UberEats plans launch of restaurant accelerator programme in London: UberEats is planning to launch a restaurant accelerator programme in London to cater for unmet demand from customers on its food delivery platform. UberEats is planning the accelerator in partnership with Karma Kitchen, a kitchen-space rental company in east London. Restaurants chosen for the three-week programme will work with UberEats on a number of key areas such as photographing food and streamlining delivery operations. The programme, expected to launch in the next few months, will take place at Karma Kitchen’s facility in Bethnal Green. UberEats will pick five to seven restaurant concepts to join the accelerator based on “selection gaps” it identifies on the UberEats platform within two miles of Karma Kitchen. For instance, if UberEats noticed lots of customers ordering pizza in an area with relatively few nearby pizza restaurants, the company might invite a pizzeria to the accelerator. Karma Kitchen co-founder Eccie Newton told Quartz: “It’s these really hyper-localised, very specific selection gaps in the market.” Toussaint Wattinne, UberEats general manager for the UK and Ireland, said the accelerator was designed to help successful restaurants with at least one location expand their business. “We want to really aim for the partner that already has very strong operating metrics,” he said. “We want to help them and support them in expanding because they might not have the financial capabilities, they might not have the confidence to do that by themselves.” The accelerator programme will work intensively with restaurateurs on operations, branding, and marketing. Restaurants will receive help with hiring, passing a food hygiene inspection, streamlining workflows to keep delivery times low, and even using accounting software. Wattinne said UberEats aimed to run the accelerator multiple times per year, depending on the success of the first one. UberEats will pay Karma Kitchen for the space to host the accelerator, Newton said. Karma Kitchen has a shared kitchen it rents for £40 to £80 per eight-hour shift, depending on how frequently tenants use the space. It also rents private kitchens for £81 to £160 per eight-hour shift. Overnight shifts are half-price. 

 

Nominations to close this week for Wireless Social Female Entrepreneur of the Year: Nominations will close this week for the Wireless Social Entrepreneur of the Year, which will be presented on Thursday, 12 September at the end of the Women’s Entrepreneur Conference. Readers are invited to send their nominations to Propel managing director Paul Charity at paul.charity@propelinfo.com. Building on last year’s debut event, the sector’s only conference to feature an all-female line-up of company leaders, more sector-leading female entrepreneurs will share their stories and expertise alongside two panel sessions. Propel has partnered with Elliotts chief executive Ann Elliott for the full-day event, which will be held at One Moorgate Place, London, and is open for bookings – for men as well as women. Speakers will be Bartlett Mitchell founder Wendy Bartlett; West Brewery founder Petra Wetzel; Chai by Mira founder Mira Manek; Filmore & Union founder Adele Ashley; Tonkotsu founder Emma Reynolds; Giggling Squid founder Pranee Laurillard; sushi expert and KellyDeli head of food product innovation Silla Bjerrum; Stanley Pubs founder Amanda Pritchett; Seafood Pub Company founder Joycelyn Neve; and Prezzo executive chairman Karen Jones. Also taking part are Kanishka Holdings managing director Tina English, Livelyhood chief executive and owner Sarah Wall, Oatopia owner Tamar Coleman, The Chilli Pickle founder Dawn Sperring, Bombay Burrito owner Maria Savage, Farmer Copleys owner Heather Copley, Goldfinger Factory founder Marie Cudennec, Hola Guacamole owner Margarita Garcia, and Yum Bun founder Lisa Meyer. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for Propel Premium subscribers and £345 plus VAT for others. They can be booked by emailing anne.steele@propelinfo.com or calling her on 01444 817691.

 

Stonegate acquisition of Ei Group 'boost for the sector and could trigger a lot of follow-on activity': Stonegate Pub Company's £3bn acquisition of Ei Group is a "boost for the wider sector and could trigger a lot of follow-on activity". Writing in his latest Premium Opinion column, Propel insights editor Mark Wingett said: "The deal again shines a positive light on the sector, and follows previous deals over the past few years that have brought private equity groups and investment funds back to a continually robust sector. Many of the larger pub operators will have been pleased to see the multiple Stonegate is paying for Ei Group, and it should increase speculation of further deals/consolidation to follow in a sector where many of the businesses are still undervalued, in my mind, by the City. For example, could we see C&C Group or Carlsberg run the rule over Marston’s? As analysts at Goodbody’s said about Stonegate’s move: 'This deal is further evidence of the availability of private capital chasing out-of-favour UK-listed leisure assets. We would see other listed UK pub companies as potentially vulnerable to similar approaches.' As Douglas Jack at Peel Hunt pointed out: 'This could trigger a lot of follow-on corporate activity in the sector, particularly in tenanted and leased pubs in the short term.' It will take time, as Greene King has found with Spirit, to integrate a business of significant scale, no matter how much expertise Stonegate has built up in this arena, which may disappoint other operators who have pinned their hopes on the Simon Longbottom-led company being their exit ticket – the only show in town so to speak. I can’t see Stonegate doing any further significant deals while the Ei Group one is being worked through, although as Longbottom has said to Propel on the matter, ‘never say never’.”

Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant chain leaves creditors facing losses of £83m: The Times has reported the collapse of Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant chain has left creditors facing losses of £83m. The biggest loser is HSBC, which had provided £39.4m to the company in the form of secured debt against the chain’s 23 restaurants across the country. The newspaper stated: "Jamie Oliver Holdings, which contains his successful publishing, broadcasting and licensing interests, provided £18.3m of secured loans on which it will suffer a shortfall of about £16m. Under the recent administration, only three of the 23 Jamie’s Italians – all at Gatwick airport – were kept open by the administrators and last month the three units were sold to SSP, the airport caterer, for £550,000. Jamie’s Italian International, while not in administration, was a subsidiary of the group and Jamie Oliver Holdings paid £500,000 to acquire it, thereby preserving its future. The administrators’ report shows Jamie Oliver Holdings provided guarantees to HSBC of £4.7m, which have been paid out after the administration. Those guarantees and further intercompany loans of £3.5m lift (Jamie) Oliver’s losses to about £25m. Unsecured trade creditors are owed in total £6.9m, including Brake Bros, the supplier, which is owed £783,000. The taxman is owed £1.7m."

Consumer confidence stays flat but discretionary spend sees marginal pick-up buoyed by leisure sector: UK consumer confidence remained flat in the second quarter of 2019 amid continued economic uncertainty, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. Confidence was unchanged in the period at minus 8% but is down four percentage points year-on-year. Discretionary spending saw a marginal pick up in the quarter, up one percentage point to minus 5%, as consumers opted to spend in the leisure sector. Expenditure in essential categories has fallen three percentage points to 10%. Deloitte said a north-south divergence of opinion had also emerged, as confidence rose three percentage points in the north of England but fell two points in London and the south east. Significantly, consumer sentiment towards household disposable income and levels of debt declined by five and four percentage points respectively year-on-year. On a quarterly basis, income sentiment remained flat but levels of debt sentiment fell three percentage points. Confidence in job security declined, albeit by one point, and is three points lower than last year. Deloitte chief economist Ian Stewart said: “Consumers’ finances are in good shape thanks to a long boom in jobs and strong wage growth. That said, uncertainties about Brexit and growth are weighing on consumer sentiment and their spending plans.” Ben Perkins, head of consumer research, added: “A rising number of consumers are opting to spend in the leisure sector, treating themselves to holidays and meals out, for example, and there’s a growing preference for experiences over material things. For some consumers, this change is partly driven by their desire to share experiences with friends, family and followers on social media platforms.”

 

Sector unites to launch Hospitality Apprenticeship Week: Sector bodies and companies, with support from the National Apprenticeship Service, are coming together to launch Hospitality Apprenticeship Week. Running from Monday, 5 August to Friday, 9 August, the inaugural event aims to provide a fresh opportunity to celebrate apprenticeships in the sector and bring the hospitality community together to showcase the positive differences apprenticeships can make. The idea is for employers to engage with school and college leavers to showcase the variety of career opportunities available in the hospitality sector. One of the key focuses of the campaign is to shift the perception among young people and their parents that hospitality roles are limited to low-paid, part-time jobs and to encourage them to recognise apprenticeships provide multiple opportunities to forge a strong career path involving a range of skills. During the week, all activity will be driven through social media with links to apprenticeships.gov.uk. The campaign will sit under the main #FireItUp national apprenticeship campaign and be driven by a steering group consisting of leading hospitality businesses, independent industry authorities and charities. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The industry recognises its responsibility to improve the image of careers in hospitality and invest in training and skills. Apprenticeships are a key part of promoting hospitality as a career of choice and providing an alternative pathway into senior-level roles as well as entry level.” For more information and to get involved, click here.

 

Action to tackle rogue employers over flexible working must provide balance, says UKHospitality: UKHospitality has backed a consultation on flexible working in a bid to tackle rogue employers but has urged the government to retain some flexibility for hospitality operators. The Good Work Plan aims to address the issue of “one-sided flexibility” and is seeking views on providing a right to reasonable notice of working hours and providing workers with compensation for shifts cancelled without reasonable notice. It also seeks views on what guidance government can provide to support employers and encourage best practice to be shared across industries. In response, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Hospitality is a fantastic employer and we’re keen to ensure it remains fair. We welcome moves to provide clarity on the rules of flexibility and action to tackle rogue employers. If the government decides to legislate, any new measures must tackle those looking to abuse the system while ensuring a reasonable degree of flexibility for fair employers and employees. Cancelling shifts at unreasonably short notice is unacceptable, but the hospitality sector does need a fair balance. Our sector deals with unexpected and exceptional changes in demand and the system needs to suit the constantly shifting needs of employers and employees alike. For some of our team members, part of the attraction of hospitality is it offers and allows such flexibility. We need to make sure we retain that while providing a measure of protection for hard-working staff.”

 

Third of young Londoners choose their restaurant food for how it looks on Instagram: A third of young Londoners claim they buy food from restaurants and takeaway venues because of the way it would look on Instagram and not for how it tastes. A survey by Just Eat, the market place for online food delivery, found 34% of young adults aged 18 to 44 picked food that would look good on social media and would perhaps boost their following – and not because they actually wanted to enjoy it. One in ten said taste and appearance were of equal importance, with 20% saying they didn’t use social media while eating. The study also found three-quarters of Britons would consider turning vegan – with more than 90% surprised by how delicious plant-based food was once they tried it, reports the Evening Standard. Statistics from the Vegan Society indicate the number of plant-based individuals in the UK has quadrupled between 2014 and 2018. In 2018 there were 600,000 vegans, or 1.16% of the population. The study was commissioned ahead of Just Eat Food Fest, which takes place on Thursday (25 July) and Friday (26 July) in Shoreditch’s 93 Feet East.

 

OAPA to take Fill A Flask campaign to Brighton and Manchester: Industry-led charity Only A Pavement Away (OAPA) is taking its Fill A Flask campaign, which aims to keep the homeless hydrated, to Brighton and Manchester. Following the campaign’s launch in London, OAPA, which aims to help the homeless, former offenders and veterans find employment in the hospitality industry, will be handing out more than 500 thermal flasks filled with water to homeless people in Brighton on Wednesday (24 July). Volunteers from the hospitality industry will help OAPA distribute the flasks on the city’s seafront, Brighton train station and the North Laine area. OAPA chief executive and founder Greg Mangham said: “Thank you to all those companies and individuals who heard our call earlier in the year and helped us fund-raise to make this campaign possible. I would also like to thank all the pubs, bars, and restaurants that will act as filling stations, allowing us to use their facilities to fill the flasks with water before we distribute them. Due to the overwhelming support from the industry, I’m delighted to announce we’ll take the campaign to Manchester on Friday, 9 August.”

 

Job of the week: COREcruitment is seeking a chief executive for a London-based company with national and global aspirations. Funding will be required to fulfil those ambitions so the founder is looking for an individual from the hospitality or leisure sector who has experience and connections within private equity or fund-raising. This role will take complete accountability for the business including operations, finance, marketing and concept development. The role offers a six-figure salary package plus equity participation. Click here for more information or email lucia@corecruitment.com for a confidential chat.

 

Starbucks thought to have closed 35 sites in London: The Mail on Sunday has reported Starbucks has closed dozens of outlets in London, marking a retreat from a city where it once dominated the coffee shop scene – as many as 35 stores across the capital have closed in the past 18 months. The newspaper stated: "The closures appear to be continuing and a number have been directing customers to other stores in recent weeks. The emergence of the rout in London follows a recent financial statement that it had set aside £20m for 'lease provisions' in Britain. It complained of 'ongoing pressures' and 'the changing consumer landscape, high rents and political uncertainty'. London has also been hit hard by a rapid rise in business rates. Starbucks UK, which has repeatedly come under fire for its tax planning, plunged to a £17.2m loss for the year to September 2018 as a result of provisions for renegotiating leases and store closures. Despite the closures in London, Starbucks is understood to have increased overall coffee shop numbers in the UK by around 50 since 2017. It has opened smaller shops and drive-thru outlets outside central London to adapt to changing consumer habits. It now has almost 1,000 in the UK where sales grew 4% in 2018 to £378m."

Activist investor Elliott holds stake in Whitbread: Premier Inn owner Whitbread has reported Elliott Capital has disclosed a stake of below 5% in the company. The Sunday Telegraph reported in May that Elliott had become increasingly frustrated with Whitbread’s strategy of owning Premier Inn hotels outright and wants the company to offload chunks of its property portfolio. According to the report, the activist investor believes Whitbread’s strategy is “depressing” the company’s share price and is leaving it open to a cut-price hostile takeover. The company declined to comment further on Elliott's stake purchase.

St Austell Brewery acquires first Exmoor pub: Cornwall-based St Austell Brewery has acquired its first pub within Exmoor National Park. The company has bought The Bridge Inn in Dulverton from Kenny and Rachel McDonald in a deal brokered by agent Christie & Co. The property, which dates to 1845, will be added to St Austell’s tenanted portfolio and comprises an open-plan bar and restaurant with 52 covers. Outside, the pub has two beer gardens with seating for about 80 covers. The McDonalds had leased The Bridge Inn since 2006 and purchased the freehold in 2012. St Austell Brewery retail director Steve Worrall said: “Having been managed so well for more than 12 years by Kenny and Rachel, The Bridge Inn is a wonderful opportunity for the new tenant, Andrew Cummings.” Meanwhile, St Austell Brewery has been given the go-ahead for plans to reopen the Harbour Light Restaurant at Paignton Harbour. The plans include extending the first-floor restaurant and adding a first-floor terrace, outside seating and a small coffee shop and takeaway. Torbay Council agreed a 90-year lease in March with St Austell Brewery for the grade Il-listed building, subject to planning permission. St Austell Brewery operates 180 pubs, inns and hotels across its tenanted and managed divisions.

 

The Coffee House secures fifth site with more to follow this year: North west-based independent coffee shop The Coffee House has secured its fifth site – with more to follow in 2019. The company will open an outlet at Barons Quay shopping centre in Northwich, Cheshire, in September. The Coffee House owner and co-founder Chris Shelmerdine said: “We are delighted to announce our involvement in Barons Quay and excited to showcase our concept alongside national businesses later this year. Northwich has been a target for us for many years. We think it’s a beautiful town that fits perfectly with the locations we already have. Barons Quay offers us an opportunity to develop our store design further than before.” The Coffee House was launched in 2011 and has venues in Lymm, Partington, Sale and Widnes. Completed in November 2017, Barons Quay is a riverside retail and leisure quarter being delivered by Cheshire West and Chester Council. It offers 210,000 square feet of stores, shops and restaurants.

 

Doughnotts secures fourth site, in Lincoln: East Midlands-based doughnut concept Doughnotts has acquired its fourth site, in Lincoln. Founders Wade Smith and Megan Scadden will open a 1,600 square foot store in the redeveloped Cornhill Quarter. The shop will be part of phase two of owner Lincolnshire Co-op’s redevelopment, which will deliver 23,000 square feet of retail space. Smith said: “Lincoln is an incredible city with a massive history. We are itching to open and add something new by being the first doughnut company there.” Doughnotts has sites in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and sells its doughnuts in various outlets in the region. Lincolnshire Co-op was represented by Banks Long & Co and KLM Retail, while FHP Property acted for Doughnotts on the Lincoln deal.

 

Wagyu Bar & Grill heads to Leeds for third site: Yorkshire-based restaurant concept Wagyu Bar & Grill is heading to Leeds for its third site. The concept has agreed a deal to open an outlet at Victoria Leeds shopping centre. The venue will be set across two floors, with a cafe opening on Monday, 29 July and a restaurant launching in August. Adrian Hunter, restaurant project manager at Wagyu Bar & Grill, said: “We are delighted to have secured such an outstanding restaurant site within the Victoria Leeds development.” Victoria Leeds general manager Jo Coburn added: “Wagyu Bar & Grill – an independently run restaurant that serves award-winning dishes – is a great addition to our line-up.” Wagyu Bar & Grill is the brainchild of long-established family business Warrendale Farm, which pledges to offer the “finest quality” British wagyu beef in a “gate-to-plate steak exercise” from its own farm in the village of Warter, near Pocklington. The debut Wagyu Bar & Grill opened in York in mid-March and it has also launched in the former Jamie’s Italian in Parliament Street, Harrogate.

 

Online food delivery business Lean Lunch launches £120,000 crowdfunding campaign for expansion: Online food delivery business Lean Lunch, which aims to “improve well-being for people and the planet”, has launched a £120,000 fund-raise on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube as it looks to expand. Launched by Sat and Charlotte Mann, Lean Lunch delivers chef-prepared, sustainably packaged food to city centre offices by cargo bike. It now aims to scale up and is offering 11.32% equity in return for the £120,000 investment, giving the company a pre-money valuation of £940,000. The pitch states: “Online advance ordering means our food waste is almost zero. Most of our packaging is compostable and our food is delivered by cargo bike, reducing waste and carbon dioxide emissions. Each meal has three of the five-a-day, is chef-prepared and full of fresh, nutritious ingredients. Since launch we’ve produced more than 40,000 meals and we’ve only been trading two years. Business-to-business accounts for the majority of our sales. In the first quarter of 2019, we’ve produced 10,530 meals, doubling the first quarter of 2018. Our vision is to scale the business to become the de-facto provider of nutritious, sustainable food for workplaces in every city we operate in.”

 

Greene King to roll out insights system to help licensees optimise drinks range: Brewer and retailer Greene King is to roll out an insights system across its leased and tenanted estate designed to help licensees optimise their keg range for customers. Working with hospitality data company HDI, the Perfect Bar project has researched the local market for each individual pub and used industry data to calculate what drinks range is likely to generate the best sales. Business development managers will use the tool to provide guidance to pubs about what tweaks to their keg beer and cider range could prove beneficial. Greene King Pub Partners head of marketing Phil Chatwin said: “This is an impressive project with a great deal of momentum we hope will energise our partners to take a second look at their draught products and decide whether it really is the best they can offer their customers. It’s completely customer focused and is the opportunity to get the right range in a pub. Our business development managers – whose role has already evolved greatly with an increased business consultancy focus – are now able to have hugely insightful conversations with partners about what products we think will work best in their pub. Using this tool, plus our partners’ invaluable knowledge of their local community, sets us up to have the 'perfect bar' in all our pubs and we believe will give our partners an all-important edge over the competition.”

 

Greggs to cut jobs as it gets go-ahead to convert Birmingham manufacturing base: Food-to-go retailer Greggs has been given the go-ahead to transform its manufacturing base in Birmingham into a storage and distribution hub. The company has secured permission from Birmingham City Council to change the use of its site on Mainstream Industrial Park in a move that will cut the number of staff from 289 to 200. The number of dispatch docks will also increase from 12 to 17. The site will receive a range of ambient, chilled and frozen goods from Greggs’ manufacturing facilities around the country, which will be temporarily stored and picked prior to being distributed to local shops, reports Insider Media. A statement submitted at the time of the application said: “This is required to introduce manufacturing and distribution efficiencies and allow Greggs to expand the number of retail outlets around the country. This will ensure the ongoing success of Greggs and represents our commitment to the long-term future of the business.”

 

High-end Indian restaurant originating in French Alps opens second site, in Twickenham: A high-end Indian restaurant launched in the French Alps has arrived in London for its second site. Tsaretta Spice has opened in Church Street, Twickenham, reports Hot Dinners. The head chef is Yousuf Mohammed, who has worked at London restaurants such as Dishoom and Tamarind. Tsaretta Spice’s lunchtime and afternoon menu features “Indian tapas” such as pepper-fried squid with chilli flakes, lemon zest, and fennel and curry mayonnaise. Meanwhile, the evening a la carte menu features sea bass in mango and coconut sauce with curry leaf-infused mash; and slow-cooked lamb shank with almonds. The debut Tsaretta Spice opened in Meribel in 2016.

 

G1 Group eyes St Andrews care home to expand The Scotsman hotel brand: Scotland’s biggest managed operator G1 Group is eyeing a care home in St Andrews as a site for a luxury hotel. However, the company’s multimillion-pound investment for Gibson House in Argyle Street depends on the creation of a replacement care home. CAF Properties has lodged plans with Fife Council for a 38-bedroom care home at the White House in Hepburn Gardens, which would pave the way for G1 Group to proceed with its proposal. G1 Group launched The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh after taking over the former home of The Scotsman newspaper in 2017. Now it wants to turn Gibson House into a second Scotsman hotel. G1 Group managing director Stefan King told The Courier: “Gibson House is an iconic St Andrews building and we want to restore it to its former glory. A new Scotsman Hotel at Gibson House can only happen if planning consent is received for the development in Hepburn Gardens.” G1 Group owns circa 50 venues in Scotland, including The Doll’s House and Forgan’s in St Andrews.

 

£2.2m restaurant to open at former Cains Brewery site in Liverpool: A restaurant specialising in regional Chinese food is to open at the former Cains Brewery site in Liverpool this autumn following a £2.2m investment. Lu Ban Liverpool will focus on the recipes and techniques from the Tianjin region. Directors Mike Mounfield and David Hughes are keeping certain features of the restaurant under wraps until its launch. Mounfield, a chef with decades of experience in the industry, said: "This won't be your ‘traditional' Chinese restaurant, Lu Ban Liverpool is going to be something very different. This is very much about regional specialities from one of the finest region's for cuisine in China." The restaurant interiors will mix quintessential elements of Chinese art and culture with the raw industrial heritage of the brewery.

 

Wagamama launches new vegan desserts as part of summer menu: Wagamama has launched a selection of new vegan desserts as part of its summer menu. The desserts include the mango and matcha layer cake as well as chocolate and orange blossom ice cream served with a passion fruit coulis; and fresh mint and strawberry and yuzu ice cream served with a raspberry compote and fresh mint. The vegan desserts are part of Wagamama’s summer menu that features the naked Katsu curry designed as a lighter alternative to the classic dish alongside the nuoc cham tuna and avant gard’n, complete with the world’s first vegan "egg". Wagamama chief marketing officer Ross Farquhar said: “Over the past two years we’ve seen demand for vegan dishes grow and grow, and that’s spurred us on to develop new recipes and use new ingredients.”

 

Bedlam sets sights on £800,000 stretch target as crowdfunding campaign hits initial £550,000 aim: Sussex-based Bedlam has set its sights on raising its stretch target of £800,000 on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube after hitting its initial £550,000 aim. The company, founded in 2011, is offering 14.67% equity, giving the company a pre-money valuation of £3.2m. So far, 226 investors have pledged £560,630 and the campaign is now overfunding with 12 days remaining. However, Bedlam has a stretch target of £800,000, which would lead to the equity on offer rising to 20%. Bedlam has put together a four-year plan, which would see further investment in its brewery and expansion of the business. If it achieves the stretch target, it will open a brewery tap in Brighton. In 2016, Bedlam raised £500,000 on Crowdcube, which enabled the company to relocate and build a brewery at the foot of the South Downs, ten miles north of Brighton. Since its previous raise, turnover has risen considerably and Bedlam has increased its distribution across the on-trade. For the year ending 31 March 2019, average on-trade distribution was up more than 90% year-on-year and turnover increased 57.5% to £526,000.