Exclusive – Sessions plans to expand Ivan Ramen concept to 50 sites across UK: Chef Ivan Orkin is to expand his eponymous Ivan Ramen concept to London in partnership with Sessions, the growth platform for original food brands, with plans to eventually open in 50 sites across the UK, Propel has learned. The deal means that the brand will be available on UK high streets for the first time, with a planned launch at the end of 2024. Following a successful London pop-up in early 2023, Sessions will be working with Orkin and his team to find experienced operators to become their first Ivan Ramen partners. Dan Warne, founder and chief executive of Sessions, said: “Our goal at Sessions has always been to increase access to original food brands, collaborating with the best global talent. Therefore, we seek concepts that consumers can experience in physical environments, as well as through delivery at home. Bringing Ivan Orkin and his iconic food to our network is something we’re very proud of, and we look forward to launching his debut restaurants in the UK.” Orkin added: “We’ve wanted to launch in the UK since our experience with the Sessions pop-ups in Brighton and Islington. The ramen scene in London is particularly exciting, and I can’t wait to introduce my dishes to a new audience. Partnering with Sessions is the perfect way to launch Ivan Ramen in the UK.” Sessions and Orkin said the decision to expand to London underscores Ivan Ramen’s commitment to bringing a “blend of traditional and innovative ramen and Japanese dishes to an international audience” and represents a strategic move to “further elevate the brand’s global presence”. Sessions is also offering two further brands for franchising. SoBe Burger is its proprietary burger brand, already live in 200 sites for delivery, while it already works with Leeds bao concept Little Bao Boy in over 50 sites for delivery licensing. Sessions was pitching for potential franchisees at last week’s British & International Franchise Exhibition at London Olympia. This process is being led by Gavin Graham, former central operations manager at grocery delivery group Getir, who joined the business last month. “We’re here to redefine franchising and break the mould,” the business said. “Operators are constrained to franchise one single brand from their site, and one that can’t move with changing consumer profiles or the times. Our partners can franchise our full range of brands, and we are constantly adding new ones to our portfolio.”

 

Adil Group CEO Raja Adil to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024, open for bookings: Raja Adil, group chief executive of the Adil Group, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024. The conference takes place on Thursday, 21 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. Adil talks about building one of the largest family-owned quick service restaurant operators in the UK; becoming a high calibre growth partner for KFC, Costa, Burger King and Taco Bell; owning and operating fully serviced boutique hotels; its freehold approach and how it remains “growth hungry”. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium Club members who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

Next Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book shows sector companies’ profit outstripping losses by £1.83bn, down from £1.87bn in December and first fall since June 2023: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 9 February), shows the profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.83bn. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 875 companies in the list is £3,902,007,404 and losses are £2,071,816,733. At the time of the last release in December, the Blue Book showed sector companies’ profit outstripping losses by £1.87bn. It is the first time the figure has fallen since June last year, when sector companies’ profit started outstripping losses for the first time since the covid pandemic. The Blue Book shows 564 companies in profit and 265 reporting losses. It is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, which is produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality; and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. Members are also to be given access to the entire recording of the 2024 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference. Members will be sent 30 separate video presentations, featuring more than 60 speakers on Friday, 16 February, at 9am. Propel has evolved its Premium subscription offer by launching Premium Club. All circa 4,000 existing subscribers automatically became members. Premium Club comes with even more benefits. All subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to four Propel paid-for events – The Excellence in Pub Retailing Conference (14 May), Social Media for Profit (18 July), the Talent and Training Conference (1 October) and Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025). Operators will also be able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club members receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club members will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club members also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Propel Premium Club 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 Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or a supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Carlsberg warns of further price rises as inflation continues to bite: Carlsberg’s chief executive has said the brewer was still experiencing rises in input costs and would need to keep raising prices to cover the increases, as the company reported weaker than expected full-year earnings. The FT reported the Danish group posted 2023 revenue growth of 4.7% to DKr73.59bn ($10.6bn) on Wednesday (7 February), a fraction higher than analysts’ estimates, but said sales volumes remained negative because of weaker consumer demand and “sticky” cost inflation. Operating profits grew 5.2% on an organic basis, below consensus estimates of 5.8%, and fell 3.2% on a reported basis to DKr11.1bn. “We’re not seeing any let-up in the overall cost picture of the business,” chief executive Jacob Aarup-Andersen told the FT. “We don’t see the same inflationary levels we saw last year but the absolute cost is still going up. Pricing will have to go up to cover overall cost increases.” Aarup, who took over as chief executive last September, said that while the prices of some commodities such as aluminium for cans and barley had decreased, those for sugar and glass were “going up”. Approximately 25% of Carlsberg’s total cost of goods sold were related to raw materials and commodities. Indirect costs related to products and services, meanwhile, were affected by “a lot of sticky inflation”, he said. Sales volumes of Carlsberg drinks such as Tuborg, Kronenbourg and Somersby cider were in line with analyst expectations, falling 0.5% organically. Volumes in Asia rose 3.7% and dropped 2.3% in western Europe. The brewer took a hit to its bottom line from the write-down of its Russian subsidiary, Baltika Breweries, saying it had recorded $5.9bn in accumulated losses related to the business, which was seized by Vladimir Putin last summer. 

ASA bans Burger King ads for targeting children with high fat food: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned three Burger King CRM ads for targeting children with promotions for high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) foods. The email ads showcased deals that could have been redeemed by people under 16 and without their parent or guardian’s permission, the ASA ruled. They were sent to registered email subscribers of Burger King’s loyalty programme, Your Burger King, in August last year, reports Campaign. Burger King said it believed its age verification requirements for those signing up to the programme were adequate, but the ASA said there should have been a requirement to provide a date of birth. All three featured promotions enabling people to add items to a Burger King meal deal at a discounted rate, or to get another item as part of a buy-one-get-one-free offer. The ASA understood the meals shown in the emails were HFSS products, and therefore the promotional messages were ads for HFSS products. The single complainant was Food Active – a healthy weight programme delivered by the Health Equalities Group, a charity commissioned by local authority public health teams, NHS organisations and Public Health England teams. Food Active argued the products in the ads were HFSS and directed at children through the selection of media or context in which they appeared. The ASA agreed and said marketers “must ensure they have taken all reasonable steps” to exclude under-16s from their marketing lists for ads such as the three banned ones. The only mandatory information people were required to provide when signing up for a Your Burger King account was their first name and an email address. Burger King said it was “careful to take all reasonable steps” to avoid targeting its ads at children, adding that its terms of service for the email promotions were available on its website, app and related channels. It added that the terms outlined that people under the age of 16 who signed up for the Your Burger King confirmed they had received permission from their parent or guardian beforehand. The HFSS regulations were introduced in 2021 to restrict the promotion and placement in retail stores and online equivalents of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar. The rules include a ban on unhealthy food ads being shown online and on TV before the 9pm watershed. 

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fitness brand that is seeking a sales manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The company owns equipment specifically designed for the premium reformer Pilates space. With plans of growth in the UK, Europe and Dubai, this is an opportunity for an experienced premium equipment sales manager to drive the brand in to the next phase of the company’s development. You will provide the lead on implementing and selling with integrity, take the product to market and selling to the relevant parties, build a relationship with key industry fitness providers and promoting the product and associated products, and more.” The salary is up to £50,000 and the position is based in Windsor, Berkshire. For more information, email david@corecruitment.com.

 

Exclusive – package of 38 Pizza Hut Delivery sites brought to market: A portfolio of 38 Pizza Hut Delivery & Express stores located throughout England, which are operated by Nine Food Group, have been placed on the market, Propel has learned. Offers are invited for the company by way of a share sale on a debt free, cash free basis. The portfolio, which is being marketed by property advisors Christie & Co, comprises 31 “highly profitable, high street” delivery stores in London and the Home Counties, and seven “Express” stores in prime retail environments offering “rapid growth opportunity”. Christie & Co said that Nine Food Group, which also operates a number of hotels in the UK, has recently invested in the stores and support teams to create a “growing business that still benefits from the food delivery market boom”. It added this represents a “great opportunity for an entrepreneur to acquire a group of well-positioned stores with strong sales pipelines”. There is also potential to add further sites in London and beyond. The pizza delivery and takeaway market is currently estimated to be worth more than £3.7bn in the UK and still amounts to half the delivery market in total. Pizza Hut itself delivers to more than 20% of the market currently. Simon Chaplin, senior director – pubs, restaurants and franchise, who is managing the sales process, said: “We are delighted to bring this portfolio to market, which has been significantly enhanced since we last sold it, both in operations and store numbers. It is now set up to allow an entrepreneur to focus on further growth in the south east as well as seek new opportunities for the Express brand around the UK.” Pizza Hut is part of Yum! Brands, which has more than 50,000 restaurants in more than 150 countries and territories across the world. The Pizza Hut brand has been in the UK for in excess of 50 years. Christie & Co said that “significant operational and marketing support is provided by the franchisor as well as best-in-class technology, systems and training”. Nine Group was founded in 2012 by Vivek Chadha, who built it into one of the largest private hotel companies in the UK before passing away in 2021, at the age of 33. The group had struck a franchising deal with Pizza Hut to acquiring 26 Delivery stores in London and five Express stores nationwide not long before he passed away and has since added more stores to its portfolio. Nine Group features in the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database, the next edition of which will be sent to Premium subscribers on March 6. The database, which is sent bi-monthly, is the first time that profiles of the top food and beverage franchisees have been available in one place in the UK, and currently features 120 businesses. 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 kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to upgrade your subscription.

Exclusive – Fulham Shore appoints MDs for Franco Manca and The Real Greek: Fulham Shore, the Toridoll Holdings and Capdesia-backed group, has appointed Javed Akhtar and Sandro Spahiu as managing directors of its two brands, Franco Manca and The Real Greek, Propel has learned. Akhtar, who was previously at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, becomes managing director of the circa 70-strong Franco Manca after spending eight years as the brand’s operations director. At the same time, Spahiu has been promoted to managing director of the 26-strong The Real Greek, after more than two and a half years as the brand’s operations director. He was also previously at Franco Manca, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and PizzaExpress. Marcel Khan, chief executive of The Fulham Shore, told Propel: “Javed and Sandro both move up from operations directors, where they’ve helped ensure that Franco Manca and The Real Greek deliver an authentic and high-quality experience every time. In their new roles, they will continue to lead operations at their respective brands and will also work closely with myself and the leadership team to continue evolving Franco Manca and The Real Greek.” Last month, Khan, who became chief executive of Fulham Shore at the start of the year, told Propel that there is still a lot of white space for both brands to grow into. He said for the next 12 months, the business is focused on the UK, and that it will look to secure ten new sites between the two brands. An opening for Franco Manca is already lined up in Plymouth, and a site in Liverpool is opening under The Real Greek on Sunday (11 February) in the Liverpool ONE destintion. 

 

Exclusive – chief business officer and chief marketing officer step down at PizzaExpress: Jo Bennett and Stephen Taylor, chief business officer and chief marketing officer respectively, have both stepped down from PizzaExpress’ management team, Propel has learned. Bennett joined PizzaExpress at the start of 2021 from Hilding Anders Group – the international sleep group with about 1,200 stores and sales in more than 60 countries – where she was group chief financial officer. Before that, she was a director of KKR Capstone, chief financial officer of retailer Jacques Vert Group, and worked in the operations group of TPG Capital. Taylor, formerly of Nokia, Samsung, Paypal and Proctor & Gamble, joined PizzaExpress in November 2022. He was previously European chief marketing officer at Samsung, vice-president consumer at Paypal and held several senior marketing roles at Proctor & Gamble. Most recently, he led the global marketing function at Nokia as global chief marketing officer. PizzaExpress said at the time of his appointment, that Taylor’s mission would be to “harness the power of PizzaExpress’ heritage” to further develop it as a “distinctive and unifying brand”. It is thought that a process is underway to find their replacements. Paula MacKenzie, chief executive of PizzaExpress, told Propel: “We thank Jo and Stephen for their invaluable contributions to PizzaExpress and we wish them the very best for their future endeavours.”

 

Yum! Brands reports KFC UK sales up 2% in fourth quarter and 6% in full year: Yum! Brands has reported KFC’s system sales in the UK rose 2% for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2023, compared with the previous year. For the full year, system sales in the UK, which accounts for 6% of KFC’s global system sales, were up 6% on the year before. Globally, KFC like-for-like sales increased 2% in the quarter and 7% in the year. System sales were up 7% in the quarter and 9% in the year. US like-for-like sales were flat in the quarter and up 2% in the year. KFC opened 1,067 gross new restaurants in the quarter and 2,716 restaurants in 97 countries in the year. Operating margin was up 4.3% for the quarter and 3.8% for the year. Operating profit was up 6% in the quarter, to $329m, and 9% for the year, at $1.3bn. Meanwhile, Pizza Hut system sales in Europe, including the UK, were down 3% in the fourth quarter and were flat in the year – the continent accounts for 12% of Pizza Hut’s system sales globally. Pizza Hut system sales increased 1% globally in the fourth quarter and 4% for the year. US like-for-like sales, which account for 41% of global sales, were down 4% in the quarter and up 1% in the year. Pizza Hut opened 575 gross new restaurants during the quarter and 1,586 gross new restaurants in 73 countries during the year. For the fourth quarter, operating margin increased 0.5% and was down 0.2% for the year. Operating profit fell 1% in the quarter, to $99m, and was up 1% for the year, at $391m. Taco Bell like-for-like sales increased 3% in the fourth quarter and 5% for the year. System sales were up 6% in the quarter and 9% in the year. Taco Bell opened 201 gross new restaurants in the quarter and 417 gross new sites in 25 countries during 2023. Operating margin rose 2.8% for the quarter and 0.9% for the year. Operating profit was up 16% in the quarter, to $286m, and was up 11% for the year, at $944m. Yum! Brands’ total revenue in the quarter increased 1% to $2.04bn and was up 3% for the year, at $7.08bn.

 

US private equity firm completes circa £300m deal for Ten Entertainment Group: US private equity firm Trive has completed its circa £300m deal for Ten Entertainment Group (Tenpin). It sees Tenpin, which operates 53 venues, taken private after six years as a listed business. Tenpin aims to offer customers a unique and differentiated experience through a mix of bowling lanes, video arcades, escape rooms, karaoke, laser tag, pool, table tennis and soft play. The partnership with Trive will enable Tenpin to accelerate its expansion strategy in the UK and continue to invest in the company’s site portfolio. Graham Blackwell, chief executive of Tenpin, said: “We are delighted to partner with Trive as we continue to push our brand forward and deliver our customers an exceptional experience. The leadership team looks forward to collaborating with Trive on our next phase of growth, both organically and through M&A, and expanding upon what we have built.” Shravan Thadani, partner at Trive Capital, added: “We are excited to partner with a leading leisure and entertainment operator in Tenpin, with a high-quality management team focused on innovation and providing a best-in-class customer experience. Trive looks forward to continuing to invest in and behind the platform to support the employee base, enhance the existing portfolio, and facilitate estate expansion.” Cavendish Capital Markets served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis International served as legal counsel to Trive.

 

Scottish stuffed cookie concept looking to expand: Scottish stuffed cookie concept Chulo’s, which has sites in Glasgow and Edinburgh, has told Propel it is looking to expand and is exploring opportunities through pop-ups. Owners Jordan Rankin and partner Rebecca Paterson launched the business in Glasgow’s Finnieston in 2021 before adding a second bakery, in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, last year. They are now testing the shopping centre market with a pop-up in the Bonnie & Wild food hall within Edinburgh’s St James Quarter. “We’ve had a fast first couple of years since starting Chulo’s and have achieved fantastic momentum,” Rankin told Propel. “The pop-up will be an amazing opportunity for us to sample the market from within a vibrant shopping centre and allows us to tap into new markets and reach new customers, which we wouldn't have been able to before. We would love for it to lead to another permanent location within Edinburgh as the reception in the city has been great so far and we have our eyes on a couple of sites already.” Chulo’s is the latest Scottish venture to take over a space at Bonnie & Wild as the food hall showcases innovative food and drink businesses. Managing director Ryan Barrie added: “I love the entrepreneurial energy of Jordan and Rebecca. It’s been great to see their success over the past few years as their stuffed cookies have really taken off.”

 

Champneys makes a loss, guest numbers rise: Champneys, the spa resort business founded by Stephen Purdew and his late mother Dorothy, made a loss in the year to 30 April 2023 as guest numbers rose while turnover remained on a par with the previous year. A pre-tax profit of £834,774 in 2022 turned into a loss of £5,045,406. Turnover rose very slightly from £56,554,245 to £56,546,569, which remains above pre-pandemic levels. Guest numbers were up from 263,000 in 2022 to 273,000, with revenue per guest remaining at £204, which are also both above pre-pandemic levels. Royalty income rose from £813,301 in 2022 to £830,930. No government grants were received (2022: £236,722) and no dividends were paid (2022: nil). Stephen Purdew paid tribute within the accounts to his mother, who passed away in September 2023, as previously reported. “She remained engaged, determined and passionate about the Champneys Spa family until the end,” he said. “Indeed, she still enjoyed talking to guests and staff alike. The contribution of Dorothy Purdew to the UK spa industry cannot be overestimated.” The Champneys Group operates four resort properties and two spa hotels.

 

Bob & Berts gears up to open 30th site: Cafe brand Bob & Berts is gearing up to open its 30th site later this spring, in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The company, which is backed by the British Growth Fund (BGF), will open the new site in Strabane. The business opened sites in Belfast’s Ann Street and in Wakefield in the second half of last year, the latter marking its debut in Yorkshire. The company previously said it has identified a strong pipeline of new sites, with a special focus on the north of England. Founded in Portstewart in Northern Ireland in 2013 by Colin McClean, the business is growing across the UK following a £2m investment from BGF in 2017. Last July, co-owner David Ferguson said the business had a long-term goal of 70 stores.

 

Just Eat Takeaway appoints new CFO: Just Eat Takeaway has appointed Mayte Oosterveld as its new chief financial officer. Oosterveld joins from Plus Holding, a Dutch supermarket retailer with an annual consumer turnover of approximately €5bn, where she served as chief financial officer. Just Eat Takeaway stated: “She is an experienced, all-round financial specialist, who prior to joining Plus, gained extensive international work experience, both financial and strategic, at Goldman Sachs and Ahold Delhaize. Her proven capital allocation expertise and background in mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance will be highly valuable to the company.” Oosterveld will succeed Brent Wissink, who announced in July last year that he will be stepping down as chief financial officer at the company’s annual general meeting in May. Dick Boer, chair of Just Eat Takeaway, said: “I have had the pleasure of working with Mayte previously at Ahold Delhaize, where she headed the mergers and acquisitions department, expanded her experience in leading financial planning and performance and driving the synergies of the combined company and was responsible for many transactions, including the merger with Delhaize. She will bring strong finance leadership to the management board.”

 

Plans unveiled for £50m wave park in Birmingham: Plans have been unveiled for new £50m wave park in Birmingham. Sports leisure property development partnership Stoneweg InfraSport is behind the scheme, having partnered with Teras Capital for the acquisition, development and operation of man-made urban surf destinations across Europe. The former Emerge Surf development in Coleshill has been acquired from IM Properties and will be the second developed by the joint venture (JV), reports Insider Media. It follows plans announced last year for the largest wave park in Europe, in Madrid, while the JV is also looking into the viability of a third wave park, in Malaga. The Birmingham site will be centred around a 5.4-acre man-made surfing lagoon, able to generate 1,000 waves per hour up to two metres high, with adjustable height and shape. It is due to be completed in late 2025 and expecting to welcome 200,000 visitors per year. Visitors will have access to a surf academy, equipment rental and surf store, plus restaurant areas with co-working spaces and additional recreational activities including hot tubs, a playground and a pump track. Miguel de Lucas, managing partner at Teras Capital, said: “This new wave park in Birmingham represents our commitment to fuse sport and leisure, offering an innovative experience. This project will not only provide access to urban surfing for millions of people but will also become an international benchmark in terms of the facilities and entertainment offered.” Jaume Sabater, chief executive of Stoneweg, added “This project will bring one of the world’s most popular sports to the UK’s second-largest metropolitan area. We are also excited to have closed our first investment in the UK.”

 

Scottish leisure operator to open third site for new crazy golf concept tomorrow: Scottish leisure operator Jungle Rumble will open a third site for its new crazy golf concept, One Under, tomorrow (Friday, 9 February). Founders Angus and Vivienne Wright, who own and operate five Jungle Rumble sites, will open One Under Liverpool in the restored Lyceum in Bold Street. The grade II-listed building has been given a new lease of life by way of two crazy golf courses – with aquatic and “Day of the Dead” themes – a bar and games room with shuffleboard, pool and retro arcade games. It comes after the group last month launched its second location, in Brighton, and announced its debut site, in Glasgow, had seen more than a million putts sunk in its first 18 months of trading. “We are thrilled to bring One Under to Liverpool, and we can’t wait to show off the stunning venue we’ve built,” said Emma Luke-Ward, head of sales and marketing. “Whether you’re here for the golf, the cocktails or both, One Under is designed to be an inclusive and entertaining destination for everyone.”

 

North east leisure group sells part of golf course for £2.7m and uses funds to repay £700,000 bank loan, disposes of Sunderland wedding venue leasehold: North east leisure group STR Enterprises has sold a parcel of land within its Centurion Park Golf Course for £2.7m and used part of the funds to repay a £700,000 HSBC bank loan. But it made nothing from disposing of its leasehold interest in Sunderland wedding venue, The Quayside Exchange, and its 54.45% interest in the leasehold of adjacent land, both of which were held by subsidiary company Keeping Inn. Independent valuations found the leases of both the wedding venue, which never reopened after ceasing trading during the pandemic, and the land had zero market value. Following this, a reduction in value below historical cost of £728,313 was taken into the group’s profit and loss account for the year ended 31 January 2023. A separate valuation of the Manor House Hotel and Spa in West Auckland resulted in a reduction in book value below historical cost and a further £115,259 was taken into the profit and loss account. The business made a pre-tax loss for the period of £367,784, down from a profit of £518,788 in 2022. Turnover was up from £5,427,597 in 2022 to £7,217,609. The 2023 figure included £2,165,384 from rooms (2022: £1,804,376), £1,966,647 from food (2022: £1,388,277), £2,369,278 from liquor (2022: £1,594,180), £323,325 from leisure (2022: £215,407) and £154,683 from golf (2022: £252,800). The company received £29,871 in grants (2022: £460,588) and £336,514 in insurance claims (2022: nil). Dividends of £220,390 were paid, the same as in 2022. Director Christopher Sanderson said: “The directors believe that the group is in a good financial position. With a careful focus on the provision of current products and services as well as appropriate development of new products and services, as well as continuing to review the state of the market and the activities of competitors, the directors are confident in the group’s ability to maintain and build on this position, albeit with cautious growth expectations.” As well as the golf course, the group now operates three hotels and a holiday cottages business in the region, plus The Centurion Bar within Newcastle Grand Central station.

 

Haute Dolci doubles its presence in Scotland for 19th UK site: Premium dessert and gourmet burger concept Haute Dolci has doubled its presence in Scotland for its 19th UK site overall. The business, led by Heavenly Desserts founder Nizam Mohamed, has opened at 226-232 High Street in Perth, joining its site in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter plus 17 others across England. It comes a month after the business reopened its flagship store at 371-373 Ladypool Road in Birmingham, which was where Mohamed had opened his first Heavenly Desserts store 15 years previously. Mohamed sold the rights to the Heavenly Desserts brand in 2021 to focus on the expansion of his Haute Dolci and IceBurg concepts. Last year, Haute Dolci opened its first overseas site, at the Defence Raya Golf Resort Sector M DHA Phase 6 in Lahore, Pakistan, and is planning to follow that with a Middle East launch, in Kuwait.

 

Norfolk leisure group sees slight drop in profit as costs bite, looking to focus on core holiday park business: Norfolk leisure group Blue Sky Leisure, led by the Timewell family, saw a slight drop in profit in the year to 31 March 2023 as costs mounted, and has said it is looking to focus on its core holiday park business. The company, which operates the Woodhill Park and Kelling Heath holiday parks on the North Norfolk coast, saw its pre-tax profit fall from £1,120, 742 in 2022 to £1,049,883. Turnover was up from £11,357,957 to £12,279,845. No government grants were received (2022: £66,135) and no dividends were paid (2022: nil). “The fall in operating profit is largely attributable to rising utility costs and general inflationary pressures, offset by profit on disposal,” said director David Bye. “The directors believe that the core business units have continued to perform well and are well placed for further growth and development. The entity continues to focus its strategy on investment in its core activity of operating the holiday parks. In recent years, it has made structural changes by way of selling property assets in the park homes sector and continues to look at opportunities for the divestment of its residential and commercial properties.”

 

Maslow’s founder launches new Italian concept at Mortimer House: Guy Ivesha, founder of Maslow’s – the group behind Nessa, 1 Warwick and Mortimer House in London – has launch a new Italian concept. He has partnered with executive chef Tom Cenci for Mortimer House Kitchen at 37-42 Mortimer Street in Fitzrovia. The 90-cover dining room, on the ground floor of private members’ house Mortimer House, offers a further 45 covers for alfresco dining. The Conservatory, a private space positioned at the back of the main dining room, also seats up to 20 guests. Cenci said: “Life in Italy revolves around mealtimes – it’s all about family feasting, preparing fresh ingredients and using the best local produce. I’ve always loved this style of cooking and am excited to welcome people to share this with me and the team this year.”

 

Swansea drag queen diner concept set to open second site, in Liverpool: Swansea drag queen diner concept, Dorothy’s Diner, is set to open a second site, in Liverpool. The venue will open in Victoria Street, in Liverpool’s Pride Quarter, where the business already operates a sister concept, Dorothy’s Showbar. The 1950s American-themed diner will offer burgers, fries, pizza and milkshakes served by drag artists, who will act as hosts and interact with guests throughout the evening. A spokesperson for the company told the Liverpool Echo: “We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming opening of Dorothy’s Diner in Victoria Street, Liverpool. Following the success of Dorothy's in Swansea, our guests can expect a unique experience that blends American diner cuisine with drag queen servers and an evening disco.”