Boo eyes 300 UK sites and overseas expansion as it makes international debut, appoints former Amazon UK project manager as first operations director: Better burger brand Boo has told Propel it is eyeing 300 UK sites and overseas expansion after making its international debut and appointing former Amazon UK project manager Gareth Jones as its first operations director. Founded in 2017, the family-owned venture started the year with five sites and aims to add the same number in 2023. Its first franchise store opened in Preston in December (a previous franchise site in Loughborough is a takeaway-only “express” version), followed by its second, in Birmingham, in February. This will be followed by a further franchise site, in Leicester, and company-owned sites, in Derby and Manchester, in the coming months. It has also just made its international debut, opening a site in the Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi over the weekend. “We’re aiming for 300 UK stores over the next five to ten years,” said co-founder Zainab Suleman, who has also co-founded several optician businesses. “We opened our first site in 2017 and our expansion was delayed by covid. We needed to secure our supply chain first, and we have developed a butchery arm which produces our own blend of meat patties, which we also wholesale out. We’re really looking to expand now and we’ve appointed our first operations director to help with that growth. With Abu Dhabi, the opportunity came up and we thought it was worth looking into. We’d like to grow in the Middle East, and Canada too. We take our inspiration from Shake Shack, where everything is handmade, with real patties from locally sourced ingredients. We’ve started manufacturing our own buns too. It’s a small menu but a very good quality burger. It’s not overly complicated, while the stores are cool but not over-designed.” Of the international opening, Jones added: “Today we officially launched Boo into the international market with our Abu Dhabi store in the UAE. Boo Yas Mall Abu Dhabi opened with an overwhelmingly positive response from locals, expats and tourists. Look out for our UK and global expansion.”

Sponsored message – Stirr Ups Restaurant & Bar achieves impressive results with new guest insight partner HGEM: A street food and cocktail bar concept in the Cotswolds has reported strong growth after launching a programme with guest management platform HGEM. “The dine-in experience has improved greatly, we are receiving more five-star reviews than ever before and the reviews are mentioning the things we are focusing on in the mystery guest audits,” said Shayne Ogden, general manager of Strirr Ups, in a recent case study with HGEM. To read the case study, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Propel Multi-Club Conference featuring all-female line-up of leaders on learning lessons and moving forward opens for bookings, three free places per company for operators: The second Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2023 takes place on Thursday, 29 June, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. The all-day conference, which is organised in conjunction with Ann Elliott, will feature an all-female line-up of sector leaders on learning lessons from the pandemic and moving forward. Multi-site operators can book up to three free places each by emailing paul.charity@propelinfo.com. Speakers will include Debbie Hewitt, who talks about her career in business. She was appointed chairwoman of the Football Association in June 2021 and is the first woman to hold the post, having previously being chairwoman of The Restaurant Group. Charlene Lyons, chief executive of Black Sheep Brewery, will discuss her role as chief executive, the challenges she’s faced and her guiding principles for being an inspirational leader. Helen Charlesworth, managing director of Stonegate Pub Company, will talk about how she motivates and inspires people to do their best. Rebecca Mascarenhas, co-owner of Michelin-starred Elystan Street in Chelsea and Kitchen W8 in Kensington, with chef Phil Howard, will discuss her career to date, which spans more than three decades. Anna Watkins, managing director at Barrafina Group, will talk about her career having made the switch from advertising to hospitality less than a year ago. There will also be five panel sessions. A chief executive panel will feature Alison Wright, chief executive of Fitzbillies; Sarah Weir, managing director of Albion & East, and Emma Banks, vice-president food and beverage strategy and development EMEA at Hilton, will discuss what it takes to lead successfully in a rapidly changing world. A membership leaders’ panel with Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, chair of the London Tourism Board and chair of ACC Liverpool; Emma McClarkin, chief executive of British Beer & Pub Association and chair of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance; and Katariina Reissaar, chair of the Institute of Hospitality’s Youth Council, will discuss how their organisations help women progress and grow within their different sectors. Gaynor Mary Warren-Wright will talk about her journey in the sector and then join a panel of speakers, hosted by Clare Willetts, founder and chief executive of Not Only Pink and Blue, which will also feature Amanda Smyth, head of people of Scoffs Group; Gabi Clipp, head of people of Urban Pubs and Bars; and Karen Bosher, independent board and business advisor, to discuss the importance of people. A finance and investment panel discussing how women can progress in finance and investment in the sector will include Lizzie Ryan-Podbury, partner at Imbiba, Vic Stewart, chief financial officer at The Alchemist and co-founder of the Six Percent Club; Linda Nguyenova, investor at BGF; and Claire Catlin, chief financial officer at Moto Hospitality. A founders panel will include Alice Williams, founder of Luminary Bakery; Sarah Brading, founder of Flat Earth Pizzas; and Zoe Paskin, co-founder/managing director of Paskin; to talk about how they established their businesses, their learnings, and their advice to others.

Number of hotel operators set to join updated Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies: A number of hotel operators are among the 24 new multi-site companies being added to the next edition of the Propel Premium Database of Multi-Site Companies, which will be released on Friday (28 April), at midday. The updated Propel Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate, features family-run Solley Hotels, which owns the Pitbauchlie House Hotel in Dunfermline, the BW Kings Manor Hotel in Edinburgh and the BW Balgeddie House Hotel in Glenrothes. Also added this month is Luxury Family Hotels, which is based in the south west, and has five venues across the UK. In addition, boutique hotel group GuestHouse, which was founded in 2021 by brothers Tristan, James and Tom Guest, and operates four sites in Bath, York, Brighton and Margate, will be featured. Premium subscribers will also receive a 2,000-word report on the new additions to the database. The comprehensive database is updated monthly and provides company names, the people in charge, how many sites each firm operates, its trading name and its registered name at Companies House if different. The database now features 2,833 companies. Premium subscribers will also receive the next edition of the New Openings Database on Friday, 5 May, at midday. It focuses on newly announced openings and upcoming launches in the sector and is updated every month. The next edition also includes a 5,000-word report on the new additions to the database. Premium subscribers also receive access to three other databases: the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; and the Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Propel Premium for a year for £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.

Tips bill set to become law after clearing House of Lords: A bill that will ban hospitality businesses from holding back staff tips and place strict controls on how service charge is managed is set to become law after clearing the House of Lords. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill will amend the Employment Rights Act 1996 to require employers to ensure all tips, gratuities and service charges must be paid to workers in full, without deductions and by the end of the following month. It would also enable the government to create a code of practice intended to ensure fairness and transparency in how the money is allocated amongst staff and introduce an enforcement mechanism for employees to make complaints and seek redress. Conservative peer Lord Robathan introduced the Bill to the House for its third and final reading on 21 April. He said: “Most businesses already allocate tips fairly to their staff but, regrettably, a minority have not done so. That gives the staff, who are often among the least well-paid in the hospitality sector the opportunity to insist that they are given the service charge that many of us in restaurants pay whenever we go to a restaurant, so they get the tips rather than the money going to the profits of perhaps a big company.” Peers expressed cross-party support for the bill as it passed through the final stage of scrutiny, despite no amendments having been made since members warned of ‘unintended consequences' during its second reading. The government also gave its backing to the plans, as business minister Lord Johnson of Lainston said: “Bringing forward this new law will protect millions of workers, among them many of the lowest paid and give them an avenue to seek remedies. Consumers will rest assured the tips they leave are going, as intended, to reward the good service and hard work of staff rather than boosting the revenue of businesses.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a food manufacturer that is seeking a national account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will be responsible for overseeing its customer portfolio by managing and developing client relationships, being point of contact for any queries, ensuring budgets are met and to upsell accounts to ensure company progression. This role will have particular focus on select grocery retailers.” The salary is up to £75,000 and the position is based in Kent. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

Brighton Pier Group CEO – all bars profitable but ‘everything for sale at right price’, plans to refinance existing debt to fund potential deals: Brighton Pier Group chief executive Anne Ackord has told Propel that all its bars are profitable but “everything is for sale at the right price”. Speaking following the company’s full-year results, Ackord said the group expects more acquisition opportunities to arise later this year and into 2024 and plans to refinance its existing debt to fund potential deals. But one area the company does not intend to grow is its eight-strong bars business. Ackord said: “We want to focus our investment capacity on the other parts of the business – new golf sites, the lodges opportunity at Lightwater Valley theme park and other new business opportunities that might come along later in the year. We are constantly being asked if we have any plans to sell the bars – I don’t really need to tell you this, but everything is for sale at the right price. It is important to bear in mind that in the 18-month period ended 25 December 2022, the bars division made Ebitda of £3.5m. While this period has been exceptional, we still believe we have good bars in good locations, all of which have been around a long time, and they all make money. We continue to talk with a number of people and companies about opportunities. An economic shakedown such as we now seeing is putting distress on many businesses. Currently, transactions are taking place at quite high prices, but we believe later this year and into next year it is likely these multiples will start to fall. and with it the potential for interesting deals. We have repaid all our borrowings through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (paying back £9m – 44% of its debt) during the last 18 months. In addition, we are planning to refinance our remaining debt with a larger revolving credit facility, and a smaller term loan so we can repay cash over the summer months. The business generates a lot of cash in the summer. The larger revolving credit facility will enable us to borrow for smaller deals. If opportunities arise, we will be well placed to fund the smaller deals as we did with the acquisition of Lightwater Valley, and if something larger comes along, we have the capacity to take further debt and/or go to shareholders.” Ackord said the group has put up some prices across all its businesses “while doing our best to make sure we remain competitive, so we have absorbed some profitability to hold on to market share”. Ackord said she is also hopeful of a good summer for the business, with an expected continuation of the staycation boom due to the expense of overseas holidays, and is also beginning to see a welcome increase in tourists returning to the UK. Brighton Pier Group features in the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book. Its turnover of £58.9m for the 18 months ending 25 December 2022 is the 112th highest in the database. Its pre-tax profit of £7.6m is the 74th 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.

Karak Chaii can ‘comfortably’ open up to 80 more sites before exploring smaller formats: Birmingham Indian street food concept Karak Chaii can comfortably open up to 80 more sites before exploring smaller formats, according to strategic advisor Paolo Peretti. The franchise company last week opened its 15th site, in Southall, west London, which will be followed shortly by a site in Bolton, Greater Manchester. Its footprint is expected to then grow to 20 by the summer and 25 by the end of the year. “We can open another 60 to 80 comfortably within three years without taking risks with demographic or location, before looking at smaller formats,” said Peretti, a former retail managing director for Patisserie Valerie. “We have also had conversations with a good partner around international expansion. We can comfortably put ten to 15 in London and five more in Birmingham, while our Manchester franchise partner has signed for five sites there. Chaiiwala has blazed a trail for chaii, but there are certain advantages to not being the first mover as you see the mistakes others make.” Karak Chaii, founded by husband-and-wife team Sughir and Sara Javed just before covid, opened its first franchise store in 2022, in Slough. Before Southall, its most recent opening was in Leamington Spa. “It’s not the most obvious place, but it's done amazingly well and is now our second busiest store,” Peretti added. In 2019, Peretti was brought in by Causeway Capital Partners, after it bought Patisserie Valerie out of administration, to help restructure the business and turn it around. Before that, his roles included managing director of Vital Ingredients, food service director at BHS, UK national operations director catering at SSP, operations director at Leon and head of city operations at Pret A Manger. He now works as an independent adviser.

MJMK to launch £1m crowdfunding campaign to accelerate expansion, appoints FD, lfls up 24%: London bar and restaurant operator MJMK, which is behind the Casa do Frango concept, is to launch a crowdfunding campaign seeking to raise an initial £1m to accelerate its growth across the capital. Founded by Marco Mendes and Jake Kasumov, the business will use the funding, which is being carried out through Crowdcube, to open its already confirmed Casa do Frango site in Victoria, and a new concept with chef-partner Santiago Lastra. It has already partnered with Lastra to open the now Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant KOL, and chef Nuno Mendes to launch Lisboeta. At the same time, the business has appointed Graham Harris, formerly of the East London Pub Co and Polpo, as its new finance director. On why the business has decided to go down the crowdfunding route rather than seek private equity backing, Harris told Propel: “We are very keen to keep it in the family. Jake and Marco majority own the business and we have friends and family involved as well, and we want to grow organically at a reasonable pace. Private equity may be something for the future, but right now we want to do a nice raise, get like-minded people involved and get our customers involved. This will allow us to grow the business at a steady rate. If we raise the £1m then we’ll do one more Casas, then we’ve got the new concept we have mentioned, and then we would like to do more Casas. We would like to get to a point, probably following the next opening, where we’ll start generating sufficient cash to fund our future openings and rollout plan with Casa. We’d like to open several more across London.” In terms of trading, Harris said the group’s like-for-like sales were up 24% in the first quarter of this year. He said: “The sites we had trading this time last year are performing particularly well. We’ve had a reasonable year. Obviously, we’ve had the same cost headwinds that everybody else has had, and I expect more to come, but we are confident about the year ahead.” The first Casa do Frango opened in July 2018 at London Bridge, with a second site, in Shoreditch, following a year later. The first central London venue under the concept opened on the former Ice Bar site in Heddon Street, last October. The business was also planning to launch a permanent site for AngloThai, the concept from husband-and-wife team John and Desiree Chantarasak, this year.

Flat Iron FD to step down, appoints new head of people: Stuart McNamara is to step down as finance director of Flat Iron, the Piper-backed affordable steak concept, to “pursue other opportunities”, Propel has learned. McNamara joined the 12-strong Flat Iron in October 2018 after more than four years at Cote, including two and a half as its finance director. Flat Iron chief executive Tom Byng told Propel: “On behalf of the whole team, I’d like to thank Stuart for everything he has done for Flat Iron over the past four and half years. He has led the finance function through the challenges of covid to a position of strength from which Flat Iron is now well placed to prosper and grow. We wish him all the best for the future.” McNamara said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Flat Iron and I am pleased to be leaving the business in such a strong position. I would like to say thank you to Tom and the Flat Iron Team for the support provided during my time there. I am now very much looking forward to the next stage of my career.” At the same time, Gina Knight has been appointed as the brand’s new head of people. She will join the business following nearly five years at The Bread Factory, where she was most recently head of talent, learning and development. Byng said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Gina to the Flat Iron team. We believe she has the personality, energy and capability to recruit, develop and retain a world class team as Flat Iron grows.” Knight said: “Flat Iron’s commitment to driving culture through their values while prioritising the growth and development of people is truly inspiring. It’s an exciting time for Flat Iron, and I look forward to contributing to the company's ongoing success.” Earlier this month, Propel revealed that Flat Iron had acquired the lease on a site in Manchester’s Deansgate for a possible opening later this year. It is due to open at Market Street in Cambridge this summer, for its regional debut.

Kaspas founder opens third UK Doner & Gyros site, set to more than double portfolio this year: Kaspas founder Azhar Rehman, has told Propel he is set to more than double his UK Doner & Gyros estate this year after opening its third site here. Rehman, who owns the UK, Ireland and European master franchise rights for Doner & Gyros, has opened a new store at 10 Church Street in Rugby. Rehman said five more sites are in the pipeline for 2023, with restaurants in Bury and Taunton set to open in June and July. “We are still in the process of finding sites for the next three,” he added. The Taunton store will operate alongside a new Kaspas at the former Maplins store at 12 County Walk. The new opening in Rugby follows Doner & Gyros sites at 43-45 Oxford Road in Reading and 1,455 London Road in Norbury, south London. The brand’s first UK location, in Aylesbury, which opened in 2017, is now shut. The brand also has a presence in the UAE, US, India and Canada.

Gail’s secures Epsom site: Fast-growing bakery brand Gail’s has secured a site for a new restaurant in Epsom, Surrey. It has taken a 5,958 square-foot unit in the town’s Ashley Centre, which is currently undergoing a £5m refurbishment. Set to open this summer, the store will span three floors at the entrance to the centre’s East Square. Louisa Butters, head of retail asset management UK at centre owners CBRE IM, said: “This signing marks the destination as a premium location for quality offerings, providing customers with quality baked goods and pastries in a characterful and inviting space, and we look forward to Gail’s joining our food and beverage offer.” GCW and Cushman and Wakefield represented Ashley Centre while CBRE acted on behalf of Gail’s. The 108-strong Gail’s plans to open between 20 and 25 shops this financial year, which will include an opening in a former Prezzo site in Horsham, West Sussex. Earlier this month, the company said it is to roll out branded bakery fixtures in 64 Waitrose stores in the south and east of England by the end of May following a successful trial.

Ozone Coffee takes London estate to four with double opening: Ozone Coffee Roasters has taken its estate in London to four sites after opening two new sites in the capital. The company has reopened the former Association Coffee sites at Creechurch Lane and Ludgate Hill after acquiring the business last November. The two sites will be providing “baked goods, a toastie menu and tasty bites from their kitchen, alongside their seasonal coffee selection directly sourced and freshly roasted by the team”. Ozone also operates sites in Bethnal Green and Shoreditch, plus two sites in New Zealand. Lizzie Gurr, chief executive of Ozone Coffee, said: “With our much-loved, established eateries in east London, it’s great to have two new homes in a new part of London. While the food menu reflects the grab-and-go needs of our city customers, it still follows the high-quality yet sustainable kitchen philosophy we strive for, with the incredible specialty coffee range we are proud to source, roast and serve.”

PizzaLuxe hosts summer London pop-up as part of franchise expansion strategy: PizzaLuxe, the Paul Goodale-led premium fast casual concept, is hosting a summer pop-up in London as part of its franchise expansion strategy. The company has partnered with sector consultancy firm TGP International for its temporary alfresco restaurant at 3 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. It has joined the likes of Lilly’s Cafe, Pivot British Bar & Bistro by Mark Greenaway and El Ta’Koy with a 30-cover summer restaurant, bar, terrace space in the Covent Garden Piazza. PizzaLuxe began life in 2011 as a weekend market stall in Brick Lane, and the Henrietta Street launch sees PizzaLuxe return to the capital. The ensuing years have seen the business evolve and expand through the north of England and the Midlands, including restaurants in Leeds and Manchester. PizzaLuxe also has partnerships with UK-based transport hub foodservice specialist SSP and Extra Motorway Service Area Group. The new site has been created to showcase the concept to potential franchisees in partnership with TGP International, which has restored 3 Henrietta Street. Goodale said: “I am very proud of how the PizzaLuxe concept has grown since we began in Brick Lane, and it’s a true testament to the team’s work and dedication that we are now returning to London. We are excited for our arrival at 3 Henrietta Street. Our partnership with TGP International promises to be the perfect platform upon which to build our next stage of growth.” 

Star Pubs & Bars reveals plans for net zero pub estate by 2040: Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars has revealed plans to decarbonise its estate of 2,400 pubs by 2040. The journey to net zero will be a phased approach, with an initial focus on its 145 Just Add Talent managed operator pubs leading up to 2030. This will be achieved by maximising energy efficiency and switching to renewable energy, the company said. In partnership with its licensees and suppliers, the company then aims to reach net zero carbon emissions across its 2,255 leased and tenanted pubs by 2040, with interim targets to ensure it stays on track to achieve its ambition. It will kick-start its journey to net zero with a £1.1m investment in rolling out energy efficiency initiatives in 280 pubs. The package of measures will be tailored to each pub and will reduce energy usage by 15%, on average. In addition, the company is spending a further £200,000 in 2023 on trials which will test technologies such as electric kitchens, solar panels, cellar heat recovery and heat pumps. A sustainability cabinet from departments across the business will lead the implementation of its sustainability ambitions and evaluation its progress annually. Star Pubs & Bars’ head of property, Chris Sladen, said: “We have robust and realistic ambitions embedded in our business that we’re confident we will deliver. It will also bring a multitude of benefits to our licensees, decreasing their energy bills and helping them to develop their own sustainability credentials with their customers.”

BrewDog offers interactive, self-guided beer school for £1, USA CEO to step down: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog is offering an interactive, self-guided beer school in its bars, for £1 for a limited time only. Bookings are open for people to become a “certified beer geek” at the beer schools throughout May. Participants will be able to taste their way through four BrewDog “headliners” and take an educational deep dive into their creation, at their own pace. In the UK, the beers will be its Punk IPA, Lost Lager, Elvis Juice and the newly released nitro stout Black Heart. The beer school features videos and quizzes and teaches the background and history of different beer styles, while also exploring the various aspects of beer tasting. The beer schools are available in the company’s UK bars for £1, its US and Australian bars for $1, and selected bars in Europe for €1. They must be booked online in advance. BrewDog chief executive James Watt said: “Craft beer is about discovery, and whether you’re craft beer curious or know a lot about it, our BrewDog beer school campaign gives you the chance to discover the story behind our headliner core range. You can uncover the fundamentals and explore the hidden secrets, because there’s always room to learn more. Punk IPA is where it all began, and we’re excited to give drinkers the chance to taste their way through a bit of our history, while learning more about the quality and the care we put into every glass of beer we brew.” Meanwhile, Jason Block is to step down as chief executive of BrewDog’s US operation after three and a half years in the role. Block is the third head of the company’s US business since it launched its operations in central Ohio in 2016. It is thought a successor to Block will be announced soon. 

Hastings Hotels reports profits and turnover well behind pre-pandemic levels: Hastings Hotels, which owns and operates six venues across Northern Ireland, has reported profits and turnover well below pre-pandemic levels for the year ending 31 October 2022. It reported turnover of £2,522,000 – exactly the same as in 2021. This compares with £49,378,668 in the last full year before the pandemic, ending 31 October 2019. Pre-tax profit dipped slightly from £148,694 in 2021 to £110,717 (2019: £5,830,483). The company received no government grants compared with £64,827 in 2021. Average staff numbers rose from 46 to 50 during the year. The group is still operated by the family of Sir William Hastings, who founded it 50 years ago. It also appeared in a six-part BBC series, The Hotel People, which ran through the autumn of 2022, showing how the hotel chain bounced back from the pandemic and the daily challenges its staff face.

Parkdean Resorts launches trials to reduce carbon emissions: Parkdean Resorts, the UK’s largest holiday park operator, has introduced a number of infrastructure trials across its parks to help reduce carbon emissions and energy usage. The holiday park operator has committed to a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025 and is in the process of preparing its first environmental, social and governance report. Key initiatives including switching a large portion of its liquid petroleum gas to Calor Futuria Liquid Gas, a co-product of biodiesel production made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials. It has also installed more than 1,200 solar panels at Warmwell and Sandford Holiday Parks, both in Dorset, allowing the parks to start generating their own energy. Electric car charging facilities have been introduced at eight of Parkdean’s holiday parks, and it is replacing 25 of the diesel vans used by maintenance teams with electric vehicles. The vast majority of Parkdean’s 66 parks have now switched to LED lighting, while Sandford and Warmwell Holiday Parks have benefitted from swimming pool efficiency covers. Parkdean is also looking into additional smart technologies to help further reduce electricity and gas usage, such as smart thermostats, smart plug sockets and smart meters. Jane Bates, Parkdean’s director of procurement and sustainability, said: “Reducing our carbon emissions is one of our central goals, and we’re delighted with the progress we’ve made so far. We’ve introduced a number of initiatives across our parks that are clearly having a real impact, and we’ll continue to monitor our progress to ensure we meet our target of reducing our emissions by 25% by 2025.” It comes after Parkdean last week agreed a £600m debt refinancing, with chief executive Steve Richards saying the business would be accelerating its growth plans.

Windermere country house hotel owner adds luxury bed and breakfast to portfolio: The Storrs Collection, which owns country house hotel Storrs Hall on the shores of Windermere in the Lake District, has acquired a luxury bed and breakfast for an undisclosed sum. The company has bought Lindeth Fell Country House, which stands in seven acres of its own private gardens, overlooking the lake in Lyth Valley Road in Windermere. It offers 14 bedrooms, many with lake views, and had been owned and run by the Kennedy family for almost 40 years. Andrew Nicholson, general manager of Storrs Hall, said: “We’re proud to have added Lindeth Fell to The Storrs Collection and very much look forward to carrying forward the exceptional quality of the stewardship of the Kennedy family. There is a synergy between Lindeth Fell and Storrs Hall – both are very special places, each with a rich and interesting history, in a spectacular setting, providing a warm and nurturing guest experience.” Storrs Hall has 28 bedrooms in its main house, six luxury lakeside suites and The Boathouse, an over-water suite for two. Colliers acted on the Lindeth Fell Country House deal.

Scottish hotel that went into liquidation last month goes on market: A Scottish hotel that went into liquidation last month has been put up for sale. Christie & Co has been instructed by joint liquidators, Ken Pattullo and Kenny Craig, of Begbies Traynor, to market the former Lomond Hills Hotel in Freuchie, Fife. The 18th century converted coaching inn had been trading for almost 300 years. The property features 24 bedrooms, a restaurant and public bar, along with two function suites and a leisure centre with a pool gym, sauna and spa. The historic hotel was placed into liquidation and ceased to trade, with all 17 staff made redundant, on 6 March. Challenges related to the cost-of-living-crisis and covid-19 were cited among the reasons for the village hotel’s liquidation.