Three Joes and The Stable operator completes new funding round, includes new investor city grandee Christopher Mills: Sourdough South, operators of the Three Joes and The Stable pizza brands, as well as Fistral Beach Bar in Newquay, has completed a funding round to support the continued expansion of its brands, Propel has learned. The investment has been secured from the group’s existing private shareholder base with the additional introduction of Christopher Mills, founder and chief executive of Harwood Capital, as a new private investor. The funds are also set to help the business open the first new site under The Stable brand since Sourdough South acquired the business from Fuller’s in June 2020. Sourdough South co-founder and group chief executive Tim Hall told Propel: “We are delighted to have such a supportive and engaged shareholder group that continues to recognise the potential of the Sourdough South group of restaurant brands. We will shortly open our fifth Three Joes site, in Chichester, and are delivering revenue well ahead of expectation with our recently opened Three Joes in Lincoln. The demand for a high-quality sourdough pizza dining experience is growing exponentially. This investment round is partly structured to enable the launch of our first new Stable since we acquired the group and completed our restructuring of the brand. We will be announcing details of this site shortly. It is a measure of the potential the group holds that city grandee Christopher Mills has decided to join our shareholder group and we look forward to working closely with him and his team over the next few years as we manage our expansion.” Mills said: “I am a big fan of what Tim and the team are doing with Sourdough South and am looking forward to being part of their journey as they develop this exciting business in the evolving new landscape of hospitality.” Propel revealed last month Sourdough South had signed a lease on the 4,000 square-foot former Lime Squeezy site in Chichester’s South Street for Three Joes, which will be its 15th site in total.

 

Sponsored message – Airship to host free workshop for operators about activating automated email and SMS marketing: Airship, the hospitality CRM, is hosting an in-person event on Thursday, 6 July at the Manchester Art Gallery, where it will be running a hands-on workshop to help customers build automated marketing journeys. The first-of-its-kind workshop aims to automatically drive more visits and more spend for hospitality brands. Dan Brookman, Airship chief executive, said: “This could genuinely be the biggest positive impact we’ve made to hospitality marketing, in a single day. The average automated journey through Airship generates an additional £13,000 in revenue, per location per year. So, if you haven’t got your: welcome, birthday, or anniversary journey up and running, come and set them all up in a single day with hospitality experts!” To register, click here. If you have a sponsored message you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Tom Crowley to speak at Propel summer conference and party, three free places per company for operators: Tom Crowley, chief executive of Popeyes UK, will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party on Wednesday, 6 September, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. The all-day conference will focus on “new directions” and will be followed in the evening by the summer party, with a barbecue and five hours of live music, including a three-hour set from the famous house band at Piano Works. Crowley will discuss the brand’s entry into the UK market, the evolution of its offer, its marketing strategy and its expansion plans. Three free places per company for operators can be claimed. A room can also be booked for the evening. For more details, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Latest Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage released today: The latest Who’s Who of UK Food and Beverage will feature 40 updated entries and 13 new companies when it is released to Premium subscribers today (Friday, 16 June), at midday. This month’s edition includes 693 companies and more than 180,000 words of content. 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. Premium subscribers also receive access to four other databases: the Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book; 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 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. In this week’s Premium Opinion, which will be sent to subscribers today at 5pm, Propel editorial consultant Katherine Doggrell looks at why the hotel industry must take notes from the pub sector to rediscover its hospitality roots. Entrepreneur Matthew Kirby, who founded and sold Chozen Noodle, discusses his current investment in a Detroit-based restaurant franchise – including receiving backing from the US government. Stephen Nolan, chief executive of hospitality and foodservice technology provider Nutritics, talks about why this week’s acquisition of the Snowfox Group shows the size of the prize for operators who embrace sustainability.

 

Consumers will spend up to £30 more at a restaurant if it looks ‘good’ on social media: The average adult is willing to spend nearly £30 more at restaurants that look “good” on social media, a study has found. A poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Barclaycard Payments, found 41% believe a social media presence is now the best way to judge whether a restaurant is worth visiting – rising to 58% of 18 to 26-year-olds. The most sought-after content includes food close-ups (49%), restaurant décor (29%) and behind-the-scenes footage (28%). Of those who use social media for this purpose, an estimated 21% of the social media posts they view are related to food and eating out. Kirsty Morris, managing director at Barclaycard Payments, said: “Our research shows that a quarter of diners look at the menu on social media before ordering. This is just one way the experience is improved for diners – so they can concentrate on getting that perfect, meal-side shot when they’re dining out. More and more venues allow you to book, review menus, and even pre-pay via their social media channels – so it’s a sensible move for those in the hospitality industry to keep sharing content and engaging potential visitors.” A further poll of 200 restaurant owners, also by Barclaycard Payments, found 66% have joined platforms like Instagram and TikTok to make their venue more appealing and have seen an increase in bookings through these platforms by 80%.

 

Boris Johnson’s junk food deals ban could be scrapped: Prime minister Rishi Sunak has hinted he could cancel Boris Johnson’s ban on buy one, get one free (BOGOF) offers on junk food following a backlash from Conservative MPs. Sunak said no final decision had been made on the policy, which is set to be introduced in October despite research casting doubt on its effectiveness. The crackdown on multi-buy supermarket deals forms part of an anti-obesity drive announced by Johnson in 2020, only for it to be delayed last year amid soaring food prices. While Downing Street had insisted earlier this week it would press ahead with the proposals, Sunak opened the door to an about-turn when challenged by Philip Davies, the Tory MP for Shipley, at Prime Minister’s Questions, reports The Telegraph. Davies said: “One of the socialist landmines the prime minister has inherited from the former member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip...was the idiotic triumph of the nanny state of banning BOGOF and other special offers on products that the Department of Health (DoH) thought was unhealthy. During a cost-of-living crisis it is utterly bonkers. So, can I ask the prime minister if he will intervene, pursue a more conservative agenda...and scrap this ridiculous policy?” Sunak responded: “No final decisions have been made, but I will continue to take what he says very seriously in all our deliberations.” Asked whether this meant the policy could be reversed, the prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters that while forthcoming policies are kept under review, there were “no plans to change that”. An analysis by the DoH that resurfaced this week suggested the BOGOF ban would only have a minimal impact on calorie consumption.

 

Grassroots music venues to benefit from £5m of government funding: Grassroots music venues are to benefit from £5m of government funding. The funds will be made available over two years through the Supporting Grassroots Live Music Fund, administered by Arts Council England. In 2022, the number of shows taking place at grassroots level fell by 16.9% due to rising costs for venues in the shape of energy bills, rent, and staffing. Rebecca Walker, live projects co-ordinator for Music Venue Trust, said: “We have new and emerging artists who want to tour, venues who are desperate to host them, audiences that want to see them, but the financial obstacles have simply become too great. With this additional £5m we are going to be able to work with the sector to get artists back out across the country.” Meanwhile, the Night Time Industries Association has announced a new partnership with The Music Lotto, which was launched last summer of 2022 as a digital fundraising lottery. Ticket sales are split between the grants programme, giving artists financial support to further their career, and a range of charity partners.

 

Asda’s future food trends include retro desserts and ‘beige delights’: Supermarket chain Asda has outlined the future food trends shaping what customers are reaching for on supermarket shelves. It said retro desserts are making a comeback, shoppers are looking to make gourmet creations from purse-friendly ingredients, and “just add water” products are on the rise. The retailer predicts shoppers’ increasing environmental awareness will see an increase in sales of regenerative crops such as ancient grains and alfalfa. Asda also believes a “flavour bomb” trend is on the way as people experiment with different condiments and sauces to liven up purse-friendly dishes – such as “coffee siracha” or “fruity chipotle”. It also suggested toast and sandwiches will get a new lease of life as part of “elevating everyday heroes”. The predictions are included in Asda’s 2023-24 trend book, which will guide its food and drink product development for the next 18 months. Jonathan Moore, senior director of food and innovation trends at Asda, said: “We have spent months researching and identifying seven mega trends emerging in the UK food scene, alongside delving deeper into the relevant social and cultural drivers behind them. Over the next 18 months, we’ll be working hard to bring these trends to life on Asda shelves in a way that’s both exciting and accessible for our customers.”

 

Operators may need to apply for TENs to show Women’s World Cup games: Depending on their current premises licence, operators may need to apply for a temporary event notice (TEN) to show Women’s World Cup matches next month, solicitors John Gaunt & Partners have warned. A last-minute agreement with broadcasters ITV and BBC means fans will be able to watch all matches, which are being played in Australia and New Zealand, back in the UK, with kick-off times ranging from 2am to 1pm. Jonathan Papius, practice manager at John Gaunt & Partners, said: “The first match of the tournament is scheduled for July 20, so if TENs are needed, they must be applied for within the next couple of weeks. If any of the matches are outside your normal licensing hours, you will need to apply for a TEN. Please bear in mind that for the knockout stages, there is a possibility of them going to extra time and penalties, so be careful when working out if fixtures are within your normal licensing hours.” England’s opening game is against Haiti at 10.30am on Saturday, 22 July.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a community of individuals that is looking for a head of commercial sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The goal is to convene a collaborative community that scales and accelerates solutions to the world’s greatest challenges and provide its community with a physical home where creativity and innovation can flourish. This role will lead membership acquisition, events, outbound corporate partnerships, and communications and have accountability for the revenue P&L. The ideal candidate will have a sales background (mastering data and funnels is essential) and have grown into a commercial leader that understands the detail, creativity and drive to deliver a £10m budget across the core revenue lines at a controlled cost of acquisition.” The salary is up to £80,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email gemma@corecruitment.com.

 

Emeny – London best performing region but all areas of business in double digit like-for-like growth, capital showing signs of returning to pre-covid trading patterns: Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller’s, has told Propel that London is its best performing region in the current financial year but all areas of its business are in double-digit like-for-like growth. Speaking following the company’s full-year results, where the company reported like-for-like sales in the ten weeks to 10 June 2023 were up 13.9%, Emeny said trading patterns in the capital were showing signs of returning to pre-covid trends. “We’ve been through four years of huge challenges and we have come through them with a much stronger and resilient business, and we look forward with huge optimism,” he said. “Our current like-for-like performance is exceeding our expectations. It’s been constant over those ten weeks too, so it’s not just been down to the recent good weather. It’s testament to the work of our teams and it gives us confidence we can carry on this performance. It’s encouraging we are seeing both sales and volume growth. In the last financial year, we increased drink prices 6.8% and food prices 8.9%, and our like-for-likes are up almost 14%, so we’re getting more people visiting our pubs. London is the best performer of that 13.9%, but all parts of the business are in double-digit growth. London has had some real challenges, but people are returning to offices in their droves – and they look happy to be back. It’s no longer just Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays now. Saturdays are very strong and Fridays are showing year-on-year growth. People, especially the younger age groups, have had enough of working from home. We’re also seeing an increase in event bookings from offices.” Having seen its energy costs almost double, Emeny said the business has worked hard to reduce its usage through its Life Is Too Good To Waste initiative. He said gas consumption was down 13%, electricity use had fallen 14% and its recycling rate has increased to 57%. The business now has two fully electric pubs, one of which is The Admiralty in London’s Trafalgar Square. Emeny said there were signs that food inflation was abating, although it was “taking longer than I expected”. Looking ahead, Emeny said: “The industry is brilliant at evolving. Who thought we would double our sales of non-alcoholic drinks in the last year and cocktails would be the fastest growing category? I’m very optimistic about the next year and so is the team – morale is very high in the business. We see opportunity to grow, despite the high cost environment, and our customers appear to love what we are doing.”

 

HOP to make regional debut, foundations in place to open five sites a year: Vietnamese street food concept HOP is to make its regional debut and launch a third London site that will be a smaller, all-day format over the coming months, Propel has learned. It comes after HOP put in place the foundations to enable the business to grow by five sites a year and has started exploring the franchise market. The Paul Hopper-led business, which already operates sites in Moorgate and St Paul’s, will debut its new all-day, seven-day a week format next month in London’s Bond Street, in the West One shopping centre. The following month, the business will make its regional debut in Manchester’s The Trafford Centre, after securing the ex-Subway site in The Orient part of the scheme. The latter site will trade lunch, afternoon and evening. Both will include new evening menus, plus new drink offerings including a bubble tea range. The Bond Street site will feature the concept’s first breakfast range. The new sites will create circa 50 jobs and come as HOP experiences a period of growth following the pandemic. Its two City-based sites take an average of 4,500 orders per week and operate on a fully digital ordering model. Both new sites will ramp up the group’s digital offer, including large format ordering kiosks. Propel understands sales at HOP’s two original sites are back to pre-pandemic levels, with Ebitda levels significantly up. Hopper told Propel that the group had been looking to explore moving out of its City base before the pandemic but the work put in over the last nine months, led by managing director Richard Franks, on training, development, marketing and offer, meant the business now had the right foundations to move into new markets. Hopper said: “I’ve believed for some time that HOP’s offering is perfectly suited to the needs of busy shoppers looking for a more exciting alternative to the regular fast-food offerings you typically find in shopping centre food courts. We believe we now have the foundations in place and the simplicity of offer to begin growing the business in new areas. If we get these two sites right, which I think we will, it opens up a lot of new avenues for the group, in terms of more shopping centres, transport hubs and eventually franchising, the latter of which we have tentatively started to explore.” Hopper said the business, which is privately backed, would be looking at a further fundraise by the end of the year. To help it with its target of opening five sites a year the business had promoted Anna Bell, the company’s first employee when it launched in 2015, to head of openings, and recently hired Dario Pirrone, formerly of Sushidog, Obica and Chilango, as its new head of operations.

 

Thomas Foulser steps down as MD of Clean Kitchen: Thomas Foulser has stepped down as managing director of Clean Kitchen, the fledgling plant-based, fast-food concept, after less than a year in the role, Propel understands. Foulser, who was formerly at Inception Group for 13 years, joined Clean Kitchen last August. He started as a general manager at Inception’s Barts venue before becoming a senior operations manager, and more recently, the Mr Fogg’s operator’s head of commercial and associate director. It is understood that Foulser continues to work with Clean Kitchen as a consultant. Propel reported last week that James Watt, co-founder and chief executive of Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog, was an investor in Clean Kitchen. Watt revealed he was an investor in the two-strong business, which is led by Mikey Pearce and Verity Bowditch, in the build-up to speaking at a networking event being held at the concep’s flagship site in Battersea Power Station. Propel revealed last summer that Steve Easterbrook, the ex-chief executive of McDonald’s, PizzaExpress and Wagamama, had invested in the company, which is chaired by Clive Sharpe, the ex-chairman of Quorn. Clean Kitchen, which also operates a site in Camden, is aiming to open two or three more sites in London this year before taking its offer abroad under a franchise model. Pearce told Propel in February that its restaurant at Battersea Power Station, which opened at the end of last year, would form the blueprint for future launches. The business aims to next open a 4,000 square-foot site “in the busiest part of London”, believed to be close to or in Oxford Street/New Oxford Street.

 

Japanese Lemonade brand set to launch first UK store in July: Japanese Lemonade brand Lemonica is set to launch its debut UK store next month, Propel has learned. The brand, which has taken on cult status in Japan, has opened more than 100 stores there since launching in 2017, in Kanazawa. It operated a short-term pop-up last summer and has now targeted July for its first permanent opening here, in London’s Soho. Its menu offers 15 types of made-to-order lemonade, including frozen, strawberry soda, peach soda freshly squeezed and detox green lemonade. It is also looking to expand in the UK through franchising, with packages from £70,000 minimum investment and a £20,000 plus VAT franchise fee per store. “We are thrilled to be able to promote Lemonica’s lemonade, which is well known in Japan, to the UK,” said the brand’s London representative, Carrie Yuki. “We hope many Europeans who have yet to visit Japan will be able to experience the Japanese brand, and taste its atmosphere, through Lemonica’s lemonade. We welcome entrepreneurs that are both new to the food and beverage industry, as well as existing proprietors expanding their current business operations.” Lemonica’s lemonade base, which it said is the key to the flavour, is prepared at its own factory, using a special blender to extract and blend the different tastes and flavours from the lemon peel.

 

Knoops appoints Richard Zivkovic as COO, lines up three new openings: Luxury hot chocolate shop Knoops has appointed Richard Zivkovic, formerly of Abokado, Costa, Pret and Island Poké, as its new chief operating officer, Propel has learned. Zivkovic joins the ten-strong Knoops after a brief stint at Cake Box, the specialist retailer of fresh cream cakes. Previous to that, he spent three years as chief operating officer at Island Poké. He also previously spent three years as chief operations officer at Abokado. In April, Knoops opened its first northern site, which is also its largest yet, in a grade II-listed building at 68 Cross Street, Manchester. Propel understands Knoops’ next three openings will be in Bath (Old Bond Street), St Albans (Market Place), and London’s Portobello Road. 

 

Dogus International Group to open new Italian restaurant in Mayfair: Dogus International Group, the company behind Amazonico, Zuma and Coya, is to open a further restaurant in London’s Mayfair called Il Gattopardo, Propel has learned. Dogus International Group has secured 27 Albemarle Street for the new Italian restaurant, which is scheduled to open in September. The new concept is described as fusing “Italian heritage with the London way of life”. The company said: “We transport guests to a glamorous era, evoking laughter, freedom and passion for the good things in life. With a 1960s sensibility, our aim is to challenge perceptions of Italian cuisine and service. From Italian roots, we offer an effortless and fluid experience in a city of sophistication. Il Gattopardo is a breath of fresh Italian air amidst urbanity.” Dogus International Group is currently responsible for, or active in, seven other London restaurants – including Zuma and Roka in Knightsbridge and Amazonico in Mayfair.

 

ETM Group appoints Alex Lowe as new marketing director: ETM Group, which operates 13 premium bars, pubs and restaurants in central London, has appointed Alex Lowe as its new marketing director, Propel has learned. Lowe joins the Ed Martin-led business after more than four years as head of brand marketing at Formula 1. Previous to that, Lowe spent two years as marketing director at Sportlobster, one year as Sky Sports brand controller, and more than five years as associate director of marketing at ESPN. He replaces Kate Macdonald, who joined ETM last November, as its new marketing director from Sipsmith. 

 

We Do Play to open new Flip Out venue in Bradford: We Do Play, the team behind trampolining brand Flip Out and crazy golf concept Putt Putt Noodle, is set to open a new Flip Out site in Bradford. Opening this autumn in the city’s Broadway shopping centre, it will be Flip Out’s 30th UK venue and feature an inflatables area, ice rink, bumper cars, indoor golf, laser quest zone, indoor football and adult soft play area. Danielle Veitch, regional manager at Flip Out, said: “We’re delighted to be opening West Yorkshire’s very first Flip Out in Bradford, particularly in The Broadway as it is the ideal location for a leisure facility.” In January, We Do Play chief executive Elliott Shuttleworth told Propel he is planning to open 20 new Flip Out sites by 2026, as well as grow Putt Putt Noodle to 40 sites. At the time, Putt Putt Noodle had just a single site, in Norwich, but it has since opened joint locations with Flip Out in Poole and Telford. Also in the pipeline are Putt Putt Noodle openings in Bedford, Basingstoke, Colchester and central London, and Flip Out launches in Colchester, Coventry and London’s Canary Wharf.

 

Merlin Entertainments appoints Sarah Venning as new chief digital and data officer: Merlin Entertainments has appointed Sarah Venning as its new chief digital and data officer. Joining the executive team, Venning will focus on bringing together the key areas in Merlin’s technology, data, and digital capabilities. Venning is currently global digital officer at Pret A Manger, and previously held senior roles at the John Lewis Partnership and Heathrow airport. Scott O’Neil, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: “As Merlin Entertainments begins its next phase of growth, we recognised we needed to add talent that maps to our ambitions. Sarah is the type of extraordinary executive who will lead us there. Her experience in driving change, attracting talent, building teams and transforming companies will set Merlin on the next step of our trajectory, as our guests look for us to continue to be ahead of the curve on our innovative digital journey.” Venning added: “Merlin’s extraordinary global locations will become ever more social, connected and immersive through the power of digital and data. With the whole team, we look forward to designing an incredible next-generation experience for our guests.”

 

Cavern Club owners anticipate record year from strong current trading, set to open new hotel: The owners of the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool have said it anticipates a record year based on strong current trading, and is set to open a new hotel. Cavern City Tours (CCT) – which also operates the Cavern Pub in the city alongside Beatles-themed events and tours – reported record pre-tax profit of £2,550,664 for the year ending 30 September 2022 (up from £175,878 in 2021), but said this has to be “tempered” by the inclusion of the value (£700,000) of the former Festival restaurant, opposite The Cavern Club in Matthew Street. A joint venture with Brazilian restaurant company Bem Brasil which launched in 2018, Festival, has now been bought outright by CCT, which has rebranded it The Cavern Restaurant. “Nevertheless, even without this, the company profit was near to £1.85m, which is an incredibly strong bounce back and one of the very best results in the company’s 30 years of owning the brand,” said director Kim Jardine. “Furthermore, figures for the first four months of trading for 2022-2023 are higher again, and we are hopeful this could be a record year. This absolutely solidifies the power and value of the brand, which recently was estimated to be worth more than £40m.” Of the rebranded restaurant, Jardine said: “There have been initial losses, but the outlook is positive, with turnover increasing, and the company now has a huge, united frontage and presence on the street, which augurs well for the future.” The company opened the Beatles-themed Hard Days Night Hotel in 2008, which was sold to Millennium Hotels & Resorts for £13.8m in 2015, and it is now ready to re-enter the hotel market. Cavern Walks Hotel is scheduled to open in March 2024, “which will give the company a huge opportunity to further boost revenues and profitability”. Negotiations are ongoing with prospective franchises in Dubai, Mexico, Brazil, and The Philippines, while the ending of travel restrictions for Chinese tourists is expected to further boost revenues. The company reported turnover of £9,215,153 for the period, up from £2,388,641 in 2021, and exceeding the £9,009,781 reported in the last full year before covid, ending 30 September 2019. The company said all jobs lost during the pandemic have been fully restored, making for a current workforce of 120, and its current loan debt is now less than £150,000 after having borrowed £1.2m to survive the pandemic, with a bank balance back to £2m-plus.

 

Bubbleology strikes retail partnership with Asda: Bubbleology, the London bubble tea bar operator, has struck a retail partnership with Asda that will see its make-at-home bubble tea kits launched into the supermarket chain’s stores nationwide. For what it said is the UK’s first bubble tea grocery range, Bubbleology has also partnered with north west food and drinks manufacturer, Aima Foods. “We are proud to have partnered with Aima Foods in the UK to launch our delicious Bubble tea into 320 Asda locations nationwide,” the company said. “Our delectable drinks for the first time will be available for consumers to purchase at Asda and create at home in the form of four mixology kits. Each of the products will contain jumbo straws, flavour bases, pearls and tea to create the authentic Bubbleology experience from home.” Founded in 2011 by Assad Khan, Bubbleology currently has 29 UK sites, including ten in London and one each in Scotland (Edinburgh) and Wales (Cardiff). It already has a presence within Asda, having launched a kiosk at the supermarket’s Milton Keynes store in November 2021.

 

Yard Sale Pizza to collaborate with Major League Baseball: Yard Sale Pizza, the restaurant and delivery business that has sector investor Paul Campbell as non-executive director, has partnered with Major League Baseball for a collaboration to celebrate the London Series, Propel understands. The series is coming to the capital on 25 and 26 June, with the Chicago Cubs set to take on the St Louis Cardinals. The business has developed a special collaboration pizza called the Wrigley Field Hot Dog Pizza, inspired by the hot dog that Chicago Cubs fans love to eat at their home stadium. The pizza will be available from all ten Yard Sale sites across London until Tuesday, 27 June. It follows Yard Sale’s string of high-profile collaborations with cultural figures and chefs that have included a campaign with Amelia Dimoldenberg to celebrate the Womens’ Euros last summer (which won Campaign of the Year at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards this year), Romesh Ranganathan for a Veganuary special, and Taste Cadets for a Kurdish-inspired lamb kebab pizza. Earlier this month, Propel revealed Yard Sale had appointed advisors as it looks to secure new backing to ramp up its expansion plans. The business, which was co-founded by Johnnie Tate and Nick Buckland in 2014, is working with William Baxter and Payam Keyghobadi at Dow Schofield Watts London on reviewing its options, as it looks at the next stage of its growth journey.

 

GB Pizza Co set to reopen in Margate following arson attack: Kent neighbourhood pizza joint GB Pizza Co is set to reopen in Margate following an arson attack last year that forced its closure. The company was founded by journalist Lisa Richards and the late chef and food writer Rachel Seed, who initially operated from the back of a camper van until opening the bricks and mortar site in 2012. This was followed by a first franchise site, in Didsbury, Manchester, in 2017, in what is now the Neighbourhood bar in Lapwing Lane. The arson attack led to the closure of the Margate site in October 2022, but following a full refurbishment, it will reopen on Wednesday, 5 July. There will be a limited edition “No Smoke Without Fire” pizza for the relaunch, featuring fiery and smoky Nduja, hot honey, Ashmore chilli cheese and red-hot chilli. A special charity pizza, featuring sausages from St Peter’s Sausage Company, will also donate £1 from each sale to The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Seed, who died of a brain tumour in 2018. “We’ve had a rollercoaster of a decade at GB Pizza, that’s for sure,” said Richards. “There were times over the past few months when I thought it would be impossible to bring our little pizza joint back to life, but we’ve been honoured to be a part of so many people’s Margate stories, and since the fire forced us to close, we’ve received letters and emails of support from so many different people waiting for our return, it’s been amazing. We are a safe haven – as a gay-owned and operated business, celebrating diversity and demanding inclusivity and equality has been our mission since day one. The fire rocked us all, but only eight months later, we’re the ones that are all fired up and ready to reopen for what we do best – pizza!”