Propel Newsletter Archive Page

Flight Club operator trading ‘strongly’ in first six months of 2024 as full-year turnover hits £68.6m, opens Electric Shuffle in Manchester: Red Engine, the team behind Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, has told Propel that trading has been “strong” in the first six months of 2024 with its newly opened sites “performing brilliantly”. The company launched its latest Electric Shuffle in the UK on Friday (21 June), in Manchester, having brought Flight Club to the city in 2018. Chief financial officer Ross Shepley-Smith told Propel: “Sales for the first six months of the year have been strong, with newcomers to the Flight Club family, Edinburgh and Glasgow, performing brilliantly, driving continued success for the business. As we open the doors to Electric Shuffle Manchester, Electric Shuffle New York City next month, and a further two Flight Club venues later this year, we look forward to continued momentum as the year closes out.” Red Engine has also reported that turnover grew 27% to £68,580,954 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £53,810,544 the year before. Of its turnover, £48,562,470 came from food and beverage (2022: £39,757,160), £18,291,366 from competitive socialising (2022: £12,297,189) and £1,727,118 from royalties and development fees (2022: £1,756,195). Geographically, £59,753,424 came from the UK (2022: £48,949,968), £8,308,298 from the US (2022: £4,362,166) and £519,232 from Australia (2022: £498,410). As previously reported, combined with its franchise venues, Red Engine saw revenue exceed £100m. Pre-tax losses rose to £4,941,626 from £3,141,226 the previous year with five new venues opened, three of which were by its franchise partners. Red Engine’s net promoter score stood at 85/100 against an industry benchmark of 53/100 while guest opinion score was 92/100, compared with the industry benchmark of 65/100. The company also revealed it sold more than one million cocktails in its venues in 2023. In April 2024, the company secured a new £60m facility from Santander, HSBC and Barclays to support its global expansion plans. At 11,400 square foot, Electric Shuffle Manchester is the biggest Electric Shuffle venue in the UK, with 15 play spaces and a capacity of 450 people. Electric Shuffle Manchester is the fourth under the format to open in the UK and the sixth globally. The Red Engine and its partners total global estate now sits at 27. This year, Red Engine will open Electric Shuffle New York, Flight Club Liverpool and Flight Club Oxford. With the addition of Flight Club Philadelphia, Flight Club Washington, and Flight Club Melbourne by Red Engine’s international partners, the global Flight Club and Electric Shuffle venue portfolio will increase to 33 by the end of 2024.

Industry News:

Boparan Restaurant Group CEO Satnam Leihal to speak at Propel summer conference and party, three free places per company for operators: Satnam Leihal, chief executive of Boparan Restaurant Group, will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party on Thursday, 5 September, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. The all-day conference will focus on “new ideas and directions in an era of strong headwinds” and will be followed in the evening by the summer party, with a barbecue and four hours of live music, including the UK’s best Ed Sheeran Tribute Act, The Ed Sheeran Experience; the UK’s top Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow tribute acts joining forces, Scott Borley and Daniel Hadfield; and the famous house band at Piano Works. Leihal will talk to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about the company’s portfolio of brands, including the continued growth of Slim Chickens, the repurposing of Giraffe as international travel hub specialist, the rejuvenation of Carluccio's, Fishworks and Cinnamon Club, and how the business continues to seek new opportunities for growth. For the full speaker schedule, click here. There are up to three free places per company for operators but Premium subscribers can have up to four places. To book, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com. A room can also be booked for the evening. For more details, email jo.charity@propelinfo.com.

Premium Club members to receive next Multi-Site Database on Friday featuring 3,161 operators: Premium Club members are to receive the next Multi-Site Database on Friday (28 June) at midday. The next Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate, provides details of 3,161 multi-site operators and is now searchable in seven main segments. The database features 927 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 771 (24%) pub and bar operators, 524 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 433 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 254 (8%) hotel operators, 198 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month and this edition includes 40 new companies. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club 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.

New consumer trend termed ‘social spending’ emerges and set to become dominant behaviour: A new type of consumer spending – termed “social spending” – has emerged and is set to become a dominant behaviour, according to new research. Working with data company CACI, The O2 said “social spending” has become a key driver of its strong performance. It said consumers are consistently choosing The O2 as a place where they spend quality time with friends and family. This socialisation purpose, rather than a singular visit driver such as shopping, is leading to significant cross-category spending, it said. The O2 said 43% of consumers that begin their visit at Outlet Shopping at The O2 go on to dine within the destination’s Entertainment District, and 6% proceed to visit a leisure experience or attraction. This compares with the average UK benchmarks of 33% and 3% respectively. Meanwhile, 34% of consumers who visit The O2’s attractions and leisure offering then go on to spend on food and beverage – against a UK benchmark of 14%. The findings also showed 8% of those who visit The O2 for a food and beverage experience also then use The O2’s leisure offering, versus a UK benchmark of 3%. Janine Constantin-Russell, managing director of the Entertainment District and Outlet Shopping at The O2, said: “We believe ‘social spending’ is a behaviour that is going to become even more important for all destinations in the future, and we will continue to invest in a holistic offer that provides not only what people need, but what they want in order to feel connected to their loved ones.” Freddie Slemeck, principal consultant at CACI, added: “These insights highlight that, to optimise consumer spending, particularly in a highly competitive market such as London, it is crucial to provide a 360-degree experience encompassing retail, food and beverage and leisure.”

Sector welcomes ‘much needed’ Conservative commitments to cut red tape for night-time economy: Sector trade bodies have welcomed “much needed” commitments by the Conservatives in its manifesto to cut red tape for the night-time economy. The Conservatives said it will review the night-time economy in England, which will include overhauling licensing laws and planning rules. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The night-time economy is the beating heart of our vibrant nightlife in the UK. A comprehensive review to ensure it is firing on all cylinders is a positive and much-needed commitment for hospitality businesses. Addressing the challenges of planning, licensing and other red tape is essential and, alongside reducing the burden of business rates on hospitality businesses, will allow the sector to drive growth, attract visitors and create places where people want to live, work and invest.” Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) chief executive Michael Kill added: “The night-time economy has suffered irreparable damage throughout the pandemic and now due to the cost-of-living crisis. We have advocated for a ground zero moment – an opportunity to create a foundation that will allow businesses to recover and return to pre-pandemic trading conditions. The NTIA’s ‘Darkest Before the Dawn’ manifesto contains 44 clear industry driven requests to electoral candidates, and aims to provide direction and a strategy for the incoming government to hit the ground running. It is encouraging to see that the Conservatives have adopted some of our key asks from the NTIA manifesto.”

Pepsi gives its blessing to Carlsberg’s £3bn deal for Britvic with third offer set to be made: Pepsi has given its blessing to Carlsberg’s £3.1bn swoop for Britvic, paving the way for another bid by the Danish beer company for the near-century-old maker of Robinsons orange squash. Executives at Pepsi are understood to have told Carlsberg that it would not exercise what amounts to a poison-pill arrangement that could scupper the Britvic takeover, reports The Sunday Times. Britvic has a bottling agreement with Pepsi that gives it exclusive distribution and sales rights for all of the US company’s brands, including 7Up and Lipton Iced Tea, until 2040. This has left Pepsi as an unlikely kingmaker after Carlsberg disclosed it had made two bids for Britvic this month. An improved third is in the offing and could come as early as this week. Pepsi’s years-long deal with Britvic is understood to include a change-of-control clause that would allow it to unilaterally terminate its bottling deal – making the UK company a far less attractive asset to Carlsberg or any other potential bidder. Bosses at Carlsberg are understood to have been buoyed by the response to its approach from Britvic, which is chaired by Ian Durant, the former chairman of food-to-go operator Greggs. Although Britvic said Carlsberg’s latest approach, at £12.50 a share, “significantly undervalues” Britvic’s prospects, bosses said they would “consider any future proposal on its merits”. A third offer – of up to £14 a share – has been mooted. Pepsi is understood to be amenable to Carlsberg taking control of Britvic because the Danish company already bottles soft drinks on its behalf in other countries. One of Britvic’s biggest shareholders said: “I think the deal makes sense – but it is a matter of price. I can see significant cost savings by combining the two.” Under the proposal, Britvic shareholders will be entitled to the interim dividend of 9.5p per share announced by Britvic on 15 May, which is due to be paid on Friday, 5 July. Shares of Carlsberg fell DKr88.20, or 9.3%, to DKr858.60. Pepsi and Carlsberg declined to comment.

Company News:

Thai Leisure Group ‘strongly positioned’ two years after exiting second CVA: Thai Leisure Group, operator of Thaikhun and Chaophraya, has said it is “now strongly positioned” two years after it exited its second company voluntary arrangement (CVA). The company reported turnover fell slightly to £32,548,763 for the year ending 30 January 2024 compared with £32,820,587 the previous year. Pre-tax profit increased to £801,901 from £18,339 the year before. During the year, exceptional expenses in relation to redundancies, legal and other expenses were incurred of £168,257 (2023: £233,783). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The company traded above budget through the year despite the continued challenging economic climate in which consumer trends were impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. Through adept marketing and refined brand positioning, the company was able to ensure that both its brands remained relevant and attractive in an increasingly discerning market. A total of 15 of our 16 restaurants recorded a profit. The exception is the subject of a change programme. Thai Leisure Group is now strongly positioned with two core brands. Both brands have a clear strategy in terms of position, target markets, values and operations. In the next 12 months, the company seeks to build on its strengths with business development activities and if the conditions are right, also one or more strategic partnerships for further growth.” No dividend was paid (2023: nil). The group, which was founded in 2004, entered the first of two CVAs in October 2019 following challenging trading conditions. It was trading well – in line with or exceeding the budget set out in the first CVA – until the covid-forced closure of its restaurants five months later. A second CVA was subsequently set up and came into force in September 2020, which the company exited in June 2022. In April this year, the group opened the second site under its all-you-can-eat buffet concept Thaikhun Street, at Meadowhall in Sheffield. The group opened its first site under the concept in Manchester’s Trafford Centre at the end of 2021.

Rhubarb CEO – we’re looking to open multiple locations in cities ‘where there is an appetite for our full spectrum of services’: PB Jacobse, chief executive of Rhubarb Hospitality Collection, the premium international hospitality group, had told Propel the business is looking to open multiple locations in cities “where there is an appetite for our full spectrum of services”. Earlier this month, Rhubarb expanded its US presence by partnering with The Hamptons caterer, Cynthia Battaglia, to launch Events by RHC Out East. Jacobse said: “We are looking to open multiple locations in any given city where there is an appetite for our full spectrum of services including luxury destination dining, high-volume brasseries, grab and go concepts, bars and events. For example, we now have a presence in New York with three outlets in Hudson Yards – a bar, destination restaurant and casual café – as well as our events business. We were acquired by Oak View Group last June and with its focus on sports stadiums and live entertainment venues, this clearly opens more doors for us both in the US and UK. Our premium locations such as Sky Garden in London continue to attract high footfall and we have a busy summer ahead events-wise.” Rhubarb will debut South American restaurant Elemente and the Air Bar towards the end of summer as the anchor tenant within the fine dining cluster at the mixed-use Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier development on the River Elbe in Germany. Meanwhile, as reported by Propel earlier this month, Rhubarb will, in partnership with Bottacio, open a 55,000 square-foot events and co-working space in Camden Town Hall in north London. Jacobse said: “These developments mark significant milestones in our growth strategy, reinforcing our commitment to expanding our footprint and delivering exceptional experiences across multiple regions.” He added the business was “trading well despite the challenging economic backdrop”. “We’re looking at strong consistent trading for the remainder of 2024,” Jacobse said. “Due to the nature of our business – high footfall and captive audience locations – forecasting is accurate and revenue predictable. As such, we are looking forward to continuing our success in existing locations while growing the business in new and exciting markets.”

North west padel business set for expansion drive: North west padel club business Pure Padel is set to open an indoor venue in Manchester, amid wider expansion plans. The business, which was co-founded by Sammy Arora, opened its first club in Alderley Park in 2023 and has plans to build another 30 padel clubs in the next five years. Eight are currently in planning and a further 15 in the pipeline. Arora and his business partner, Fraser Higson, are supported by non-executive board members from retail, property, finance and law and backed by investors including Sammy’s father, Bobby Arora, the entrepreneur who made his name at discount retail chain B&M. The new indoor Manchester club, at 24 Dutton Street, is lined up for a vacant warehouse. Due to open in August 2024, it will include six courts, a pro-padel shop, a café and bar, changing rooms with showers, plus a raised mezzanine viewing platform overlooking a show court. Sammy Arora said: “Padel has taken the UK by storm – and the north west is slowly becoming a padel hub after leaders London and Bristol who set the scene. It's partly due to how easy it is to pick up and also the plethora of courts across the region.” Pure Padel’s indoor Manchester site has already gained interest from corporate partners, the business said. The Midlands and the south west of London are among Pure Padel's target regions for expansion, as well as further growth across Cheshire. Bobby Arora has been group trading director at B&M since January 2005. B&M was acquired by Simon and Bobby Arora in December 2004. The business listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2014.

Uber on collision course with HMRC over £1bn VAT bill: Uber, the ride-hailing and food delivery company, is heading for a £1bn-plus tax showdown with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over VAT payments. The company has, since March 2022, been required by the taxman to pay 20% VAT on its fares and delivery sales. But Uber, which posted a £5.3bn turnover in the UK last year, believes VAT should only apply to its profit, rather than revenue, reports The Sunday Times. The result of the current requirement is that Uber has so far been charged £951m in VAT by HMRC – a sum that it is seeking to recover in court. Accounts filed at Companies House last week revealed Uber has listed £631m of VAT, forked out to HMRC in 2023, as a debt that it expects to recover. Uber paid a further £150m in January, and was more recently hit with a further £170m bill. “The payments do not represent our acceptance of the assessments,” Uber said in its UK annual report. “We believe that we will be successful in our appeal, upon which the full amount of our payments will be returned to us with interest.” Historically, Uber did not charge customers any VAT to be passed on to the UK taxman, arguing that it was a mere intermediary between customers and drivers, who would themselves be exempt unless they earned more than £85,000 a year. Uber’s position changed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that the firm’s drivers were “workers” and not self-employed. Uber subsequently agreed a £615m settlement with HMRC following a claim over historic unpaid VAT. At the time, Uber accepted that it was also liable for future VAT. But while HMRC instructed ride-hailing firms that a 20% charge should apply to whole fares, Uber argued that it should only apply to its profit on sales under a rule called the Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (TOMS). Last December, in a boost to Uber’s case, the tax tribunal found in favour of its rival Bolt’s claim that it should be eligible for TOMS. HMRC is appealing against this ruling. Meanwhile, the Treasury is consulting on whether to change VAT rules for private-hire vehicles. Uber’s accounts show that it made a profit of £29m on £5.3bn of revenue last year, and paid corporation tax of £4.5m. Its revenue was up 56%, although some of this increase was down to a restructuring of its business in 2022.

Northern Ireland operator sees turnover dip in ‘challenging’ year: Granny Annie’s, which operates three sites in Northern Ireland, has reported turnover dipped to £4,965,799 for the year ending 31 March 2023 compared with £5,789,756 the year before. Accounts for parent company W&R Holdings also showed pre-tax profit more than halved to £531,176 from £1,124,517 the previous year when the company received government grants of £1,018,991 (2023: nil). In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “Turnover decreased slightly, but it is still a high level of turnover in the current economic climate. The gross profit margin has remained stable at 70% and the company generated a profit after tax margin of 8%. The company has a healthy balance sheet with net assets in excess of £1.4m. The company has performed well in light of challenging economic and industry conditions. The company also maintained a low level of gearing. The company will maintain and improve its bars and look for any potential opportunities to expand.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil). Granny Annie’s has sites in Belfast, Derry and Enniskillen.

Nottinghamshire coffee shop set to open third site: The owner of a coffee shop with branches in Bingham and Radcliffe-on-Trent is to open a third cafe. Butler's Coffee House has announced it will be opening in a “new Nottinghamshire location”. Mel Seaman, who opened the Bingham site in 2017 and expanded to Radcliffe in 2022, said at the time that growing the business was always part of the plan but it had to be the right location. The new location hasn’t yet been revealed. “We’ve been busy beavering away over the last few months viewing sites, drawing up business plans and working on design concepts, and we are now tantalisingly close to formally signing on the dotted line,” Seaman said in a social media post. “As a small business, there’s a tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes just to get to this point, so a huge thanks to our management team and business partners for your continued support as we aim to bring the next iteration of Butler’s to a new Nottinghamshire location.”

Camilla Fayed to shut west London plant-based restaurant: Camilla Fayed, daughter of the late former Harrods owner Mohamed, is to shut her plant-based restaurant in west London. Fayed launched Farmacy in April 2016 in Westbourne Grove. At the time, the all-day concept was planned as the “first of many”, with dishes such as the Farmacy burger – a millet, black bean and mushroom burger with garlic aioli, goji ketchup, pickles and tomato, served in a wholemeal vegan bun. But the restaurant will now shut after eight years on Sunday, 7 July. No reason was given for the closure. A spokesperson told Harden’s the business’ external events catering arm would remain in operation and an announcement would be made later this year concerning a reopening at another venue. The restaurant is supplied by Fayed’s biodynamic farm in Kent.

Team behind award-winning Medlar restaurant confirms August opening for first new site in 13 years: Joe Mercer Nairne and David O’Connor, who own the award-winning Medlar restaurant in London’s Chelsea, have confirmed their first new site in 13 years will now open in August. Cornus, the second restaurant from the duo, will open at 27c Eccleston Place in Belgravia. Chef Gary Foulkes will lead the kitchen, joining from the Michelin-starred Angler to offer a regularly changing menu that will showcase the best of British seasonal produce. Cornus, which takes its name from the botanical appellation for the native dogwood shrub, will see O’Connor work alongside his wife, Monika, to oversee the front of house team. Foulkes’ à la carte menu will be grounded in the traditions and techniques of French cuisine while showcasing the best of the British and European produce. Melania Battiston will be responsible for a wine list of “unique and premium bottles, selected for their individual stories”, as well as a range of saké, classic cocktails and non-alcoholic options. The 70-cover restaurant will be located on the rooftop of Grosvenor’s The Ice Factory at Eccleston Yards, a repurposed warehouse originally built in 1830 for Shingleton’s Ice Company. O’Connor said: “Medlar has become embedded in the Chelsea neighbourhood since opening 13 years ago, and now we’re looking forward to bringing Cornus to the Belgravia community – building relationships with new visitors who we hope will soon become returning customers.”

Kent operators acquire second Shepherd Neame site: Kent operators Tim and Lacey Stowell have acquired their second site with south east brewer and retailer Shepherd Neame. The duo, who are already licensees at The Bear in Market Place, Faversham, have also taken over the Market Inn in the town’s East Street. Previous tenants David and Suzanne Pott are retiring after running the pub since 2005 and landing the Shepherd Neame’s Community Pub of the Year prize in 2009. The couple, who also ran The Beaver Inn in Ashford for two years before coming to Faversham, now plan to move to Spain. Greg Wallis, director of tenanted pub operations at Shepherd Neame, said: “David and Suzanne have been hard working licensees for us for many years, and this was recognised at our annual awards ceremony in May, when they received an outstanding contribution award. We wish them a very happy retirement.”

Wagamama opens restaurant in Walton-on-Thames: Wagamama, The Restaurant Group (TRG)-owned brand, has opened a new site in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. The opening at The Heart shopping centre brings Wagamama’s total to 166 restaurants across the UK. The restaurant has 126 covers, including 18 external covers, and has created 55 jobs. Sita Wood, head of regional marketing at Wagamama, said: “We are so excited to open the doors to our new restaurant in Walton. Our benches are ready to welcome the local community and visitors of The Heart, and we can’t wait to serve up some of our newest dishes and fresh favourites.” Wagamama has opened restaurants in Chatham, Epsom, Glasgow, Watford and Wolverhampton already this year. The brand has targeted ten new openings in 2024. Earlier this month, Propel revealed Matt Crumpler will step down as chief financial officer of Wagamama later this summer after 18 months in the role. Crumpler, who was previously at Virgin Active, joined TRG as group financial controller at the start of 2019 before being promoted to finance director, and then becoming chief financial officer of the Thomas Heier-led Wagamama at the start of 2023. Rebecca McDowall, who has been with Wagamama for eight and half years and is currently the brand’s director of commercial finance, will become its new finance director.

York chef opens second site: York chef Stephen Andrews has opened a second site in the city. The head chef and founder of Fish&Forest at 110 Micklegate has opened Notes Wine Bar, taking over the existing Fish&Forest site. Fish&Forest will relocate from Micklegate to Grape Lane in the city centre, which is currently occupied by 1331 Bar & Grill. The new Fish&Forest has twice the number of covers in its other location. “As well as our wine menu, we have some unbelievable cocktails made by Luke Boyes, who has been working in Italy,” Andrews told the York Press. “We have three beers on draft as well as bottled Estrella, and they all work really well with our food from chef Yohan Barthélémy, who has been working alongside me since we first started in Spark in 2019. We are doing smørrebrød, (Danish open sandwiches). I'm really happy with the way the bar has turned out. We feel like it fits in really nicely with the street in general.” Andrews founded his Michelin-listed restaurant as a pop-up concept in 2018 before opening in Spark in 2020 and then Micklegate the following year.

New owner of historic Derbyshire golf course submits restaurant plans: The new owner of a 19th century Derbyshire golf course has submitted plans to build “destination” restaurants there. Charjen Capital, which acquired Horsley Lodge Golf Club from the Salt family earlier this year, wants to demolish existing conservatories within the main members’ building to create new restaurants and terraces. The company, led by local entrepreneur Marc Brough, has already invested £500,000 in enhancing the existing golf course and members’ areas, as well as refurbishing 14 hotel rooms and creating two new ones, reports Insider Media. Brough said: “We have a three-year strategy to make the most of this vast, stunning destination, creating a larger wedding venue, enhanced facilities for golfers – including a new driving range with simulators – more rooms for guests to stay and, of course, an elevated dining experience for all, supporting local producers. We are really excited about the new restaurants – creating a destination for diners locally and nationally and using the finest local producers in Derbyshire. Horsley Lodge will be opening its doors to members and non-members alike to enjoy all the fantastic upcoming facilities that we have in store.”

New interactive darts and shuffleboard venue opens in Folkestone in partnership with Kent brewery: A new interactive darts and shuffleboard venue has opened in Folkestone, in partnership with Kent brewery Iron Pier. Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company is behind the new 150-capacity The Board Room in Folkestone Harbour. Featuring shuffleboards and digital dartboards alongside Iron Pier’s line-up of craft beer, locally sourced cider, wine and cocktails, it also offers a selection of sharing boards with charcuterie and cheese. Folkestone Harbour and Seafront Development Company general manager, Paulo Kingston-Corriea, said: “After opening our adventure golf course in the summer of 2022, its overnight success demonstrated that our visitors wanted more ways to stay entertained at Folkestone Harbour, and we began thinking about a competitive socialising space in our own, unique style. We now have a brilliant and memorable eat, drink, play offer that forms part of our ambitions to reinvent the English seaside experience.” Iron Pier Brewery was founded in 2018 and operates a taproom at its brewery in Gravesend.

Welsh distillery owner opens ‘games bar’ in former Newport pub: Welsh distillery owner Daniel Dyer has opened a “games bar” in a former pub in Newport. Tiny Rebel, Wales’ biggest brewery, announced the closure of its flagship brewery bar in Newport’s High Street in March. Dyer, who also runs the Spirit of Wales Distillery in Maesglas, has now opened the Newport Games Bar in the property. “As we have gone from strength to strength, it has long been an ambition to operate a bar in the centre of Newport city centre, and when the Tiny Rebel building came available, I enquired straight away,” he said. “Whenever I have travelled on business, I've found arcade places and thought I would bring that to Newport.” The bar offers arcade games, punch bags and pinball as well as a range of international cider, beer and ale, and its own range of specialty spirits. There are also non-alcoholic drinks with retro flavours such as fizzy fruit sours and rhubarb and custard.

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