Rekom aiming for three quarters of UK portfolio to be pubs and bars, looking at competitive socialising acquisition, cost-of-living crisis ‘definitely being felt’: Rekom UK chairman Peter Marks has told Propel the business is aiming for three quarters of its portfolio to be made up of pubs and bars as it looks to widen its audience. Speaking following the company’s full-year results, where it reported revenue increased to £97.8m, Marks also said the cost-of-living crisis was “definitely being felt”. Marks said: “We have 42 nightclubs and 11 bars. We plan to get to 200 sites in the UK, which I have said before, but I won’t put a timescale on it. I think that will be 150 bars and 50 clubs. We’re now getting towards the number of clubs we want – there’s just a few cities where we feel we can still go. We tried to buy Revolution in 2017 because we wanted to get into that bar space. With Proud Mary and Heidi’s Beer Bar, we’ve brought two fantastic Scandinavian concepts to the UK that are trading very well. They’ve got the same DNA as our nightclubs, but are something of a ‘party bar’, and that is allowing us to widen our audience beyond that 18-30 age group. We want to be part of that town centre jigsaw – make sure we are the best at the part we do.” Marks also said it was also looking at the possibility of adding a competitive socialising business to its portfolio. “It’s again about widening that age demographic, “ he added. “Competitive socialising has been a fantastic shot in the arm for the industry.” Marks said 2023 would mostly be a period of consolidation “making sure we have the right product at the right price”, but said he still hopes to grow the business this year. “We are seeing that people are feeling the pinch – the cost-of-living crisis is definitely being felt,” he added. “We seem to be in a permanent state of headwinds of one form or another. It’s tough early week – getting footfall on Monday and Tuesday is hard work. Fridays and Saturdays are ok. We’re just trying to put in a bit more entertainment and also a bit more discounting in that early part of the week where appropriate, and that’s something we are looking at a local level.” Marks described 2022 as a “year of two halves” with the first six months still affected by the covid pandemic. But he added: “This is a resilient industry – we’ve seen this sort of thing before and we learn to cope with it. We are an entrepreneurial bunch.”

 

Updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies released today, 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 today (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.

 

BBPA – average pub will need to increase turnover by at least 11% to breakeven following end of energy support: The average pub will need to increase turnover by at least 11% just to breakeven as energy support ends, the British Beer & Pub Association has warned. It comes as the trade body again called for the need for energy suppliers to renegotiate “sky-high” contracts for businesses, especially with energy prices, on average, lower now than they were in March 2022. BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Pubs across the country are on the edge of closure due to extortionate energy costs and absolutely nothing is being done to stop it. Business owners are dreading the end of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, with the average pub needing to increase their turnover by 11% overnight from 30 March to 1 April just to breakeven. It isn’t right that suppliers are now paying less for energy, and yet small, community-minded pubs are still being forced to pay inflated rates to heat their buildings and keep their lights on. Pubs are completely out of options and are reducing staff and opening hours to try and save money, but even that is not enough because the energy costs are so incredibly high. The government must step in and insist suppliers offer renegotiations for businesses trapped in outrageously expensive contracts or risk many facing ruin in the coming weeks and months.” A total of 550 pubs permanently closed during 2022, more than in 2021 or 2020. 

 

Government publishes bill for business rates overhaul: The government has introduced a bill in parliament to overhaul the business rates system in favour of more frequent revaluations. In a statement, it said the measures being put forward will review and reform business rates in England, making them fairer and more responsive to changes in the market. The Non-Domestic Rating Bill will introduce legislation to ensure valuations take place every three years instead of the current five, and that will mean those with falling values will see their bills drop sooner. The bill will also provide new business rates improvement relief, so businesses making qualifying building improvements will not face higher business rates bills for 12 months. The government said this will make it easier for businesses to invest with new reliefs for property improvements. Local government minister Lee Rowley said the bill delivers the reforms announced during its business rates review. He added: “We are bringing the administration of the tax up to date and making the system more responsive to changes in the economy, and introducing new support to reduce barriers to business investment. This is another step in the right direction for making sure the UK continues levelling up and supports businesses to grow and flourish. The bill will build on recent steps to cut business rates, with £13.6bn of support announced at the autumn statement, and to redistribute the tax through the 2023 revaluation.” Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Changes to valuation appeals processes and more transparency are also vital and the improvement relief will encourage more retailers to invest in their properties. These are all positive changes, but the job is not done. Government’s focus must remain on reducing the rates burden, enabling more local communities across the country to thrive.”

 

Welsh tourism tax will raise tax burden on its businesses, UKHospitality warns: The Welsh tourism tax will only serve to raise the tax burden on businesses, UKHospitality has warned. The Welsh government has said it is moving ahead with plans to introduce a “visitor levy” in the country, with local authorities having powers to introduce it in their areas. The plans will need to be rubber-stamped by the Senedd before they are introduced but are likely to get passed. “This tax on beds is widely opposed by the accommodation sector in Wales, which sees it as anti-competitive and another restriction on an industry in the midst of its recovery and rebuilding efforts,” said David Chapman, UKHospitality Cymru’s executive director. “It’s deeply disappointing that it is proceeding, particularly when more than three-quarters of respondents disagreed that local authorities should have discretionary levy powers. While the Welsh government is right that visitor levies are common around the world, what it fails to mention is that in those countries they have a significantly lower level of VAT and other taxes incurred by British hospitality. The introduction of this tourist tax simply raises the tax burden on our businesses even higher to punitive levels compared with the rest of the world, making us yet more uncompetitive compared to similar destinations.” UKHospitality Cymru and the British Beer & Pub Association insisted any funds raised must be ringfenced and channelled back into infrastructure that supports the tourism industry.

 

Plans for rail pass for UK staycationers axed over cost concerns: Plans to boost domestic tourism by introducing a rail pass for British staycationers have been axed. The idea was initially heralded by the government as a way to help struggling businesses get back on their feet as the final covid restrictions were being lifted in the summer of 2021, but extensive consultations since have found the plan would not be commercially viable, reports The Guardian. Hospitality and tourism groups said they were disappointed by the move, while Labour said the “shambolic” state of the railways was harming interconnectivity. The special ticket was intended to be modelled on the BritRail pass, which is sold through VisitBritain and allows foreign tourists unlimited journeys on most train lines across England, Wales and Scotland. It is sold as a way of encouraging visitors to travel to attractions across the country, letting them “discover the hidden gems of Britain any time, on any train” and at “great value for money”. In an update to the tourism recovery plan released this month, the department said the “domestic rail tourism product” had been axed. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Throughout the pandemic we saw staycations rise in popularity, and a dedicated rail pass would have been a great way to incentivise consumers to continue spending time travelling and visiting places across the UK.”

 

UKHospitality Scotland urges new first minister to pause Deposit Return Scheme to ‘reset and repair’ relationship with sector: UKHospitality Scotland has urged new first minister Humza Yousaf to commit to pausing and reviewing the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), as a first step in mending the relationship with businesses. UKHospitality Scotland executive director Leon Thompson said: “It’s no secret there are enormous challenges facing our sector, particularly the looming introduction of the DRS and the proposals to heavily restrict alcohol marketing and promotion, all in addition to the energy, food and drink inflation venues are grappling with. It’s positive the first minister committed during his campaign that he would provide an initial exemption from DRS for small businesses but I would urge him to go further and pause the scheme completely, in order to conduct a full review. There is a real need for the first minister to reset and repair the Scottish government’s relationship with business, which has been incredibly fractious over the past few years, and pausing DRS would be a significant sign that he recognises that. Scottish hospitality is already a huge part of our economy and Scotland’s tourism offering but it can do so much more with the right support.”

 

Purple Story launches sector leadership skills programme: Entrepreneurial learning consultancy Purple Story is launching a sector leadership skills programme, aimed at helping ease hospitality’s job vacancy crisis. Its Transition Development Programme looks to help businesses inspire, develop and retain leadership teams and is aimed at those ready to transition from team to regional management. Developed by former Turtle Bay and Nando’s director Karen Turton and ex-UKHospitality chairman Nick Bish, it will have a particular focus on the special aptitudes required to excel in a multi-site business. Turton said: “Developing your own superstars is a non-negotiable requirement of today’s workforce. If you don’t have effective retention strategies to engage, inspire and empower your team, you are missing out on significant untapped revenue.” The programme is based at Woodland Grange in Warwickshire and runs from July to October 2023, delivering three separate modules on a seven-day residential basis. For more information, email lynda@purplestory.co.uk.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working a traditional British pub in Cambridge that is looking for a general manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The site is part of one of the UK’s biggest pub and hotel chains. As a confident leader within its forward-thinking business, you will create an environment of coaching and development for the team around you while driving the business to the next level through challenging KPIs. You will be customer focused and have a wealth of operational experience to enhance the customer journey at every point.” The salary is up to £48,000 with live-in accommodation available. For more information, email james@corecruitment.com

 

Time Out reveals failed London market plans cost more than £1m: Time Out has revealed its failed plans to build a food market in London’s Spitalfields cost more than £1m. The company – which operates markets in Lisbon, Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago, Montreal and Dubai – had planned to create a venue with 12 permanent kitchens in Commercial Street in Spitalfields. But following a six-year-long dispute over planning permission, it scrapped those plans in February, blaming Tower Hamlets Council’s choice to defer its planning decision after rejecting an earlier application and a subsequent appeal. Time Out’s half-year report revealed the plans cost more than £1m. The company had also intended to create a market in Waterloo, but pulled those plans because of the impact of covid-19. That project cost the group £696,000. Markets were the main source of Time Out’s £39.5m in revenue for the six months ending 31 December 2022, with the period of uninterrupted trading leading to net revenue growth of 78% to £21.2m (2021: £11.9m). Time Out Market generated an adjusted Ebitda of £1.5m (2021: £0.6m loss). Time Out said it was still committed to opening a market in London but has no specific plans in place. The company has 15 open and contracted sites with Cape Town, Vancouver and Riyadh management agreements signed in the period; a lease agreement for a market in Barcelona signed post-period end; and a “strong pipeline of locations in advanced negotiations”. Construction has begun in both the Porto and Cape Town sites, which are set to open towards the end of 2023.

 

Wingstop set to launch in Chelmsford as it eyes double-figure openings in 2023: Lemon Pepper Holdings, which is rolling out Wingstop across the UK, is set to launch a site in Chelmsford, Essex, as it eyes double-figure openings in 2023. The restaurant, which will be located at Gray’s Brewery Yard, 5 Springfield Road, is scheduled to open in late May or early June. “We are thrilled to have secured our latest location in Chelmsford, especially in the face of strong competition for the subject unit,” said Lemon Pepper Holdings director Tom Grogan. “We’ve seen incredible success and growth of the brand since launching in the UK in 2018, and we’re excited to continue that momentum with the opening of our newest location.” The opening in Chelmsford will bring Wingstop’s UK portfolio to 32 locations, including restaurants also scheduled to open in Cardiff and Beckton Retail Park. It follows a year of “aggressive development” for the brand, with 2022 seeing 11 new locations open, headcount increase to circa 1,000 and more than 2.2 million customers served. It expects to exceed those development numbers in 2023, with several new locations already secured for the year.

 

Miss Millie’s Fried Chicken branches out into garage forecourt sector: Miss Millie’s Fried Chicken has struck a deal to branch out into the garage forecourt sector. It has entered into a franchise partnership with Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator. The deal will see Miss Millie’s on the forecourt of petrol stations across the UK for the first time, with the first of the stores set to open in May, in Somerset, as it looks to become a nationally recognised brand over the coming years. The new stores will also see the roll-out of Miss Millie’s new brand, instore design and menu, including a range of chicken burgers, wraps, hot wings, tenders, churros and waffles. Carl Traill, managing director for Miss Millie’s, said: “Miss Millie’s is always looking for innovative ways to bring its brand to more people, and franchise partnerships such as this are an important part of the brand’s growth over the next few years.” MFG’s food service director, Paul Deary, added: “Food to go is becoming a growing attraction to our forecourt customers. We are always looking to offer high quality and exciting products, and I believe the introduction of Miss Millie’s ‘awesome chicken’ range will prove to be a success.” Founded in 1988, Miss Millie’s has 11 branches across the UK and last year signed a franchise deal with Scoffs Group, the largest Costa Coffee franchisee in the UK. The first site under the agreement opened in Southampton last autumn. Miss Millie’s features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, 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.

 

Pub company Lunar to open third London site: Lunar, the fledgling London pub company from Hubert Beatson-Hird and Oliver Marlowe, is to open a third pub in the capital, in Clapham Old Town. Located at 13-19 Old Town, the 2,000 square-foot Apollo Arms site will accommodate up to 100 covers inside, with an additional 70 outside in the alfresco garden terrace. Split into a number of distinct sections – including a dining room, bar, snug, and games room with TV screens – the site, which will open later this spring, follows the group’s two other sites – The Hunter’s Moon in South Kensington and Ganymede in Belgravia. Trading daily, the new pub and dining room, like its sister pubs, will offer an extensive range of wine, beer and spirits alongside contemporary cocktails. Beatson-Hird said: “The Apollo Arms is our most ambitious site to date, and I’m incredibly proud we’re in a position to grow despite the challenges the industry continues to face. Clapham is such a buzzy neighbourhood and I’m confident our blend of accessible yet elevated hospitality, regular events and inviting interiors will go down a treat in the area.” Marlowe added: “Our ethos is to offer high quality modern yet accessible gastropub dishes in our venues, and The Apollo Arms will be no exception. While our signature dishes will be present, we are developing exciting new daily-changing dishes, an innovative brunch menu and some seasonal summer specials for the garden.”

 

Black Sheep Brewery CFO steps down: John Hunt has stepped down as chief financial officer of Black Sheep Brewery “for personal reasons”, Propel has learned. Hunt joined Black Sheep Brewery in July last year, when he replaced interim finance director Chris Kelly. Chief executive Charlene Lyons said: “I’d like to thank John for the valuable contributions he has made during his time with us and I wish him all the best for the future. We have brought in an interim chief financial officer, Anthony Hill, who is an experienced, data-driven finance leader. Having previously been at KPMG, he has held various senior roles, with a vast amount of experience across many industries, and we are delighted to have him on board.”

Nightcap launches safer together campaign as research shows 43% of 18 to 30-year-olds left on their own on night out: Nightcap – the owner of The Cocktail Club, the Adventure Bar Group and the Barrio Familia group of bars – has launched its safer together campaign as new research showed 43% of 18 to 30-year-olds had been left on their own on a night out. The findings by Nightcap showed more than half of those questioned said that they had lost their friends in a crowded venue, while 33% said their friends had left early. A quarter said they didn’t believe they would be able to tell the difference between someone who was drunk and someone who’d been spiked. In response, Nightcap has launched the campaign that will focus on customer safety and security throughout all its venues and encourage bar-goers to look out for each other. Free spiking test kits will be available behind the bar and customers will be encouraged to ask for a phone charger if they need one. As part of the campaign, Nightcap is launching a charter that includes a pledge to provide extensive training to staff, including specific training on vulnerability awareness, dispersal protocols and how to support victims of intoxication, violence, aggression, drugs and spiking if these incidents occur. Going forward, the mandatory training will form part of all company inductions and training programmes for both internal team members and external security agencies that Nightcap works with. Sarah Willingham, chief executive and founder of Nightcap, said: “This research shows that we are ‘safer together’ on nights out. At Nightcap, we are training all our staff and are committed to making sure that everyone feels safe with our new charter. I’ve spent decades in this industry and it’s work like this that really matters.”

 

Whitbread opens latest hub by Premier Inn hotel in London’s Clerkenwell, four more to follow: Whitbread has opened its latest hub by Premier Inn hotel, in London’s Clerkenwell. The opening of the 180-beroom hotel grows Whitbread’s network of hub by Premier Inn hotels to 12 in London and 15 nationwide, with a further four currently on site or in the advanced stages of planning. Chris Walton, the project and programme manager who led the development for Whitbread, said: “The hub by Premier Inn Clerkenwell hotel has proved to be one of the most technically challenging projects Whitbread has undertaken. The hotel was constructed in a very constrained location, directly above a tunnel serving a national railway line. I am very proud of what we have created here.” Three new hub by Premier Inn hotels are currently being constructed at Paddington, Marylebone and Camden, and a planning application is also being developed to create one close to Trafalgar Square, in The Strand.

 

Just Eat – office catering at all time high as corporates adopt flexible catering models: Just Eat for Business has reported a surge in demand for its flexible office catering, as businesses continue to seek “to create a collaborative and productive workforce”. The business said it had seen an order growth of 56% in the last year, driven by workers heading back into the office. It found 87% of business leaders “believe that developing the right workplace model is important or very important to their organisations success” – and are striving to achieve this through one avenue of workplace catering. Just Eat for Business said it had seen more than a third of new customer growth and a “considerable increase” in the adoption of its flexible offerings, including Just Eat Pay, the service gifting workers an allowance to order food individually when and where they need it. It said: “This has seen a 64% increase in its orders in the last year as many businesses move away from traditional catering models that fail to align with hybrid working practice and worker’s needs.” Matt Ephgrave, managing director at Just Eat for Business, said: “It’s clear ‘the return to the office’ concept is still front and centre of business strategy with leaders looking at new ways to engage, retain and attract talent. Food is a key driver in bringing people together and the proof is in the pudding – with our orders and interest in our flexible offerings continuing to grow at a rapid rate.”

 

London nightclub The Cross to open debut restaurant: London nightclub The Cross is set to launch its debut restaurant this spring. Named “Wild” as a “nod to the late-night debauchery the nightclub is famed for”, the 55-cover restaurant will serve diners a carefully curated Mediterranean menu designed for sharing. Having built a reputation in the London dance music scene between 1993 and 2007, The Cross reopened after 15 years in its new guise in September 2022. Located on the first floor of the six-storey site, the restaurant will serve a produce-led, seasonally changing menu from head chef  Luis Diego Loria Ortega, previously of Brasserie Blanc Threadneedle Street and The Ivy St John’s Wood. Gemma Reilly, co-founder of The Cross, said: “We’re creating a space where diners can relax in a comfortable, beautiful, and inclusive setting, before carrying on the party with great music across our dance spaces.”

 

Fortnum & Mason set to launch new food and drink studio: London luxury department store Fortnum & Mason is set to launch a food and drink studio on its third floor. Opening on Saturday (1 April), the purpose-built interactive space will feature a production kitchen where more than 100 of Fortnum’s chefs will test and showcase the brand’s recipes in front of customers. There will also be a programme of events hosted by both emerging and renowned local and international chefs and food and drink experts, reports Hot Dinners. The plan is to create an experiential hub where customers can join in workshops and supper clubs, taste-test the results of live cooking demonstrations and listen to discussions. The space will also be used to distil Fortnum’s new small batch “Made in Piccadilly” gin range, and will also feature bespoke hamper creation and a cook shop.

 

Leicestershire spa hotel returns to profit as turnover approaches pre-pandemic levels: Leicestershire spa hotel Ragdale Hall has reported turnover increased 265% to £19,253,735 for the year ending 26 June 2022 compared with £5,275,318 the previous year, following the first restrictive free trading period in more than two years. The figure was approaching pre-pandemic levels, with the business turning over £20,664,808 for the year ending 30 June 2019. The company made a pre-tax profit of £3,418,036 compared with a loss of £1,570,343 the year before (2019: profit of £5,336,661). Net assets increased to £16,511,953 (2021: £15,536,629). The company received £6,507 through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (2021: £3,091,865). Dividends of £1,275,536 were paid (2021: nil).

 

Bando Belly finds a new home in Brixton: Soul food fusion start-up Bando Belly has found a new home in Brixton following a fire that destroyed its original outlet, in Peckham, last year. The concept, from Naz Ramamdan and Alex Situnayake first opened at Peckham Levels in January 2021, offering food from America, the Caribbean and south east Asia. Since the fire, in May 2022, Ramamdan has been doing kitchen residences and pop-ups to help support her staff, while a successful fundraising campaign has led to a new permanent premises, at Pop Brixton. The new site opens on Saturday, 8 April, offering old favourites and new dishes such as Ban Ban Noodles (beef, chicken or mushroom and noodles tossed in a secret spicy sauce) and Bando Baggys (a seafood boil with tiger prawns, corn, baby potatoes, miso garlic butter and a choice of sauce), reports Hot Dinners.

 

Arc Inspirations gets go-ahead for Box sports bar in Nottingham: Arc Inspirations, the Martin Wolstencroft-led business, has been given the go-ahead to transform a grade II-listed building in Nottingham city centre into a 12,000 square-foot sports bar. The company has been granted planning permission by the city council to open one of its Box venues at 2-3 Thurland Street, which was formerly occupied by All Saints clothing store. Box will occupy the basement, ground and first floors of the site, which was built in 1879 and was once home to the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank. Arc Inspirations also wants to open a Manahatta cocktail bar in the former French Connection unit in Victoria Street. Earlier this month, Wolstencroft said 2023 was set to be a “transformational” year for the business, which is also set to open a Box site in Birmingham and a Manahatta venue in Newcastle.

 

Leicestershire distillery set to appoint administrators: Leicestershire distillery Union Distillers, whose parent company is set to appoint administrators, has posted its own notice of intention to appoint administrators (NOI). Union Distillers produces a range of gin, vodka and rum, as well as an absinthe and an espresso vodka liqueur, under the “Two Birds” brand. The Market Harborough company was acquired by Oxfordshire producer British Honey Company in 2021. British Honey revealed last week it had failed to secure the funds it needs to remain afloat following a protracted period of financial difficulty. The business, which has suspended trading on Aquis, said it had made “significant costs savings” but requires further funding. At the time, it was unclear what the news would mean for Union Distillers, but it too appears to be in danger. Companies are permitted to post two NOIs – which each protect them from creditors for a period of ten days – before either carrying on trading or calling it a day.

 

Buzzworks confirms fourth Scotts site to open this summer, in Greenock: Scottish independent restaurant and bar operator Buzzworks Holdings has confirmed it will open its new Scotts venue in Greenock this summer. As previously reported, the seafront venue – which will be Buzzworks’ fourth Scotts restaurant, joining ones based in Troon, Largs and South Queensferry – will be at the top of the new £19m Greenock Cruise Ship Visitor Centre on the banks of the River Clyde. The restaurant will specialise in locally landed seafood, while in-house mixologists will also develop a list of signature cocktails and carefully curated wine. A seven-figure investment from Buzzworks in the restaurant will include an open-air rooftop terrace with panoramic views across the water and capacity for 150 covers. Head of people Nicola Watt said: “Our much-anticipated renovations for the new Scotts Greenock restaurant are beginning to really take shape, so we are keen to start putting in place a team to match the world-class surroundings here at the Greenock Cruise Ship Visitor Centre.”

 

Berkshire family-owned Italian restaurant to expand with deli opening: A family-run Italian restaurant in Pangbourne is expanding its business by opening a deli across the road. Nino’s Trattoria Italiana has been open in the Berkshire village since 2013, with the family previously owning ten restaurants in Reading and across England. Nino’s was run by Nino Bartolomei before he passed away in 2018. His son, Nino Junior, is carrying on his father’s legacy in leading the team at the restaurant and now opening an Italian deli nearby this summer, reports the Reading Chronicle. A statement by Nino’s Trattoria Italiana said: “We’re opening our new permanent shop where our customers can find our beautiful Italian goods – Nino’s Italian Del. The shop will also give us the space and capacity to continue developing our online platform – where we hope to make our hampers available all year round, and with nationwide delivery options so we can spread Nino’s further.” Nino’s opened its first Berkshire restaurant in 1980 when Nino’s Market Place launched in Reading. The venue closed in 2013.

Cornish hotel and spa reports record revenue and profits following apartment sales: St Moritz (Holdings), which operates St Moritz Hotel and Spa in Trebetherick, Cornwall, reported record revenue and profits for the year ending 31 March 2022. The company, which also operates several self-catering apartments and villas, as well as two pools, a gym and two restaurants, sold six of its apartments during the year to boost turnover. Its revenue of £8,533,216 (2021: £3,523,084) and pre-tax profit of £1,049,661 (2021: £179,752) are both the highest since the company started filing accounts in 2013. It received £74,501 in government grants compared with £592,033 in 2021. In his statement accompanying the accounts, director High Ridgway said: “Included in revenue in the current year is the sale of six apartments (2021: one apartment sold). This has contributed to the large increase in revenue. Direct costs have increased. This is largely due to the sale of the apartments, which has caused a reduction to the gross profit margin (36.5% compared with 47.6% in the prior year). Despite establishment costs increasing in the year, the resort has been cost efficient, which has resulted in a reduction in administrative costs. Overall, the site achieved an operating profit of £1,093,000 (2021 minus £254,000). The group has seen a reduction in interest costs for the year of £31,000. This is due to some of the proceeds from the sale of the six apartments being used to reduce group bank borrowings.” Of the turnover figure, £3,887,000 was hotel revenue (2021: £2,755,000); £4,666,000 development revenue (2021: £768,000); £1,093,000 resort operating profit (2021: £254,000); £1,207,000 resort Ebitda (2021: £468,000); and £22,000 movement in cash (2021: £48,000).