Pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur set to open new £300m luxury nightclub in Majorca, continues to build UK portfolio: UK pop star turned hospitality entrepreneur Recardo Patrick has told Propel he is set to open a new £300m luxury nightclub in Majorca as well as continuing to build his UK portfolio. Patrick rose to fame in the 1970s as the lead singer of British soul group Sweet Sensation, who had a number one UK hit with Sad Sweet Dreamer in 1974, before subsequently building a career within the hospitality industry. “In July, I will be opening AMOK in Majorca with the ex-chief executive of Pasha, Oscar Ruiz, and the ex-chief financial officer of the Melia Hotel Group,” Patrick said. “It will be a £300m nightclub with a licence until 8am with a poolside party theme.” Back home, Patrick is the chairman of Durham Massey Investment Group, of which West Ham United FC chairman and majority shareholder David Sullivan is also a shareholder. The group, which manages £140m of assets within the UK, is currently working on a major restaurant development in Canary Wharf, which will open in November with an “Asia meets east London” theme. Patrick has also sold two Newcastle venues to local bar and nightclub operator, Market Shaker Group. These are Mimo, a bar he opened in 2011 as a joint venture with nightclub operator Tony Knox, and The Mushroom. “I decided to sell them as I don’t really have the time to get to Newcastle,” he added. “We had them for 12 years and the market in Newcastle is pretty volatile, with the emphasis shifting to different parts of the city. I’m also in the process of buying seven other extremely profitable and well-known businesses in the UK.” Patrick is also a director at hospitality group Aspirational Brands and helped it launch Cheshire House Bar & Grill in Knutsford and Recardo’s in Hale. He has also acquired Sapporo in Glasgow and developed Bothwell House in the same city, as well as acting for businesses including Deloitte’s, KPMG, PwC, First Leisure, Granada Leisure and Ultimate Leisure. 

 

Next edition of Premium Club Turnover & Profits Blue Book released tomorrow shows sector companies’ profit outstripping losses by £1.67bn, down from £1.68bn last month: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book, which will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 14 June), at midday, shows the profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.67bn, a drop on the £1.68bn last month. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 926 companies in the list is £4,033,368,132 and losses are £2,361,625,348. The Blue Book shows 584 companies in profit and 342 reporting losses. The Blue Book 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, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including Social Media for Profit (18 July), the Talent and Training Conference (1 October) and Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025). Operators that are Premium Club members are also 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 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 supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Wage growth deals blow to hopes of interest rate cut: Wage growth in Britain held firm in the three months to the end of April after an increase to the national living wage meant average earnings were unchanged, keeping the pressure on inflation. Official figures showed nominal weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, rose by 6% between February and April, the same as the previous three-month period and slightly lower than forecasts of a rise to 6.1%, reports The Times. Weekly earnings including bonuses also held firm at 5.9%, higher than the 5.7% expected by economists. Strong wages growth had been widely expected after the national living wage was raised by 10% to £11.44 from 1 April. It is the first time for nearly a year that the headline earnings figure has not fallen. The unemployment rate over the three months to April rose from 4.3% to 4.4%, above forecasts of no change and the highest rate since September 2021. The pay figures are likely to delay the prospect of Britain’s first interest rate cut since 2020 until after the summer, with financial markets now betting on the base rate being reduced from 5.25% to 5% in September. Investors are pencilling in only two or three rate cuts this year, down from the seven estimated at the start of 2024. The Bank of England will make its latest decision next Thursday (20 June), its last before the general election. Rate-setters are widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged for a tenth consecutive month. Despite the strong earnings figures for April, other measures of the labour market showed signs of slowing down. The number of vacancies dropped again by 12,000 to 904,000, marking a streak of nearly two years of declines. Overall employment fell to 74.3%, a three-year low, and measures of monthly payrolls growth declined in both April and May. The economic inactivity rate, which has been rising since the pandemic, climbed again to 22.3% – the highest reading since 2015. Forecasters expect headline consumer prices inflation to have dropped in May from 2.3% to 2%, hitting the bank’s target for the first time since 2021. Inflation is expected to creep up above 2% for most of the year after May, according to the bank’s forecasts.

 

UK regulator sets out plan to boost railway station catering competition: The UK’s rail regulator has set out a package of measures aimed at boosting competition in the railway station catering market but said it won’t seek an antitrust probe. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said its report on the market found a lack of effective competition to occupy existing station retail outlets, but that it won’t refer the railway station catering market to the Competition and Markets Authority. The ORR recommended simplifying and standardising contracts to make it easier for new players to enter the market, as well as competitive tendering of outlets for leases that are due to expire. Other recommendations include a greater focus on passengers’ satisfaction and requirements of catering by using more consumer research, to provide an offer at stations that meets customer needs. The ORR said it asked the Rail Delivery Group – the UK’s rail industry body – to coordinate the rail industry’s response to its recommendations, which it will monitor, and that it will provide a report on the effect of its recommendations. The regulator also said it will respond to a public consultation by the Law Commission – an independent body that makes recommendations on law reforms – on a proposed reform of existing legislation on protected leases and share its findings, namely that leases at the stations “tend to foreclose parts of the market and make them non-contestable and that the conditions to terminate leases are too restrictive”.

 

Lib Dems pledge to completely eliminate single-use plastics within three years: The Liberal Democrats want to “completely eliminate non-recyclable, single-use plastics” within three years with “an ambition” to end plastic waste exports by 2030. The party has also reiterated its support for a UK-wide deposit return scheme, stating it would be “learning the lessons from the difficulties with the Scottish scheme”. It called for “accelerating the transition to a more circular economy that maximises the recovery, reuse, recycling and remanufacturing of products”. These steps, it said, would cut costs for consumers and businesses, reduce exposure to volatile commodity prices, protect the environment and create new jobs and enterprises.

 

Only A Pavement Away stretches its reach: Only A Pavement Away, the industry charity helping those facing or at risk of homelessness find employment in the hospitality sector, has expanded to Scotland and Manchester. The expansion marks a significant step in the charity’s ambition to develop the infrastructure and resourcing to operate UK wide. It builds on Only A Pavement Away’s strong presence in London and the south of England, where it has helped more than 490 people rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society through employment in the hospitality sector. The opportunity to expand into Scotland and the north of England has been bolstered by hiring two new relationship managers in Manchester and one new relationship manager in Scotland. Also supporting the expansion into Scotland has been the launch of a learning kitchen within HMP Grampian, to help people in custody develop the skills to work in professional kitchens upon their release. The Kitchen Training Academy is the result of a partnership between HMP Grampian and brewer and retailer Greene King, with funding provided by Aberdeenshire Council and ongoing support from Only A Pavement Away. Greg Mangham, the charity’s founder and chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to be taking steps to broaden our network and build our incredible team, helping us to offer as much support as possible to those facing homelessness across the UK. Support from great referral charities and employer partners that operate in regions where we are growing our infrastructure is vital for us to continue to offer our services to more communities, and with this in mind, I would like to offer a big thank you to Greene King. Expanding into Scotland and Manchester is a huge moment for us, but this really is just the start.”

 

Belfast appoints its first night czar: Belfast is getting its first night czar in an effort to boost the night-time economy in the city centre. Hospitality operator Michael Stewart has been appointed by three organisations set up to help develop the central city’s economy – Belfast One, Linen Quarter BID and Destination CQ. The businessman will be working with bars, clubs, transport operators, restaurants, police and volunteers in the two-year honorary role. Stewart, who has more than three decades of experience in the hospitality sector, said he took on the £12,000 per year role because he had a passion for the city. However, he said he will have “no powers” and that the role will focus more on advocating and lobbying for change. “I was Belfast Chamber president during the covid years, I do this for the passion, not for the money,” he added. “This is a part-time role, but I will give it a lot of time and effort. It’s an advocacy role, the three key words are communicate, advocate and network.” Stewart added that one of his main priorities would be night-time transport and that he was in contact with Northern Ireland bus and train provider, Translink. He said the success of late-night buses over the last two Christmas periods is an “important part of the jigsaw to any late-night economy”. Stewart added: “This role provides a unique platform working with key partners to address critical issues impacting our city centre, ensuring it remains a vibrant and dynamic destination after hours.” Stewart is currently the director of Common Market Belfast and runs his own consultancy and training business for the hospitality trade, Bar Czar. He also served two terms as the president of Belfast Chamber and is currently board director for Eastside Partnership, a local charity leading the regeneration of east Belfast. London (Amy Lamé), Manchester (Sacha Lord) and Bristol (Carly Heath) all have night czars, while Edinburgh is in the process of appointing one. Last month, the Night Time Industries Association appointed Elizabeth Murphy as the first night-time economy ambassador to Bradford as part of new partnership with Bradford at Night, an organisation dedicated to bolstering the local economy.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a catering business specialising across retail and events that is seeking an operations director to join its senior leadership team. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You should be an experienced and dynamic hospitality expert. You will be expected to make informed commercial and strategic decisions in line with compliance and client KPIs, rules and regulations.” The salary is up to £70,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email marlene@corecruitment.com. 

Yard Sale Pizza – lfl sales up 14%, secures Bermondsey site: Yard Sale Pizza, the restaurant and delivery business that has sector investor Paul Campbell as non-executive director, has told Propel that it has seen a 14% increase in like-for-like sales in its latest financial year, with turnover at £10.8m as it lines up a 13th opening in the capital. The company, which was co-founded by Johnnie Tate and Nick Buckland in 2014, said that for the year to April 2024, company Ebitda stood at £1.3m, growing by over 100% year-on-year, while like-for-like orders were up 10% year-on-year. The business told Propel it expects sales to grow by over 20% in its current financial year and that it had had an “extremely strong start to 2024-25 as we celebrate our tenth anniversary with collaborations with Bleecker Burger and Sports Banger”. It comes as the business plans to open its 13th site in the capital this September, in Bermondsey. It has secured a site at 73 Tower Bridge Road. Tate told Propel: “We’re thrilled to have seen exceptional growth across the business in the last year, with our oldest shops going from strength to strength and sales in our newer shops continuing to mature at a quicker rate than ever. Our customer satisfaction is at its best ever, our average delivery time is comparable to the highest standards in the industry, and we’ve seen shop staff turnover fall year on year. As we celebrate our tenth birthday as an independent business, we’re making a big investment in both our teams and our systems this year to further accelerate this growth significantly as we enter our second decade.” Last October, the business said it saw potential to grow to in excess of 150 locations across the UK. Propel revealed last June that the business was working with DSW on reviewing its options as it looked at the next stage of its growth journey. Tate said: “We see huge potential for further growth and are considering all routes for expansion, investment and the future scaling of the Yard Sale business.”

 

Thunderbird Fried Chicken CEO – we’re looking to build off a transformational year: Paul Gilchrist, chief executive of Thunderbird Fried Chicken, the wings and fried chicken concept backed by TriSpan, has told Propel the business is looking to go on the front foot in terms of expansion off the back of a transformational year for the business. The company, which operates six sites in London and six within Parkdean Resorts, posted £7m of sales in its previous financial year, which was a record for the business, with a “£600,000 positive swing on corporate Ebitda against prior year”. Gilchrist told Propel: “We started our new financial year as we finished last year, on the front foot, with like-for-like sales up 21% and a very healthy 13% increase in corporate Ebitda. It was a transformational year last year for the brand, partly because we got some tailwind, and some blue sky. But within that, we took 4% off our food costs, not through putting prices up or cheapening the product. We were obsessive about how we did it and how engineered it, but we now run 25% food cost, which is actually lower than we had pre-2019, having also taken 2% off our labour – so our labour sits around 25% to 26%. We’ve right sized the whole model, which also helps with franchising, and it’s meant we’ve moved the dial and are starting to make cash, which means any investment, rather than being operational costs, starts to become capital investment. And that puts us in a position to go to TriSpan and say we’ve got a solid business now, this is where the commercials are, this is what the top line is looking like. Within that, we’ve got our highest Google scores. Our staff turnover is down below 100% – more than 50% of our team has been with us more than a year. That stability starts to help to build a strong foundation.” In terms of franchising, Gilchrist said there are conversations taking place with “some of the bigger operators that are global-based franchisees in the quick service restaurant and transport hub categories”. On further company-owned sites, he said: “TriSpan has always said if the right site came along, we’d find the money for it. At the moment, we’re looking at sites and just missed out on one in Victoria. We have a pipeline list, but it has to be a £20,000 to £25,000 (average sales a week) and above site. I think there is more appetite from the board in terms of taking more challenging rents. It’s nice to have a low rent but the business model doesn’t quite stack up, because if you’re doing 40%-45% on delivery sales, then it becomes a bit of a challenge. As a company, we do about 32% overall on delivery through the three platforms, so it’s manageable. You don’t want that dial going too far up. Earl’s Court (which the business closed earlier this year) was effectively a dark kitchen with a high street rent.”

 

Bagelstein eyeing UK expansion: French bagel brand Bagelstein is looking to expand to the UK. The brand was founded in Strasbourg in 2011 by Thierry Veil and Gilles Abecassis and has since expanded to more than 75 stores in France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Italy. Bagelstein was among the exhibitors at this year’s International Franchise Show at ExCel London, as it seeks partners to grow here with. “Having opened our first bagel stores in 2011, we received massive requests for opening in different French cities,” Veil said. “Considering the absence of a bagel market, we found franchising would be the fastest way to strengthen our leadership position in this emergent market. My partner and I used to live in the US and bagels were our daily food. French baguettes needed alternatives on the French market, and in 2010 we decided to be a new bakery form. Investments are pretty low, so the return on investment is rather quick. We make and bake everything ourselves with our pastries and bakery team. Bagelstein follows this philosophy with all of our products from cookies to brownies, cheesecakes, muffins, and other pecan pies. Handmade, heart-made, guts-made, anything you want made by us on the actual day.” A Bagelstein franchise varies from €120,000 to €200,000, with a €45,000 deposit. It can operate in kiosk, cell and container formats in city centres, shopping centres, railway stations and airports. Bagelstein will feature in the next Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database. The latest version, which was sent to Premium subscribers yesterday (Wednesday, 12 June), features 260 businesses. 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 supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

London crumble dessert concept set to open fourth site: London crumble dessert concept Humble Crumble is set to open its fourth site. The artisan crumble bakery, led by Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur Kim Innes, is set to open a store in Seven Dials Warehouse, located on the corner of Earlham Street and Neal Street and owned by CBRE Investment Management. This will join its current locations in Camden Market, Borough Market and Spitalfields. Founded in 2018, Humble Crumble offers a variety of fruity crumbles such as apple and cinnamon, mixed berry and rhubarb, raspberry and orange. “We’re excited to have our freshly baked crumbles join the thriving food scene in the Seven Dials area,” Innes said. “Our journey has been an exciting one, and we hope to create moments of happiness with our pots of crumble for the locals and those passing through. We hope to see our success continuing in our new space on Earlham Street and look forward to being part of such a prominent location.” Innes came up with the idea for Humble Crumble when standing outside a “normally buzzing” ice cream parlour on a damp and dreary day and pondering what they could do to attract customers when the sun is not out. She started out operating from a farmers’ market before opening her first permanent location in 2020. According to Forbes, Humble Crumble sells more than 1,750 crumbles per day and expects revenue to exceed £6m this year.

 

Whitbread refutes allegations over redundancy process: Whitbread had refuted allegations that it failed to consult with staff facing redundancy in a “genuine or meaningful way”. Earlier this week, trade union Unite said it was threatening to take legal action against the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre owner over alleged poor consultation on 1,500 planned redundancies this summer. At the end of April, Whitbread set out plans to exit 126 of its lower-returning branded restaurants as it seeks to optimise its food and beverage offer and is set to cut 1,500 UK jobs as part of its “accelerating growth plan”. The Premier Inn owner said it also plans to convert 112 lower-returning branded restaurants into new hotel rooms “having first transferred the delivery of food and beverage to an integrated restaurant”. Unite said it had written to Whitbread, stating that it could launch employment tribunal claims on behalf of employees who it said have not yet been told which restaurants are expected to close, despite claims that the company has had plans in place since December last year. According to a report in the Guardian, Unite – which is not formally recognised by Whitbread – claimed that the 45-day consultation period with those facing redundancy has not been conducted in a “genuine or meaningful way”. The union also said it had seen no evidence that Whitbread has considered alternatives to redundancy. A Whitbread spokesperson said: “We do not accept these allegations. We have a comprehensive and transparent collective consultation process and are engaging directly with elected representatives and the individuals potentially impacted. The consultation process is still ongoing and as part of this we are seeking to find alternative opportunities wherever possible through the roles created by this programme and our existing recruitment process that makes circa 15,000 hires each year. We expect to retain a significant proportion of those who wish to remain with us and are providing dedicated support to our teams.”

  

Nightcap secures £2.25m towards £3.5m fundraise: Nightcap – owner of the Cocktail Club, the Adventure Bar Group, Dirty Martini and the Barrio Familia group of 46 bars – has said it has now raised £2.25m toward the £3.5m fundraise it launched last month, which it said will be used in part to take advantage of acquisition opportunities and strengthen the company’s balance sheet. The business said that it is proposing to raise up to £3.5m, before expenses, via the issue of up to 70,000,000 new ordinary shares of £0.01 each in the company at a price of 5p per share. As part of the fundraising, the company has already raised £750,000, before expenses, through a firm subscription for 15,000,000 new ordinary shares at the issue price. It has now raised an additional £1.5m, before expenses, through a further subscription for 30,000,000 new ordinary shares at an issue price of 5p per new ordinary share. The company has therefore now received subscription commitments for a total of £2.25m, before expenses.

 

Rhumshack Group set to open new cocktail bar: London operator Rhumshack Group is set to open a new cocktail bar in Old Street. The owners of the four-strong Caribbean restaurant group Cottons will open Sip N Tell next month in the former Frog by AH coffee shop. Offering “a sophisticated twist on the tiki bar experience”, it will offer “classic cocktails with unusual flavours and ingredients”. Leading the offering are head of bars at Cottons, Nico Beradi, and Michael Hilton, a seasoned hospitality veteran with a background at establishments like Calloh Callay and Murder Inc. The menu champions homegrown brands alongside local spirits, such as Hoxton Gin, and a concise selection of English sparkling wine, while showcasing locally sourced ingredients. Drinks include The Floor is Guava (pink guava, umeshu, makrut lime leaf, lemongrass and cinchona bark garnished with upcycled guava and ginger fruit leather) and Instagram Famous (smoky mezcal, young Jamaican rum, pineapple cordial, Aperol and Strega with a grilled pineapple candy garnish). Rhumshack Group operates Cottons sites in Camden, Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Vauxhall alongside two locations for Caribbean diner concept, Ma Petite Jamaica, in Shoreditch and Camden. The group previously operated Tai Pan Alley, Bar Gansa and Camden Social – all in Camden.

 

Amber Taverns set to open new pub in Cheltenham: Amber Taverns, the 171-strong, wet-led, freehold community pub operator, is set to open a new pub in Cheltenham. A premises licence for the former Sports Direct site in the Strand area of the town’s High Street has been approved by Cheltenham Borough Council. The former shop has sat empty for almost five years but could now be given a new lease of life as a pub. Amber Taverns sought permission to provide late-night refreshment from Sunday to Thursday between 11am and 12am and from 11am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. The premises opening hours applied for are from 10am until 12.30am from Sunday to Thursday, and on Fridays and Saturdays it will be from 10am until 1.30am. A planning application to change the use of the site from retail to a drinking establishment was approved in April. That same month, Amber Taverns reported its turnover increased by 15% to £110.4m in the year to 4 February 2024, with underlying earnings rising from £22.4m to more than £25m. Like-for-like sales increased by 11.3% for the year and were up 6% in the first six weeks of the new financial year.

 

Starbucks joins ‘value meal’ trend with lower-priced offers: Starbucks has launched a limited time “Pairings Menu”, which offers a combination of hot or iced coffee or tea with a croissant starting at $5, or a hot or iced coffee or tea with any savoury breakfast sandwich starting at $6. The promotion is the first time that Starbucks has offered anything resembling a combo meal in recent memory. Starbucks’ new iced coffee blend is also available with the promotion. Additionally, if customers order a breakfast sandwich with double smoked bacon, Impossible breakfast meat or additional customisations, there will be an upcharge. The “Pairings Menu” rollout comes after Starbucks reported quarterly earnings and revenue that fell short of estimates, and like-for-like sales declined. Starbucks chief executive Laxman Narasimhan said that “many customers have been more exacting about where and how they choose to spend their money” because of current economic conditions. McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s have also recently announced value menu items in the US as inflation has led many consumers to pull back on spending.

 

Bow Hospitality to make Edinburgh debut: Scottish operator Bow Hospitality is to open its 12th site and first in Edinburgh next month, when it opens “Pacific-fusion” bar and restaurant Cabo. The company, which was founded in 2001, is owned by the Bowman family and currently operates 11 sites across Scotland, including seven in Glasgow. Cabo, which will offer a menu featuring a Baja Californian fusion of Japanese and Mexican dishes, will open at 99 Hanover Street, on the former Superico site. The 70-seater bar and restaurant “will capture the lifestyle and culture of the party peninsula in Mexico – Cabo”. Ryan Bowman, director of Bow Hospitality, told Edinburgh Live: “We are excited to expand to the capital and to show Edinburgh what we are all about. We are passionate about providing unique, innovative, and memorable dining experiences, and we are confident that Cabo will be a total hit, with the marriage of two much-loved cuisines, beautiful cocktails and live entertainment set against colour interiors.” Bow Hospitality operates venues including Mexican street food restaurant and bar Mezcal, Merchant Steakhouse, and Japanese concept Saki Maki in Glasgow.

 

Delhi House Café to open second UK site: Indian restaurant brand Delhi House Café is to open its second UK site later this year, with an opening in Liverpool. The café-meets-restaurant brand, which made its UK debut in Manchester in 2020, has signed on a 3,100 square-foot site in Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock. Delhi House Café, which is led by the Lamba family, made its international debut with an opening in Manchester, on the former Cabana site in the Corn Exchange. Delhi House Café will join Italina café Francie's at the Royal Albert Docks scheme. Francie’s, which opened last month, is led by sisters Kayleigh and Talia Baccino, who both already run Pasta Cosa in Liverpool’s Castle Street. 

 

West Midlands Safari Park reports record turnover of £25.6m as it plans more lodges: West Midlands Safari Park, owned by Looping Group, has reported turnover was up to a record £25,556,384 for the year ending 30 September 2023 compared with £23,077,415 the previous year. Of that, £17,651,928 came from admissions and accommodation (2022: £15,246,272), £3,294,238 from retail (2022: £3,342,568) and £4,610,218 from catering (2022: £4,488,575). Pre-tax profit rose to £7,411,591 from £6,316,033 the year before. Capital expenditure for the period was £4.6m. During the year, a further eight lodges were opened, and with these continuing to sell well, a further eight are planned for the summer of 2024. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The main school holidays were wetter than normal, particularly the first three weeks of the summer holidays so footfall during the crucial summer period was below the previous year. However, the half-term holidays in February and May were extremely strong as the park introduced meet and greet sessions with popular children’s characters. Changes were also made to the entrance to the park and the ticketing system that took time to settle down. The other major impacts on results for the year was the rising electricity and food costs, which meant the park faced some inflationary pressures during the year.” No government grants were received (2022: £34,976). No dividend was paid (2022: nil). In September 2022, a cash pooling arrangement came into effect whereby at the end of every day, all surplus cash is transferred to parent company Looping Parks UK. This cash is available back to the company on demand daily, to cover any outgoings from West Midlands Safari Park’s bank account.

 

Greggs aims to open new production site in Derby by late 2026, creating 600 jobs: Food-to-go operator Greggs has said it aims to open its new production site in Derby by late 2026, creating 600 jobs. Chief executive Roisin Currie confirmed in last month’s trading update that it had secured a site for a factory in Spondon and was planning a further site for the Kettering/Corby area, to help facilitate its growth to a long-term target of 3,000 UK stores. The company already has four production lines, its latest opening last year at Balliol Park in Newcastle. Construction is already under way on the 23-acre Spondon site – which is being built with sustainable elements including a centralised heating and cooling system to recycle heat from refrigeration units, a rainwater harvesting system, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. “This purpose-built site offers significant flexibility to add new capabilities and lines as our business evolves,” Currie said. “This is a significant step in our supply chain investment and will provide much-needed manufacturing and logistics support to power our ambitious growth plans.”

 

Wiltshire pub company set to open second site: Wiltshire pub company Grizzly Bars is set to open its second site. The company, which owns the Prince of Wales micropub in Station Hill in Chippenham, will next month open a bar in the town’s Market Place. The venue will be named The Waverly, in a nod to the Waverly Cafe that previously operated in the building. Greg Williams, one of five directors at Grizzly Bars, said: “It’s exciting and daunting in equal measure, because when we took on The Prince two years ago, it was already an existing business. Opening up a new premises from scratch and fitting it out is quite a different project, so we are daunted, but excited. It’s a great location and we’re really proud to be business owners in the town, so we’re really keen to keep it vibrant. We’re trying to position this as a high-end bar that will be open from midday. It would be a cafe experience during the early part of the day, and as we get towards the end of work, the space will pivot to focus much more on the bar experience. We’ll be serving locally sourced craft beer, but the bigger premises will enable us to have more taps and a greater variety. There will also be a wider selection of bottled wine and cocktails. The Prince of Wales will stay focused on beer, but this premises will be a more high-end experience.”

Nottingham’s National Justice Museum launches new 1830s jail-themed escape room: Nottingham’s National Justice Museum has launched a new 1830s jail-themed escape room. Participants in “Guilty?” will become residents in the city’s Narrowmarsh jail in 1831, facing the death penalty after being arrested and accused of arson and manslaughter. Players will explore the listed Georgian museum, including areas rarely open to the public, solving puzzles and gathering evidence before deciding whether to stand trial and prove their innocence. The game has been created in collaboration with Sacha Coward, a freelance museum professional who has created escape rooms for the National Trust, Royal Museums Greenwich, Oxford University, Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Maritime Museum among others. Katie Greenwood, head of marketing at the National Justice Museum, said: “We hope this will bring new audiences to our museum and give our visitors a fresh, immersive way to explore our building. We’re especially pleased to have been able to collaborate with Sacha, creating a game that is completely unique and tailored to our fantastic building.”