Real Eating Company acquired out of administration, business now in ‘much more robust position’: Real Eating Company, the Helena Hudson-led independent cafe and coffee concept, has undergone a pre-pack administration which has left the business in “a much more robust position” and looking ahead with confidence, Propel has learned. Real Eating Company was acquired out of administration by a new company set up by Hudson called Regular Cafes. The process saw Regular Cafés acquire nine of Real Eating Company’s ten sites – two in Cambridge and Chichester and one each in Horsham, Canterbury, Portsmouth and London’s Marble Arch and The Strand. Its King’s Road site in London’s Chelsea, its debut site in the capital, has closed. All staff transferred across with the exception of the King’s Road site. Hudson, who founded the business in 2004, told Propel: “The reasons for doing this will be familiar. Covid cost overhang and utility costs just became too big a cost burden to juggle when combined with rail strikes over Christmas and the deepening cost-of-living crisis in the new year. As an independent, we don’t have deep shareholder pockets to tap, and this process was really the only viable option available to protect and strengthen the business for the future. Our key suppliers are mostly owner-led businesses themselves and have been brilliant, supporting us 100% through the process. Our landlords have also been supportive and our people have been amazing. It’s been a stressful time and they’ve been by my side without wavering, showing great resilience and loyalty. I also got support from Mark Lilley at Abokado – an ally and fellow independent operator, who had been through the process himself and gave good advice when needed. Having gone through this process means we can now focus on building the business from a much more robust position and look ahead with confidence. Our sales are up 24% this year (14% like-for-like), a good platform to build from. Our customer numbers are up too (18% and 8% like-for-like). It’s testament to the popularity of a good independent.” Steven Ross and Allan Kelly, of FRP Advisory, were appointed administrators of Real Eating Company Cafes on 14 March.

 

Sponsored message – new report into employee engagement services in hospitality: A new study led by Growth Partners in partnership with research consultancy KAM finds businesses in the sector are failing to maximise employee benefits despite continued rates of job vacancies. The research found 55% of employees have (knowingly) worked in a hospitality role that offered some kind of employee engagement services. Unsurprisingly, this is much higher for those who have worked in larger multi-site businesses. And 75% agree they make a business a more attractive place to work. However, an overwhelming majority of respondents expressed difficulty understanding the employee engagement services available and reported issues with accessing them. The new research also reveals the most sought-after services and the factors most likely to encourage employees to switch jobs. Employee engagement expert and chief executive of employee services at Growth Partners, Scott Read, said: “We’ve been keen to understand the relationship between the awareness and usage of employee engagement services and the number of vacancies in the hospitality sector. The research has really highlighted a potential problem – businesses may have employee benefits in place but if they’re not easy to access or communicated effectively, they’re not having an impact – potentially adding to the problem rather than helping to resolve it.” You can download the research paper here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies released tomorrow, 22 businesses being added: A total of 22 new multi-site companies, operating 92 sites, have been added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released tomorrow (Friday, 31 March), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, includes regional restaurant operators, growing bakery brands, and expanding hotel 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 2,811 companies. Premium subscribers will also receive the next edition of the New Openings Database on Thursday, 6 April, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The next edition also includes a 6,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to three other databases: the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; and the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage. 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. Premium subscribers are also to be given exclusive access to the recording and slides to Propel Multi-Club Conferences. Premium subscribers also receive their morning newsletter 11 hours early, at 7pm the evening before; regular video content and regular exclusive columns from Propel group editor Mark Wingett.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a branded hotel group in the West Midlands that is looking for a group director of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The business is looking for a sales-driven individual who will be managing the top accounts for the group. You will identify and grow new business for the managed hotels across the UK; develop strategic long-term customer relationships; organise and carry out in-market sales tours; and act as the market segment specialist, working closely with the general managers of the UK hotels.” The salary is up to £60,000 and the position is based in Birmingham. For more information, email ed@corecruitment.com

 

Midlands cake store chain aiming for up to 200 Canadian sites after making overseas debut: Midlands cake store chain Eggless Cake Shop is aiming for up to 200 Canadian sites over the next decade after making its overseas debut. The company was founded in Walsall in 2011 by Bill Aulak, who has since grown his business to 26 sites across the UK after opening its first in Dudley Road, Wolverhampton. Having introduced a franchising programme in 2015, 24 of the Eggless Cake Shop estate is franchised, with two company owned. It made its overseas debut last month, opening a flagship store in Mississauga, Canada. “We have two more in the pipeline, in Brampton (like Mississauga, a city in the province of Ontario), with a view to open a total of five by the end of 2023,” Aulak told Propel. “I aspire to set myself goals in order to take the business above and beyond my own expectations, and I have been researching the prospect of going international for the past two years. Canada has a substantially vast market in which I can envision my business thriving, hence my aim is to open a surplus of 200 stores, covering a significant area of Canada, within the next ten years.” The brand’s UK growth may need to be more measured, Aulak said, but he remains confident of passing the 30-site mark by the end of 2023. “The view to open more stores is always at the forefront,” he said. “However, we can only expand at a rate and in response to the current market. Bearing in mind the turbulence caused by the cost-of-living crisis, utility bills rising etc, we have found a reluctance of franchisors investing into the business. Nevertheless, the interest is still there, and we are seeing the current market changing, hence we aim to open as many as possible in the UK and look towards five more by the tail end of the year. Current trading is steady and stable. Birthdays, celebrations and special occasions take place on any given day of the year, which is keeping the business flourishing. Further to which, the economy is slowly getting back on its feet, so I am optimistic and confident the business will keep moving upwards. Having started my own family the same year we launched, the importance of family was the focus and driving force to ensure each cake was made to satisfy families at all occasions.” Eggless Cake Shop will feature in the next Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The database is updated every two months and the latest edition features 185 companies. 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.

 

The Doxford Group reports record results, secures £7m funding for further expansion as new sites planned: Northumberland operator The Doxford Group has reported record results and secured £7m of funding for further expansion, with three new sites in the pipeline, Propel has learned. The owners of the Doxford Barns and Charlton Hall, near Alnwick, saw net revenue rise to £3.9m for the year ending September 2022 (£1.6m pre-covid) and Ebitda grow to £1.5m (£0.6m pre-covid). Wedding bookings for 2023 are also the highest in the group’s history. Having also secured £7m of funding from NatWest, the group said it is well positioned for further expansion. Propel reported in October the group had secured its third site, The Tempus in the grounds of Charlton Hall Estate, also in Alnwick, which will now open in May. It will comprise of 15 guest bedrooms, including a boutique suite and two junior suites on the second floor, with views across the private 150-acre country estate. Director Mark Gubbins added: “Our recent financial performance wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing team, and their past efforts have given us a fantastic platform to launch yet more exciting venues. While we’re all focused on making the Tempus the place to be, plans are already in place to open a further wedding venue in the near future, situated in our Walled Garden at Charlton Hall, in addition to an exciting new venture in the village of Bamburgh. Finally, plans are being undertaken to create a luxurious spa that will outrival any in the north of England, so it’s certainly going to be a busy, and exciting, few years at The Doxford Group.” Managing director and owner, Richard Shell, added: “Since opening our wedding and events venue, Charlton Hall, in 2017, my vision has been to expand our offering and guest experience – something we can now offer thanks to The Tempus.”

 

Six By Nico lines up Leeds opening: The team behind the Six by Nico restaurant business has lined up an opening in Leeds for its eponymous brand, Propel has learned. The business is understood to be lined up to take space at 9 East Parade in the city. E3 Architecture, part of Mayfair Group Investment, submitted plans to create a “prestigious” bar on the lower ground floor of the building and a restaurant with a theatre kitchen on the ground floor. The upper levels would be transformed into a shared office space with a roof terrace built-in restaurant and meeting areas. Last month, Six by Nico opened a third site under its eponymous concept in Glasgow, taking Scottish-Italian chef Nico Simeone’s total UK portfolio to 11. In January, the company announced it was set to open four new sites under its core brand, as well as new bar and bakery ventures, and an international launch, on the back of a “robust financial performance”. Last month, bakery concept Valaria opened in Glasgow’s West End, and the business has also been linked with opening a new bar venture in Aberdeen under the umbrella name Somewhere Bars. Earlier this week, the company announced the opening of a new location for its Beat 6 concept, in Milngavie Road, Glasgow. Diners enjoying a monthly rotating four-course set menu will be invited to “dine to donate”, with profits going to the Beatson Cancer Charity. The original Beat 6 was opened in Glasgow’s East End in late 2021 and helped to raise more than £350,000 for the Beatson before closing in October last year.

 

McDonald’s raises menu prices again with second increase in six weeks: McDonald’s has put up the price of a number of menu items again – its second increase in just six weeks. The Mirror reported that McDonald’s only gave one exact example – its black and white coffee, which is going up in price by 20p, from 99p to £1.19. A spokesperson told The Mirror that McDonald’s “chose to pass on much of” the temporary VAT cut for businesses in 2020 and had until now “maintained those lowered prices across our coffee range”. “Although we have now made a small change to these prices, the price of black and white coffee remains below that of early 2020 – and is actually comparable to price in the majority of our restaurants in 2010,” they added. The latest increase comes after McDonald’s increased the price of five single menu items last month – mayo chicken: 99p to £1.19 (up 20%), bacon mayo chicken: £1.59 to £1.79 (up 12.6%), bacon double cheeseburger: £2.49 to £2.69 (up 8%), triple cheeseburger: £2.69 to £2.89 (up 7.4%) and medium fizzy drink: £1.39 to £1.49 (up 7.1%).

 

The Arts Club narrows losses as turnover approaches pre-pandemic levels, £4.6m Ebitda ‘higher than anticipated’: The Arts Club in London’s Dover Street narrowed it losses in the year ending 31 December 2021, as turnover approached pre-pandemic levels. Its pre-tax losses fell from £5,272,841 in 2020 to £498,227. This compares with a profit of £693,200 in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 29 December 2019. Turnover rose from £16,158,108 in 2020 to £21,683,359, which compares with £26,639,873 in 2019. It received £851,061 in government grants compared with £1,809,037 in 2020. Ebitda for the year increased from £1,199,572 to £4,602,498, which the company said was “higher than anticipated” and is above the £3,526,367 reported in 2019. In his statement accompanying the accounts, director Remy Lyse said: “Despite the positive operating Ebitda recorded this year, the company and its directors have decided to apply a considerable impairment against the intercompany loan that The Arts Club, being a guarantor of [joint venture company] Artslans Urban, has currently on its books. The additional loan amount of circa £2.8m in the year has been fully provided for. This has, however, impacted our net asset position. At 31 December 2021, the company had net liabilities of £309,788 (2020: net assets of £204,140). The company also applied for and obtained £1.4m through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to better support the transitionary period. Membership revenues, which normally represent 40% of the business, surged to 45% (2020: 56%) due to a steady and continuous inflow of renewals, corroborated by some newly elected members who joined, despite the unstable year. It is worth mentioning the resignation ratio has been remarkably low compared with the period pre-pandemic (3% versus 9%).” The company said these memberships were boosted by online events, podcasts, and virtual networking during the lockdowns, securing funds that were used to subsidise those staff salaries not covered by furlough, to the tune of £800,000. During the year, salaries increased by 16% at all non-managerial levels, and the referral fee payable to staff to help attract new talent was enhanced. The Arts Club features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. Its turnover of £21,683,359 is the 262nd highest in the database. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. 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.

 

Bob & Berts appoints John McLaughlin as group finance director: Cafe brand Bob & Berts has appointed John McLaughlin as its new group finance director, Propel has learned. McLaughlin joins the 25-strong, BGF-backed business after more than four years as finance director at the Belfast-based Karro Food Group, and prior to that, a year and a half as financial controller of the Dunbia Group. He joins Bob & Berts as it continues to look to add to its estate in England. The business, co-founded by Colin McClean and David Ferguson, recently submitted plans to take over a vacant unit in Blackpool's Houndshill Centre. A decade on from opening their first shop in Portstewart, McClean and Ferguson are halfway to their goal of reaching 50 stores. The current portfolio includes 14 coffee shops in Northern Ireland, six in Scotland and five in England. In November, Ferguson told the Propel Multi-Club Conference that Bob & Berts plans seven openings this year.

 

Birmingham Indian street food concept on course for 25 sites by end of 2023: Birmingham Indian street food concept Karak Chaii is on course to grow to 25 sites by the end of 2023. The company’s 15th site is due to open early next month, in Southall, west London. This will be followed by site number 16, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, by the end of April. Strategic advisor Paolo Peretti, a former retail managing director for Patisserie Valerie, said: “We have Southall opening early next month and Bolton to follow before the end of April, which takes us to 16 stores and sees us on course to be up to 20 stores by the summer. I’m still hopeful we will have in excess of 25 stores by the end of the year.” A Bradford site is also in the pipeline for the concept, which last month opened in Leamington Spa.

 

Fuller’s opens Cotswolds pub: Fuller’s has opened The Willow in Bourton-on-the-water, in the Cotswolds, which it acquired last year. The pub, which has a separate restaurant area, a small snug and a large outdoor dining area next to the River Windrush, has undergone a full refurbishment. The menu includes seasonal and locally sourced ingredients such as Bibury Farm baked trout, as well as sandwiches, Sunday roasts and a selection of cakes, available from 11am every day, while the bar offers premium wine and spirits, craft beer and cask ale. Fred Turner, Fuller’s retail director, said: “I am delighted to be opening The Willow – a beautiful pub in an equally stunning location. Our manager, Tom Carty, and his team are great assets to the Fuller’s family and have worked tirelessly to ensure guests at The Willow have an outstanding experience.” 

 

Crust Bros set for double London opening next month: London pizza concept Crust Bros is opening two sites in the capital next month. The company will launch its fourth restaurant, at Boxpark Shoreditch, on Tuesday, 11 April, followed by its fifth, at Incipio Group’s The Prince in West Brompton, on Friday, 21 April. Founder Joe Moore first thought up the concept in 2014 after becoming obsessed with the Italian methods of pizza making. Following a six-week tour of Italy, he began selling pizza at London street food markets. The first bricks and mortar Crust Bros site opened in Waterloo in 2017, and it has since added sites at Sambrook’s brewery tap, part of the Ram Quarter development in Wandsworth, and at Boxpark Croydon.

 

Midlands gourmet chicken wings concept opens fourth site: Midlands gourmet chicken wings concept Wingtrapp has opened its fourth site, in Coventry. It has opened at 4 Cross Cheaping Street, offering dine-in, click and collect and delivery for its halal menu. The concept’s first site opened in Leicester’s Granby Street in 2018, followed by its first franchise venue, in a former Subway store on the corner of Newhall Street and Grear Charles Queensway in Birmingham, in 2022. It also opened a 40-cover site at 5 Midland Way, Nottingham, last month.

 

Meat-free and mindful drinking headline new menu from Gusto Italian: Premium casual dining restaurant group Gusto Italian launches its new spring/summer menu this month after undertaking consumer research to better understand evolving dining trends among its customer base. Delivered by customer experience dashboard Feed it Back, the survey of Gusto Italian guests has shown a continued rise in consumers seeking meat-free menu items and mindful drinking options when eating out. The 14-strong company said the research indicated that, compared with the wider population, Gusto Italian diners over-index towards dining trends including ethical and sustainability conscious, healthy eating, vegetarian and flexitarian. It said this has helped guide menu development for the group. The new seasonal menu has also been inspired by research trips to Italy, led by chief executive Matt Snell and executive chef Graham Kirk. It has launched a vegan steak made from plant-based proteins, coconut oil and beetroot seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices. The business has also invested in the development of a “mindful drinking” menu featuring new low and no-alcohol cocktails.

 

Artfarm adds restaurant and fishmonger concept to its Scottish estate: Artfarm, the hospitality company run by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, which acquired the iconic Groucho Club in London last year, has added a new restaurant and fishmonger concept to its portfolio in Scotland. The business, which also owns The Fife Arms in Braemar and The Audley in Mayfair, will open Fish Shop in the village of Ballater, Royal Deeside, next month. Celebrating the heritage and traditions of fishing in Scotland, Fish Shop will offer freshly caught seafood sourced from day and short-trip boats, as well as creel-caught and hand-dived crustacea. Managed by husband-and-wife team Marcus and Jasmine Sherry, the new venture will offer a “modern, laid-back 40-cover seafood restaurant as well as the adjoining fishmonger”. The restaurant menu will focus on the shellfish and day boat fish, with the addition of select game, meat and vegetables from surrounding farms and estates.

 

Belgium-based VR experience concept The Park Playground confirms Birmingham opening: The Park Playground, the Belgium-based, virtual reality experience concept which made its debut in the UK at the end of last year, has confirmed it will open a site in Birmingham. Founded in 2018, the business operates 12 sites across Belgium and Holland and made its debut in the UK in December, in Leeds. It will follow this up with an opening later this year at Brindleyplace, Birmingham. The company has taken a ten-year lease on a 5,000 square-foot unit overlooking the canal. A site in Manchester is also understood to be under consideration. The launch in the UK is part of plans to expand the concept across western Europe and into the US. The business said: “We offer large free-room fields of about 100-300 square metres to play virtual reality in groups. Our locations have a comfy atmosphere, a cosy bar, meeting rooms and intro booth games to learn all the tricks to prepare for the bigger game experience. Our games vary from family games to competitive shooters to escape rooms.” Peter Vindevogel, chief executive of The Park Playground, said: “We’ve had our eye on Birmingham for some time, and to find a location as accessible and thriving as Brindleyplace gives us huge confidence that our first Midlands venue will be just as successful as the 12 we already operate as we expand our offering across the UK.”

 

Cantinetta Antinori to make London debut next month: The historic Italian winemaking Antinori family will open its first London-based Cantinetta Antinori restaurant next month. The restaurant chain, which first opened in Florence in 1957 and has since expanded to Zurich, Vienna, Moscow and Monte Carlo, will launch at 4 Harriet Street, adjacent to Sloane Street, on Monday, 24 April. Occupying 3,700 square feet over three storeys, it will feature 25 seats on the ground floor and 58 on the first floor, including ten in a private dining room. The restaurant will offer relaxed all-day Tuscan dining, plus fine wine and live jazz each evening. Dishes will include hand-made pasta plus cacio e pepe and tiramisu; pappa al pomodoro; crispy octopus with potato cream; farro salad with fried squid; and fettunta with kale. The company is now led by its 26th generation, sisters Albiera, Allegra and Alessia Antinori. The London opening will see the Antinoris partner with the Giraudi family, led by Riccardo Giraudi, which has more than 32 restaurants in cities such as Paris, Monaco, Mexico and Hong Kong.

 

Tommy Banks provides details for new pub with rooms in North Yorkshire: Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks will open his new pub with rooms, the Abbey Inn, in North Yorkshire in May. The new venture, which is close to his Michelin-starred restaurant The Black Swan, is scheduled to open on Friday, 26 May, and will be “a relaxed country pub with rooms”. Banks said: “Overlooking the gothic ruins of Byland Abbey in North Yorkshire, we’re working hard to give this gorgeous inn a much-needed refresh, so it’ll look a little different when we open in May. The Abbey Inn is a particularly special place for me as it is where I first started as a kitchen porter 20 years ago. I am very excited to have the chance to return this stunning venue to its former glory.” Banks also operates Roots in Marygate in York.

 

Glendola Leisure joins Zero Carbon Forum to support net zero journey: Glendola Leisure, which is owned by the Salussolia family, is the latest member to join the Zero Carbon Forum as the private hospitality group strives to meet net zero across its UK wide portfolio of hotels, pubs, coffee roasteries, restaurants and a brewery. The group has 17 venues, including several in London such as Irish pub, Waxy O’Connor’s, in the West End. Glendola Leisure has several sustainability initiatives already in place, including its award-winning hand-roasted small batch coffee. The coffee pods served in Gordon Street Coffee in Glasgow were the UK’s first 100% natural, home compostable coffee capsules. Reducing food waste across all venues is also a key focus for Glendola Leisure as it works to develop its net zero strategy. Alex Salussolia, managing director at Glendola Leisure, said: “We have taken the step to join the Zero Carbon Forum to support us on the road to net zero and to build upon some of the sustainability initiatives already in place. We know the hospitality sector has a key part to play in the overall climate issue.”

 

SSP partners with Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx for restaurant at Paris museum: UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist SSP is to open a new restaurant with Réunion des Musées Nationaux as part of the new refurbishment of Parisian museum, the Grand Palais. SSP has partnered with Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx for the venture. The restaurant, which will be located at the heart of the Grand Palais and the Palais de la Découverte, will begin trading in April 2025. Marx said; “As a child, the Grand Palais was a key source of inspiration for my imagination. It’s an honour to have visitors enjoy my food at all locations, and this new space is no different.” Gérard D’Onofrio, managing director of SSP France, added: “SSP has been part of the culinary landscape of Paris for many years, operating food and beverage both at Paris’ leading airports as well as the world famous Train Bleu. It’s exciting to be undertaking this new project at yet another Parisian flagship location.”

 

BrewDog appoints first chief supply chain officer: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog has appointed Chris Fielden as its first chief supply chain officer. The new role will cover all aspects of sourcing, production, packaging and distribution for BrewDog beer and spirits. Starting in May, Fielden will join BrewDog from Warp Snacks, the company behind the Eat Real and Proper Popcorn snacking brands, where is he is currently supply chain director. Prior to that, he spent more than six years in a similar role at Innocent Drinks, where he was responsible for establishing Innocent’s sustainable production site in the Netherlands. Fielden began his career at PepsiCo, where his roles including running the company’s juice business in Europe. James Watt, BrewDog chief executive, said: “We’re really lucky to have someone of Chris’s calibre and experience join us. This is a new role, reflecting the continuing growth of the business and the ambitions we have for the future.”

 

North Shields microbrewery goes into administration: A North Shields microbrewery has entered administration as a result of challenges in the sector including “sky-high utilities”. Swaddle was established in April 2017 and traded initially as a microbrewery with an on-site tap room at Royal Quays. The business then expanded to open the Storm Cellar in Whitley Bay and the Black Storm Tap in Newcastle. Prior to the pandemic, the company generated a turnover of about £2.5m. However, lockdowns and restrictions “severely disrupted trading” and the two bars were closed to reduce losses. Mark Ranson and Emma Mifsud, of Opus Restructuring, were appointed administrators on 20 March 2023 as further challenges hit the business, such as the cost-of-living crisis. Debts are expected to be around £1.2m. In a statement on Black Storm Tap’s website, founder Paul Hughes, said: “Unfortunately, the journey has come to this point due to not being able to agree a course of action with our largest creditor HM Revenue & Customs, alongside the well documented issues within the brewing and hospitality industry, such as sky-high utilities and raw material costs, and the closure of a vast number of our trading partners, which we were not immune to.” Walker Singleton is now seeking interested parties for the business and assets.

Fledgling leisure concept Bike & Boot Inns to open second site in May: Bike & Boot Inns, the leisure concept from former Devonshire Hotels & Restaurants managing director Simon Rhatigan and wine merchant and restaurateur Simon Kershaw, will open its long-awaited second site later this spring. Plans for the concept’s second hotel in the Hope Valley, part of the Peak District National Park, were approved at the start of 2021. The new 60-bedroom hotel will open on Friday, 26 May and feature The Bareca – a bar-restaurant-café, professional dog grooming room and secure cycle storage and service area. It will follow the opening of the 65-bedroom Bike & Boot in Scarborough, which launched in July 2020. Kershaw said: “We are delighted to be bringing Bike & Boot to the Peak District following on from the success of the Scarborough hotel. Bike & Boot Peak District is a new leisure hotel fit for the 21st century, offering great value and facilities for leisure breaks.”