SIBA highlights important role independent craft brewers play in UK communities: Independent craft brewers are playing an important role in communities across the UK – creating jobs and opening brewery taps to help fill the void left by the closure of pubs, according to a new report by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA). The Brewers In The Community report, compiled from results of SIBA’s Annual Members’ Survey, also pointed to the hundreds of thousands of pounds brewers raise for local charities, with more than four-fifths (84%) carrying out fund-raising work and more than one-fifth (21%) supporting at least five good causes. SIBA pointed to figures supplied by the British Beer & Pub Association showing the sector creates 900,000 jobs in the UK, with one single job in brewing creating “one in agriculture, one in the supply chain, one in general retail and 18 jobs in the pub sector”, helping other sectors to thrive as independent brewing grows. SIBA added that independent breweries also employed “mainly local people”, with two-thirds of employees living within a five-mile radius of the brewery. The report revealed one in ten of those employees are aged between 16 and 24, with the recently launched Brewer Apprenticeship Trailblazer initiative uniting brewers, trainers and professional bodies to create a cross-industry set of standards for the Brewer Apprenticeship Scheme. The report also said brewery taps, shops and visitor centres were becoming an important factor in the success of independent brewers, creating their own revenue streams. More than 30% of businesses that own a brewery tap, shop or visitor centre said the facilities accounted for more than a quarter of trade. The report also revealed 10,000 pubs have closed in the past 15 years, with many of them rural and suburban community pubs. SIBA said tap rooms could fill a void for a community to socialise in, particularly when the last village pub had closed. The report found more than four-fifths (84%) of independent brewers regard their relationship with their local community as “important” or “extremely important” to their business. SIBA said the increase in the number of brewers building tap rooms to serve fresh beer direct from the brewery had helped cement companies as “centres of their communities”. SIBA managing director Mike Benner said: “Britain’s small brewers are now a common feature of communities across Britain and are just as much a part of the local social and economic fabric of the communities they serve as pubs – creating jobs, supporting local charities and providing a place for the community to come together in the brewery tap.”

Propel Multi-Club summer conference open for bookings, two free places for operators: The Propel Multi-Club summer conference and party is now open for bookings. The event, which takes place on Thursday, 6 July at the Oxford Belfry, which is just off the M40, will also involve the Propel summer party in the evening. Operators can claim two free places by emailing Jo Charity on jo.charity@propelinfo.com. The speaker line-up for the morning session is NPD Group UK foodservice director Cyril Lavenant, Morar Consulting chief executive Roger Perowne, David Bruce, co-founder of Firkin Pubs, The Capital Pub Company and The City Pub companies and currently chairman of The West Berkshire Brewery, and Ali Khan and Samrien Hussain, who operate escape rooms business Tick Tock Unlocked. Speaking after lunch are Marston’s Revere Pub Company managing director Colin Sadler, The Breakfast Club co-founder Jonathan Arana-Morton, and Black and White Hospitality chief executive Nick Taplin. The final session features Tahola commercial director Simon Blackbourne, Mowgli owner Nisha Katona, Amber Taverns managing director James Baer, and Rupert Clevely, managing director of Ei Group’s managed expert joint venture Hippo Inns.

Job of the week: Boxpark is looking for a financial controller as it steps up its growth plans. Click here for more details.

Spending in restaurants, bars and hotels grows 3.3% as overall figure falls for first time in almost four years: Spending in restaurants, bars and hotels grew 3.3% in May compared with last year, although overall consumer spend fell for the first time in almost four years, according to the latest data from Visa. Overall consumer spend was down 0.8% – the first decline since September 2013, Visa’s UK Consumer Spending Index has revealed. Restaurant, bars and hotels was one of only four sectors to see growth during the month. The other sectors that saw increases were miscellaneous goods and services (7.1%), health and education (6.7%) and recreation and culture (2.2%). Food, beverages and tobacco saw spending fall 0.6%, while the other sectors seeing declines were transport and communication (-7.9%), clothing and footwear (-5.2%), and household and goods (-4.1%). Driving the decline in overall expenditure was a 5.3% fall in face-to-face spending – its fastest rate of reduction since April 2012. In contrast, e-commerce expenditure rose 6.9% after a marginal 0.3% fall in April. Visa UK and Ireland managing director Kevin Jenkins said: “Consumer spending fell for the first time in nearly four years in May, following some marked slowdowns in growth since the beginning of the year. Our index clearly shows that with rising prices and stalling wage growth, more of us are starting to feel the squeeze. Retailers of non-essential goods were among the worst hit, with clothing and household goods seeing sharp declines in sales. The experience sectors continued to record some growth, although at much softer rates, suggesting consumers were reining in their discretionary spending. Bricks-and-mortar retailers had a particularly challenging month, with sales dropping at the quickest level in over five years at a time when warmer weather and the May bank holidays would usually drive shoppers on to the high street. Online retailers, on the other hand, fared well, with spend up 6.9%.”

Publicans ‘more connected’ to communities and local suppliers than pub companies: UK publicans feel more connected to their communities and local suppliers than they do to pub companies and national suppliers, according to the latest PubliKAM report by research-based consultancy KAM Media. The biannual report saw tenanted and free-of-tie publicans rate local suppliers at an average of 7.0 and 7.8 out of ten respectively for levels of engagement but only 5.9 and 5.0 respectively for national suppliers. Similarly, tenanted respondents ranked their local community an average 8.2 out of ten for levels of engagement but only scored national pub companies at 6.0. KAM Media owner and director Katy Moses said: “Understanding how service providers, suppliers and pub companies can better support publicans is crucial to the longevity and success of the industry.” She added that the report revealed a “real opportunity and need for national companies to drive relationships and support at a local level”. However, she said the “best in class” score of 8.6 out of ten from tenanted publicans on the question of “would you recommend your pub company to other tenants” showed that “even in a challenging environment some pub companies are nurturing relationships and driving loyalty”. KAM Media said the third PubliKAM report was currently in the planning stages and would “go to field in September”.

UK craft brewer numbers stabilise after years of growth: The number of UK craft brewers has stabilised after years of growth, according to new research. The findings, undertaken for the 2017 edition of The Brewery Manual, showed that at the end of 2016 the total was 1,544. Of these, the majority (1,505) were smaller producers, brewing fewer than 30,000 hectolitres (18,330 barrels). And after a six-year surge in brewery openings, 2016 may mark the high-water mark of brewery numbers in the UK. The research identified 60 breweries that began operations during 2016, a considerably lower number than the 100-plus totals recorded each year from 2010 to 2015. Against this, 58 breweries ceased operations during the year and, when taking breweries that have suspended brewing but remain in business into consideration, there has been a decline in the number of operational breweries for the first time since the introduction of Progressive Beer Duty in 2002. Brewery Manual publisher Larry Nelson said: “After years of rapid expansion in numbers the industry has been due for a correction. Stabilisation of brewery numbers in 2016 may be a blip or it could be the start of a slow contraction in brewery numbers. The early numbers for 2017 openings suggest this may be the start of a slowdown in new brewery growth. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing for craft. When the American craft brewing industry underwent a contraction in numbers at the end of the 1990s, demand for craft beer continued to rise year-on-year. The same dynamic is true for the UK – underlying demand from beer drinkers for new beers and new beer styles remains undiminished. In terms of brewing creativity we live in a golden age for the industry.” The Brewery Manual’s annual survey of craft brewer attitudes found that despite pressure on margins, a decreasing number of pubs and unprecedented competition, a record number (77.5%) felt their businesses would perform better in 2017 than in 2016. Against this, only 1.5% said business would be worse and 21% said 2017 would prove to be the same as 2016.

Bella Italia appoints HR director to oversee new employee engagement strategy: Casual Dining Group-owned Bella Italia has appointed Wayne Morgan as HR director to oversee a new employee engagement strategy. The strategy targets three key areas – attracting and retaining quality talent, developing and training the leaders of tomorrow within the business, and embedding and reinforcing a culture that drives employee engagement. To help implement the strategy, Morgan has appointed Nina Widdacombe and Gemma Wyatt to the newly created roles of talent and development business partner and head of people. Widdacombe will oversee talent development and internal training, while Wyatt will oversee talent attraction and general HR procedures. Morgan said: “I am delighted to be working with a vibrant and exciting brand like Bella Italia to help drive employee engagement across the business. The competition for great team members is as ever a battle and the onus is firmly on our brand to create a culture that attracts and retains employees. I’m confident we now have a robust strategy and structure in place to ensure people enjoy their time at Bella and stay with us to develop their career.” Morgan has almost a decade of experience in HR roles, including recent spells at the Fossil Group and Atmosphere Bars and Clubs.

Restaurant trio open sites at Bath shopping centre: A trio of restaurant brands have opened sites at the SouthGate shopping centre in Bath. Tapas Revolution, led by celebrity chef Omar Allibhoy and managing director Mac Plumpton, better burger brand Smashburger and Pret A Manger have opened outlets after agreeing deals with the complex’s owners, Aviva Investors and British Land. Tapas Revolution has opened at the newly developed Little SouthGate restaurant quarter, joining Thai Restaurant group brand Thaikhun, Comptoir Libanais, the Lebanese canteen specialising in fresh Middle Eastern dishes, and Absurd Bird, the Southern US-inspired chicken restaurant brand from Splendid Restaurants. The restaurant quarter is now fully let. Matthew Reed, head of retail assets (Midlands and south west) for British Land, said: “We are pleased to have secured such a stellar line-up at Little SouthGate. The exciting food and beverage additions to both the leisure quarter and wider centre demonstrate our continued focus on creating outstanding places that are in tune with modern consumer lifestyles.” Aviva Investors and British Land were advised by Cushman & Wakefield and Bruce Gillingham Pollard.

TGI Friday’s and Jamie’s Italian to roll-out click and collect platforms as Orderswift seals Oracle Hospitality deal: TGI Friday’s and Jamie’s Italian are to roll-out click and collect platforms as part of online ordering platform Orderswift’s new partnership with EPOS provider Oracle Hospitality. As an integrated Gold Level partner, Orderswift can send collection and delivery orders to any restaurant that uses an Oracle Hospitality point-of-sale system. Orderswift’s online ordering platform features a two-step interface that enables people to place restaurant orders for collection and delivery in fewer than 30 seconds. The mobile-responsive interface can be themed to match a restaurant’s branding. Orderswift co-founder Matt Gilbert said: “With hundreds of thousands of restaurants around the world using Oracle Hospitality POS systems, this collaboration offers us a significant opportunity to scale our business. And we’re hugely excited to be working alongside Jamie’s Italian and TGI Friday’s to help them meet the rapidly growing demand for click and collect.” Jamie’s Italian commercial manager Mide Harkin added: “We see click and collect as an area of growth for our business – and as a way of allowing customers to connect with our brand. With multiple sites around the UK and busy operations, having these orders sent to the POS on-site is crucial for us.” Cousins Matt Gilbert and Rich Martell launched Orderswift, which is backed by telecommunications company Telefonica, in 2013.

Tampopo moves into grab-and-go market by opening takeaway kiosk below Manchester restaurant: Pan-Asian restaurant Tampopo has moved into the grab-and-go market by opening a takeaway kiosk, in Manchester. The company has opened East Street by Tampopo below its restaurant at the Trafford Centre. It will operate for six months initially, with a view to becoming permanent if it hits performance targets. The aim is for the kiosk to turn over £1.2m to £1.3m. Chief executive David Fox told Insider Media: “It’s a takeout model like a McDonald’s, a Burger King, a Subway. There’s no doubt it will take some tweaking, there will be some evolution. We’ve gone in with every intention it’s going to work and, if it works, it will be permanent and we’ll look to open more sites. What we’ve come to the market with is a very tight menu, only eight dishes, and the challenge is to deliver that well.” The Trafford Centre kiosk shares the same kitchen as Tampopo upstairs but Fox said future sites would not need to be part of a restaurant. Instead, new takeaway outlets could potentially be rolled out to a range of high-footfall areas such as city centres and transport hubs. Tampopo was founded by David Fox and Nick Jeffry in 1997. Fox remains the largest shareholder of the £4.4m-turnover business, while Jeffry is the second-largest shareholder but resigned as a director in 2014. As well as the kiosk, the group has Tampopo-branded restaurants at Albert Square, the Corn Exchange and the Trafford Centre in Manchester and a restaurant trading as East Street off Oxford Street, London.

Star Pubs & Bars invests £650,000 to revive Derbyshire sites: Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars is investing £650,000 to revive its sites in Derbyshire. Subject to finding licensees, the projects will include a £320,000 refurbishment of the Bull & Bush in Mackworth and a £170,000 refurbishment of the Harrington Arms in Long Eaton. The Bull & Bush investment will transform the “tired” 1970s pub into a “top-quality local” complete with children’s play area and takeaway. The intention is to completely refurbish the inside of the pub to create a new dining area and kitchen to enable the introduction of food. The extensive plans also feature the addition of a takeaway with its own entrance selling a range of fish and chip shop favourites and homemade pizzas. The refurbishment of the Harrington Arms will see the pub focus on cask ales, the introduction of games and food and a new garden. Another Derbyshire pub receiving significant investment is The Tupton Tap in Old Tupton, which has reopened following an 18-month closure. A £160,000 refurbishment with Ashover Brewery has restored the run-down building into a traditional pub specialising in local cask ales and serving home-cooked food.

Isle of Skye-based operator takes on Punch pub in Glasgow: Isle of Skye-based operator Caledonian Skye has taken on a Punch pub in Glasgow. Caledonian Skye has acquired the lease of The Burrell in Pollokshaws Road, which is undergoing a £280,000 refurbishment ahead of reopening as The Boyd Roderick next month, creating 20 jobs. The work involves extensive redecoration throughout and changes to the layout, including an extension of the kitchen. Caledonian Skye, which is led by Campbell Dickson and Calum Gillies, already operates the Caledonian Café and the Portree Hotel on the Isle of Skye. The menu will feature dishes made from freshly prepared Scottish produce alongside craft beer, wine and coffee. Punch sales and recruitment development manager Iain Thomson said: “We have worked with the Caledonian Skye team for some time now and are proud to be supporting it in this exciting new project. This investment marks the start of a new era at the Boyd Roderick.”

Castle Rock Brewery applies for licence to reopen historic Nottingham pub: Castle Rock Brewery, the Nottingham-based brewer and pub company, has applied for a licence to reopen the former Peggers pub in the city. The application has been made by the Beer Consortium, the Enterprise Investment Scheme company that bought Bingham’s Horse And Plough, The Embankment at Trent Bridge and the Cricketers Rest in Kimberley, which are operated and managed by Castle Rock. If the licence is granted the pub, which has been closed for more than ten years, will revert to its former name, the Fox & Grapes. The Beer Consortium was founded in late 2014 under the chairmanship of Castle Rock chairman Geoff Newton. Last year, property company Carlton Street Trading bought the former Peggers pub site. The company also owns The Bentinck Hotel, the Rough Trade Building and the premises of Annie’s Burger Shack, reports The Business Desk.

Jamie Oliver opens first Bali restaurant: Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has launched Jamie’s Italian in Bali, his first restaurant on the Indonesian island. The restaurant has opened in Pantai Kuta offering a wide array of Italian dishes and a takeaway pizza service. The venue also features a bar on the ground floor offering a range of beers alongside Italian spirits and wine. The restaurant also sells Jamie Oliver merchandise such as cookbooks, napkins with the Jamie’s Italian logo, T-shirts and stubby holders, The Jakarta Post reports. The 220-cover site is open daily from midday until 11pm. In April, Bali became the first place in Asia to be declared the world’s best tourist destination by TripAdvisor. Bali was followed on the list by London, Paris, Rome, New York City and Crete.

JD Wetherspoon partners with Molson Coors to champion community projects through Carling brand: JD Wetherspoon and Molson Coors have launched a nationwide campaign to invest in community projects chosen by Carling drinkers. The initiative complements Molson Coors’ Putting The Great Back Into Great British Pubs And Clubs campaign, which launched in March designed to provide practical, first-hand support to pubs and clubs across the UK. Until October, Carling will help fund and support local community projects across Great Britain – from funding a new football pitch to painting the village hall – as long as the project will have a “lasting and genuine benefit to the community”. The initiative is being run with Project Dirt, a network that works with companies to support community initiatives. Drinkers at Wetherspoon’s 762 pubs will nominate community projects via www.carling.com/yourpintcan with a panel of Carling, Wetherspoon and Project Dirt team members selecting the winners. Molson Coors customer marketing director Clare Vintner said: “We are excited to partner with Wetherspoon and give something back to consumers and communities across Great Britain. There’s no better way to put our resources and partnerships to good use.”

Former Gordon Ramsay head chef to open fine dining pub, in Essex: Former Gordon Ramsay head chef Mick Binnington is to open a fine dining pub, in Essex. Binnington will open The Windmill in Chatham Green on Saturday, 1 July having left Ramsay’s The Narrow in Limehouse. The menu at the restaurant, which will have about 30 covers, will include freshly line-caught cod and chips, steak and chips with béarnaise sauce, roasted Goosnagh duck, pan-fried sea bream and Binnington’s signature lobster ravioli. He told Essex Live: “I was running one of Gordon Ramsay’s places in London but it was always a dream of mine to have my own place. We want the restaurant side of it to be a destination venue. It will all be local seasonal produce – everything will be made on-site. The Windmill has rooms as well but we are not thinking about opening the rooms until the end of the first year. We want to focus on getting the pub absolutely right first.”

Scottish leisure operator bids to build adventure golf course in Leeds city centre: Scottish leisure operator Jungle Rumble is looking to open a new location in Leeds on the site of a former city centre nightclub. The Fife-based company, which operates courses in Liverpool, Bristol and Brighton, has submitted plans to transform the former Attic club at The Cube in Albion Street into a mini-golf course and leisure space with 37 holes and arcade games. Last month, planning permission was granted for a new Mecca bingo in The Cube, Insider Media reports.

Essex-based Wilkin & Sons to open 11th Tiptree Tearoom: Essex-based Wilkin & Sons, which has a royal warrant for the supply of jams and preserves, is to launch its 11th Tiptree Tearoom in the county, this time in Chelmsford. The new venue will open in the Bond Street shopping complex offering cooked lunches, sandwiches, cream teas, hot and cold snacks and home-baked cakes. Each tea room also sells a selection of Tiptree products, including jam, preserves, sauces and puddings. The menu will also include quiche of the day, ploughman’s lunches, jacket potatoes and salads as well as prosecco and Tiptree Fruit Gin liqueurs. The venue is set to open in “early summer”, according to Essex Live.

Former Angela Hartnett chef launches solo restaurant in Finsbury Park: Emma Duggan, who has spent the past 25 years working for superstar chefs including Angela Hartnett and Gordon Ramsay, has launched a solo venture in Finsbury Park. Walnut has opened at The Arts Building in Morris Place. Duggan, who most recently worked for Oliver Peyton, has sourced Dedham Vale beef, Suffolk pork, Creedy Carver chickens from Essex and seafood from Cornwall. Dishes include lamb rump with celeriac mash and salsa verde, grilled lobster half with truffle chips, and chocolate pot with orange shortbread, Hot Dinners reports. There are also pastries and coffee from early morning and weekend brunch.

York-based cafe Brew & Brownie opens sister site aimed at food-to-go market: York-based cafe Brew & Brownie has started expansion by opening a second site, this time aimed at the food-to-go market. Owner Gina Stancer has launched Brew & Brownie Bakeshop in Museum Street, only a few yards from its sister site. The venue offers salads and sandwiches, juice, soup, pastries, buns, and coffee. Stancer said the bakeshop was more modern than her debut site. She told York Mix: “While big brother Brew serves breakfast and all-day brunch, the bakeshop has a high emphasis on food-to-go. It features the same quality local ingredients for those looking for a quick lunch, taking the goods home or to Museum Gardens.”

Just Eat executive chairman passes away: Dr John Hughes, executive chairman of Just Eat, the global market place for online food delivery, has passed away following a short period of medical treatment. Interim chairman Andrew Griffith said: “The thoughts of everyone at Just Eat are with John’s family and friends, and we extend our deepest sympathies to them. John demonstrated exceptional leadership in his role as chairman and was fundamental to the successful development of Just Eat over the past five-and-a-half years. Over the past three decades, John has been a leading figure in the international business and technology communities. He held senior executive positions at many of the world’s foremost technology businesses and more recently focused on advising and steering several of the UK’s most successful growth companies. As we saw in his work for several businesses and initiatives – public and private, commercial and not-for-profit – he passionately believed in the UK as a place to found, scale and list a company and he inspired a host of entrepreneurs to fulfil their own ambitions. We would like to pay tribute to his extraordinary talents, his many accomplishments, and his outstanding contribution to the business landscape.”

Football star Lionel Messi matches rival with £26m hotel acquisition: Barcelona and Argentina football star Lionel Messi has bid to match his arch rival Cristiano Ronaldo by acquiring the MiM Sitges hotel for £26m. Real Madrid star Ronaldo co-owns two hotels in his home country Portugal, while Messi has snapped up the four-star, 77-bedroom hotel in the Mediterranean resort of Sitges. The hotel also features a spa and conference rooms. Rooms at the hotel currently cost up to £260 a night in peak season. Messi’s hotel continues to be managed by the Majestic Group, which owns four hotels in Barcelona. The Sun said it understood Messi had created a company called Rosotel to invest in hotels and apartments. Last year, Messi launched an Argentinian-inspired restaurant in Barcelona with his brothers Rodrigo and Marisol.

Serviced apartment company SACO to take Locke to Scotland for second site: Serviced apartment company SACO is to open the second site for its Locke brand next month, in Edinburgh. Locke, which “combines the best aspects of boutique hotels and serviced apartments” and is named after 17th century British philosopher John Locke, launched last year in Aldgate, central London. Now a second site is opening in the Scottish capital – the 72-studio aparthotel Eden Locke in George Street. At the heart of the building is Hyde & Son, a third-wave coffee bar by day and wine and cocktail bar by night, offering a carefully curated selection of wine and artisan spirits. Locke creator Eric Jafari told The Scotsman: “We’re honoured for Edinburgh to be the home of our second Locke. This city is a natural destination for our concept – historic, progressive, creative, understated and dynamic, much like we aspire Eden Locke to be. We aim for Locke to be an effective representation of Edinburgh – a destination that creatively champions the new and old. While Edinburgh has traditionally been recognised as a historic destination, we believe its creative and entrepreneurial spirit should also be celebrated.”

Molson Coors launches Cobra campaign: Molson Coors has launched a new Cobra campaign to highlight the beer’s brewing heritage with food partnering. The out-of-home and digital-based campaign, Brewed Smooth For All Food, is supported by an exclusive partnership with MasterChef: The Professionals winner Gary Maclean and will offer outlets expert advice on food and beer pairing. It comes as the Cobra team operates its experiential pop-up Cobra Flavour Rooms & Bar at London Food Month’s Night Market in Kensington Palace Gardens. The pop-up offers consumers an immersive beer and food-tasting experience, with a fusion menu created by Maclean. Inspired by flavours from around the world, Maclean’s menu features a collection of ten recipes that complement or are infused with the Cobra range. The menu, named Cobra Fusion Bites, will also be served exclusively as collections at premium bars and restaurants across London. Rob Hollis, head of world beers portfolio at Molson Coors, said: “The premium world beers category is going from strength to strength in the UK and demand for beers that pair well with food has never been higher. Cobra has long been known as a perfect match for spicy food but Gary’s fusion menu will demonstrate just how versatile Cobra is as the perfect partner to a huge range of different cuisines from around the world.”

New water park to open in Scarborough next month: The first phase of a new water park in Scarborough is to open in July. Dawnay Estates will launch AquaPark, an inflatable obstacle course, which is part of the Dawnay Estates’ new North Yorkshire Water Park at Wykeham Lakes. North Yorkshire Water Park will also offer paddle-boarding, team-building events, sailing, windsurfing, open water swimming and canoeing during the summer months. Plans have also been submitted to further develop the site at Wykeham Lakes into a visitor attraction in the next two years, including expansion of the cafe, changing rooms and showers, with additional water sports. There will also be a cycle track through the woodland and around the lake. Robert Sword, estate manager of Dawnay Estates, told Insider Media: “North Yorkshire Water Park is a significant investment for the estate and a great opportunity for Scarborough and Yorkshire. We hope families will visit the park, bring a picnic and enjoy the lake and beautiful surroundings.”

David Lloyd Leisure adds to overseas operations with first Italy site: David Lloyd Leisure is adding to its overseas operations by acquiring its first club in Italy. The group, which has 12 clubs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Spain, has exchanged contracts on the Malaspina Sporting Club in Milan for an undisclosed price. David Lloyd Leisure plans to invest €6m to refurbish and develop the site, which has 50-metre and 25-metre swimming pools, 12 tennis courts, padel courts, football pitches, a gym and spa. Chief executive Glenn Earlam told The Times the group was looking for further acquisition opportunities and new-build sites in Turin, Rome and Bologna, although the initial focus would be on securing sites in Milan. The Malaspina deal lifts its total number of clubs to 111, of which 98 are in the UK. David Lloyd Leisure, which is Europe’s biggest health and fitness club operator by revenue, is forecasting an increase in revenues this year from £350m to more than £400m, with underlying earnings tipped to rise to more than £100m.