Ralph Trustees becomes new backers of Pure: Ralph Trustees, the family-owned hospitality group led by brothers Daniel and Stuart Levy, have become the new backers of Pure, the healthy food-to-go concept, Propel understands. Last week, Propel revealed that Whitbread, the Premier Inn owner, had exited Pure after nearly eight years of backing the healthy food-to-go concept. The Brewers Fayre and Beefeater owner acquired a 49% stake in the then eight-strong Pure in May 2016, for £6.8m. Pure currently operates 16 sites across London, plus a site at Gatwick airport and two catering hubs for corporate clients. Whitbread had an option to acquire the remaining 51% stake after two years from its initial investment but never took it up. A Whitbread spokesperson said: “As Pure was not a core part of Whitbread’s strategy, the group has sold its interest to a third party.” At the end of last month, all shares of Healthy Retail Limited (HRL) were purchased by a newly incorporated company Healthy Retail Group Limited (HRGL), which is set to continue to back the existing management team led by Pure co-founder Spencer Craig, who is also a director of HRGL. Propel understands that the new vehicle is backed by Ralph Trustees. The company owns The Grove, in Chandler’s Cross, Hertfordshire, plus five hotels under the Luxury Family Hotels banner, including The Ickworth in Suffolk and Fowey Hall in Cornwall. At the same time, it is also an investor in Kerb and State of Play Hospitality, while it also previously invested in Puttshack. The company said: “As part of this transaction, all shareholder loans to HRL have been written-off and Whitbread Group Plc, who held a 49% share in HRL, have exited the business. HRGL has received £1.5m from Sophie Management Limited, a company owned by RBC Trustees (Jersey) Limited. RBC Trustees (Jersey) Limited is also the majority shareholder in HRGL. HRGL has loaned £1.5m to HRL on 22/12/23 which satisfies the funding requirements for HRL for the foreseeable future. These post balance sheet events mark a pivotal moment for Healthy Retail Limited. As part of this new investment process, HRL will also be exiting two loss-making shops in early 2024, the net book value of the fixed assets in these two shops at the year-end was £224,000. Management believes that the realignment of ownership and introduction of new equity partners will strengthen not only the company’s financial position, but also enable the business to drive sustainable future growth.”

 

Propel’s Multi-Site Database improved for 2024 with unique segmentation: Propel’s leading database, the Multi Site Database, which provides the details of more than 3,000 multi-site operators, has been redesigned so Premium subscribers will be able to search the data segmented into key industry sectors. This new straightforward segmentation will allow users to search quickly in key categories such as Pubs and Bars, Cafe Bakery, QSR, Casual Dining, Fine Dining, Hotel and Experiential Leisure. Subscribers will be able to drill down into the details and updates for these specific areas – so, for example, the circa 640 multi-site operators in the Pubs and Bars sector and 150 operators in the Experiential Leisure area can be examined in a stand-alone format. This new functionality will be available later this month when the latest Multi-Site Database is released on Friday, 26 January at midday. An updated Multi-Site Database is published every month, with an average of 50 or so companies added each month. Phil Pemberton, Propel’s director of premium services, said: “The new ability to segment this vital information is unique to the industry and is an element that our Premium subscribers requested. It will provide even more clarity and search capability to each segment of the sector.” A Propel Premium subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. 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. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up. The Premium subscription service currently has more than 4,000 subscribers.

Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit 2024 open for bookings: Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its sixth edition, and tickets are now on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are now open for the two-day conference, as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 23 and 24 January at One Moorgate Place in London. The conference will focus on marcomms strategies, proposition and concept development, the latest market insights, technology and digital developments, diversification of revenue streams and how brands are adapting to the new normal. It is designed for marketing, development and innovation teams, as well as senior executives and investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. Day two speakers include: Jenny Packwood, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at KFC UK; Andre Johnstone, sales and marketing director at Urban Pubs & Bars; Hannah Clark, UK head of marketing at Sticks ‘n’ Sushi; Romy Miller, global brand director at KellyDeli; Sarah McDermott, marketing director at BrewDog Bars; Mark Stretton, co-founder and managing director at Fleet Street; Pret A Manger chief executive Pano Christou; Elior chief executive Catherine Roe; Emma Banks, vice-president of food and beverage strategy at Hilton UK & Ireland; Paul Flatters, chief executive of insight agency Trajectory; Victoria Page, purpose and ESG lead at Fleet Street; Jonathan Doughty, managing director at Viklari Consulting; Fiona Richmond, head of regional food at Scotland Food & Drink; Mikala Kofoed Rasmussen, senior manager at Wonderful Copenhagen; Marta Pogroszewska, managing director at Gail’s Bakery; Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy; Eljesa Saciri, general manager at The Zetter Marylebone; Michael Ingemann, chairman of Think Hospitality; Hilari Voorthuis, global food and beverage manager at Fairmont Hotel & Resorts; Sven Sallaerts, co-founder of Younique Concepts; Marcus Denison-Smith, chief marketing officer at Honest Burgers; Tom Patrick, marketing director at Banana Tree; Libby Andrews, marketing director at Pho Restaurants; Ali Alt Recanati, co-founder and brand and marketing director at Farmer J; Dan Brookman, chief executive of Airship and Toggle; Ben Webb, managing director at 3Stories; Joel Robinson, digital and technology director at Azzurri Group; Maya Orr, managing director at Connect Management; Rameez Al Aghbar, brand partnerships – quick service restaurants lead at TikTok; Anthony Knight, sales and marketing director at Incipio Group; Lynsey Benton, brand and franchising manager at I am Doner; Myles Doran, former commercial director at Revolution Bars Group and managing director at Hospitality Inc; and Supersonic founder Mark McCulloch. For the full schedule, click here. A one-day ticket for operators is £295 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £550 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £395 plus VAT for one day and £700 plus VAT for two. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Jo Charity at Propel on jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

MFG boosts food and beverage offer by circa 30% with more than 50 F&B outlets opened in 2023: Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator with 930 sites, has said it opened more than 50 food and beverage (F&B) outlets at its venues in 2023 – a circa 30% increase in F&B estate size in a single year after it reported food-to-go had seen “exceptionally strong growth” in the prior year. “This year we have been increasing the food-to-go options at our stations,” the business said. “In 2023 we opened 31 Greggs, eight Prets, four Miss Millie’s, three Subways, three Burger Kings (including our first drive-thru) and two Coco Di Mamas. We look forward to continuing to expand in 2024,” An MFG site in Monktonhall, East Lothian, was the site of the 500th Greggs franchise site when it opened in December, the company’s 84th site with Greggs. Earlier the same month, Miss Millie’s made it Scottish debut with an opening at the Old Craighall Services, between the A1 and the Edinburgh City Bypass in Musselburgh, its fourth roadside site with MFG. The previous month, MFG’s first drive-thru Burger King opened at the Arterial Road in Purfleet, Essex, while MFG Cirencester became the site of Subway’s first ever UK self-serve kiosk. The company now has more than 200 food-to-go outlets – Subway operates at around 100 sites within the network. It has stated that its food-to-go franchises are now supported by “expanded demand for food delivery services”, which operate now out of a “significant number” of outlets. In its most recent year to 31 December 2022, MFG reported a pre-tax profit of £203.6m on turnover of £5.62bn. 

Lucky Saint founder – we aren’t reliant on drinkers going teetotal to drive sales: The founder of Lucky Saint said that the UK’s largest dedicated alcohol-free beer brand was not reliant on drinkers going teetotal to drive sales as the company pushes to make its brew available on draught at more pubs. The London-based group is instead benefiting from a broader trend of consumers adopting healthier diets in which they drink traditional beer as well as low-alcohol or alcohol-free versions, Luke Boase, who worked as an equity analyst before founding Lucky Saint in 2018, told the Financial Times. “There is definitely a big sober movement, but moderation is still a much bigger driver of the category,” said Boase, adding that more than 80% of people buying low- or no-alcohol drinks also enjoy standard beer. “You’ve got consumers moderating across all categories, whether that’s meat consumption, alcohol or sugar.”  Lucky Saints ranks as the fourth most-popular brand in the category in the UK, trailing Heineken, which dominates with its Heineken 0.0, and Asahi, whose Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0 was launched last year and is now the second biggest, according to Nielsen consumer data. The volume of alcohol-free or low-alcohol beers consumed in the ten biggest markets grew 5% in 2023, bringing the value of the category to more than $13bn, according to drinks analytics group IWSR. In the UK, the market is worth an estimated £255m and is expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 8% until 2027, IWSR said. Boase insisted that the presence of the biggest brewers in the market was ultimately a benefit, saying that “visibility and awareness of the category is growing…it’s massively helped by the big brands”. Last year, Lucky Saint secured £10m in a funding round. Its backers include venture capital firms JamJar Investments and Beringea, as well as Jonathan Warburton, the chair of the eponymous bakery. Boase said he had not given much thought to the possibility of selling Lucky Saint to one of the big brewers, which in recent years have snapped up smaller craft brewers. “I strongly believe that in order to do justice to the opportunity that we’ve got, and build the best brand that we possibly can, that requires not thinking of building a business to exit,” he said. The company declined to disclose revenues but said they had more than doubled both last year and in 2022.

Incipio Group to close Pergola Paddington site: Incipio Group – operator of venues including Pergola on the Wharf, The Prince and Lost in Brixton – is set to close its Pergola Paddington site in London on 21 January following six and a half years of “successful trading”. The venue opened in July 2017 on undeveloped land on Kingdom Street with an initial two-year lease. This was in line with Incipio’s strategy at the time of taking undiscovered and disused spaces and transforming them into destination venues. During its lifetime, Pergola Paddington welcomed more than 2,000,000 guests and pivoted from a summer destination to a popular year-round venue through a series of seasonal activations. The initial two-year lease was extended several times while the landlord, British Land, cemented its plans for the eventual development of 5 Kingdom Street. Incipio said it received notice in 2023 that the plans had progressed sufficiently, and that Pergola Paddington would be required to cease trading this month. Incipio chief executive Ed Devenport said: “It’s time to say goodbye to Pergola Paddington, a venue which has seen incredible parties, activations and events in its lifetime. We are grateful to our partners at British Land for believing in our vision for the space back in 2017, and for their communication across numerous extensions of the lease. We took the site on as a meanwhile use project and always knew the space would eventually be developed. It’s been a pleasure to bring so many guests the vibrant Pergola experience over our six years in Paddington.” The business said the team will be offered roles at other venues in Incipio’s portfolio. The Pergola brand will continue in its current iteration at Pergola on the Wharf and has been earmarked for other potential sites later in 2024. Pergola has previously appeared in other meanwhile-use spaces including Pergola on the Roof in White City and Pergola Olympia in Kensington Olympia. Last October, the company told Propel it was “actively engaged in discussions for prospective opportunities in 2024” after it saw turnover for the year to 25 December 2022 pass the £20m mark.

M&B eyes Browns opening near Sutton Coldfield: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the Toby Carvery, Harvester, Ego and All Bar One operator, is planning to add to its 26-strong Browns brand with an opening near Sutton Coldfield. The business is understood to have lined up a conversion of its Toby Carvery (formerly Park House) in Sutton Park, near Sutton Coldfield, to a Browns. Over the past 18 months, M&B has been trialling its Browns brand in suburbia, stretching it beyond its usual high street location. The first trial site opened in August 2022 and the second opened in Ruislip, in December 2022, with both sites “performing strongly”. Last year, M&B chief executive Phil Urban told Propel: “We’ve seen enough in Ruislip and Beaconsfield to say we know we are onto something here. We will have a modest conversion programme next year and then that should step up in the coming years. Ego has potential to grow comfortably to over 50 sites, as does Browns. However, both teams are currently relatively small, so we will go at a sensible pace next year, with between three to five conversions in each.” The company is set to debut Orleans Smokehouse, its new concept, on a former Harvester site in Solihull later this year.

MJMK appoints Hannah Berry as marketing director: London bar and restaurant operator MJMK has appointed Hannah Berry, ex-director of marketing and communications at The Wolseley Hospitality Group (TWHG), as its new marketing director, Propel has learned. Berry joins MJMK, operator of the Casa do Frango concept, after a brief stint as global head of marketing and communications at restaurant operator Azumi, which is led by Sven Koch and operates the Zuma and Roka brands worldwide. She left TWHG after four years with operator of The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Brasserie Zédel. She previously spent nearly six years as marketing director at Aqua Restaurant Group. Last year, MJMK raised more than £2.5m through a crowdfunding campaign, which may allow it to open a further Casa do Frango site, with a location in Covent Garden under consideration. It opened its latest site, a Casa do Frango, at the Nova scheme in London’s Victoria last summer. 

Insomnia Cookies UK appoints Kevin Norman as head of property: Insomnia Cookies, the Krispy Kreme-owned late-night bakery brand that made its UK debut with a double opening in Manchester last year, has appointed Kevin Norman, formerly of Rekom UK and JD Wetherspoon, as its new head of property, as it eyes having ten sites open here by the end of 2024, Propel has learned. Norman stepped down as head of acquisitions at Rekom UK at the end of last year after joining the nightclub operator in spring 2022. Norman was previously group acquisitions manager at the Tahir Group, which operates more than 30 stores across London trading as KFC, Starbucks and German Doner Kebab. Before that, he was head of acquisitions at Novus and Revolution and spent almost four years as senior acquisitions surveyor at Wetherspoon. As revealed by Propel last year, Insomnia Cookies made its UK debut in Manchester’s Royal Exchange in Cross Street, which was followed by a site at the city’s University Green. Last August, Ben Lacey, UK managing director of Insomnia Cookies, told Propel that the brand’s ambition is to have a “national presence across the UK including every major city and town, as well as London”. He said: “We have started with Manchester due to the strong fit with the brand, particularly the late-night economy and dense student population and will be expanding to cities that fit those criteria next. There’s nothing else like Insomnia Cookies available in the UK.”

Archie’s to launch UK’s largest all-pink roller rink and diner: North west burger, shakes and waffles concept Archie’s is to open the “UK’s largest all-pink roller rink and diner” in Manchester later this year. The Manchester Evening News reports that the business will open the first Archie’s Atomic at Trafford Palazzo, the entertainment and shopping complex next to the Trafford Centre. Archie’s is taking on the former Next Home site at the indoor arcade, which is part of the TraffordCity development. It said the new concept is set to take the brand to the “next level”, featuring a vast amusement arcade and drive-thru diner. The new site is scheduled to open this summer. The company said last year that it was eyeing a number of sites in London and across the UK in what is set to be a multi-million-pound rollout. The restaurant group was started in Manchester, with the first takeaway shop opening in the city’s Oxford Road in 2010. The team went on to expand the business with sites across the UK, including restaurants at the Trafford Centre and Manchester airport, and in Birmingham and Liverpool.

Everyman secures Brentford site: Everyman, the independent, premium cinema group, has secured a site in Brentford, west London, for a new 10,973 square-foot venue. Located at 3 West Bradbury Yard, it will anchor Ballymore’s new The Brentford Project scheme. A spokesman for Everyman said: “We are delighted to be joining the Brentford Project as the leisure anchor. Ballymore’s vision to create a thriving community, in which the retail and leisure offer serves both the residents and the wider area, reflects our own lifestyle approach.” Shackleton Property acted for Ballymore while Curace Consulting represented Everyman. Last month, Everyman acquired two Tivoli cinemas, in Bath and Cheltenham. It came after the business said it expects its full-year performance “to be in line with market expectations” following strong trading through the summer on the back of release of Barbie and Oppenheimer. It also agreed a new three-year loan facility of £35m, extendable by a further two years subject to lender consent.

Midlands McDonald’s franchisee pays out £2m in dividends, reports loss: McDonald’s franchisee Lemaca, which operates 14 restaurants in the Stoke and Derby areas, paid out £2m in dividends in the year to 31 December 2022. Ordinary A share payments of £7,560.00 per share and £6,226.67 per share were made in April 2022, along with Ordinary B share payments of £22,680.00 per share and £18,680.00 per share, for a total distribution of £2,068,000 (2021: £177,627). A pre-tax profit of £4,432,061 in 2021 turned into a loss of £1,873,169 during the period. Turnover dropped from £65,198,056 to £62,978,190. Director Edward Leligdowicz said: “The decline in sales is predominantly due to the increase in VAT rate within the hospitality sector back to the standard rate of 20%. The gross profit margin is 62.79% compared to 65.58% in 2021 and is in line with expectations. The financial position of the company remains healthy with the balance sheet showing net assets of £3.36m, compared to £7.06m in 2021.” Leligdowicz took on his first franchise in Newcastle-under-Lyme high street in 1999, having previously worked as a sales and marketing manager for Fujitsu Australia and purchasing manager for International Computers.

Esquires has ‘robust line up of stores in development’ after finishing 2023 with three openings: Esquires, the Cooks Coffee Company-owned business, said it has a “robust line up of stores currently in development” after finishing 2023 with three new openings. It opened at 630 Christchurch Road in Boscombe, 18-20 Palmerston Road in Southsea and 36 High Street in Alton to finish the year on 58 UK sites. “As we step into 2024, we are pleased to announce a robust line up of stores currently in development,” the business said. “These upcoming locations will provide even more opportunities for coffee enthusiasts to enjoy the delight of premium coffee experiences across the UK. Each of our stores is carefully chosen using a regional developer system, ensuring we select the best locations and franchisees through local knowledge. We’re dedicated to choosing franchisees who share our passion for delivering warm, inviting coffee shop experiences to their local communities. At Esquires, we believe that a coffee shop is more than just a place to grab your daily brew. It's a hub, a meeting point and a vital part of the local community. That’s why, with every new store, we don’t just open a door; we open our arms to the neighbourhoods we serve.” In October, Esquires said it plans to reach the 60-store landmark by the spring of 2024.

Leisureplex Hotels acquires historic Weymouth hotel for 24th site: Leisureplex Hotels, part of employee-owned hotel operator Alfa Leisureplex Group, has acquired an historic hotel in Weymouth for its 24th site. The 71-bedroom Royal Hotel is a 19th century Victorian venue and follows the group’s recent purchase of the Waverly Castle Hotel in Melrose. Emma Russell, managing director of Alfa Leisureplex Group, said: “Our customers have been requesting that we offer a Leisureplex hotel in Weymouth for a number of years, so it is great that we can finally fulfil this wish with the purchase of one of the finest hotels in Weymouth. This purchase follows the acquisition of the Norfolk Royale Hotel in Bournemouth and the Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose, as we continue to expand our range of destinations across the UK.” In October, Leisureplex Hotels revealed it had refinanced, agreeing a five-year loan facility and annual overdraft facility with NatWest Bank. It came as the group saw its profit drop but remain above pre-covid levels in the year ending 31 December 2022. Turnover was up from £24,883,108 in 2021 to £30,090,425, having returned to pre-covid levels of trading in the last financial year. Its record pre-tax profit of £7,731,688 in 2021 dropped to a profit of £3,753,065 (2019: £3,223,472) as costs increased by more than £6m.

KFC and Starbucks franchisee takes UK and Canada estate to 400 sites: Soul Foods Group, a multinational quick-service restaurant franchisee in the UK and Canada and among the top three largest KFC and Starbucks franchisees, has taken its estate to 400 sites across the two countries. More than a third are located in the UK, including circa 70 KFCs, circa 90 Starbucks and several Taco Bells. Its most recent openings include four new stores in the space of a week in December – a Starbucks and a KFC in Manchester Road, Oldham; and a KFC and Taco Bell in Parrs Wood Complex, Didsbury. “What an end to the year,” the business said. “Eight new stores in the last quarter, of which four opened in a week: four Taco Bells, two KFCs, two Starbucks. This takes the Soul Food Group to a staggering 400 restaurants and cafes. Overall, 2023 has seen us open 13 new sites and remodel 28 locations. Soul Foods Group value our team above all else and everyone in both Canada and the UK have delivered excellence to achieve this feat – we are so proud!”

Native Places promotes Olivia Immesi to CEO with brief to accelerate UK expansion plans: UK lifestyle aparthotel operator Native Places has promoted Olivia Immesi to chief executive with a brief to accelerate its UK expansion plans. She will be responsible for a portfolio which includes seven aparthotels, 11 serviced apartments, the brand’s “Counter” food and beverage offering and lifestyle destination Ducie Street Warehouse. Native King’s Wardrobe in St Paul’s, London, will open its doors in 2024, with further openings in the pipeline for 2025 including Fulham and Birmingham. Immesi will also oversee the renovation of Native Glasgow, with the transformation set to be completed by early 2025. Immesi joined Native Places as managing director in 2021 and has been instrumental in leading the strategic development of the group. She previously worked on the launch of the original Hoxton and Ace Hotel London and was then appointed its director of sales. She then led the sales and marketing strategies at the first Ace Hotel in Europe before becoming general manager of The Curtain Hotel and members’ club in Shoreditch. Immesi said: “Having been with the brand for just three years now, I’m looking forward to conscientiously cultivating the brand further and cementing our position as the leading lifestyle aparthotel provider in the UK.”

Aberdeen pub group sees profit boost from sale of pub, pays off CBILS loans, calls for early opening to cater for cruise tourism boom: Aberdeen pub group PB Devco, which operates ten sites in the city, has reported a profit boost following the sale of a pub in the year ending 31 March 2023 and has paid off its Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) debts. During the year, in May 2022, it sold the Bieldside Inn in North Deeside Road to Simon and Christie Cruickshank and their business partner, Morgan Munter. The sale price of £1.5m led to a gain on disposal of £767,382 for the business. A pre-tax profit of £553,017 was reported for the year, up slightly from £534,659 in 2022. Turnover was also up from £6,613,036 the previous year to £7,303,876. The company received no government grants compared to £288,754 in 2022. CBILS loans totalling £506,671, due to fall in periods of up to five years, were paid off early. “The director is encouraged by the improving trading performance of the company and positive trading results recorded, which is attributed to recent investment in the company’s venues,” owner Stuart Clarkson said. “Although operating in a difficult financial environment, the director is optimistic about future prospects following recent investment in new and existing venues.” Clarkson also recently called for changes in the city’s licensing rules, which only permit venues to operate 15 hours a day. He said the opening of the new south harbour at the Port of Aberdeen in September 2023 has brought a cruise tourism boom to the city, but his pubs cannot take advantage by opening early. “2023 saw the Port of Aberdeen open and the city was awash with cruisers in the morning queuing at the gates of our venues,” he wrote to the Aberdeen Licensing Board, according to the Press & Journal. “Is still having a 15-hour continuous (trading) stifling the diversification of our city? Licensed premises are no longer divided into different classifications such as bar, pub or nightclub. Instead, many venues are choosing to operate as a hybrid to capture as much trade as possible to keep afloat. Should these hybrid premises be able to accommodate certain types of clientele in the mornings, afternoons and early evenings before transforming into a late-night venue rather than being penalised as they have already been open for 15 hours? We should be encouraging a dynamic, vibrant, and evolving licensed trade.”

Zizzi launches new frozen retail range with Morrisons: Azzurri Group-owned Zizzi has partnered with Morrisons to launch an exclusive range of 17 retail products across mains, sides and desserts. It has launched in 208 stores, featuring dishes such as calzone carne piccante, garlic soul breads, chicken and mushroom risotto, and goat’s cheese and caramelised red onion rustica pizza. There are also vegan options and desserts. Rachel Hendry, retail and grocery director at Zizzi, said: “Our ambition for Zizzi at home has always been to offer shoppers a full dine-in meal solution that gives them a choice of our premium restaurant-inspired dishes at an affordable price, so our launch into Morrisons brings this to life. We have worked in partnership with Morrisons to deliver true innovation to its shoppers, so we’re excited to launch six completely new products within the 17-strong range.” Zizzi debuted its frozen brand in Sainsbury’s in 2020, expanding the range to include pastas and sides with in Tesco in March 2022, and has since added a listing in Waitrose for its pasta meals in 2023. The company said its frozen range has consistently outperformed the market, growing value and volume sales by 176% and 159% respectively in 2023. Launching in Chiswick, west London, more than two decades ago, Zizzi now has 138 UK and Ireland restaurants.

Buzzworks lines up fourth Herringbone opening: Buzzworks looks set to expand its Herringbone brand, which has three locations across Edinburgh, with a fourth site, this time in Barnton. The brand is best known for cocktails and fresh seafood and features in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list. Buzzworks, which is led by Kenny Blair, most recently opened a location in Abbeyhill, Edinburgh, in May 2023. Other sites are in North Berwick and Goldenacre. The planned new location would occupy what is currently a vacant retail lot. In documents submitted, the developers state it will “provide a valuable asset to the area of Barnton”. Buzzworks reported turnover increased 212% to £25,196,374 for the year ending 1 May 2022 compared with £8,101,791 the previous year. Pre-pandemic, the business turned over £18,395,820. Underlying Ebitda before site opening costs and non-recurring items was £3.8m (2021: £1.9m). It made a pre-tax profit of £1,979,645 compared with a loss of £719,448 the year before (2019: profit of £247,630). The business received £106,672 through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (2021: £3,682,304) and £136,500 in support grants (2021: £682,698). No dividend was paid (2021: nil).

London hotel group returns to profit, continues to trade well with revenues ‘consistently up year on year’: London-based City & County Hotels returned to profit in the year ending 31 March 2023 and said its venues in the capital continue to trade well, with revenues “consistently up year on year”. The company operates the four-star Ten Manchester Street Hotel in Marylebone and the five-star The Wellesey in Knightsbridge. It also operates The Royal Hotel in Cardiff and The Langley in Buckinghamshire, a grade II-listed former hunting lodge of the Duke of Marlborough. The Wellesey and The Langley have been part of the Marriott Hotels Luxury Collection portfolio since 2016 and 2019 respectively. Director Tariq Affara, who is also chief executive at coffee bar and deli franchise chain Coffee Republic, said: “Like most hotels, our portfolio has seen some significant growth in room rates post covid, which continue into 2023 and 2024. The Langley has some excellent event spaces and is seeing some excellent growth in corporate business. Due to its close proximity to Heathrow airport, The Langley also benefits from travellers coming into and out of the UK. Since joining The Marriott Luxury Collection, we have seen an overall increase in occupancy levels driven by a wider international market at The Wellesley. Our London hotels, having a large international business pool, continue to trade well, with revenues consistently up year on year. The weaker pound continues to drive high levels of leisure business into our properties, predominantly from outside of the UK. A strengthening of the pound could have an adverse impact on inbound leisure business.” The company turned a pre-tax loss of £538,228 in 2022 into a profit of £712,361 during the year, as turnover grew from £13,154,599 to £18,364,067. Although the company’s liabilities exceed its assets by £2,207,145 (2022: £2,919,506), the directors believe its trading results will improve, and in the meantime, it will continue to receive the support of its creditors. No dividend was paid (2022: nil).

Leicester desert franchise opens in Banbury for 14th UK site: Leicester desert franchise Chocoberry has opened in Banbury for its 14th UK site. The business, founded in 2018, has opened at 25 High Street in the Oxfordshire town. It follows recent openings at 401 Hoe Street in Walthamstow – its second London site, and 56 Narborough Road in Leicester – its fourth site in the city. It also had locations in Loughborough, Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bolton, Derby and Blackburn, with a Batley site also in the pipeline. The business, led by chief executive Kashif Razzaq, also has one overseas location, in Dar Wasi, Dubai, which is currently relocating. The Loughborough site, which opened in 2022, was its first franchise unit, and was swiftly followed by the Nottingham one. Razzaq said: “We are thrilled to bring the Chocoberry experience to Banbury, one of our most highly anticipated locations. Our commitment to quality, creativity and customer satisfaction has been the driving force behind our success, and we are excited to share our passion for exceptional desserts, coffee, and brunch with the Banbury community.”