Adnams appoints its first female CEO to succeed Andy Wood: Suffolk brewer and retailer Adnams has appointed chief financial officer Jenny Hanlon as its new chief executive. Hanlon, who will take up her new role following the company’s annual general meeting in June, will become the company’s first female chief executive in its 150-year history. Hanlon will succeed Andy Wood, who will remain with the business until the end of the year in a consultancy capacity before retiring. The appointment follows a long-term succession plan announced last July when Wood revealed his intention to retire. Wood’s career at Adnams spans almost 30 years, including 14 years as chief executive during which time he led the transformation of the business from a regional brewing company into a diversified beer, wine and spirits company with a pub, hotel and retail estate. Hanlon started her career with Ernst & Young and has performed senior finance roles with Greene King, Barclays, and insurance companies iprism and Global Risk Partners. She joined the board of Adnams in 2020. Hanlon said: "This is a hugely exciting time to be taking the reins from Andy. The Adnams brand is cherished and championed by colleagues and customers, in its heartland of the east of England, across the wider UK and throughout dozens of countries around the world. Looking ahead, what's important is that we keep evolving and keep innovating – our brand and product portfolio, our brewing, distilling and distribution operations and our estate – while continuing to support our customers, communities and colleagues with the same values and commitments which have served us so well.” Wood added: “It's been an honour and a privilege to lead Adnams, a business that is has been at the heart of our community in Suffolk for more than 150 years. While the markets we operate in continue to face many challenges, I'm confident that Adnams has the vision and values to build on its incredible success story in the years ahead, and to remain a proud innovator in the market.” Chairman Jonathan Adnams said: “Andy has been a driving force in building Adnams into the business it is today, leading with both principle and professionalism. We will be forever grateful for the lasting impact he has had on Adnams and wish him well for the future. Jenny is the ideal candidate to lead us through the next chapter of Adnams’ evolution, both in stabilising our financial footing but also capitalising on Adnams’ unique strengths.” Last month, the business drafted in advisers Alvarez & Marsal to assess its funding options. A spokesperson for Adnams said at the time: “We have instructed advisors to explore a range of options to fund our future growth plans.” Adnams features in the Premium Club Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which features 889 companies. Its turnover of £64,215,000 for the year ending 31 December 2022 is the 151st highest in the database. The Blue Book ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club 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.

Heartwood Collection adds Great Bookham site to its opening pipeline: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business, has acquired The Old Crown in Great Bookham, Surrey. The pub is the second ex-Stonegate Group site that Heartwood Collection has secured this month, after it acquired The Prince of Wales, East Barnet last week. Located in the village's High Street, The Old Crown dates to the 1930s and was built by Kingston brewery Hodgson's. The pub will now undergo an extensive multimillion-pound refurbishment to create 150 covers in the enhanced bar and dining room and a further 50 covers in the large, enclosed garden. The acquisition of The Old Crown brings the total number of pubs operated by Heartwood Collection in Surrey to nine, including The White Horse, Dorking, the group's first pub with rooms which opened last month. Richard Ferrier, chief executive of Heartwood Collection, said: “The Old Crown is a fantastic pub located in the beautiful Surrey village of Great Bookham. The pub will undergo a significant refurbishment to ensure that it remains a part of village life for many years to come.” The deal follows the company’s recent acquisition of the 28-bedroom The Royal Forest in Epping Forest, scheduled to open in the autumn, taking the group's room offering to more than 175 rooms by the end of 2024. The Heartwood Collection said it remains on track to grow to more than 60 inns and brasseries by June 2027. At the end of last month, the company opened its first pub with rooms, The White Horse in Dorking, with a further four already confirmed by the group for 2024. Ferrier told Propel last week: “Dorking is off to a really strong start and we’ve learnt a huge amount about rooms very quickly. We’ve been delighted with the feedback from our guests so far and this gives us confidence for the next few room openings over the summer.” Further openings with room for the company, which currently operates 22 pubs, include the Ropemaker in Emsworth (43 bedrooms), the Coat & Bear in Newbury (26 bedrooms) and the White Hart in Lewes (26 bedrooms).

Jamie Oliver Restaurants opens first site in the Balkans: Jamie Oliver Restaurants has opened its first site in the Balkans region, in Serbia. The business has teamed up with franchise partner Kafeterija to open a site under its Jamie’s Italian brand in Belgrade. Ed Loftus, restaurant group director, Jamie Oliver Restaurants, said: “This brings our international footprint to more than 80 restaurants in 24 countries. 2024 will see us continue to expand across the globe in existing and new markets, we have an exciting and diverse pipeline of projects that we look forward to sharing with you all.” Zoran Stanojevic, chief executive of Kafeterija, added: “This milestone is not just an expansion; it’s the beginning of a new chapter in developing this concept across the central and eastern European region. It stands as a symbol of our ambition and commitment to offering exceptional culinary experiences.” Jamie Oliver Restaurants currently has 15 international partners and is planning approximately 20 new opening this year including its first restaurant in Germany, in Berlin, under the Jamie Oliver Kitchen brand. It is also exploring opportunities in Spain and Portugal. The company’s longer-term goal is to have more than 200 international sites by 2027.

Crazy Pedro’s and Madre among trader line-up for Boxpark Liverpool: Crazy Pedro’s, Maray and Madre are among eight traders taking space at Boxpark’s new site in Liverpool, the company’s first outside of London. Boxpark Liverpool will be pizza concept Crazy Pedro’s second site in the city, while Maray will launch a new concept Rose Street Falafel at the venue, which will launch at Cains Brewery Village on Friday 19 April. The team behind Mexican taco restaurant and bar concept Madre will also open a burrito concession at the venue. Other operators include burgers and milkshake concept Shake?; Simply Salt & Pepper, owned by the same team behind pan-Asian Liverpool restaurant Zenn; Korean fried chicken concept Yoki Social Table; Chinese concept Yum Cha; and Pukht, which takes global favourites like burgers, tacos, burritos, gyros and adds an Indian and Pakistani twist. Boxpark chief executive Simon Champion said: “After months of sampling the best cuisines the north west has to offer, we are delighted to be able to finally announce the eight traders that will join Boxpark Liverpool when we open next month. We are so impressed with the talent in the city, and we can't wait to give the traders a platform to expand their businesses and enhance the already impressive food and drink offering the city boasts.” James Bates, co-founder of Maray and Rose Street Falafel, said: “Rose Street has been long in the making; the original Maray was due to be a falafel cafe when we opened in 2014! We've been perfecting the Maray falafel recipe for the last ten years and so we're excited to give it the opportunity to be front and centre.” Spanning 21,000 square foot and holding 600 covers, Boxpark Liverpool will include eight kitchen units, one kiosk and bars inside and outside in a 5,000 square-foot external garden. The business is investing more than £5m into the Baltic Triangle and expecting to create 150 jobs.

Owners of ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ appeal rebuild order: The owners of The Crooked House have launched an appeal against an order to rebuild the West Midlands pub. The historic building, known as “Britain's wonkiest pub”, shot to national attention last year when it was demolished soon after being damaged in a fire. The pub, in Himley, near Dudley, burned down on 5 August, just two weeks after it was sold to new owners. South Staffordshire Council last month served an enforcement notice to the owners, demanding they rebuild it within the next three years. However, the authority said the owners have now lodged an appeal against the move, although a date has not yet been set for the hearing. The enforcement notice to rebuild the pub specifies the materials that must be used in the work. The council has recovered around 25,000 bricks from the site and put them in storage. Gary Timmins, pub and club campaigns director at the Campaign for Real Ale, said: “The complete destruction of the Crooked House shocked the nation and struck a chord with the public, exposing a wider scandal of potentially unlawful pub conversions and demolitions. The appeal is a mockery of all the hard work put in by dedicated campaigners who championed for the pub’s future.” Three men, aged 33, 51, and 66 have been arrested and bailed in connection with the case.

SSP Group adds Burger King and Starbucks sites at Berlin airport: SSP Group, the UK operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has opened two Burger King restaurants and a Starbucks site at Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt airport in Germany. Located in Terminal 1, one of the Burger King restaurants is landside with the other being airside along with the Starbucks outlet. Within the airside food court, the Burger King restaurant spans 329 square metres and seats 125 customers while the Starbucks is 104 square metres and offers 28 seats. In the landside arrivals area, the Burger King restaurant measures 285 square metres and has 126 seats. The new outlets employ 75 full-time staff. Oliver Haub and Wenzel Burger, managing directors of SSP DACH, said: “We’re very pleased to be able to offer airport passengers another Burger King restaurant and a Starbucks, which will do much to enhance the food and beverage offer at this important airport. These two brands will delight travellers visiting Berlin.” Aletta von Massenbach, chief executive of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg, added: “We’re very pleased with the Burger King and Starbucks, and our passengers can now choose from a total of eight different concepts in our airside food court.”