scott added: “Optimum Group has been extremely successful in developing its various Costa Coffee franchises, and the board spent over two years surveying the market for the right opportunity.” Kaspa’s offers waffles, speciality ice creams, sorbet, frozen yogurt, sundaes, milkshakes, smoothies and crepes. The company has 31 sites in the UK with another 18 listed on its website as “coming soon”.

New Cheshire-based hotel management company acquires first site: A new hotel management company has launched in Cheshire and made its first acquisition. Taylormade Hotel Management has been founded by Carole Taylor, Tony Biddlecombe and John Maskell to support independent three and four-star venues that have the potential to grow and develop. The team, who have more than 85 years of hospitality sector experience between them, have acquired the 59-bedroom Hollin Hall Country House Hotel in Bollington, near Macclesfield. The hotel was built in 1856 and also houses conference and banqueting facilities. Taylor told BDaily: “Our strategy will be based on taking mid-to-upper-service independent hotels and using our extensive experience to further develop, improve and grow their hotel operations and profitability. We are assessing all current management opportunities presented to us in a bid to grow our portfolio.”

Devon-based operators acquire second site: Devon-based deli operators Chris Povey and Kelly Greene have acquired their second site, in Totnes. They have taken over the lease of the Thrive Cafe in High Street for an undisclosed price in a deal brokered by agent Stonesmith. Povey and Greene, who also run the Mange Tout Delicatessen in Kingsbridge, plan to add a deli to their new venture. Mike Phillips, of Stonesmith, told the Exeter Express & Echo: “We would like to take this opportunity to wish Chris and Kelly the very best of luck with their new business venture. The addition of a deli will no doubt be a huge success, given its location in the town, and complement the cafe side of the business.”

Multi-site operator opens third Nepalese restaurant: Multi-site operator Radna Rana has opened his third Nepalese restaurant in the UK, this time in the village of Hilperton, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The restaurant has opened within The Lion and Fiddle pub, which Rana took over in June. It offers authentic Nepalese cuisine, including curries ranging in heat. Nepalese food will be served daily between 6pm and 10pm, with traditional pub food on offer at lunchtimes. The venue also offers bed and breakfast. Rana told the Wiltshire Times: “I’m really excited to serve more customers and hearing more feedback over the coming months. I think the area has been crying out for a restaurant like this.” Ernie Clark, chairman of Hilperton Parish Council, added: “It’s great they are going to keep the pub going as there had been talk in the past from previous owners it might get turned into something else, which would be a great shame. The building was packed for the opening so we hope people continue to support it.”

Cheshire-based operator opens second craft beer bar: Cheshire-based operator Real Ale Bars, led by Mike Wilkinson, has opened its second craft beer bar in Warrington. Hop Co specialises in emerging beer varieties from the UK and around the world and has opened in Bold Street in the town’s Cultural Quarter at the former Hoi Tin restaurant. Real Ale Bars also owns 9 Gallon in Sankey Street, while Hop Co is a joint venture with its former manager Andrew Bellis. Hop Co will offer ten rotating beers on tap, and almost 40 bottles and cans, including ten varieties from Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog. The venue also offers growlers for takeaway draught beer. The food menu consists of snacks, small plates and pub favourites, including vegan options, while the bar has a saloon feel, with a Day of the Dead theme in the upstairs Oast Room. Wilkinson plans to host meet the brewer sessions, BrewDog beer schools and open an on-site micro-brewery early next year, with help from 4Ts brewery in Latchford. Manager Ryan Mercer told the Warrington Guardian: “The craft beer scene is what this town needs. Those who go to Manchester or Liverpool for those kinds of bars have it on their doorstep now.”

Greek-inspired mezze concept Cuzina to launch near Trent Bridge cricket ground: Greek-inspired mezze concept Cuzina is set to launch in West Bridgford, near Nottingham, an overthrow from Trent Bridge cricket ground. Offering mezze with a modern twist, Cuzina is owned by Nicholas Procopiou, the son of Maria and Chris Procopiou, who ran Greek restaurant Pappas on the site for 30 years. Pappas closed in 2013 and was replaced by Indian restaurant Slumdog Kitchen and Bar, owned by former Notts and England batsman Usman Afzaal, which closed two years later. Cuzina, Greek for “kitchen”, will offer dishes such as marinated chick gyros wrapped in flat bread, and honey feta coated in sesame seeds with honey orange and thyme sauce. The drinks menu will include cocktails, wine from Greece, Cyprus and Italy, and Greek craft beer. The venue is scheduled to open in mid-December following a £150,000 investment. Procopiou told the Nottingham Post: “A lot of people in the area still talk about Pappas and it’s great people remember it. Cuzina is going to serve Greek-inspired cuisine but it’s not going to be traditional, it is going to be a new concept with fresh ideas inspired by restaurants in London. It’s going to add something new to the area.”

Dundee hotelier submits pizza and barbecue restaurant plans: Richie Hawkins, who owns four-star boutique hotel Taypark House in Dundee, has submitted plans to open a wood-fired pizza and barbecue restaurant in the city. Hawkins wants to renovate a 150-year-old stable to create the new venue, which he hopes to open in the spring. He told The Courier: “The building has been derelict for a long time so this will be an opportunity to bring it back to life. It will offer something unique to Dundee and will be the city’s first authentic wood-fired pizza and barbecue restaurant. Lots of the old stable buildings have been sold off or turned into flats, so this will let people see what they were like. With everything else going on in Dundee, hopefully we can do something totally different.”

Former Claridge’s and River Cafe chef to open Newcastle restaurant: Former Claridge’s and River Cafe chef Nick Grieves is set to open a restaurant in Newcastle. The Durham-born restaurateur will open The Patricia in Jesmond Road in time for Christmas. It will feature a menu with British cuisine at its heart, while embracing European influences and offering natural and biodynamic fine wine. Grieves formerly owned The Garden House in Durham before moving to work in London. He told Jesmond Local: “Working at different restaurants has allowed me to hone my own tastes and skills while learning about the industry. I spent seven years living here around the time of my studies and, since my time away, the food scene in Newcastle is definitely on the up. It’s a great place filled with great people.” The Patricia is named after Grieves’ grandmother, who has supported him in his new business venture that will seat about 30 diners.

Plans lodged for new gourmet burger bar concept in Huddersfield: Plans have been lodged for a new gourmet burger bar in Huddersfield. Zaen Younus and Tom Howe are looking to branch out from the clothing industry into the foodservice trade with their new venture. The duo, who run Charles Wilson Fashion Empire, have applied to Kirklees Council to open the restaurant in Lockwood Road, creating 20 jobs. Howe told the Huddersfield Examiner: “We were becoming increasingly frustrated at the price and service of local gourmet and supposedly fast food restaurants. Having a passion for good food we were convinced the high costs and long wait times could be reduced without sacrificing on satisfaction. Our vision is to truly fashion a venue specialising in burgers that provides great-tasting food without the tedious wait times. Quality and service is paramount.”

New Italian restaurant concept Piccola Italia launches in Liverpool: New Italian restaurant concept Piccola Italia has opened on the site of a former Liverpool bank. Businessmen Tony Chambers, Lee Morley and Tom Williams have invested several hundred thousand pounds to transform the former NatWest site in Sefton Road, with the vault now storing cold food rather than cash. The interior has been replaced by a large bar and dining room. The menu offers a hearty roster of popular Italian dishes, including seafood, pasta and steak, while the drinks menu focuses on Italian wine and beer. Chambers told the Liverpool Echo: “We were in New York a few years ago and ate at Carmine’s. We liked the family focus and honest menu. We wanted to open an unpretentious Italian restaurant for all the family in our home town. We also liked the American approach to customer service. We know the business will be based on repeat customers.” Chambers said the team would also open a bar close to the restaurant next year. He said: “We want our customers to have a drink there first and we will give them a call when their table is ready.”