Afrikana strikes ten-site multi franchise deal with French operator as it targets 20-strong estate by end of 2023: African restaurant concept Afrikana has struck a ten-site multi franchise deal with a French operator as it targets a 20-strong estate by end the end of 2023. The company, founded by Omair Ali in the village of Aldridge, near Walsall, in 2018, currently has nine sites. It said: “Another franchise deal for Afrikana secured with two very special entrepreneurs, Habibur Rahman and Osman Prince, who have entered into a development agreement to open ten stores in and around London. Habib and Prince come with vast experience within the hospitality sector. Habib worked from a very young age within the restaurant and hospitality sector and later ventured into the IT world. Prince is originally from France and now manages between 15-20 quick service restaurants and fast-food franchises in France. Prince and Habib are now ready to add Afrikana to their extensive and very impressive portfolio.” Rahman added: “We were generally just looking for something to eat and stumbled across Afrikana, and we were captured straight away. Afrikana wasn’t your average store, and immediately we could see there was a USP. With Prince, he was looking for a new venture to start in the UK, and Afrikana enticed him. We now have a ten-store development plan and we are excited to get the ball rolling!” Afrikana brand and marketing director Syeda Kayanath told Propel in January that it was set to open two new London stores (Mile End and Hounslow) and one in Manchester, in the first half of 2023. This will be followed by Coventry, Glasgow and Ilford in the second half, plus a first international opening. Before that, however, the next opening is set to be its second Lil’ Afrikana site, in Bradford’s Great Horton Road, this spring. Afrikana is one of several hospitality concepts operating under Ali’s City Restaurant Group, along with bubble tea concept Mowchi, which is set to also open in Bradford this spring, for its second site. It is also working on a new concept, Blanc Restaurant, which the company said is “coming soon”. Afrikana and Mowchi both feature in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which this month celebrates its first anniversary since launching. In that time, it has doubled in size from an initial 100 companies to 200 in the latest edition, which will be released tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 April). 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.

 

Sponsored message – how HDI can help you understand your customer profile and behaviour: HDI works with more than 50 businesses across the hospitality sector, helping its clients make better decisions around offer development, pricing, customer targeting and location planning. Mark Bentley, business development director, said: “Our unique data provides insight across the hospitality sector at individual site, retail brand and sector level, based on three billion-plus hospitality card transactions, 150 million-plus hospitality food and drink prices and 85 million-plus grocery prices. We combine big-data expertise with an in-depth knowledge of the hospitality sector. We’re hospitality experts with a passion for big-data, analytics and insight, with more than 100 years of experience working for leading operators and drinks manufacturers. Our HDI panel tracks the purchasing behaviour of 10.2 million unique customers, covering 11% of UK debit and credit card transactions. This enables you to understand the customer profile of who visits individual sites and/or chains, which other outlets are part of their repertoires and how their behaviour is changing over time both within hospitality and beyond. In addition, you can track the sales performance of individual sites and chains, benchmarking your performance versus named competitors rather than an aggregated pool of operators. This is critical insight to understand how you’re performing.” To find out how HDI can help your business, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

More than three quarters of operators saw staffing costs rise last year: More than three quarters (76%) of sector operators saw staffing costs rise last year, with 75% saying they had noticed an increase in the number of team members leaving the hospitality sector altogether in the last 12 months, according to a new exclusive survey by Propel and KAM. The State of the Hospitality Nation survey, which is produced in association with MAPAL Group, also found just over half (52%) noticed an increase in the number of team members who are new to the hospitality sector altogether in the last 12 months. In terms of the biggest impacts that staff shortages had on businesses in the past 12 months, just under half (49%) said it impacted the quality of the customer experience, while 35% said it was increasing salaries above budgeted amounts. At the same time, around a third of respondents (32%) said vacancies were impacting stress and welfare of current team members, 29% said they were impacting sales and reducing turnover, and a quarter (25%) the job satisfaction of current team members. Just over three quarters (76%) said labour cost, as a percentage of total turnover, went up last year. Many respondents said the knock-on impact of the pandemic was still being felt. One respondent said: “It was always inevitable that after paying the nation to sit in the sun for months on end, reacclimatising to work would take time. We seem to be making progress, but it is all too easy to create a pernicious circle where the stresses caused by staffing difficulties exacerbate the challenge of recruitment, development and training. Kid gloves and creative thinking are required by the bucket load.” Mike Parnham, chief executive at Rum Kitchen, said: “Staffing is easier than last summer but still challenging. A lot of the big brands have switched to hiring under-18s and this has made the talent pool wider. The biggest positive action we have taken is to contact good leavers after six months to check in with them and see how they are doing and if the grass really is greener. Since January, we haven’t hired anyone except for returning team members.” Operators who would like a free copy of the 40-page survey report should email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Premium subscribers to receive two updated databases and access to videos from latest Propel Multi-Club Conference this week: Premium subscribers are to receive two updated databases and access to the videos from the latest Propel Multi-Club Conference this week. They will receive the latest UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 April). The database now features 200 companies and 180,000 words of content. It is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is updated every two months. The next edition of the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage will be sent to Premium subscribers on Friday (21 April). It is the first database where full profiles of 667 of the UK’s top food and beverage operators are available in one place. It features more than 174,000 words of content, including 74 updated entries, while 16 new companies have been added. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Also on Friday, Premium subscribers are to be given exclusive access to the recording and slides from the latest Propel Multi-Club Conference. They will be sent 12 videos at 9am that will include: Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims; Simon Potts, chief executive of bar and restaurant concept The Alchemist; and Simon Hooper, international business director of street food cafe franchise Chaiiwala. Premium subscribers also receive access to three other databases: the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; and the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. 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 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.

Chef Sven-Hanson Britt – lowering booking deposit caused uptick in cancellations and no shows: Sven-Hanson Britt, chef patron of London-based restaurant Oxeye, has conducted a six-month trial which showed that dropping a £50 booking deposit to £5 led to a rise in no-shows and cancellations. The chef, who launched Oxeye in Nine Elms at end of 2021, began the trial after feeling concerned the higher deposit rate could be prohibitive to some guests. Taking to Twitter to share the findings, he said: “For the first three months of the analysed six months, we took a deposit of £50 per person. For the latter three months, we took £5 per person. There’s a bunch of obvious benefits to take deposits, but the main one for me was to eliminate no-shows/late cancellations, but would that even happen? And how much do you need to charge as a deposit to give someone ‘skin in the game’ and not no-show? After three months of a £50 deposit, I worried that maybe a deposit system was prohibiting some people booking a dinner, so I reduced it from £50 to just £5 per person. When we charged £50 deposit, we had zero no shows, and basically zero late cancellations (except for real emergencies, and then they came another day). As soon as we changed it to £5, the excuses came trickling in. We had our first no-show within a week. We had plenty of cancellations too – both early and late. The only benefit I thought we might get would be to have larger numbers of reservations, and a waiting list, but the numbers were the same as before when we charged £50, so that just didn’t happen. So, in conclusion, we’re putting our deposit back up to £50, maybe more.”

Home collection of reusable takeaway packaging trial launched in central London: A trial of the home collection of reusable takeaway packaging has been launched in central London. Funded by Hubbub and Starbucks’ Bring It Back Fund, the project will test and measure how localised doorstep collections can increase the uptake of reuse systems and improve convenience for consumers. The trial will run for six months, with a group of restaurant partners on Uber Eats, and will be managed by Again, which operates a network of packaging cleaning facilities where the collected items will be cleaned and processed before being returned to the participating restaurants. Various incentives will be tested throughout the trial to measure what motivates customers to opt in to reusables and return the packaging. When placing their orders, UberEats customers can opt-in to receive their food in reusable packaging. Once they’ve enjoyed their meals, they can scan a QR code, select a day for collection (from as early as the next day to no later than three weeks later), give the containers a rinse and await collection. All collections are made by couriers using bikes, electric cars or vans. Again chief executive Matt Kennedy said: “As we look ahead to 2030, we see that household collections will pay will play a pivotal role in the scale-up of reusable packaging. We are creating an exciting future of low-cost household takeback for all products.” Matthew Price, Uber Eats general manager UK and Ireland, added: “This pilot aims to make reusable packing more accessible for customers and restaurants alike. We are delighted to be part of this innovative trial, which is another step in our mission to do our part in helping the food delivery ecosystem transition to a cleaner and greener future.”

Daily Mail – decline of San Francisco’s financial district should serve as warning to other cities: The decline of San Francisco’s financial district should serve as warning to other cities regarding working trends, reports the Daily Mail. Reporter Tom Leonard, reporting on a Wednesday morning from an almost entirely deserted branch of juice bar chain Joe & The Juice, said a working from home trend has “trashed the local economy” in the once thriving US city. He said: “At this hour, the establishment — Joe & The Juice in Market Street, the city’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfare — would once have been heaving with young technology workers stocking up on pricey coffee and fruit juice before heading off into their offices to spearhead the digital revolution. But it was almost empty and, even more astonishingly, there was barely anyone on the street outside. If you ever want to experience the real meaning of ‘ghost town’, head to the ‘Downtown’ financial district of San Francisco. For San Francisco is falling into what economists call an ‘urban doom loop’, essentially a vicious circle of interconnected trends and forces that send cities spiralling into economic and social ruin.” Although claiming remote working was the “root cause” of the city’s troubles, Leonard admits a soft touch on crime and the invasion by tech companies forcing many local people out are also to blame. He said: “Two New York academics drew attention to the threat of ‘doom loops’ late last year in a report titled ‘Work From Home And The Office Real Estate Apocalypse’. Their research described how death spirals have become a real possibility, with a decline in people working in central business districts (such as the City of London and Wall Street) which led to less local spending. That, in turn, caused various negative effects, such as fewer eyes on the street so more crime, and less tax income from residents, shops and restaurants to finance city services.” One of the report’s authors, Arpit Gupta, told the Daily Mail that London was copying San Francisco in some areas but not in others. “My sense is that London has substantial remote working and urban flight,” he said. “However, on other measures, such as underground usage, it seems to have recovered better.” London, he said, also seemed to be faring better on tourism and – by US standards – lower crime and public order.

COREcruitment – marketing more important than ever despite cost pressures: Marketing is more important than ever for sector businesses despite cost pressures, according to COREcruitment. The international hospitality recruitment specialist is focusing on this “vital division” in its April salary checker focus. A spokesperson said: “Hospitality and catering marketing strategies can play an important role in helping brands and concepts drive customer engagement and stay top-of-the-line. Strategies in the service sector would range from growing new businesses, to building a loyal customer base, social media engagement, content creation, online interaction, communications and much more.” A salary checker for marketing functions in hospitality includes marketing director (£80,000-£180,000), brand director (£80,000-£120,000) and head of social media (£55,000-£85,000).

 

James Watt receives more than 400 applications looking to be backed by new business funding platform, reveals judging panel: James Watt, co-founder of Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog, has said he has received more than 400 applications looking to be backed by his new business funding platform, as he revealed the judges who will help him decide the three companies that will benefit from £5m of his own cash. The initiative, Next Unicorn, has seen Watt partner with crowdfunding platform Crowdcube to receive pitches from a range of European entrepreneurs. Watt also revealed entrepreneur and founder of Contrarian Thinking, Codie Sanchez, alongside comedian and close friend, Dom Joly, will join his advisory panel. The deadline has now been extended to tomorrow (Wednesday, 19 April), for businesses to get their entries submitted in the form of a ten-slide pitch deck. Watt will then whittle down entrants with the help of Crowdcube chief executive Matt Cooper and Evelyn McDonald, chief executive of Scottish Edge – which helped BrewDog get started 16 years ago, before shortlisted businesses are invited to pitch live to Watt, Sanchez and Joly at Watt’s London home next month. Watt was inspired to create Next Unicorn after having been rejected twice by Dragon’s Den – once when he was starting out, and more recently when he was approached and shortlisted to become a Dragon himself. Spurred on by his double rejection, and with a passion for scaling start-ups, Watt decided to create his own competition, which will see him invest £1m in three firms, with a further £4m to be unlocked as the winning companies reach certain milestones. The public will then be able to invest in the companies, doing so on exactly the same terms as Watt.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global company that specialises in hospitality within the travel sector that is looking for an operations manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This is a newly created role and the business is seeking someone who has managed multiple units across multiple brands within the same role. Experience with casual dining restaurants would be desirable and an understanding of working with third parties would be advantageous. Some wet-led experience would be ideal. The business is looking for up-and-coming talent, with excellent leadership and people skills while being able to deliver on commerciality.” The salary is up to £65,000 and based in London. For more information, email sonny@corecruitment.com

 

Parogon aiming to grow Willow concept to ten sites over next three years, second to open this year followed by two more in 2024: Staffordshire operator Parogon has said it is aiming to grow its Willow concept to ten sites over the next three years, with the second opening this year, followed by two more in 2024. Propel revealed last year that the ten-strong business, which has previously operated all its sites under separate, distinct brands, would now focus on rolling out multi-site concepts. The first to open a second site will be its Orange Tree concept, after which the focus will switch to its Mediterranean inspired all-day dining brand Willow, following the success of its initial site at Trentham. The group is currently seeking venues serving in affluent retail locations with busy shopping centres and high streets in the West Midlands, East Midlands and north west. Phil Sharp, property director at Parogon Group, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Parogon as we continue to progress with our ambitious expansion plans. We have initial funding of £2m in place and are working with our retained consultant to seek the ideal locations for additional Willow venues that will provide diners with an incredible dining experience, Mediterranean-inspired menu and surroundings, and our Parogon standards of service.”

Bob & Berts plans six new openings this year: Cafe brand Bob & Berts has announced plans to open six new shops in England and Scotland this year. The move will take the BGF-backed business to 32 sites. Founded in 2013, Bob & Berts now employs circa 800 people across its portfolio of coffee shops, which comprise 15 locations in Northern Ireland, six in Scotland and five in England. The company has confirmed it will shortly add new stores in Glasgow and Blackpool. Four additional sites have also been identified in the north west of England and Yorkshire, all of which could open before the end of 2023. It comes just weeks after new accounts for the company showed it enjoyed a record year in 2022. Bob & Berts reported a 58% jump in turnover to £17,750,690 for the year ending 30 June 2022 compared with £11,222,452 the year before. Pre-tax profit was down to £1,103,318 from £1,646,892 following a year of rising costs. Founder Colin McClean said: “In June, it will be ten years since I opened the doors of the first Bob & Berts in Portstewart, and I think it is a real mark of the quality of what the business and our staff offer customers that we will open our 30th store in 2023. We are also keen to expand our business further in our already established regions. Our most recently opened sites in Perth and Carlisle are flying, and as we continue to expand and evolve, that core commitment will remain at the heart of everything we do.” Co-founder David Ferguson said Bob & Berts said last year’s financial results reflected how the coffee chain successfully adapted its business model in response to covid. He added: “We’ve always wanted Bob & Berts to offer something different to the competition and our branding, food selection, interior design and the relaxed atmosphere we create in our coffee shops reflects that. As we continue to grow across the UK, all of our new cafes are being created with this culture in mind.”

Asian street food brand Chi opens Northampton site: Asian street food brand Chi, which is looking to grow to 20 sites by 2025, has opened its ninth site, in Northampton. The business, which is the brainchild of Aidan Tjinakiet and Lamen Reddy, has opened a site under its larger restaurant format in Northampton’s Sol Central scheme. It currently operates sites under its larger format in Eastbourne, Huntingdon, Rushden Lakes and London, plus four sites under its smaller grab-and-go format – in Basingstoke, Cambridge, Norwich and Watford. Chi was launched at The Grafton shopping centre in Cambridge in March 2019, with a second site opening at Intu Watford in December of that year. The concept offers “Asian street food with a modern twist served on a base of bao, banh mi, noodles or rice with a wide range of snacks and sides”. Earlier this year, the team behind the Asian street food brand opened a permanent site under its fried chicken concept Bird Haus. After being available as a virtual brand through Deliveroo in the Cambridge and Norwich areas, the business opened the first restaurant under the concept in the Beacon Centre, Eastbourne.

 

The Wolseley Hospitality Group appoints Louise Philip as global marketing director: The Wolseley Hospitality Group has appointed Louise Philip as its new global group marketing director. Philip stepped down as group marketing director across the Richard Caring-backed Ivy Collection, Bill’s Restaurants and Caprice Holdings, last spring. Philip initially joined the Ivy Collection as director of marketing in 2018 before being promoted in July 2020. Previous to that, she was UK marketing director at Virgin Active. The Wolseley Hospitality Group is set to open two new sites in London this year, seafood restaurant Manzi’s in Soho in June, and The Wolseley City in King William Street – a larger restaurant to its sister The Wolseley – this autumn. 

 

Family entertainment centre company reports strong performance post-covid, undergoes restructure: Family entertainment centre company Big Apple Entertainments has reported a strong performance post-covid and has restructured the business in a move that includes a demerger into two separate groups. Big Apple Entertainments (Holdings) continues to be the ultimate parent company for one of these groups, which includes the freehold centres in Wallasey, Merseyside, and Dereham and King’s Lynn, in Norfolk. The other group, American Amusements Holdings, was demerged by way of a dividend in specie. That group now owns the leasehold sites in Woking, Surrey; Wokingham, Berkshire; and the Isle of Wight. Turnover for the 18 months to 30 June 2022 was £8,969,398 (12 months to 31 December 2020: 3,496,842). The accounting period was extended to facilitate the demerger. The business made a pre-tax profit of £3,031,951 (12 months to 31 December 2020: loss of £356,549). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The directors are happy with the performance of the group. The group has invested substantial capital expenditure across its sites in order to enhance the quality of its facilities and help maintain a high quality facility for its patrons. Due to the strong performance in the period, the group was able to clear substantial amounts of its borrowings with surplus funds.” Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £464,541. During the year, the company paid a dividend in specie of £3,432,754 to the shareholders under the terms of the demerger for the full issued share capital of American Amusements Holdings. The business received government grants of £420,208 (2020: £803,412).

 

Pizza Pilgrims applying to become a certified B Corp: Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, has said the company is set to apply to become a certified B Corp. The company is ten years old this year, and talking at Propel’s latest Multi-Club Conference, Elliot said: “We feel like we’ve been digging foundations for ten years, not building skyscrapers. We’ve also been trying to create something that has substance and substance leads to longevity. We’re set to put in our application to be a B Corp application, which will be an amazing thing for the business because it’s a big job, particularly for hospitality. There is some challenging stuff in there around pay and various other things. But we’re pretty certain we’re there, and it will be really exciting to put it at the heart of our business and actually use it to be a business with substance, a business that is doing more than just trying to make bottom line profit. So, I guess the plan for us for the next ten years is to keep building foundations, because I don’t think we’re ready to do anything else yet. We want to build something that is solid. We have no excitement to build something big that’s not solid. So, if we do no pizzerias next year but make the business better, then I am well up for that.” To help with staff retention and training, the business has developed an internal database using ChatGPT’s language model. Elliot said: “You can go on our internal messaging function and can ask any question, and the bot will answer it immediately. Obviously, that’s exactly how you know 18 to 20 somethings want their information, especially when it’s a busy Saturday night and they forgot how to make a negroni. Do they want to thumb through a ring binder? No, they don’t. They want to get it straight on their phone immediately. What’s also so cool about this is we anonymise the questions at an individual level, but at a site level, you can see trends and react to them quickly.”

Former Veeno and Moonshine Bars GM launches new ‘Deep South’ American restaurant concept in London: Former Veeno and Moonshine Bars general manager Howard Berry has launched a new “Deep South” American restaurant concept in London. Americana has opened on the corner of Haymarket and Orange Street, offering “southern hospitality in the heart of London” and all-day dining “from lunch until late”. Berry has previously held similar roles at Munich Cricket Club operators Moonshine Bars, Italian wine bar business Veeno and Thai chain Busaba. He told Propel: “In a nutshell, it’s my concept, born from living and working in hospitality in the Deep South for nearly 15 years, then coming back to London where I grew up.” Americana offers brunch, à la carte, set and late-night menus, with dishes including creole jambalaya tagliatelle, Americana cajun gumbo, 28-day aged flat iron steak and McAllen Texas chilli.

Andrew Sheridan to open restaurant in former Michelin star venue in Merseyside: Chef Andrew Sheridan has revealed plans to open a new restaurant at the site of a former Michelin star venue in Merseyside. Sheridan and business partner Sam Morgan have acquired the premises previously home to Fraiche in Oxton under their Open Restaurant Group vehicle. The property will be transformed into an upmarket neighbourhood restaurant called Restaurant OXA, focused on seasonal British produce. Work to transform OXA – a name derived from Old Norse word “Oxa-tún” that represents the word Oxton – is set to start imminently, with the opening scheduled for May. The acquisition follows the company opening its new flagship restaurant 8 in Liverpool, as well as The Wye Inn, in Newent, Gloucestershire. Sheridan said: “It is a dream come true to open a restaurant in the village I grew up in.” Morgan added: “This is a very exciting time for Open Restaurant Group, and we are pleased to add the restaurant formerly known as Fraiche to our expanding portfolio. We look forward to bringing our brand of fine dining neighbourhood bistro to this part of Merseyside.” Fraiche closed last year after being opened by Marc Wilkinson in 2004.

Yorkshire luxury holiday home operator acquires hotel for fifth site: Family-run Yorkshire luxury holiday home operator, Maison Parfaite, has acquired a hotel for its fifth site. The business, which is owned by husband-and-wife founders Sean and Sarah McDermott, has bought The Burgoyne hotel in the Yorkshire Dales village of Reeth. The grade II-listed building features 11 bedrooms, a guest lounge and the 1783 Restaurant, which holds an AA Rosette. Sarah McDermott, who with her husband also operates holiday homes in Aysgarth, Harrogate, Wentbridge and Whitby, said: “We first stayed at The Burgoyne a few years back, when we were renovating our very first holiday home in Aysgarth. We instantly fell in love with The Burgoyne, so when it came up for sale, we just had to add her to our portfolio.” Previous owner Ian Hewitt, a semi-retired oil executive who acquired the hotel in 2017, added: “After a few years of driving the business forward, largely from afar, I decided the time had come to let someone else take the reins and capitalise on the investments I had made.” Mark Worley, director and hospitality agent with Christie & Co, brokered the deal.

Paultons Park MD – staycation trend allowed us to get back on our feet: Richard Mancey, managing director at Paulton Park theme park in Hampshire – home of Peppa Pig World – has said the UK’s staycation trend allowed the business to get back on its feet post-covid. The calendar year of 2021 was the best ever for Paultons, with turnover hitting £40.4m, generating a pre-tax profit of £16m. In the first year of covid, during which the park reopened and closed three times, it took just £19.5m and made a profit of £1.1m. In the bumper year that followed, the company’s directors shared a dividend of £14m, reports the Daily Mail. The year proved to be a “good blip”, said Mancey, who is also on the management committee of the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions. “It was a good blip, and it enabled us to get back on our feet properly,” he added. “Normally, between eight and nine million people fly out of the UK in August alone to go on holiday, but in that case they didn’t – they couldn’t – and so therefore this staycation suddenly happened.” This year, the focus is on making sure Paultons Park is perceived as good value at a time when families are feeling the pinch. Ticket prices recently edged up by £2 to £41.75 to help offset some of the park’s own rising costs – its energy bill is up 400% and insurance premium has doubled. “We freely admit we’re not the cheapest day out [and] are a considered purchase,” Mancey said. “But we are a quality day out.” Richard’s son James, one of six family members who run Paultons Park, is spearheading a project looking at generating as much of its power on site as possible. Paulton Park, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, houses five themed “worlds” within its 140 acres, with Peppa Pig World, which opened in 2011, costing £6m to build. The resort’s workforce comprises 150 permanent staff and a seasonal team of 750, who cater for more than a million guests a year.

Chickpea Group and Immersive Group owners launch Wiltshire brewery: Chickpea Group co-founder Ethan Davids and The Immersive Group co-owner Dave Hancock are part of the team behind a new brewery in Wiltshire. The duo have teamed up with Lyall Dew and Joe Robinson, who have strong backgrounds in brewing in the region, to found Rude Giant Brew Co, which they say will strip brewing back to its roots and focus on the basics to “make beer for all palates”. Already supplying a number of local pubs and restaurants, there are also plans to open a taproom and a series of regular supper clubs. Head brewer Dew, who previously oversaw operations at Sixpenny Brewery, said: “Since the age of 16, I have been brewing cider with apples from my parents’ garden and making homebrew in university dorms and airing cupboards. Brewing using local crushed malts and whole-leaf hops still inspires my brewing today. Rude Giant is built on the belief that you don’t need to be a connoisseur or critic to love good, tasty beer.” Also providing brewing expertise will be Robinson, whose family farm will house the brewery alongside his own existing one, Blonde Brothers. Hancock, meanwhile, co-owns The Immersive Group, a collection of five hospitality brands based in Salisbury – Mexican bar/restaurant Tinga, parlour bar Caboose, Deacons pub, pop-up bar Frost and the Salisbury City Garden bar. He previously worked in the on-trade and off-trade at Molson-Coors. Davids co-owns Chickpea Group with sister Jordan Davids and business partner Tommy Tullis, with a south west portfolio including five pubs and a pizza shop.

Hotel and serviced apartment operator London Town Group returns to profit as it reports ‘remarkable improvement’: Hotel and serviced apartment operator London Town Group has reported a “remarkable improvement” as it returned to profit. Turnover increased 33.4% to £16,383,959 for the year ending 30 June 2022 compared with £12,280,967 for the 18 months ending 30 June 2022. However, revenue remained below the £23,960,596 it reported for the 12 months ending 31 December 2019 – the last full year before the pandemic. Ebitda was up 257% to £8,145,174 from £2,281,426 in the previous 18 months (2019: £8,787,223). The business made a pre-tax profit of £3,235,093 compared with a loss of £4,573,461 in the previous 18 months (2019: profit of £3,546,673). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The group has achieved significant growth and remarkable improvements in all key business metrics, despite the challenging environment resulting from the covid-19 pandemic. This exceptional performance reflects the resilience and adaptability of our team in navigating the hospitality industry trends and external influencing factors during this period. Our financial position has also strengthened, with cash at the bank and cash on deposit (including amounts held by related parties) rising by 27.5%, totalling £41,992,072. The loan-to-value ratio has shown a positive reduction from 44% to 43%, indicating a healthier debt position. Additionally, net assets pre-deferred tax experienced a growth of 7.2%, reaching £154,366,326.” The company received government grants of £18,107 (2021: £969,779). No dividend was paid (2021: £2,000,000).

Drink producer These Days to open aperitivo bar in London: Drink producer These Days is to open an aperitivo bar in London next month. Led by These Days founder Oli Man, previously of The Culpeper, the venue at 100 Druid Street in Bermondsey will offer a “progressive spritz menu, bar snacks and a modern approach to aperitivo”. Taking over an old archway, the bar will spread across one floor with additional outdoor seating. The venue – which opens on Thursday, 11 May – will hold up to 50 people. The spritzes will be made from real fruit and organic wine, available by the bottle or fresh from the tap. The bar will have a short and concise bar snack menu including bread and oil from St John Bakery and cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy, as well as charcuterie, olives and crisps. “We’re excited to open our brand home, get back to our bartending roots, experiment with new spritz flavours and show how great aperitivo can be,” said Man.

 

Ex-Big Mamma Group director Jack de Wet joins Etch: Jack de Wet, formerly of the Big Mamma Group and Jamie’s Italian, has joined sector property advisory firm Etch, as its development partner. Most recently, as chief development officer for the Big Mamma Group, he oversaw market entry negotiations and openings in the UK, France, Spain and Germany for the Paris-born restaurant group. Prior to this he spent five years as part of the leadership team tasked with global expansion for Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group and Jamie’s Italian, overseeing growth in 20 countries across Europe, UAE, Asia, Australia and North America. Etch said: “The knowledge and relationships he holds within these international territories, as well as the proven track record of bringing some of the biggest names in hospitality to market, puts him in an ideal position as part of the Etch team, to advise, consult and negotiate on behalf of clients.”