Pub menu inflation growing at faster pace than customer expectations: Pub menu inflation is growing at a faster pace than customer price expectations, according to new research. A pub sector menu pricing review from more than 3,000 managed pubs in the UK by pricing consultancy Pearson Ham Group showed 2022 autumn/winter menus experienced an overall menu inflation of 6.1% compared with 2022 spring/summer menus. Price growth varied by category with the largest increase observed in add-ons at 13.9%, while breakfast items rose 4.1%. Differences in category pricing strategy were observed within brands, with one operator putting through a 13.4% uplift on its side dishes, and only 3.2% on mains. Brands were not shy of putting through large increases at a product level, with one third of products that experienced a price increase, seeing that movement exceed 10%. A January 2023 survey of more than 2,000 pub-goers revealed consumer price expectations for mains grew on average from £10.27 to £10.76 (4.7%) compared with July 2022. These expectations were not consistent across brands however, with one brand’s customers expecting a 2.5% price growth, while another’s indicated 8.4%. Consumer’s key purchase criteria remained unchanged, with “quality of food” and “good value for money” cited as the most important factor in the decision-making process. “Family friendly” and “presence of loyalty card scheme” were the least important influencers. Discounts and promotions remain a strong pull for customers, with 68% indicating the promotional offering influenced where they dined. Londoner’s displayed stronger resilience to the economic climate and plan to maintain dining out frequency, whereas respondents in the Midlands, south east and north east indicated the greatest intention to cut back. These insights have been captured as part of Pearson Ham Group’s new market insights – pub sector dashboard. Ines Llerena, restaurants pricing expert at Pearson Ham Group, said: “Clients across pricing projects consistently raise the questions: where are we priced versus the market? What price changes have my competitors put through? Are competitors’ prices impacting the performance of my sites? This tool helps brands answer these questions and more. While competitor prices should not be the sole data point when making pricing decisions, they are a key input that provide the context to allow pricing with confidence. Knowing what the market is doing and what customers are thinking, enables smarter pricing decisions that improve profitability while protecting volume and strengthening the brand perception.”

Latest Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book shows sector companies making collective loss of £497m, improvement on loss of £829m last month: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which will be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (14 April), shows sector companies are making a collective loss of £497m – an improvement on the loss of £829m the previous month. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 718 companies in the list is £2,681,008,464 and losses are £2,730,721,900. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium subscribers also receive access to four other databases: the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage; and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database. 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.

Alton – pubs are facing probably the most extreme trading conditions ever: Steve Alton, chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, has said pubs are “facing probably the most extreme trading conditions ever”. He warned the rate of closures is “going to accelerate” due to “unfair energy costs and the behaviours of energy suppliers”. Speaking to Radio 4 after new figures showed that more than 150 pubs have disappeared for good from English and Welsh communities over the first three months of 2023, Alton said: “This rate is now going to accelerate and at the heart of that is the unfair energy costs and the behaviours of energy suppliers that are simply destroying very long standing and incredibly viable pub businesses. So, we're not only losing great local businesses supporting local suppliers, brewers providing skilled employment in every single community, but for many of these individuals affected, this is their home as well. And don't forget, economically, pubs are an integral part of the wider hospitality sector, generating about £42bn a year to the Treasury. So, we are at the centre of that economic recovery that we all desperately need. Unfortunately, we need the government and particularly Ofgem to act.” When asked about reports that more people were entertaining at home as the cost of living bites, Alton said: “Pubs are facing probably the most extreme trading conditions ever. They are battling incredibly hard to keep customers coming back in. Broadly, we're getting back to that pre-pandemic level of sales, but the issue is, sales do not equal profit now. Inflation has been soaring and staff costs have gone through the roof, not just on minimum wage, but having to pay those rates to attract and retain staff. They're paying back pandemic-specific debt. And then you layer in on top of that the absolutely crippling impact of energy. In addition to those high rates, standing charges have gone up 15 times higher than they were previously. It is incredibly unfair, unsubstantiated and unjustified, so we're looking for rapid intervention.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hospitality and leisure business that is expanding significantly and is looking for a chief financial officer. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “In order to support the founder and senior leadership team of this mid/large-sized UK business, it is looking for a strong chief financial officer to join the team. You must have excellent knowledge of commercial market assessment and strong M&A experience to support senior leadership strategy and guide acquisition and growth plans. You will also support and mentor divisional finance directors, ensuring divisional finance teams are working effectively as well as support troubleshooting and long-term planning.” The salary is up to £250,000 and the position is mainly based in London. For more information, email hollie@corecruitment.com

Harris – there is a lot of positivity across competitive socialising and we share that: Toby Harris, chief executive of State of Play Hospitality, has said the business shares the positivity that is currently being seen through the competitive socialising sector, and the company is in talks on two more UK sites. He told Propel: “The top line of trading has been pretty solid. The UK business has been essentially flat year on year versus 2022 for February and March, while the US has been miles ahead. Trading in the US has been incredibly strong, but it is not just the case that the US business is trading well, it is also that the market there was quite badly suppressed until May of last year. So, when you look at the comparables from the last couple of months to the same two months in the US last year, you're not really comparing like-for-like, where I think you are in the UK. We are building a good pipeline in the US, but we are going to continue to grow in the UK. We are certainly deploying more capital into the US, but we are in legals on a couple of UK sites, including a second Hijingo. From a macro viewpoint we do see a much bigger opportunity in the US, and that is why are putting most of our raised capital into the US and over the course of the next six to nine months, you will see more US sites being leased than in the UK. The trade across our sub-sector – competitive socialising – seems to be robust. There is a lot of positivity and we share that.” Harris said the business, which will open a Bounce site in the Battersea Power Station later this year, sees a “high degree of competition” for capital between different formats and the two countries where it operates. He said: “What we say internally is the UK has to fight harder for its share of wallet, because in a sense if its equal opportunity returns wise. We will choose Flight Club in the US because that is where there's such a big runway. It keeps the UK team on its toes. It’s the cost base that is the issue in the UK right now. It is the operating costs of these businesses that have dramatically increased and construction costs that also gone up materially. But in terms of trading performance, we are not unhappy with the UK business at all.” Revenue in the year to 27 March 2022 for the business stood at £16,991,323 (2021: £11,550,113), with adjusted Ebitda of minus £1,316,295 (2021: minus £4,285,652). The company reported a pre-tax loss of £11,211,144 (2021: 19,661,754). Last summer, the company secured $10m (£8.3m) of new investment from Flight Club’s owner, Red Engine. The new funding built upon State of Play’s initial raise of more than $35m from existing investors and Bregal Partners in March 2022 and is being used to fund growth, including an acceleration of the roll-out of Flight Club in North America. State of Play Hospitality features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the latest version of which will be released on Friday (14 April). Its turnover of £16,991,323 is the 314th 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 £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.

Daily Mail snapshot survey shows Pret A Manger raises prices by up to 18%: Pret A Manger has pushed up prices by as much as 18% on the back of soaring food ingredient costs, energy bills and the need to give staff three pay rises this year. A snapshot of prices by the Daily Mail showed at Pret's so-called station shops, which are placed near tube and rail stations plus airports, the price of an all-butter croissant has gone up 40p – 18.2% – to £2.60. The figure for its chocolate croissant rose by 35p – 13.7% – to £2.90 while Pret’s dark chocolate and almond butter cookie rose 35p – 14.6% – to £2.75. A cinnamon Danish is up 25p – 9.4% – to £2.90. There has also been a 10p rise on a 500ml bottle of still water, taking it up by 5.5% to £1.90. Most of these also went up at Pret high street stores, although the increases were lower in cash and percentage terms. Looking at coffee, a cappuccino is £3.30 in the high street, £3.45 at a station shop and £3.75 if bought via an app. An espresso goes from £2.30 to £2.45 and then £2.80 via an app. Pret stressed that none of its hot drinks, salads and sandwiches have gone up this week, but the company is under enormous cost pressures. At the same time, it has increased average base pay by 19% in a year. A spokesperson said: “Like many businesses, we have had to increase our prices to respond to rising cost pressures. We've also chosen to invest in our hardworking team by providing them with higher wages they deserve. Earlier this year, we introduced new offers giving customers more choice and better value from our range of high-quality freshly made food and organic coffee. This includes our expanded Made Simple range and our coffee subscription, which continue to offer great value.”

Gail's to roll out branded bakery fixtures into Waitrose sites, to open in Horsham: Fast-growing bakery brand Gail's is to roll out branded bakery fixtures in 64 Waitrose stores in the south and east of England by the end of next month after a successful trial. The supermarket will also be doubling its range of Gail’s sourdough bread and other craft baked goods by adding new lines such as crackers, baguettes, bagels and muffins. The move follows a successful trial in three Waitrose shops at the end of last year. Dan Barrett, managing director of grocery and wholesale at Gail’s, said: “We are delighted to be building on our decade’s long partnership with the Waitrose team to bring better bread to even more communities. As a neighbourhood craft bakery, we offer customers freshly baked food that we prepare by hand in our north London bakery and deliver daily to our retail partners shelves for our customers to enjoy.” Waitrose has been stocking Gail’s bread since 2010 and currently offers the brand’s baked goods in 95 Waitrose shops and online. Aileen Kell, Waitrose bread buyer, said: “The Gail’s brand is really loved by our customers, so I’m delighted we’re rolling out this bigger range and dedicated areas. Like us Gail’s is passionate about sustainability when it comes to using high quality ingredients, packaging, and recycling so they make a great partner for us as we grow our baked goods business.” The 108-strong Gail’s plans to open between 20 and 25 shops this financial year. This will include an opening in Horsham, West Sussex, where the business has secured the former Prezzo site in the town’s Carfax area.

Roxy Leisure lines up Cheltenham opening: Roxy Leisure, the operator of the Roxy Lanes and Roxy Ball Room concepts, has further strengthened its openings pipeline, after securing a site in Cheltenham. The Foresight-backed company has secured planning approval to open what is thought will be a Roxy Ball Room, at 105 to 107 High Street in the Gloucestershire town. Roxy also has openings in Cardiff, Leicester and Liverpool lined up this year, taking it to 19 sites by the end of 2023, and aims to open another five in 2024. Earlier this month, managing director Matt Jones told Propel: “We are always on the hunt for suitable sites. We would love to find somewhere in Oxford, Cambridge or Reading as I believe these locations tick the right boxes for us.” Jones said the group plans to open six sites over the next two years for its new family bowling concept – King Pins, with “no limit” for expansion thereafter. The business will launch the new format at Manchester’s Trafford City in early June. He said: “We have another four sites in major cities and shopping centres in legals at the moment.”

Pelican State to return to expansion trail with Baker Street opening: Pelican State, the American seafood restaurant concept, is set to return to the expansion trail with an opening in London’s Baker Street, Propel has learned. The concept, which is led by the team behind what was Fancy Crab in Marylebone, will take on the ex-Burgista Bros site at 195 Baker Street, for an opening this summer. The first Pelican State opened on the former Fancy Crab site in Wigmore Street in November 2020. This site has since been acquired by Five Guys. A second Pelican State site opened on the former YO! unit in the Brunswick Centre, Bloomsbury, at the end of 2021. The concept is “inspired by the cooking styles and flavours made famous in America's Deep South states, specifically Louisiana”.

Franco Manca launches in Spain: Franco Manca, the Fulham Shore-owned pizza brand, has launched in its second international territory, after opening a site in Spain. The brand, which opened in Greece last year, has opened a site in the Vialia shopping centre, Malaga, after signing a franchise agreement with businessman Kevin Crilly. According to reports in Spain, a further two openings are planned in the country for later this year, including one at the Jaén Plaza shopping centre. It is thought Crilly plans to open 12 restaurants under the brand over the next three years. Mark Nelson, the former Big Table Group executive, who is aiding Franco Manca’s overseas expansion, said: “After 18 months of discussions and meetings with our franchise partner Kevin Crilly, I’m delighted to say we’ve now opened our first Franco Manca in Malaga, Spain, with a further two planned to open later this year.” On top of Greece and Spain, Fulham Shore is understood to have held talks with potential franchise partners for Franco Manca in territories including Portugal, Dubai, Switzerland and Japan. Last week, Fulham Shore agreed a cash offer from Japanese restaurant group Toridoll Holdings, which valued it at £93.4m.

Young’s takes on Clapham North site: London pub operator Young’s has taken on a pub in south London that was previously operated by Livelyhood Pubs. Young’s, which operates a circa 230-strong portfolio of pubs, bars and hotels, has taken on The Clapham North in Clapham Road. Chief executive Simon Dodd said: “We have started the new financial year with a bang by having the legendary Clapham North pub join our Ramily. The team is currently refurbishing The Clapham North to create a simply stunning classic London pub.” The pub was the first taken on by Livelyhood, which operates seven pubs, in 2003. On closing the site at the end of last month, the company said: “The first of our group that now spans a fair-few neighbourhoods in south London! We are so proud of the North and we know how much it means to the local folk of Clapham – a good old fashioned, dependable local and the queen of the ‘not out out but out’ kind of nights! We have had the very best time and we are so grateful to each and every guest that has made this business such a success. Unfortunately, our lease is expiring and no matter how much we fought, we couldn’t get a new one.”

Popeyes to add Barnsley and Sheffield to openings pipeline: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, the US fried chicken quick-service brand, is to add sites in Barnsley and Sheffield to its openings pipeline for this year. The company, which has recently opened in Cardiff, Reading, Cambridge and Plymouth, has lined up openings on the Peel Retail Park in Barnsley and at Sheffield’s Meadowhall scheme. Among the other locations opening this year are Richmond, Rotherham and Glasgow’s Barrhead, with the latter two set to be drive-thrus. The brand is also set to strengthen its footprint in London, with sites lined up in Kilburn and Woolwich, and has applied to open a further drive-thru site on the former Buddies Diner unit in Northampton. It plans to open 20 sites in total in the UK this year. Last month, the US fried chicken quick-service brand began trialling a breakfast offer in the UK, at its sites in the Metrocentre in Gateshead and Oxford.

London luxury gelato brand Snowflake closes crowdfunding campaign after raising more than £750,000 to support expansion: London luxury gelato brand Snowflake has closed its campaign on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube after raising more than £750,000 to support its expansion plans. The company, which is led by Asad Khan and founded in 2012, currently operates nine sites, in London and Manchester, plus franchises in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It originally had been looking to raise £500,000, offering 3.74% of equity, giving a pre-money valuation of £12,873,363. The campaign has now closed with 297 people investing a total of £754,170. Snowflake reported group revenue of £3.6m in 2022, up 74% on 2021, with Ebitda of £4,000-plus. The company said: “As we grow beyond London to the north of the UK and continue our international expansion, we are raising funds to support our vision. Our investors will help us continue our expansion, invest in marketing and upgrade our in-store experience.”

McDonald’s adds to senior leadership team amid restructure: McDonald’s has added two appointments to its US senior leadership team. Michael Gonda has been promoted to senior vice-president and chief impact officer, North America, and will be responsible for “driving the holistic impact strategy across communications, state and local government relations, sustainability, environmental, social and governance and philanthropy” in the US and Canada. The company said his cross-functional team is responsible for engaging stakeholders to protect and enhance the McDonald’s brand and efficiently partner with other markets. Gonda was McDonald’s global chief communications officer, a role he’s held since 2019. Prior to that, he was senior vice-president of corporate affairs at Chobani. With his promotion, Sandy Rodriguez, vice-president of US communications, will assume the role of global chief communications officer for McDonald’s. Additionally, Jami Guthrie has been promoted to vice-president, strategic insights and prioritisation. He is responsible for managing strategy, insights, analytics and planning resources for the US business. The team is tasked with “eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies to enable faster innovation and effective collaboration”. Guthrie most recently served as vice-president of consumer insights for McDonald’s. Prior to joining the company, he was vice-president of consumer insights and business analytics at SC Johnson. Gonda and Guthrie will report to McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger. Faster innovation is one of the company’s objectives as part of its “Accelerating the Organisation” initiative, first announced in January. During that announcement, chief executive Chris Kempczinski said the company will focus on braking down segment and market silos, adding that to become faster and more efficient, the company will cease or de-prioritise some initiatives. Some roles and staffing levels were recently cut as part of this restructuring process. The company also announced it will close ten of its US field offices, shifting most of those positions to remote.

Chipotle unveils sustainable-restaurant design: Chipotle Mexican Grill has unveiled a new all-electric restaurant design aimed at helping the company reach its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The company has already opened locations with the features in Gloucester, Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida. A third restaurant is on its way this summer in Castle Rock, Colorado. The new all-electric, redesigned restaurants use 100% renewable energy from wind power and solar through the purchase of certified renewable energy credits. The brand said it plans to have more than 100 of its new locations in 2024 deploy all-electric equipment and “at least some additional elements” from the reimagined design. Chipotle said the new model would achieve some broader goals, established in alignment with Science Based Targets initiative, to reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with a 2019 baseline. Called Chipotle’s “Responsible Restaurant”, the build includes: rooftop solar panels, where feasible; all-electric equipment and systems to replace gas power; heat pump water heaters; smaller electric cookline and improved exhaust hoods compared with other Chipotle kitchens; energy management systems (which have already been deployed in most existing restaurant locations), biodegradable service ware such as cutlery, straws, bowls, cups, and lids; cactus leather chairs; and artwork made from recycled rice husks. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, said: “With our aggressive development goal in North America, we hold ourselves accountable to reduce the environmental impact of our restaurants. We are aiming to incorporate some elements of our responsible restaurant design into many of our new restaurant openings going forward.”

Britannia acquires Bradford hotel: Britannia Hotels, the UK's largest private hotel group, has acquired The Midland Hotel in Bradford, from Peel Hotels, for an undisclosed sum. Built in 1890 by the Midland Railway Company, to showcase a grand example of Victorian architecture in the UK, The Midland Hotel dominates Forster Square in the heart of Bradford. It becomes Britannia’s 64th hotel. Robert Peel, director of Peel Hotels, said: “The Midland Hotel has always been a great favourite of mine. The industrial and cultural communities of Bradford have always appreciated having one of Yorkshire's finest hotels in their midst.” Alex Langsam, managing director of Britannia Hotels, added: “We are thrilled to have secured The Midland Hotel as a new addition to Britannia Hotels in a matter of weeks, from first seeing it, to completing the purchase by way of an all-cash deal.” Christie & Co brokered the deal on behalf of Peel Hotels.

Cineworld shareholders to be wiped out under bankruptcy plan: Shareholders in Cineworld will be wiped out under the cinema operator’s latest proposals to reorganise the business and exit bankruptcy. The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in the US in the autumn, said it had filed a reorganisation plan with an American bankruptcy court. The plans detail how the business intends to restructure its debt pile – totalling about $5bn (£4bn) – so it can stick to its timetable of exiting Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during the first half of this year. The plans require approval from the bankruptcy court, which considers how companies are restructured as they exit Chapter 11, as well as approval from certain creditors. It does not provide for any recovery for its existing shareholders. Last week, Cineworld dropped plans to sell its businesses in the US, the UK, and Ireland after failing to find a buyer. The group's Chapter 11 companies are seeking to confirm the plan on an “expeditious timeline”, Cineworld said, adding that it continues to operate its global business and cinemas as usual without interruption.

Almost Famous set to open Greater Manchester site: Almost Famous, the hip burger joint that helped kickstart Manchester's “dirty food” trend, is to open a new site in a suburb of the city. The four-strong concept is set to open a new site later this year in the suburb of Withington. It currently operates sites in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and Peter Street, plus restaurants in Leeds and Liverpool.

Voodoo Doll opens Mojo in Newcastle: Voodoo Doll, the company behind the Mojo Bars business, has opened a site in Newcastle. Located at The Gate in Newgate Street, the bar boasts more than 120 different cocktails, an American food menu and a selection of games including beer pong and shuffleboard. Mojo managing director Martin Greenhow said: “We had a fantastic time celebrating the opening of our newest bar in Newcastle. It was exciting to see such a great turn out for the party and it gave us a chance to showcase all the hard work that the team has put in over the last few months, from the design of the bar itself, to the new cocktails and dishes.” Propel revealed last July that Mojo had lined up three new openings – in Edinburgh, Liverpool and Newcastle. The Edinburgh site, on the former Fopp record store in Rose Street, is due to open this summer. This will be followed by the Liverpool site, on the former Red’s True Barbecue site in Hanover Street. It will be a second Liverpool location for the brand, adding to its site in Back Berry Street, as well as further bars in Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Harrogate and Nottingham.

Mitchells & Butlers relaunches Covent Garden Browns after £2.5m investment: Mitchell & Butlers (M&B) has marked the 50th anniversary of its Browns brand with the relaunch of its Covent Garden site, in London’s West End. The grade II-listed building in St Martins Lane, which once housed the old Westminster County Court building, has reopened after a £2.5m investment complete with a new upstairs bar, in the form of Spey Bar, from the team behind the world-renowned Quaich Bar at Scotland’s Craigellachie Hotel. The main dining room has also been transformed, while the three private dining rooms, originally courtrooms and the judge’s chambers and study, also have new looks. Browns was the first hospitality venture established by Jeremy Mogford, who in 1973 invested £10,000 in the first Browns Restaurant and Bar in Brighton, East Sussex. He established a chain of seven restaurants, mostly in university towns such as Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford. Now, the group consists of 25 restaurants throughout the UK, with sites across London as well as Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Last year, M&B launched Browns into more suburban locations. The company has so far converted two suburban sites, in Beaconsfield and Ruislip, to Browns.

Danieli Group gets go-ahead for Stack leisure venue in Durham: North east operator Danieli Group has received planning permission for its latest Stack container leisure venue concept. Durham County Council has given the go-ahead for the company to transform the former Marks & Spencer store in Durham. The proposal will repurpose the existing building in Silver Street to provide a large range of uses including a coffee shop, food kiosks, bars, roof terrace and space for social, cultural and community events. The plan also includes a games room offering a range of interactive gaming experiences including shuffleboard and darts and, when complete, the scheme will create 176 jobs. Neill Winch, chief executive of Danieli Group, said: “Stack Durham will be a focal point and an attraction offering a wide mix of street food and a variety of live entertainment for people of all ages, contributing positively to the city’s overall viability and vitality.” Last month, Danieli Group reported record profits for Stack for the year ending April 2022, as it looks to grow the concept to 11 sites within five years. Stack saw sales of £14.6m and Ebitda of £4.67m combined for its Newcastle and Sunderland venues for the period. It is also looking to open sites in Bishop Auckland, Carlisle and Lincoln, as well as a three-year pop-up scheme in Middlesbrough.

Syrian chef to relocate restaurant to larger space in London’s Soho: Syrian chef Imad Alarnab is relocating his Imad’s Syrian Kitchen restaurant to a bigger site in London’s Soho. Alarnab opened his first permanent site for the concept two years ago after a fruitful crowdfunding campaign. Now is he is relaunching the restaurant in a larger space in Kingly Court next month. The 70-cover restaurant will continue to pay homage to Alarnab’s homeland, while introducing new dishes and launching a breakfast offer for the first time. The menu will offer mezze and Alarnab signature falafel, alongside dishes such as lamb biwa, a burger of minced lamb baked in the oven and served with onion, tomatoes, peppers, chilli, parsley, and chives, topped with cherry tomatoes and Turkish peppers. The wine list will showcase low-intervention wine, “celebrating the best of eastern Europe and the Levant Basin”. Alarnab previously ran two restaurants plus several juice bars and cafes in Damascus before the restaurants were destroyed in the Syrian war, and he was forced to flee in search of safety for his family. 

Berry Bros & Rudd acquires minority stake in The Cotswolds Distillery: Wine and spirits merchants, Berry Bros & Rudd, has acquired a minority stake in The Cotswolds Distillery. Berry Bros & Rudd's investment in The Cotswolds Distillery – a producer of “super-premium” spirits based in Stourton, Warwickshire – is part of the latter's Cotswolds 2.0 funding round. This also included existing and new private investors and is aimed at increasing production and sales of its Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky. The Cotswolds Distillery recently opened a second distillery on its 14-acre site dedicated to malt whisky production. The investment from Berry Bros & Rudd will also fund the distillery's development plans to boost its sustainability, including the building of a bio-diverse wetlands ecological treatment system and related landscaping works. The Cotswolds Distillery founder Daniel Szor said: “We could not be more delighted with the results of our funding round, in particular our new partnership with Berry Bros & Rudd, which like us stands for excellence in fine spirits, as we further build our brand through increased national and international distribution.” Emma Fox, chief executive of Berry Bros & Rudd, will join the board of Cotswolds Distillery. Osborne Clarke advised on the deal.

Former Soho House director closes Somerset restaurant, bakery and wine shop after just over three years: Former Soho House director Ben Crofton has shut his Somerset restaurant, bakery and wine shop, 28 Market Place, after just over three years of trading. Crofton, his wife Vanessa and chef Dan Fletcher launched the venue in January 2020 and offered a variety of West Country and British produce. The 26-cover restaurant worked closely with local suppliers while Alba Lage, formerly of Soho Farmhouse, managed the bakery. The team announced the news on Instagram, posting: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we have to tell you that 28, the bakery and the wine shop will not be opening again. We did all we could until the very end but it just wasn’t enough. Thank you all, for the good times, the services filled with love and joy, your company and your custom. We are eternally grateful to you all.”

Burger franchise concept 12th Street lodges plans for Chatham site, three more ‘coming soon’: Burger franchise concept 12th Street is looking to open its first site in Kent. The concept, which operates five sites, has lodged plans with Medway Council to launch in Chatham. The business is aiming to open in an empty unit near the Dockside Outlet Centre between Mexican restaurant brand Taco Bell and fast pizza brand Fireaway, reports Kent Live. 12th Street’s offer includes its “100% beef smashed burger” and also serves thick milkshakes and other sweet treats alongside grilled chicken sandwiches and salads. 12th Street operates branches in Collier Row, Enfield, Milton Keynes, Southend and West Ealing. There are also plans for new branches in Crouch End, Hounslow and Wood Green, which are “coming soon”, according to its website.