Sector leaders urge government and unions to find resolution to avoid ‘catastrophic’ festive train strikes: Sector leaders have urged the government and unions to find a quick resolution to avoid train strikes over the festive period. According to UKHospitality, rail strikes in the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas could cost pubs and restaurants as much as £1.5bn in lost sales. Union bosses unveiled plans on Tuesday (22 November) for strikes on 13, 14, 16, and 17 December, as well as several days in January. Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller’s, said: “Very disappointed to see our hard-working teams impacted yet again by train strikes. Coming during the Christmas party season, these will disproportionately impact hospitality workers – costing our team hours and highly valuable tips. This should have been our first good Christmas for three years – but the damage is already being done and we need a quick resolution to these strikes. And we need it now. Right now. I just hope Mark Harper (the secretary of state for transport), The Rail Delivery Group, and Mick Lynch and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers Union can get back round the table and sort it quickly, and finally.” Anthony Pender, founder of the Yummy Collection, added: “Both parties need to come (together), offer compromise and solutions. Small businesses, workers, retail and hospitality can’t just be collateral damage between the two parties. We support any worker (it’s in our interest everyone is paid well) but must highlight the damage caused.” Sarah Willingham, chief executive of Nightcap, said: “How is this allowed to happen during the busiest week of the year for both hospitality and retail? Hundreds of thousands of jobs rely on Christmas trade and will be put at risk, not to mention our customers all looking forward to finally spending a Christmas together out in their favourite venues. The macro impact is huge. The impact on people’s mental health is immeasurable. After three stolen Christmases and the economy already on its knees, the government should not allow this to happen.”

 

Cornish Bakery to speak at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2023, open for bookings: Alice Leach, head of product and innovation at Cornish Bakery, will speak at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2023. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are now open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 24 and 25 January at One Moorgate Place in London. Leach will talk about developing a winning proposition. More than 50 industry and agency leaders will take to the stage over two days, representing brands including Gail’s Bakery, Hawksmoor, Burger King UK, Loungers, The Alchemist, Hall & Woodhouse, BrewDog, East Coast Concepts, Press Up Hospitality Group, Krispy Kreme, Mission Mars, Inception Group, New World Trading Company, MJMK, Caprice Holdings, Hakkasan, KellyDeli, Tattu Restaurants, Red Engine, Vapiano, The Cocktail Club, Hilton, Elior, Flat Earth Pizzas, Lollipop, Lego Restaurants, Chotto Matte, Ping Pong, Nobu, Gusto Italian, Searcy’s and Six by Nico. Day one themes will be consumer and sector trends, start-ups, concepts and creativity and digital evolution, while day two focuses on purpose and responsible business, strategies for growth and communication and culture. Tickets for operators for the two days are £600 plus VAT and £350 plus VAT for one day. Tickets for suppliers are £950 plus VAT for the two days and £525 plus VAT for one day. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Jo Charity at Propel on jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies released today at midday, 23 businesses being added: A total of 23 new multi-site companies, operating 111 sites, have been added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released today (Friday, 25 November), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, includes regional restaurant and bar operators, growing entertainment concepts, and expanding franchise operators. Premium subscribers will also receive a 2,000-word report on the new additions to the database. The comprehensive database is updated monthly and provides company names, the people in charge, how many sites each firm operates, its trading name and its registered name at Companies House if different. The database now features 2,722 companies. Premium subscribers will also receive the next edition of the New Openings Database on Friday, 2 December, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The next edition also includes an 8,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to another database – the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which is produced in association with Mapal Group, and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database. Premium subscribers are also to be given exclusive access to the recording and slides from this month's Propel Multi-Club Conference. The videos will be sent on Wednesday (30 November), at 9am. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription. Subscribers also receive access to Propel’s Friday Wrap interviews and now also have access to a curated video library of the sector’s finest leaders and entrepreneurs, offering their insights on running outstanding businesses in the sector. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before our 6am send-out; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett.

 

Kenee – P&Ls will rebalance for good quality businesses, middle market most likely to suffer: Former Oakman Inns & Restaurants chief investment officer Steve Kenee has said despite cost pressures, P&Ls will rebalance for good quality businesses, but warned middle market concepts are the ones most likely to suffer in the current climate. Kenee, who stepped down from his position at the Dermot King-led pub-restaurant operator in August, told this month's Propel's Multi-Club Conference: “There’s no doubt the P&Ls of many hospitality businesses are severely damaged, if not broken, at the moment, and they will be for some time. While I believe this will rebalance itself and consumers will come back to the stage where they can pay a fair price for a fair product that allows hospitality businesses to make money, the question is for how long that’s going to be and who is able to survive that period of squeeze on the balance sheets? The ones that can survive it will come out the other side much, much stronger. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of really good businesses out there that won’t be able to, although this does create opportunities for buyers. Generally, what happens when there’s a squeeze on consumer spending is a flight to quality, which means people going to the bottom end of the market so they can get more for less or going for higher quality experiences to get value. It’s the middle market that tends to suffer – offer something worthwhile or cheap, or you’ll get caught in the middle.” Kenee also called for an end to what he sees as an impasse between investors and operators, to avoid more businesses going to the wall. “At the moment, we’ve got a slight stand-off between certain investors and operators in terms of valuation and a game of ‘see who blinks first’,” he added. "While any deal has to work for both parties, I would encourage both sides not to leave it too late as there are good businesses, and if they end up becoming distressed businesses, the only winners are the administrators. With some forward thinking and creative structuring from investors, and some realism from management teams, there will still be some really good businesses here thriving tomorrow.” Kenee’s presentation will be among the videos from the Propel Multi-Club Conference that Premium subscribers will be given exclusive access to on Wednesday (30 November) at 9am. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £895 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £445 plus VAT for operators and £545 plus VAT for suppliers. Email jo.charity@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

 

Hospitality businesses facing severe staff shortages this Christmas: Three quarters of operators have said they are expecting a shortage of kitchen staff and 74% said they are expecting not to have enough front of house staff this Christmas, according to new research. The findings, from sector initiative Hospitality Rising, in partnership with hospitality research consultancy KAM, also show 62% are expecting a shortfall in both. Meanwhile, 69% of operators have noticed an increase in the number of people leaving hospitality in the last 12 months. The majority said vacancies not being filled was having a significant impact on the welfare of their current team members (79%), the quality of the customer experience (79%), as well as sales and turnover (65%). In a bid to tackle the problem, operators are implementing a series of measures to reduce the impact on customers this Christmas, including increasing staff wages (70%) and reducing covers or adapting service times (46%). Others reported not carrying out private events such as parties over the festive period or closing for periods of time. Mark McCulloch, founder of Hospitality Rising and campaign director, said: “This research brings home the stark reality of the workforce crisis in hospitality and the absolute need we have for bold and creative ways to solve it. The first phase of Hospitality Rising, our #RiseFastWorkYoung campaign, has already proved its effectiveness – driving 17,000 applications via our dedicated jobs board in its first three weeks.” Katy Moses, founder and managing director of KAM, added: “Customers tell us that they’re excited about the upcoming festive season and despite the cost-of-living crisis many intend to put more effort into Christmas 2022 because of the disappointment of the last two years. It’s heart-breaking, albeit sadly not surprising, that staff shortages continue to limit the vitality of the hospitality sector with customer service levels, employee engagement and sales being impacted. The research really highlights the critical role Hospitality Rising is playing in attracting new people to the sector.”

 

Restaurant chains face disruption threat amid strike action at major food supplier: A union is warning restaurant chains including Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut are facing the prospect of “severe disruption” to food supplies in the run-up to Christmas after workers voted to strike. Almost 400 workers at Best Food Logistics, which delivers fresh produce to many big name, fast-food outlets and dining firms, which also include PizzaExpress, The Restaurant Group brand Wagamama and Azzurri Group-owned Zizzi, will take industrial action over what they deem “a real-terms pay cut”. A majority of 76% of those who voted were in favour of going on strike. Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “The parent companies of Best Food – Booker and Tesco – are making serious money. Shareholders are trousering large dividends, while the people who do the graft are struggling to make ends meet. All these workers want is a pay deal that protects them from this crushing cost-of-living crisis. Now, some of the best know restaurants on the UK’s high streets will face shortages over Christmas.” 

 

Scottish hospitality businesses urged to help make DRS a success: Circularity Scotland, the administrator for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), has urged businesses across the country to join it in ensuring the scheme is a success when it launches next year. From August 2023, every single-use drinks container sold in Scotland will be subject to a 20p deposit, which will then be refunded to consumers when they take it back to their local shop or one of tens of thousands of return points across the country. More than 600 representatives from drinks producers, hospitality businesses and retailers this week met in Glasgow to help plan for what will be one of the biggest environmental infrastructure projects in the UK. David Harris, Circularity Scotland chief executive, said: “With just under a year to go until the DRS goes live, we’re calling for businesses across Scotland to join us in making sure the scheme is a success. We know businesses have concerns about how the scheme will operate and how it will affect them. Ultimately, by bringing businesses together and creating more opportunities to collaborate, we can achieve what we all want – to reduce waste and protect Scotland’s environment for generations to come.” Lorna Slater MSP, the minister responsible for introducing the scheme, reiterated there would be no delay to launching it and stressed the Scottish government was “listening and responding to industry concerns”. This, she said, was demonstrated by the recent streamlining of the exemption process for retailers that did not wish to act as return points. She added further announcements will be made to address industry concerns around online takeback and said the government would work with the industry to ensure a “pragmatic” approach.

 

Greater Manchester launches Christmas gifting campaign to support hospitality sector: Sacha Lord, night-time economy advisor for Greater Manchester, has launched a festive campaign to support the region’s hospitality industry. “Give the Gift of Going Out” aims to help the struggling sector by encouraging the public to support their favourite restaurants, bars, hotels, theatres and live gig venues by gifting family and friends a night out this Christmas. The campaign will draw attention to local venues that provide Christmas gift vouchers or deposit bookings, and aims to remind the public of different present ideas, while simultaneously promoting the joy of spending time with loved ones. Operators supporting the initiative include Mission Mars’ Albert’s Schloss, Graphite Capital-backed steakhouse concept Hawksmoor and crazy golf brand Junkyard Golf. Lord said: “Treating loved ones to a night out not only gives them memories to cherish, but will go a long way in supporting local landlords and independent venues across Greater Manchester. We all know the difficulties our favourite restaurants, bars, theatres and hotels are going through, and January is always the bleakest time of the year for the sector. Not only is footfall typically down as people choose to save and stay indoors, but as a result staff often find they aren’t booked for as many shifts as normal. By buying a voucher or putting a deposit down now, we can support the sector through the difficult post-Christmas period, and move away from gifting presents that just sit unwanted in the cupboard.”

 

Snowfox Group plans to add another 200 supermarket kiosks next year, trialling franchise site: Snowfox Group – the YO!, Bento, Panku and Taiko brands operator – plans to double its estate of kiosks in UK supermarkets next year, with the opening of another 200 sites. The business is also exploring opportunities to franchise its kiosk formats and to open further YO! restaurants. Speaking at this month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference, Christian Haas, managing director UK & Ireland at YO!, revealed the business opened nearly 200 sites this year with Asda and Tesco. He said: “We will open at least that number again next year. I was with Asda recently and it is passionate about continuing to divest unproductive space that it has in its stores to us. We’ve also been approached by retail brands outside of the markets that we’re currently in to see whether we could set something up in those geographies as well. So that core competence we’re building, we will be taking forward with those new partnerships. We’re already beyond sushi and have a significant business in Korean, Thai and Malaysian food but it’s even more than that. So yes, we are a pan-Asian food specialist business and we’re really proud of that, but what we’re also becoming is specialists in operating retail kiosks.” In terms of franchising, Haas said the business had recently begun a trial in the UK with a Panku kiosk in Asda in Peterborough. He said: “In the UK we are 100% corporate run. Our Canadian colleagues are a mixture of both, and we firmly believe we have a role in society to give people the opportunity to run their own business. We currently have a trial underway in Peterborough, and it is clear to me the operator there has a level of ownership and commitment to that business, which is so difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate with corporate run operations. I think this move might ultimately unlock probably the biggest shift in the performance of a lot of the things we’re doing on a like-for-like basis and just might offset some of the potential for volume decline the cost-of-living crisis might drive.” Haas said the business opened two YO! restaurants this year, in Middlebrook, Bolton, and one in Speke. He said: “We continue to be acquisitive on the restaurant front for the right locations. We will continue to open restaurants, but we will go much broader than that in terms of the channels we have. We’re much more than sushi. We’re much more than restaurants. We’re much more than kiosks. We are truly a multi-channel operator.”

 

Tim Hortons doubles UK drive-thru estate in a year as it hits 50-site milestone, plans 40 restaurant openings in 2023: Canadian quick service restaurant brand Tim Hortons will open its 50th UK drive-thru restaurant on Monday (28 November), in Watford. The milestone will see the brand doubling its drive-thru estate in one year, with four further openings to come before the end of 2022. SK Group, which is rolling out Tim Hortons in the UK, also plans to add to its 65-strong estate with a further 40 restaurants by the end of 2023. The openings will see 2,000 jobs created, with the brand confirming sites in Liverpool, Swansea and Dundee are set to open in the first quarter alone. Each opening in the UK has seen huge demand from customers, with some fans camped outside Tim Hortons restaurants for up to 40 hours ahead of opening. The Park Royal London opening was one of its most successful to date, as well as one of the best globally in the last five years, with queues of hundreds of cars lined up for its drive-thru. Kevin Hydes, chief commercial officer of the Tim Hortons franchise in the UK, said: “Our 50th drive-thru restaurant is a landmark opening for us as doubling our number of drive-thrus is not only a key milestone in our strong and fast-paced pipeline of openings this year, but it also supports our ambitious plan to grow at an even faster pace in 2023 with 40 new restaurants targeted. We have planned our site acquisition strategy carefully to ensure we are securing as many drive-thru sites as we can in order to meet the growing customer demand for the additional convenience they provide. We only see this demand growing, with people being time poor and seeking high quality, great value food and beverages at all times of day served at speed. We are proving to be a real contender within the coffee and quick service restaurant sector and have ambitions to become the preferred brand of choice, no matter what occasion our guests are seeking to enjoy.” Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, Tim Hortons now has more than 4,700 restaurants globally and made its UK debut in 2017.

 

Salt Brewery planning up to five new openings in 2023, then same number annually for next five years: Salt Brewery founder Jamie Lawson is planning up to five new openings in 2023, followed by the same number annually for the next five years. The company, which incubated out of Ossett Brewing Group but now stands independently, is gearing up to next month open its ninth taproom, with its Calls Landing venue at 36-38 in The Calls, Leeds, due to launch on Friday, 9 December. This after opening its eighth taproom only a month ago, in Oakwood, north Leeds. It is the fourth out of five revamps of former Stew & Oyster sites – the Leeds bar and deli group that Salt acquired in March. A fifth and final former Stew & Oyster site will open next year, in Malton, followed by at least four more openings under the group’s Salt Tap and Salt Beer Factory concepts (the latter being bigger and having a brewing element). “It was always the plan to convert the Salt & Oyster sites to Salt Taps quickly, as the faster we did it the faster they’d become more profitable,” Lawson told Propel. “We’re looking at four or five openings next year, including a Salt Beer Factory in Leeds, and we are close to securing more sites in London. Manchester is high on the agenda, and we hope to be there next year as well. A minimum of five a year for the next five years would be the plan.” Despite making two acquisitions in the past year (buying two former Hop Stuff taprooms along with its ex-brewery in November 2021), further growth down that route is unlikely. “Hop Stuff was a unique opportunity that was offered to us by Molson Coors after it had purchased it out of administration, and progress was hampered by covid,” said Lawson. “It took a strategic decision to offload it and approached us, and it worked out nicely because we were talking to it at the same time about national distribution of some of our beer, and without taking on the Hop Stuff brewery in London, we wouldn’t have been able to fulfil that volume growth. It was like a perfect twist of fate.” Lawson, who founded Ossett Brewery Pub Company in 2003 and Salt in 2018 as a way to move into craft brewing without taking away from Ossett Brewery’s cask ale traditions, said the top line of business is very strong, and “people very much seem to still want to come to the pub”. Next year will also see the Ossett Brewery add a new pub to its 25-strong estate for the first time since covid.

 

Longbottom – pleased with progress of Chapter Collection, will roll out with care and at a sensible pace: Stonegate Group chief executive Simon Longbottom has told Propel the business is pleased with the progress of its fledgling premium food-led format – The Chapter Collection, and it will roll the format out with “care and at a sensible pace”. The new format was launched earlier this year with the opening of The Clerk and Well pub in London’s Clerkenwell Road. The company has since reopened the former Henry Holland site in Duke Street, Marylebone, under the name The Duchess, and also added its to the Chapter Collection, with the Elephant & Castle in Amersham, and most recently, the Junction Tavern in Kentish Town. A fifth site will come under the new format, when The Lillie Langtry in West Brompton reopens on Monday, 5 December with a new look and menu. The 262-cover, 2,285 square-foot venue in Lillie Road will be split across two floors, with a main dining room, a large upstairs private room called the Lillie Lounge, and a small private dining space for 12. Lillie’s Yard provides two outdoor spaces, at the front of the venue and the back, with heaters and blankets. Longbottom told Propel: “We are pleased with the progress being made with The Chapter Collection, having opened our first site earlier this year. Guest feedback is excellent. Our vision is to offer guests something that is absolutely a quintessential British pub, but where the offer is elevated and served with a twist. Guests will recognise consistent outstanding hospitality in each of our houses but each of them has their own unique identities tailored to their communities and guests. We'll roll the format out with care and at a sensible pace – recognising each house needs its own character and this requires careful planning and intensive training. Initially, our focus will be on sites in London, and we certainly expect to see the format grow in numbers in 2023.”

 

Barry Vera plans to build pub portfolio after acquiring debut site: Chef, author and television and radio presenter Barry Vera, together with entrepreneurs Christopher Webb and Joe Scarborough, is planning to build a pub portfolio after acquiring his first site. They have taken on the lease of Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars’ The Green Man in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester and are undertaking a joint £500,000 refurbishment of the pub. Closed for three years, it will reopen in mid-January. Vera was brought up in a pub and has 34 years’ experience in hotels and restaurants around the world, from Conran Restaurants in London, heading Michelin star kitchens for Marco Pierre White, to five-star hotels and restaurants around the world. He was culinary and creative operations director for The ONE Group Europe, Middle East & Asia, opening the ME hotels in London, Milan and Ibiza and Radio Rooftop bars in London and Milan. Webb is a serial entrepreneur having been the owner and chief executive of a number of companies across a range of industries. Scarborough’s forte lies in operations. He has worked alongside Vera in the development of key hotel food and beverage brands and operations globally, which has included overseeing the ME and Radio Rooftop bars openings with supply. Vera said of their plans: “We want to attract people who dine out every week, not just on special occasions so our menu needs to have a broad appeal. It will reflect my upbringing in a Yorkshire pub, elements of my journeys around the world and include new takes on historic dishes, such as the traditional Shooter Sandwich. Chris, Joe and I are thrilled to be taking on The Green Man as we share a passion for hospitality and an absolute commitment to delivering perfection and results.”

 

Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant Nakanojo to double up with Marylebone launch, further expansion to follow: Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant Nakanojo is to double up with a second London opening. The concept, which is the brainchild of entrepreneur Josh Ahmet, launched in the former Busaba Eathai premises in King’s Road, Chelsea, last summer. Now Ahmet is adding a second site, which will open in Marylebone early next year. Situated in Thayer Street, the launch is part of Ahmet’s expansion plan with more locations planned in the capital next year. The 2,000 square-foot Marylebone site will cater for up to 100 covers across two floors. Nakanojo is described as “a casual fine dining Nikkei-inspired restaurant, offering premium sushi and robata grill cuisine, with a focus on fresh and high-quality ingredients”. The drinks menu will feature pisco sours, an array of sake and its signature Bobas cocktails. 

 

Greene King brewery staff to strike: Brewery workers at Greene King are set to go on strike next month in a row over pay. Union Unite said 188 of its members based in Bury St Edmunds; Eastwood, Nottinghamshire; and Abingdon, Oxfordshire; will walk out for five days from Monday, 5 December. Unite said members voted for strike action after Greene King offered them a 3% pay rise and a one-off payment of £650, which it described as a substantial real-terms wage cut because of inflation. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Greene King’s owners are incredibly wealthy; the failure to offer workers a decent pay rise is all about greed and not about need. Unite, which is now entirely focused on defending the jobs, pay and conditions of its members, will not idly stand by while a wealthy company tries to further boost its profits by subjecting its workers to substantial real-terms pay cuts.” A spokesperson for Greene King said: “We are disappointed the union has encouraged its members to reject our pay offer, as well as a number of other benefits, and pursue this course of action. Our pay rise offer is fair and consistent across the business, especially given the challenging wider economic environment. We have full contingency plans in place to minimise disruption and we will be working closely with our customers to communicate and implement these in the coming days.”

 

Multiple Michelin-starred French chef Yannick Alléno set to make London restaurant debut: Multiple Michelin-starred French chef Yannick Alléno is set to make his London restaurant debut next summer, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Park Lane. The restaurant will offer “elegant, approachable dining from breakfast through to dinner” focusing on modern French cuisine and techniques but also taking inspiration from London and British produce. Alléno has 15 Michelin stars across his 14 restaurants, including three at his Le 1947 restaurant at Cheval Blanc in Courchevel. His three restaurants in Pavillon Ledoyen hold six stars – three at Alléno Paris, two at L’Abysse and one at Pavyllon – making it the most star-rated independent establishment in the world. 

 

Mindful drinking movement Club Soda to open UK’s first low and alcohol-free tasting room: Mindful drinking movement Club Soda is opening the UK’s first low and alcohol-free tasting room. Following its Crowdfunder campaign, Club Soda is launching its first permanent venue in London’s Covent Garden. Opening on Monday (28 November), Club Soda’s tasting room and shop will offer a curated collection of more than 150 low and alcohol-free drinks brands. Mixologists will also shake up “mindful” cocktails. In the evenings, guests can book into interactive drinks and cocktail masterclasses, while members of the hospitality trade can also visit for training and advice on the right drinks for their venues. The new home builds on Club Soda’s eight years, ten festivals and its pop-up shop – the Alcohol-Free Off-Licence – that earlier this year extended its tenure multiple times to fulfil “unprecedented” customer demand. In the coming weeks, Club Soda will launch an online shop, offering nationwide delivery options, while the tasting room will also play host to a number of events. Club Soda founder Laura Willoughby said: “Establishing a headquarters for low and no drinks in the UK is a big moment. We can’t wait to showcase the incredible range available while we help educate and encourage even more people to drink mindfully and live well. The success of the Club Soda Alcohol-Free Off-Licence pop-up showed the enormous demand for drinks in this space.”

 

GigRealm appoints former Punch MD as non-executive director: Hospitality live music company GigRealm has appointed former Punch managing director Paul Pavli as a non-executive director. GigRealm said Pavli’s decades of industry insight will strengthen the business as it continues to scale and expand into new territories, with a launch into the US market taking place in the first quarter of 2023. Working alongside co-founder Tom Brady, Pavli will provide additional strategic support as the business enters this new phase of growth. Brady said: “Paul brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the key challenges that both small and large businesses face in the sector today. With a focus on innovation, Paul will undoubtedly help GigRealm to grow while ensuring we continue to provide services that add value to the many businesses we work with.” Pavli added: “While live music is certainly a fantastic way to engage with consumers, providing them with something that cannot be replicated at home, the struggle many face is how to go about activating such an offering. Therefore, I’m excited to be working with Tom and the GigRealm team who have paved the way for venues to easily achieve this, while changing the way live music is done.”

 

Staycity to make Dutch debut with Amsterdam launch: Aparthotel operator Staycity Group is to open a Wilde property in the new-build district of Overhoeks in the borough of Amsterdam-Noord in the Netherlands. The 120-apartment Wilde will be part of the 31-storey residential and business Yvie complex, currently under construction by Union Investment. Due to open in May 2024, the aparthotel will feature a coffee shop, gym and roof terrace. “Amsterdam is the perfect addition to our Wilde portfolio, particularly this spectacular building in such a vibrant, up-and-coming modern area,” said Staycity Group chief executive and co-founder Tom Walsh. “Staycity now has nearly 6,000 apartments across 32 properties with our growth plans soon to take in Portugal as well as additional sites in London, Paris, and Munich, so we’re delighted to be adding the Netherlands to our portfolio.” Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity is the group’s premium brand, launched in 2018 and inspired by Irish playwright and poet Oscar Wilde. 

 

Gloucestershire hotel reports turnover exceeds pre-pandemic levels as it boosts profits: Tewkesbury Park Hotel, a family-owned hotel in the Gloucestershire market town of Tewkesbury, has reported turnover increased to £5,174,316 for the year ending 30 April 2022 compared with £1,573,932 the previous year when the business was shut or partially closed for 35 weeks due to the covid pandemic. The figure was also above the £4,130,952 reported in 2020 when the final two months of trade were also affected by the pandemic. Pre-tax profit increased to £595,900 from £399,681 the year before (2020: pre-tax loss of £37,529). The business received government grants of £26,471 – £16,560 through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and £9,911 from the local council in relation to restrictions imposed by the government (2021: total of £849,333). No dividend was paid (2021: nil). The owners, Christopher and Claire McIntosh, who bought the hotel in 2014, said in a statement accompanying the accounts: “The actions from the previous financial year were always designed to prepare for a successful financial in 2021-22. This has been achieved with a good performance, delivered through the restoration of its target market segments of short breaks, conferences and events, golf breaks and weddings. When viewed over a five-year period, turnover and gross profit have shown steady and consistent increases with a gross margin in 2022 of 86%. Profit after tax was particularly strong at £602,000, made more remarkable considering consistent losses up to 2020.” The hotel features 93 bedrooms, two restaurants, seven conference and events suites, public area lounges with three bars, fitness, health and well-being facilities including an indoor swimming pool, spa treatment rooms and two golf courses.