Knoops – phenomenal momentum across the business, enjoys record start to 2024: William Gordon-Harris, executive chairman and chief executive of Knoops, the luxury hot chocolate shop brand, has told Propel there is “phenomenal momentum across the business”, as it enjoyed a record start to the year. The 15-strong business, which completed an £8.3m fundraising last November, saw store revenue increase by 23% on a like-for-like basis in January. It said that in addition to over the counter, barista-prepared drinks, sales of chocolate flakes in stores continued to perform strongly – also up 23% on a like-for-like basis. At the same time, the group’s online sales in January were up 163% on last year – led by its top-selling Hot Chocolate Selection Box, which offers a choice of ten different varieties of chocolate flakes. The strong performance comes off the back of Knoops’ best-ever Christmas period, with store revenue up 24% on a like-for-like basis and online revenue up 187% on December 2022. The Christmas period coincided with the release of the Wonka film, for which Knoops was selected as the brand partner. Across its stores, the company said it sold tens of thousands of its bespoke “Wonka winter-warmer” hot chocolate drinks and its Covent Garden store – with its Wonka themed makeover – performed “particularly well”. The brand, which operates seven sites in London, is planning to more than double in size again in 2024. Imminent new openings include two stores in Edinburgh in March – on the former Starbucks site on the corner of George Street and Castle Street, and in Victoria Street – and that will be followed closely by Leeds (Trinity scheme) and Nottingham (Clumber Street). Knoops said it is continuing to target major cities and university towns, with ambitions for 200 stores across the UK by 2027. The company also has plans to expand internationally in the coming year and believes it has the ability to pass 3,000 stores globally by 2030. Gordon-Harris said: “There is phenomenal momentum across the business as we begin what is set to be another exciting year for Knoops. We enjoyed an exceptionally strong Christmas trading period in our stores, online and through our wholesale partners. January has also been another record month, as more and more customers discover the joy a Knoops can bring. No doubt the trend towards Dry January has also played a part, as people swap alcohol for alternative affordable treats. Over the last three years to December 2023, our revenue has grown almost 12 times from our base year in 2020. We couldn’t be more delighted with the trajectory of the business and are now putting an experienced and ambitious team in place for our next phase of growth.” Gordon-Harris will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference on Thursday, 21 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. 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.

 

Lucky Voice MD Charlie Elek to speak at first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024, open for bookings: Charlie Elek, managing director of Lucky Voice, will be among the speakers at the first Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024. More than 350 places have been booked for the conference, which takes place on Thursday, 21 March, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington, and is open for bookings. Elek sets out how the company’s major programme of growth, expansion and investment has been galvanised through operating systems that ensure clearer, more systematic thinking and planning. 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.

Premium Club members to receive Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference videos and next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality tomorrow: Premium Club members are to receive all the videos from this year’s Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit Conference tomorrow (Friday, 16 February), at 9am. Members will be sent 26 separate video presentations, featuring more than 60 speakers. They include: James Hacon talking to Natasha Sideris, founder and chief executive of Tashas Group, about her incredible journey from launching her first restaurant in South Africa to operating in four countries, launching two books, getting listed in The World’s 50 Best Bars and its recent launch at Battersea Power Station in London. KFC’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer Jenny Packwood discusses with Ed Whitehead, director of corporate and reputation at Fleet Street, how KFC has transformed itself in the UK over the past five years, from a fast-food business to a brand that does good. Also tomorrow, at midday, Premium Club members will receive the next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality, which features 863 companies. Another 31 companies have been added and this month’s edition will also include 71 updated entries and more than 230,000 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 members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database; produced in association with Virgate; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. 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 five 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.

Hospitality like-for-like sales flat in January as consumer spending is squeezed: Britain’s leading hospitality groups generated like-for-like sales growth of just 0.1% in January, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. The flat start to the year indicates pressure on consumers’ spending after a bumper festive season that saw the tracker finish 8.8% ahead in December 2023. Trading was also constrained by Dry January resolutions, poor weather and further rail strikes, the findings showed. The tracker – produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK – indicates like-for-like sales growth of 0.9% for restaurants in January, while pubs’ trading finished 1.5% ahead. After strong growth in December, bars suffered a 13.6% drop in January sales, while the on-the-go segment was 1.1% behind. Trading patterns were even across the country, the tracker shows. Groups’ sales within the M25 in January were 0.7% up on last year, while sales outside it were exactly flat (0.0%). Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “After spending freely in the run-up to Christmas, consumers were clearly watching their outgoings very carefully in January. It is a reminder that while people remain eager to eat and drink out when they can, rising costs continue to limit discretionary spending. With hospitality operators’ margins also still squeezed by inflation, the sector needs sustained government support on taxes and other issues if it is to unleash its full potential to invest and create jobs.”

 

Heston Blumenthal calls for greater urgency in tackling Companies House fraud: Restaurateur and chef Heston Blumenthal has called for greater urgency in tackling fraud on Companies House after an investigation revealed more than 750 fake firms using restaurant names have been set up in the past six weeks. Blumenthal’s business was one of those targeted and the chef is writing to Louise Smyth, chief executive at Companies House and registrar for England and Wales, asking for greater transparency on how her organisation is tackling the issue. Experts have warned that action against fraudsters damaging the reputations and legacy of a wide range of restaurants could take as long as 18 months. Blumenthal is asking for a faster response from Companies House to help the restaurant industry, which is already struggling with the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. He estimates that failing to move swiftly could lead to as many as 9,750 restaurants being victims over an 18-month period. He said: “Our legal team has been scanning the Companies Register for years and has regularly needed to notify Companies House of bogus companies claiming to be part of our group. The process for removing fake companies has to be speeded up and made easier. We need greater transparency from Companies House and a clear timeline. In some cases, it is being reported it can take up to 18 months to rectify. Checks by Companies House on the identity of people registering companies would reduce the risk of frauds and be a major help for restaurants and other businesses facing problems with fraudsters. The protection of our brands is absolutely paramount to our customers, our partners and our teams who excel every day in our kitchens and restaurants. We will not allow fraudsters to deceive unsuspecting patrons or partners and risk the legacy that we have collectively built with hard work, dedication, innovation and a grain of eccentricity.”

 

UKHospitality – rate of inflation stabilising positive, but businesses have absorbed all they can: UKHospitality has said while the rate of inflation stabilising is a positive move, sector businesses have absorbed all they can and still need help from the government in its spring Budget. New figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that UK inflation remained at 4% in January. Forecasters had expected a slight rise to 4.2% but it remained at the same rate as in December. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The rate of inflation not increasing, as widely expected, is positive, but let’s not forget that this still means prices are continuing to rise. Hospitality businesses are continuing to feel the brunt of these costs, with food, drink and energy all continuing to rise at a rapid rate. With business rates set to increase by 6.7% and the national living wage rising in April, venues will be hit once again by a tsunami of additional costs. Unfortunately, the vast majority of businesses have absorbed all they can and are now forced to pass these on to consumers. If the government wants to avoid the risk of an inflationary spike in April and the following months, it should take action at the Budget to cap business rates increases and reduce the rate of VAT for hospitality.”

 

NTIA calls for immediate government action as statistics reveal marginalisation of nightclub sector: The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has called for immediate government action as it said new statistics reveal a “profound and systematic marginalisation of the nightclub sector, threatening the vitality of our cultural landscape”. Between March 2020 and December 2023, it said 396 nightclubs were forced to close their doors, accounting for 31% of the total businesses within the UK. Recent data from December 2020 to December 2023 underscores a continued downward spiral, with an average of nearly ten closures per month and two per week. The NTIA said of utmost concern is the disproportionate impact on independent establishments, with 312 independent nightclubs succumbing to closure. Additionally, it found a notable disparity in the types of affected businesses, with tenanted nightclubs experiencing a 14% loss (32 businesses) and managed nightclubs losing eight establishments. It said this highlights the urgent need for tailored support to address the distinct challenges faced by independent operators. In light of this, the NTIA said it is imperative for the government to reduce VAT to 12.5% across the board, and failure to do so will result in further closures across the sector. Michael Kill, chief executive of the NTIA, said: “The marginalisation of nightlife businesses has left them feeling neglected, questioning the government’s motive, with limited avenues for survival. It’s imperative that policymakers acknowledge the vital role of these establishments and provide the support they urgently need. This support must be targeted, transparent and substantial to enable businesses to withstand the ongoing challenges and emerge resilient. We implore the government to heed our urgent plea and act decisively to prevent irreversible losses within the night-time economy.”

 

Hospitality apprenticeships being delivered to serving prisoners for first time: Hospitality apprenticeships are being delivered to serving prisoners for the first time. It follows a new programme by The Clink Charity, run in partnership with HIT Training. While many of these students have already been working in Clink training schemes and studying towards industry standard hospitality qualifications, the apprenticeship programme provides an additional pathway to employment that is linked to vocational training. On release, candidates will then work towards full completion of the course and their apprenticeship. Part of the study also includes a minimum level of English and maths, which is a condition of completion. Students will also receive support and mentoring from The Clink’s regional support team. This level of support includes, but is not limited to, assisting with benefits, housing, reintegration and relocation, as well as many other aspects such as food, accommodation and childcare.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hospitality business that is seeking a chief operating officer in London. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The company is in the mix to purchase a new business, spanning across the capital. This company has its first site coming in early 2025 but is looking to bring in a chief operating officer as soon as possible to start building the team and set the values. These are going to be high volume sites. The position will grow into a chief executive role as there will be sites across the UK and in the USA. The business will offer unequalled service standards and inventive food and entertainment. The company is looking to bring in a whole new team across the board, and at operation level, but it is looking for this chief operating officer to head up the entire operation, adding a strong commercial awareness and who will demonstrate leadership skills to help drive the new vision for the business.” The role will offer a salary of up to £140,000. For more information, email stuart@corecruitment.com.

 

Vapiano to launch solo dining promotion after seeing growing trend, introduces UK loyalty scheme: Vapiano, which has its main investor as McWin, is set to launch a promotion after seeing a growing trend for solo diners. Last year, the Michelin two-star restaurant Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London’s Regent Street had to defend its policy of charging solo diners double. By contrast, Vapiano will launch the first annual National Solo Dining Day on Tuesday 16 April, offering single diners 40% off their meals. “I started realising about 2018-19, when I did a shift at a Vapiano, that there’s so many people coming in to dine on their own,” Vapiano’s global marketing, Vikki O’Neill, told Propel. “In one particular lunch shift it was 43%. We went into lockdown a few months later and it was forgotten about, but I did another shift last year and was again amazed at how many people came in on their own – we’ve seen a real increase. I said to the team this is a cultural shift and we’ve got to do something with this, let’s own this and encourage it. Why wouldn’t you take the business of one person over none? In the bigger fast causal market we’re in, I’ve not heard anyone else talking about it, but we’ve been talking about it for quite some time. We’re not breaking science and the feedback has been incredible. Our attitude is it’s never ‘just a table for one’ but ‘a table for one’. Nobody comes in shy about it and it’s part of the eating out culture now.” Before that, Vapiano is this week launching its first UK loyalty scheme, having introduced one in its French restaurants in 2022. Members will receive ten points for every £1 spent leading to a variety of perks, including 50% off their next visit after downloading the app, birthday discounts and a friend referral scheme. “We’ve changed things around a bit for our UK market,” O’Neill added. “People rightly expect something for their time and investment in your business, and coffee shops have had that nailed. When it comes to fast casual dining you’ve got greater competition and people don’t necessarily want to keep going back to the same place as they would with coffee, so you need to reward based on behaviour and what people want. We’ve got a really simple tiered system where you can use your points to get anything from an extra in your pasta all the way up to an £18 voucher, which is essentially a meal on the house. A recent survey showed 89% of our guests would use a loyalty scheme, and those who wouldn’t don’t live close enough to make it worth it as we only have five sites. Using data is the obvious win here, and working with Datahawks means our CRM communications and the Como app messages are always targeted and personalised.”

Sale process for ex-Wear Inns estate begins: The sales process of the 25-strong Wear Inns estate, which was placed into administration late last year, has begun, with multiple offers anticipated for the wet-led pub estate. Propel revealed in November that Milton Portfolio Op Co 3, which operated the 25 sites across the north east and North Yorkshire and was owned by investment firm Aprirose, had appointed Ryan Grant and Howard Smith, of Interpath Advisory, as joint administrators. The business had a deficiency of £8.1m when it was placed into administration. Agents Avison Young and Watling Real Estate were appointed to market the 25 pubs, which continue to trade, and include Black Bull, East Boldon; Black Bull, Morpeth; Dirty Habit, Wickham; Dirty Habit, Whitley Bay; Lambton Arms, Chester Le Street; Old Courthouse, Barnsley; The Priory, York; The Victoria, Whitley Bay; and the Whistle Stop, Beeston. The sales process for the portfolio of pubs, which comprises 21 freeholds and four long leaseholds, began this week. Propel understands that the combined group net of VAT sales for the year to 31 December 2023 was £12.9m. The portfolio is a combination of community, every day, premium and urban bar concepts, with more than half of the estate having been refurbished since 2019. Aprirose acquired the former Wear Inns business five years ago in a £22.4m deal backed by the Business Growth Fund and NVM Private Equity. Emma Turnbull, associate director at Avison Young’s Newcastle office, said: “The pubs have been well managed since our client’s appointment and have traded well over the festive period.” The property agents said they welcome interest for the group as a whole as well as in smaller packages or individual sites. It is thought that the portfolio will attract interest from the likes of FB Taverns, Valiant Pub Company, Red Oak Taverns and Blackrose Pub Company, the latter of which previously operated the Wear Inns estate.

 

Heartwood Collection adds Epping Forest site to openings pipeline: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business, has further added to its growing portfolio of freehold “pubs with rooms” with the acquisition of The Royal Forest, in Epping Forest, Essex, Propel has learned. The former Brewers Fayre site will add a further 28 rooms to the already confirmed 150 rooms that the Richard Ferrier-led group has acquired over four sites. Following completion of The Royal Forest, Heartwood Collection remains on track to grow to more than 60 inns and brasseries by June 2027, with an estate of more than 500 bedrooms. The Royal Forest first opened in 1880 as The Forest Hotel and was subsequently renamed The Royal Forest in 1882 following a visit by Queen Victoria. The inn, which is located on the edge of Epping Forest, will undergo a multimillion-pound refurbishment that will restore original features including a feature window on the stairwell that references Elizabeth I and her connection to the area. The refurbished pub will offer 80 covers together with a dining room seating up to 142 guests. Ferrier said: “The Royal Forest is an exciting acquisition for Heartwood as it marks our first pub with rooms in Essex. With its excellent transport links and beautiful location close to Epping Forest, we are confident this pub will be a fine addition to the local hospitality scene.” Heartwood’s pub sites are currently generating £45,000 in average gross weekly sales, and £405,000 average site Ebitda. The business will open the White Horse in Dorking on Sunday, 25 February, which will be its first “pub with rooms”, with 56 bedrooms. It will then open the Quill & Scholar in Lichfield on Monday, 25 March, and the Rope & Anchor in Emsworth (43 bedrooms), and the Coat & Bear in Newbury (26 bedrooms), this summer. They will be followed by the White Hart in Lewes (26 bedrooms) in the autumn.

 

Megan’s reports 9.8% like-for-like sales growth in January: Megan’s, the fast-growing cafe and deli concept, has reported 9.8% growth in like-for-like sales for the month of January. It builds on the 19-strong brand’s most successive Christmas season to date, achieving record monthly restaurant Ebitda. Chairman Rod McKie said: “I am pleased to report a great set of results from January. The 9.8% growth reflects the strength of our restaurant brand, combining a welcoming atmosphere with best-in-class guest service. Our ability to consistently deliver quality and value across diverse guest demographics speaks volumes about the dedication of our team and the strength of our management. Moreover, I am heartened to see our brand continue to shine as we open more sites, with our new Parsons Green location off to a promising start. With the dedication of our team, loyal support of our neighbourhood guests and four sites already secured for 2024, we’re looking forward to building on this momentum.”

 

Greater Manchester better burger concept prepares to open four new stores and launch franchise programme: Greater Manchester better burger concept Side Street Burgers is preparing to open four new stores and launch its franchise programme. Founded by Josh Ryan in 2020, Side Street Burgers currently has sites in Rochdale, Manchester, Bonnyrigg, Upton Park, Reading and Walthamstow. Ryan previously said he was aiming to open nine new stores in 2024, all through multi-unit franchise operators. “Side Street franchise is launching in March 2024,” the brand’s franchise consultant, Krishma Vaghela, said. “It’s been busy behind the scenes, with the success of two recent store openings and the launch of the American barbecue product lines. It doesn’t stop there, with four further Side Street restaurants due to open in the coming months. Work has now commenced on the franchise relaunch, and I am closely liaising with the team behind the scenes to get the new processes and documentation implemented.”

 

Chef Brian Maule takes up consultancy role at Buzzworks: Scottish independent restaurant and bar operator Buzzworks Holdings has welcomed chef Brian Maule to the business as a consultant. The chef – who ran one of Scotland’s most famous fine dining restaurants, Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or in Glasgow, for 22 years – will help Buzzworks build on its “culinary excellence”. The company said that Maule, who also worked for the Roux Brothers at the two-star Michelin restaurant, Le Gavroche, in Mayfair, will use his wealth of experience to focus on “enhancing collaboration and overall efficiency” across the kitchens in Buzzworks’ 19 venues. Speaking about the six-month project, Maule said: “I started my career in Ayrshire, so this feels in part like a homecoming, collaborating with Buzzworks, which also started its successful tenure here in the region. The business is already well regarded, and I’ve been impressed with its high standards. My role will be to enhance this further, working with the talented kitchen teams to raise their level once more so that the business can continue to grow and bring its first-class brand of hospitality to new communities across Scotland.” Buzzworks head of people, Nicola Watt, added: “Despite challenging conditions for everyone within the industry, working with the likes of Brian will help ensure our continued success.” Last month, Buzzworks said it had experienced a strong start to 2024 as it plans to double the size of the business and create 800 jobs.

 

Midlands smashed burger franchise set to reach 20 sites in coming months with four openings lined up: Midlands smashed burger franchise Burger Boi is set to reach 20 sites in the coming months, with four new openings lined up. The business, which was founded by Surge Bassi in 2020 and launched the following year in Wolverhampton, has opened its first site of 2024 and 16th in total, at 32 Timberley Lane in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. “Our first store of 2024 has arrived,” said head of marketing and business development Asa Simpson. “With our first Burger Boi of 2024 now open, our eyes are firmly focused on the future as we continue on our path to conquer the UK! Four new stores coming soon with many more to come.” Burger Boi’s longer-term aim is 50 UK sites by 2026 and it is also exploring international expansion.

 

JRK Restaurants adds two sites to Wendy’s pipeline: JRK Restaurants, which is a franchisee for Slim Chickens along the south coast of England, has lined up two further openings for Wendy’s, the third-largest quick service restaurant chain in the US, in Essex. JRK, which already operates Wendy’s sites in Guildford and Portsmouth, plans to open on the former El Chigre restaurant site in Chelmsford High Street. It has also lined up an opening on the former Ponden Home Interiors store in Southend High Street. Propel revealed last February that JRK was set to aid the roll out of Wendy’s in the UK. It is thought JRK is planning to open more than 25 units in the next three years across the UK with the different brands it represents. It has so far opened four Slim Chickens sites.

 

Vivek Singh to open Cinnamon Bazaar in Richmond: Vivek Singh, executive chef and founder of The Cinnamon Collection, is to open a new site – Cinnamon Bazaar – in London’s Richmond, early next month. The new site will open on the former Carluccio’s in Kew Road, reports Hot Dinners. The Cinnamon Collection said: “Inspired by the hustle and bustle of India’s ancient and modern bazaars, where goods, ideas, flavours and experiences were exchanged, Cinnamon Bazaar Richmond’s menu, from executive chef Vivek Singh and head chef Rakesh Singh, will run from breakfast through to dinner and feature pan-Indian, street food style dishes, along with a new innovative range of vegan friendly plates, which blend modern cultural influences with classic spices and flavours. Breakfast like a king, or Richmond’s Raja, at Cinnamon Bazaar Richmond with an Anglo-Indian menu that fuses both cultures. Spice up your mornings with the likes of Bombay scrambled eggs and the restaurant’s signature parathas – warm flatbreads with a choice of fillings including smoky spiced minced lamb, cauliflower with matured cheddar and a sweet option with coconut, dried fruits and nuts. For traditionalists, all the brekky classics await with Bazaar’s Big Kitchen Mash-Up, Cinnamon’s take on the Full English, sitting alongside pancake stacks; classic kedgeree; and pastries.” Last month, Propel reported that the Cinnamon Collection, which operates four restaurants in London and is owned by Boparan Restaurant Group, swung back into profit in the year to 1 January 2023 as it continued to bounce back from the pandemic. The company generated revenue of £11,539,000 (2022: £6,728,000).

 

Wafflemeister strikes Co-op deal: Wafflemeister, the Belgian waffle operator, has struck a deal to sell its products in Co-op supermarkets, continuing the brand’s growth in the retail sector. From this week, its Classic Belgian 5x50g waffles will be sold in Co-op’s 2,000 stores across the UK. It is the Wafflemeister’s third supermarket listing, following partnerships agreed with Waitrose and Costco last year. Wafflemeister also recently made its vending sector debut, with its waffles now available in vending machines through a partnership with Templeman Retailing & Vending. Rikos Leong-Son, chief executive at Wafflemeister, said: “We’re excited to have one of our core products going into Co-op supermarkets. It further increases distribution of the brand, getting our waffles into more locations, and therefore, more hands.” Last month, Propel reported that Wafflemeister is planning further expansion after reporting record product sales, having sold more than 53 million waffles in 2023 – the most since its inception nearly 15 years ago. The company has 25 branded outlets across the UK in high-profile locations such as Alton Towers, Legoland, Butlin’s Bognor Regis, Weymouth Sea Life, Flamingo Land and West Midlands Safari Park.

 

‘Challenging’ year hits beer sales at Heineken: Heineken shares slumped after the world’s second-biggest brewer warned persistent inflation and economic worries will weigh on beer demand in 2024. The world’s second-biggest brewer said revenue in the year to 31 December 2023 rose 4.9% to €36.4bn. But beer volumes fell 4.7% on an organic basis, while net profits slid 14.1% to €2.3bn. Stripping out exceptional items and amortisation, operating profits rose 1.7% to €4.4bn, but net profits on the same basis fell 4.3% to €2.6bn. Heineken, which also makes brands including Tiger, Amstel and Sol, said it expected low-to-high single digit operating profit organic growth before one-off items in 2024. The company’s shares fell as much as 6.5% on Wednesday morning (14 February) in Amsterdam, the steepest intraday drop in more than five months. Dolf van den Brink, chief executive, said: “After a strong 2022, 2023 proved to be challenging. Strong pricing to offset very high input and energy cost inflation and volatile macroeconomic conditions in some key markets affected our volume momentum. Looking to 2024, we remain cautious about the global economic and geopolitical outlook. Our focus going forward will be on revenue growth, balanced between volume and value, by continuing to invest behind our brands, innovations, commercial capabilities and route-to-consumer to deliver long-term sustained value creation.”

 

Independent hotel group set to open new restaurant next to its Newcastle venue: Independent hotel group KE Hotels is set to open a new restaurant next to the Newcastle venue it acquired last year. Social Bird will launch this spring next to its adjoining business, Hotel Indigo in Fenkle Street, as part of a £2m refurbishment project. Social Bird’s chicken-inspired menu will specialise in chicken schnitzels and burgers sourced from local suppliers. It is also collaborating with other local businesses such as Tynemouth Coffee, Newcastle Gin, Pure Knead and Hadrian’s Border Brewery to “curate a genuine and local menu”. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, it will also offer live music and open mic nights. General manager Emma Thompson said: “We can’t wait to welcome everyone to experience the great hospitality and unique charm of Social Bird.” KE Hotels, which also operates the Linton Lodge Best Western Plus in Oxford and Moxy Manchester hotel, acquired the Newcastle hotel in March 2023.

 

Nottinghamshire restaurant operator reopens village pub for second site: Nottinghamshire restaurant operator Gemma Whitelock has opened her second site after taking over the running of a village pub. Whitelock, who opened plant-based kitchen and deli The Allotment Kitchen and Diner in in June last year, in Collingham, near Newark, has acquired the lease of The Royal Oak on the other side of the village. The pub offers locally sourced pub classics, and seasonal “comfort food”, reports Nottinghamshire Live. The Allotment Kitchen and Diner is based in the Gusto Homes development off Station Road.

 

Manchester coffee shop concept opens second site: Manchester coffee shop concept Gran T’s has opened its second site. Offering “cosy armchairs, hearty brews and freshly baked cakes just like those your gran would make”, Gran T’s first opened in Altrincham in 2017. It has now doubled up with a site in Great Ancoats Street, next to Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Both cafes are named after owner Chris Taylor’s gran, Edith Taylor, who he called Gran T. “I remember my gran having green sofas, chintzy lampshades and vintage rugs on the floor and I wanted to recreate that and share those happy memories,” Taylor told the Manchester Evening News. “As soon as you walked through the door at gran’s you would get a lovely welcome and she would do a cup of tea. She would also have digestive biscuits in the fridge and put two on a plate and serve them with the tea. Her hospitality to us as family members has built the foundation of the cafes.” The new cafe offers a wide range of tea, coffee and milkshakes, fresh pastries and cakes, toasties, ciabatta sandwiches and soup.