Exclusive – St Austell Brewery enters exclusive venture with directors of London’s ETM Group: South west brewer and pub company St Austell Brewery has entered into a joint venture with the directors of ETM Group, Propel has learned. Led by Ed Martin, ETM Group operates an award-winning collection of bars, pubs, and restaurants in central London. Together, they will launch a series of premium sports bars across the west country – Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen. The first Ludo opening will be in Brunel Square in Bath. The site, next to the city’s railway station, was previously operated by St Austell Brewery as Graze. Ludo will open on Monday, 15 May following a four-week closure and refurbishment. The partnership will “combine St Austell Brewery’s knowledge and understanding of the south west with Martin’s proven concept and operational expertise”. St Austell Brewery’s brands will be available in all Ludo venues, as well as craft beer from north Cornwall’s Harbour Brewing. St Austell Brewery took a minority share in Harbour – a fellow independent brewery – last year, to help make the company’s beer more widely available. Kevin Georgel, chief executive of St Austell Brewery, said: “We are excited to be working with Ed and the team at Ludo. The combination of their premium sports retail expertise and our award-winning beer portfolio is compelling and has significant growth potential. Sport brings people together, and we recognise the growing appeal of watching live events in inspiring venues while enjoying great food, great beer and great company. We’re pleased to be launching our new joint venture in Bath, a city with strong sporting pedigree.” Martin added: “As operator of the leading premium sports bar business in London, we are keen to take our experience to new markets outside of London. With Kevin and the team at St Austell Brewery, we have found the perfect joint venture partners who have a deep understanding of the west country and brands that resonate strongly with our target consumer. We are confident this combination will enable Ludo to rapidly expand across the west country and beyond.”

 

Sponsored message – live entertainment management platform Surreal launches in UK: Surreal, the global live entertainment management system, has launched in the UK with the backing of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). Clients include Boxpark, Dirty Bones, Vauxhall Comedy Club, East London Pub Co and Eclectic Pubs and Bars. The platform, which already does 50,000 gigs every year, “saves general managers 338 hours annually and is designed to streamline messy live entertainment workflows”. With a focus on efficiency and speed, the platform automates live entertainment tasks for operations, marketing and finance that “results in increased collaboration and efficiency across a venue or group”. Ben Mclaughlin, chief operating officer of Boxpark, said: “The flexibility and simplicity of Surreal adds another level to our business, allowing our team greater visibility of bookings and a streamlining of our payment processes.” Surreal has partnered with the NTIA to help grow the amount of live entertainment happening in the UK. The partnership centres around helping both venues and artists discover each other and manage their live entertainment in a more streamlined manner. Michael Kill, NTIA chief executive, said: “Our partnership with Surreal is the first step in supporting new music and talent coming into our industry, by leveraging a seamless technology platform which has been hugely successful overseas.” If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Two days to go before next edition of The New Openings Database release, to show details on 110 new sites, 5,000-word report included: The next edition of The New Openings Database will show the details of 110 newly announced site openings and upcoming launches for Premium subscribers when it is published on Thursday (6 April), at midday, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis, and the next edition features growing restaurant and bakery brands, niche cuisine, and expanding experiential concepts. Premium subscribers will also receive a 5,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to four other databases: the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; 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 £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. The single subscription rate is £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 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.

Sacha Lord urges Ofgem to launch intervention to prevent business closures following exit fees ‘scandal’: Sacha Lord, the night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, has called on Ofgem to launch an urgent intervention to prevent business closures. He has urged the regulatory body to investigate and support the cancellation of exit fees for small and medium businesses, as the pressures of soaring energy bills grow. With the government's energy support scheme significantly scaled back, industry leaders have predicted the closure of thousands of venues across the UK. Lord believes a “national scandal” is on the horizon, with venues that locked into contracts at the peak of the energy crisis last year being left without government subsidy in the face of excessive unit costs. He said one Greater Manchester pizzeria, Dokes, has been asked to pay a £32,000 exit fee to terminate its contract with its supplier. “As energy prices soared last year, we saw a host of providers decline to take on new contracts from the hospitality industry,” Lord said. “This inevitably led to a black market, where businesses were pressured into signing up to energy contracts far beyond their means. We are now seeing these providers charging unwarranted prices for gas and electricity, and even more concerning are the extortionate exit fees being summoned as business owners now try to renegotiate terms. Ofgem was set up to protect consumers and improve the energy system, but they are currently doing neither. We urgently require intervention from Ofgem to investigate these providers and provide a realistic pathway for businesses who, without help, will undoubtedly fall into bankruptcy.”

More than 30 sector companies sign up to new hospitality well-being and development promise: More than 30 sector companies have signed up to the new Hospitality Well-being and Development Promise, set up by the industry. Spearheaded by the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Board and supported by government, the promise is designed to ensure all team members are given the opportunity to thrive within a supportive and positive workplace. All hospitality businesses are eligible to sign up and demonstrate their commitment to the training, development and well-being of their staff by joining those already on board. As well as a commitment by businesses, a wide range of guidance to help businesses deliver a better workplace environment is being made available. Signatories so far include Brewhouse & Kitchen, Greene King, Parkdean Resorts and The Big Table Group, as well as sector trade bodies. Steve Richards, chair of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Board and chief executive of Parkdean Resorts, said: “Hospitality is a people business at its heart, and taking care of our staff must be everyone’s top priority. Growing our own talent is so important, and ensuring we offer the right support for our staff is critical. As employers, we have a duty of care to look out for our teams’ mental health and well-being, and it’s our responsibility to take this seriously, in addition to the formal training we all offer. I would urge every hospitality business to sign up to the promise, and together we can show that hospitality is one of the most supportive, inclusive and rewarding places to work.”

The Good Food Guide to relaunch Best Local Restaurant Awards: The Good Food Guide is set to relaunch its Best Local Restaurant Awards. Launched in 2009, the search for “the country’s best restaurant you might not have heard of” is back after a four-year hiatus. Nominations open on Wednesday, 12 April, for six weeks for diners across Britain to champion their favourite neighbourhood restaurants. A shortlist will be formed once nominations close, followed by anonymous inspections. This, in turn, will be followed by the announcement of regional winners, and finally the overall winner, at the end of June. Elizabeth Carter, editor of the Guide, said: “A commitment to their community and a strong relationship with local suppliers is what makes a restaurant truly local. Unearthing brilliant local restaurants through reader feedback is how the Guide began back in 1951, and what makes it so special today.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a luxury hospitality concept opening in west London this spring that is looking for a general manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will have launched premium restaurants but also have experience with chef’s table, events space and dealing directly with owners who dominate in their profession. The restaurant has a projected 100 covers, with a further 60 for the garden. You will have new openings experience and be excited to be involved in a high-end project, and can demonstrate this experience in your skill set. You will have the ability to build and retain a team. The business is looking for someone who can embed culture and be able to deliver the owners’ vision for the venue, which is expected to have a turnover of £5m.” The salary is up to £100,000. For more information, email kate@corecruitment.com

 

Former McDonald’s UK COO’s franchise operation passes £100m turnover: Fortress Operations, the franchise operation founded by former McDonald’s UK chief operating officer Jonathan Forte, passed the £100m turnover landmark in the year ending 31 March 2022. The company, which operates 30 McDonald’s restaurants across Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, reported turnover of £124,781,562 for the period, up from £84,609,712 in 2021. It made a pre-tax profit of £8,202,128, up from £4,577,778 in 2021. The company received £56,004 in government grants compared to £7,029,981 in 2021. It employed 3,049 people during the year, up from 2,719 in 2021. Forte, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “Trading conditions are expected to remain competitive. The company does, however, anticipate continued expansion and increased revenues, both through increased turnover and profitability and by the acquisition of further restaurants. The company is committed to continuing to invest in its restaurants to upgrade both their appearance and the equipment used within them, in order to improve both the customers and employees experience.” Forte started out with McDonald’s 30 years ago, as trainee manager to the director of operations, before spending eight years as its chief operations officer and senior vice president UK & Northern Europe. In 2016, he returned to his home town of Reading to start up his own McDonald’s franchise, starting out with four restaurants in the Berkshire town. It has now grown to be, according to Forde, “the largest conventional McDonald's franchisee organisation in Europe”. Fortress Operations features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. Its turnover of £124,781,562 is the 54th highest in the database. Its pre-tax profit of £8,202,128 is the 61st 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.

The Gentlemen Baristas plan growth outside of London and launch of new coffee school: Coffee company The Gentlemen Baristas has told Propel it is planning growth outside of London as well as launching a new coffee school. The company, which last month opened a new 12,000 square-foot roastery and experience centre in London’s Stratford, currently has nine coffee houses in the capital, as well as a fast-growing wholesale operation. Co-founder Henry Ayers said: “We’re in a really good place to expand now, but not too quickly as we’ve seen the mistakes people have made in the past. We want to make sure it’s viable and sustainable so we don’t dilute the brand. There’s always been a plan to look at some of the university towns, and there’s thoughts of expansion beyond London once we’re settled here and got the wholesale team in place. At the moment, wholesale is the priority, and we’ll probably open a few more houses in London, but there’s always been a plan to open coffee houses elsewhere. But the last thing we want to do is open in, say, Oxford or Manchester, and have people say it’s not the same as in London. We’re very strict on how we expand and it’s got to be the same offer we deliver in London.” The coffee school will be based at the new roastery and experience centre, acting as a hub for the whole industry. It will offer coffee-based education, to Speciality Coffee Association standards and UK Barista Championship specifications, to staff, customers and the whole coffee community. “Education is going to be huge going forwards,” said Ayers. “We want to have an open door policy – our plans is to help anyone in any way we can. Recruitment is a nightmare and the industry as a whole is in dire need. People everywhere are struggling to get the calibre of staff, so if we can help train people then that’s great.” Also in the pipeline is expanding the brand’s presence at festivals and events. “We tested the water with events last year and it’s going incredibly well,” Ayers added. “We’ve just won a contract for Pub in the Park, which is a ten-site venue running from June to September, and opens up the door to a demographic that may not have heard of us.”

Flat Iron acquires Manchester site for possible 2023 opening: Flat Iron, the Piper-backed affordable steak concept, has acquired the lease on a site in Manchester for a possible opening later this year, Propel has learned. The Tom Byng-led business has taken a 4,000 square-foot space at 200 Deansgate, which is currently occupied by Blacks, the outdoor clothing and equipment brand. Byng said “We’ve long admired the restaurant scene in Manchester and are looking forward to joining some of the fellow operators we’ve got to know over the years, as well as making new friends. We’re lucky to have a beautiful space with many period features, which we’re determined to do justice to. It’s a really exciting opportunity for us.” Flat Iron, which is backed by Piper Private Equity, recently opened its 12th restaurant, at Young Street, Kensington, and is due to open at Market Street in Cambridge this summer, for its regional debut.

Le Bab co-founder to launch sandwich concept: Sam Brotchie, co-founder of kebab restaurant concept Le Bab, is launching his own venture. Brotchie is launching sandwich concept Sexy Buns, with the first site set to open at Market Halls’ venue in London’s Oxford Street on Monday, 10 April. Inspired by his parents’ old sandwich shop Brotchie’s in Fulham, Brotchie will “take the humble sandwich to the next level”. The sandwich menu will include house-cured organic salt beef, house pickles, crispy baby gem with hot mustard and creamy horseradish; and Thai style chicken red curry, crips Asian salad, kaffir lime leaf, Thai basil, coriander and crispy shallots topped with spicy sauce chilli oil. Sexy Buns will also support charity Feed Memories, which since being founded by Brotchie in 2020, has fed more than 15,000 homeless people in London. Brotchie said: “My love of sandwiches started from that young age when my parents had Brotchie’s. Every day, I was lucky enough to have one in my packed lunch, which would make all my friends very jealous because they were so delicious. Everyone loves a good sandwich, and I am delighted we can all now enjoy one in London.” Founder and chief executive at Market Halls, Andy Lewis-Pratt, added: “We pride ourselves on selecting the best of London’s street food and helping new concepts to launch. Sexy Buns is an exciting new addition.” Le Bab operates six sites across the capital, along with Kebab Queen in Covent Garden.

Escapism Bars targets national expansion: Escapism Bars, the Leeds bar business founded in 2004 by husband-and-wife team Phil and Mel Harrison, is targeting national expansion, with a host of new venues in the pipeline. Over nearly two decades, the Harrisons have opened seven themed bars in the city: Tiki Hideaway, Call Lane Social, The Maven, Cuckoo, Brooklyn, Verve and Mean-Eyed Cat. The business is now looking to move into new regions, with several openings planned over the next few years. In its first venture in a different city, a second Mean-Eyed Cat bar recently launched in Seel Street in Liverpool. Escapism Bars has also set its sights on Manchester, with a venue due to be opened in the Northern Quarter in September. By 2025, the company plans to open venues in Birmingham, Sheffield and Nottingham. Grant Dexter, managing director at Escapism Bars, said: “Our company's ambition is to be the UK's most loved group of bars. Everyone still wants to have a good time and escape reality, and that's exactly what we work hard on offering. We can’t wait to embark on our upcoming journey of expansion and bring our party offering to other cities around the UK.”

Hollywood Bowl to focus new sites searches on leisure destinations, food prices ‘marginally below’ 2019: Hollywood Bowl chief financial officer Laurence Keen has told Propel the business will focus its new sites searches on leisure destinations. Propel revealed recently that Hollywood Bowl is aiming to open two new sites by September – a bowling alley in Birmingham and a joint site with its Puttstars mini-golf concept at Colchester’s Northern Gateway scheme. It is also looking to add Puttstars courses to two existing bowling alleys. “Location is key – it’s about making sure you’re part of a leisure experience,” Keen said. “We want people who maybe come to us once or twice a year to see us when they go to the cinema or Wagamama and think ‘oh yeah, I’ll go bowling next time’. That’s why a focus on location is key to our success when it comes to new centres. Whenever you see a new centre, you will see it near a strong cinema, and we’re signing long leases. We bring 350,000 people per site, on average, per year, and that’s important to the restaurants as well.” With the company’s half-year results out in the coming weeks, Keen would not comment on current trading but said: “We’re in an industry where we don’t have make-or-break months. No one month accounts for more than 10% of revenue, so it’s not like we have to have an amazing Christmas. The schools holidays are much more important to us than any one month.” Keen also said 48% of the company’s revenue comes from bowling and 26% each from food and drink and amusements. Its research has shown 80% of people plan to eat as part of the day out when they go bowling, “but only a small proportion choose to eat with us”. Keen said: “We don’t have a wide menu, but we do burgers very well and at a price marginally below what we were charging in 2019, compared with other food and beverage businesses, which are 18%-19% up versus 2019. But we have other areas of the business that aren’t subject to the same cost inflation food is – bowling is 100% gross profit and in total, 74% of our revenue is not subject to cost of goods inflation at all. Anybody can push up prices to increase profits, but our bowling prices are only up 4% on 2019, so over four years, that’s less than a 1% increase each year.”

Loungers gears up for second Leeds opening in three months: Cafe bar brand Loungers is gearing up for its second opening in Leeds in three months. The company will launch Bianco Lounge in The White Rose shopping centre on Wednesday, 17 May. It comes following the opening of Caballero Lounge in nearby Thorpe Park in February. Gemma Irwin, community manager at Loungers, said: “We’re looking forward to opening Bianco Lounge in Leeds. We hope our family friendly environment and top-notch food and drink offering will prove popular.” Steven Foster, centre director at White Rose, added: “It’s exciting to welcome another brilliant restaurant brand to The Village.” Loungers also operates the Cosy Club brand and the Roadside concept.

Domino’s opens first low-carbon concept store as it launches new sustainability strategy: Domino’s Pizza Group has opened its first low-carbon concept store, in Hammersmith, west London. Acting as a blueprint for future store, the eco-friendly design has energy efficient features which cut carbon use by more than a third, the company said. Features include an internal heat pump to replace the gas boiler, a new oven hood that removes heat straight from the oven, and automatic door closures in cold rooms. The store is also the first to commit to making all deliveries via e-bike. Domino’s said actions like these will enable it to reach net zero by 2050. The opening coincides with the launch of Domino’s new sustainability strategy, “Connect the Dots”, which supports the company’s ambition to “deliver a better future through food, people and love”. Domino’s has created a roadmap that includes the development of a new 650 calorie pizza, increasing the number of plant-based and free-from menu options, and linking executive remuneration to the delivery of sustainability targets. Elias Diaz Sese, interim chief executive, said: “We are challenging ourselves and our suppliers to work together to deliver positive change. With this strategy, we are connecting purpose to pizza and our actions to peoples’ passions. I am also excited to see us putting our strategy into action with our first low carbon store. This is a brilliant blueprint for the future and we’re looking forward to opening more stores like this one.”

Lake District hotel operator reports turnover and profit exceeding pre-pandemic levels: Choice Hotels, which operates five properties in the Lake District, has reported turnover increased to £20,878,894 for the year ending 30 June 2022 compared with £7,713,622 the year before. Revenue also exceeded the £17,097,549 reported for the year ending 30 June 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic. Pre-tax profit jumped to £1,742,689 from £262,597 the previous year (2019: profit of £258,063). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The company is in a good financial position. The company continues to invest in its hotels and offering.” The company received government grants of £194,601 (2021: £3,062,293). A dividend of £18,000 was paid (2021: nil).

SSP to open new sites in France as it strengthens partnerships with two bakery concepts: UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist SSP is opening new sites in France as it extends its partnership with two bakery concepts. La Croissanterie will be opening at three locations across Paris Metro from this month. Meanwhile, following success at Gare de Lyon, SSP will also open another two units with French pâtissier and chocolatier Pierre Hermé, at Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon Part-Dieu. A Parisian luxury pastry shop owned by the brand’s eponymous French pastry chef, the sites will offer a selection of the brand’s signature macarons and chocolates. Gérard d'Onofrio, managing director SSP France, said: “A key strategic move for the company, our partnership with Pierre Hermé is part of our continuing drive to offer the broadest spectrum of brands. We are equally pleased with our ever-strengthening relationship with La Croissanterie, which has the dynamism as a brand to excel wherever it is located.”

Thornbridge reports strong growth in on-trade as off-trade subsides, falls into red despite record turnover: Derbyshire-based Thornbridge Brewery has reported strong growth in its on-trade as off-trade demand subsided in the year ending 30 June 2022. It comes as the company – which operates four community pubs in Sheffield and an events bar at Sheffield University alongside its brewing business – fell into the red despite record turnover. Its revenue of £15,201,548 is the highest since it began filing full accounts four years ago, and up from £13,130,067 in 2021. But a pre-tax profit of £523,326 in 2021 turned into a loss of £40,890. It received £3,431 in government grants compared to £444,290 in 2021. No dividends were paid. Director James Harrison, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “It was a year which saw another big swing in consumer spending habits, with a strong return to growth in the on-trade through wholesalers, direct delivery and at our own sites. With no restrictions to hospitality businesses and no lockdowns during the period, the boom in supermarket and online sales, which we benefited from in the prior year, subsided. In The Taps, the absence of covid-related restrictions allowed us to increase turnover by 109% compared to the prior year.” Harrison said the year saw “significant price rises” for all key raw materials, with “double digit price increases” on many items it uses for brewing and packaging its beers. “For our business, the impact on production costs and overheads was an overall cumulative annual increase of around 12-14% as we entered 2022 and has been well over 20% during the 2022 calendar year,” he said. “While the conflict (in Ukraine) continues and the wholesale price of gas remains at record highs, we wait to see when there will be a fall in these costs.”

Bundobust confirms Birmingham opening: Bundobust, the Indian street food and craft beer concept, has confirmed plans to open in Birmingham. As previously revealed by Propel, Bundobust is launching in a grade-II listed building at 38 Bennetts Hill this summer. It will mark the fifth opening for the concept, which was founded by Marko Husak and Mayur Patel in Leeds in 2014. Split across two floors, the Birmingham restaurant will have a “more intimate, pub-like feel than its northern counterparts”. The food menu will offer Bundobust’s traditional menu alongside its own brews from its Manchester brewery, and a range of guest beer. Patel said: “Bundobust was born out of a shared passion for Indian street food and boundary-pushing beer. A decade on, we’re excited to be building a new home in Birmingham, a city with a rich Indian heritage, as well as a world-class indie brewing scene. We couldn’t be in better company in our new neighbourhood.” 

Innventure owner warns ability to raise prices sufficiently to compensate for inflation a ‘huge challenge’ as full-year turnover exceeds pre-pandemic levels: Chris Gerard, owner of gastro-pub operator Innventure, has said the company’s ability to raise prices sufficiently to compensate for inflation without losing volume will be a “huge challenge” in the next year. It comas the seven-strong business reported turnover increased to £7,660,868 for the year ending 26 June 2022 compared with £4,383,434 the year before. Revenue also exceeded the £7,197,258 reported for the year ending 29 June 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic. The group made a pre-tax profit of £389,215 compared with £581,665 the previous year due to higher operating costs and VAT returning to its normal 20% rate (2019: profit of £284,827). In June last year, the group added the Jolly Sailer in the Suffolk village of Orford to its portfolio. Gerrard said it was a “highly seasonal business that would complement the company's sister leisure venture, Innventure Vacation Services”. The company received government grants of £138,473 (2021: £1,123,555). No dividend was paid (2021: nil). 

NQ64 brings in Burgerism as partner for Shoreditch site as it serves food for first time: NQ64, the immersive retro arcade bar concept backed by Imbiba, has announced Manchester burger concept Burgerism will be the food partner for its upcoming venue in London’s Shoreditch. The site in Old Street will be the first in NQ64’s portfolio to serve food, and the menu will be provided by Burgerism, which will offer its premium smashed patty and fried chicken burgers, chicken wings, and seasoned skin-on fries. Burgerism was born in Salford in 2018 and is one of the biggest online burger concepts in the UK, serving more than 10,000 burgers per week. It has become the second most delivered burger on Deliveroo and the eighth most delivered item in the UK in 2021. As previously reported, NQ64 in Shoreditch will be the company’s biggest venue yet, with a capacity of up to 450, and its second site in London. It will house some new and rare arcade games, which all operate on tokens that can be purchased from the bar. All consoles within the venue are free to play. The site, which opens in May, will also offer a drinks list of craft beer, themed cocktails, wine, spirits, and sodas. Matt Robson, co-founder of NQ64, said: “We're huge fans of Burgerism’s food at NQ64. It’s fuelled a few team gatherings and helped us to recover from some tough hangovers. I hope it’ll do the same for the people of Shoreditch!”

Hopback Brewery narrows losses but turnover lags behind pre-covid levels: Salisbury-based brewer and retailer Hopback Brewery, which also operates nine pubs – mainly in the south and south west of England – narrowed its losses in the year ending 30 September 2022, but turnover is still lagging behind pre-covid levels. It reported turnover of £2,679,994 for the period, up from £1,404,362 in 2021 but well behind the £3,817,579 reported in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 30 September 2019. Of the 2022 figure, £1,312,406 came from pub sales (2021: £489,792) and £1,367,588 from brewery sales (2021: £914,570). Pre-tax losses narrowed from £129,224 in 2021 to £34,597 (2019: profit of £196,193). The company received £23,667 in government grants compared to £330,286 in 2021. No dividends were paid. Director John Gilbert, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “As predicted, the post-lockdown reduction in numbers in pubs has changed very little. In spite of the very hard work of our staff, turnover and, consequently, profitability, has not returned. In spite of having made a small pre-tax loss, our cash reserves remain strong and we still have no net debt.”

Electric Star Pubs rebrands Old Street site: Electric Star Pubs, the eight-strong London business led by owner and founder Rob Star, is set to reopen its site in Old Street following a rebrand. The former Roadtrip & Workshop American Dive Bar, at 243 Old Street, will reopen on Thursday, 27 April as The Star in Shoreditch. It has had a full makeover to be transformed into a late-night cocktail and live music spot. The ground floor has been re-designed to cater for large groups and parties as well as cosy booths for couples, while the basement will host live music and DJs throughout the week, plus karaoke sessions at the weekends. As well as cocktails, it will offer “slide dishes” from kitchen partners Sides and Slides. The company opened its eighth site, Star by Liverpool Street, in November, on the former Tracks & Records site at 94 Middlesex Street.

Llanelli brewery opens new taproom and pizzeria: Llanelli brewery Tinworks Brewing Company has opened a new taproom and pizzeria following a council loan of almost £144,000. The Vaughan Street venture will also see the company convert the formerly empty building’s upstairs space into four office units. Tinworks, which already has a brewery and bottle shop on the Troste Industrial Estate, was loaned £143,812 by Carmarthenshire County Council. Matthew Stevenson, director of Tinworks Brewing Company, hailed the council’s commitment to “the growth and development of the town”, reports Insider Media.