Exclusive – portfolio of pubs operated by Antic placed into administration: A 13-strong portfolio of London-based pubs operated by Antic have been placed into administration, Propel has learned. Steve Absolom and Will Wright from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators to Elflock, Babel Silk, Brocade and De Gremio on 12 July 2024. Collectively, the companies operate 13 pubs and bars across south and east London, including: The Antelope SW17, Balham Bowls Club SW12, Clapton Hart E5, East Dulwich Tavern SE22, Elephant and Castle SE1, Hagen & Hyde SW12, The Sun SE5, Gremio de Brixton SW2, Graveney & Meadow SW17, Dogstar SW9, Tooting Tram & Social SW17, Red Lion E11, and Coopers SE19. In addition, Babel Silk owns a further three sites which are not currently operational. A number of the sites had struggled with legacy liabilities resulting from the pandemic. Additionally, in recent weeks, winding up petitions had been lodged against both Elflock and Brocade. Steve Absolom, managing director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “This is an eclectic collection of well-known and popular pubs and bars located in prime sites across South London. The sites are expected to continue to trade as usual with the support of specialist trading agents at Licensed Solutions. We intend to bring these units to market in due course, representing a fantastic opportunity for investors and trade purchasers alike.” Antic, which is led by founder Antony Thomas and was previously backed by Downing, currently operates 23 sites in total. At one point, it operated a circa 40-strong pub estate in the capital.

Black Sheep Coffee makes US debut: Speciality coffee shop operator Black Sheep Coffee, which opened its 100th site last month, has made its debut in the US, with an opening in Texas. The company, which operates circa 85 sites in the UK, has opened a site in Preston Road, Plano, Dallas. Black Sheep Coffee, founded in 2013 by Gabriel Shohet and Eirik Holth, also has a further opening in Dallas, in Mockingbird Lane, and a site in Miami, in Grove Central, in its US opening pipeline. Shohet said: “Today marks the beginning of a great new adventure as we opened our very first shop in the US, and we couldn’t be happier to have picked the awesome city of Dallas, in the heart of Texas. So, here’s to our first ever all-American team of baristas, and to our new customers on Preston Road in Plano for such a warm welcome!” Propel revealed exclusively in March that Black Sheep Coffee is raising £15m of new funding as it looks to step up its international expansion plans, while it gears up to explore an initial public offering in the US. The company previously said it planned to open 15 sites in its initial US launch phase. In 2021, the business received investment from NBA basketball player Kristaps Porzingis as it looked to break into the North American market. The company last month reached the 100-site milestone with an opening at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. It also planning to make its debut in the south west, in Bristol. The business has lined up an opening on the former The Crazy Fox coffee shop at 34-36 The Arcade, Broadmead, in the city. Propel reported earlier this month that Black Sheep is targeting the drive-thru market to aid its continued expansion in the UK and has retained property advisory firm Edgerley Simpson Howe LLP to acquire sites throughout the UK in stand-alone and retail park locations. Black Sheep Coffee features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The database is updated every two months, and the latest version 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.

Tom Kerridge calls on Rachel Reeves to cut VAT for the hospitality industry: Chef Tom Kerridge has called on new Chancellor Rachel Reeves to cut VAT for the hospitality industry and to facilitate freedom of movement that allows workers to come to the UK. He told the PA news agency: “We tried speaking as an industry to the last government and it fell on deaf ears and we’ll try very hard this time to keep speaking to the new Labour government, and will put continued pressure on a number of things, (such as) work visas for hospitality and how people come in. Freedom of movement of people is something that needs to be addressed. But I think the biggest thing that the industry needs is a relief on VAT, and that would give a huge pressure release that sits within so many different hospitality businesses – from small coffee shops, and popcorn sellers at cinemas, all the way through to seasonal hotels and to big out of town operational hospitality centres. Then taxation points, VAT, food inflation, rental rates, staff wages and costs. And there isn’t a single place to hide, it’s every single thing that comes into the business, whether it’s cleaning products, whether it’s refuse collection, whether it’s utility bills. If you see a pub that is busy on a Friday and a Saturday night, and Sunday lunch, they need to operate a seven day a week business and they are very, very difficult to run. It is very, very difficult for places to generate and make money and survive at the minute.”

Prime minister remains uncommitted to bank holiday if England win Euros: Sir Keir Starmer has not committed to a celebratory bank holiday if England win the Euro 2024 final on Sunday night. The prime minister played down calls for a public holiday in the event of England’s first major men’s tournament victory since 1966, saying he did not want to “jinx anything”. Speaking at the Nato summit in Washington, Sir Keir said England “should certainly mark the occasion” – but did not commit to a bank holiday. “I went to the last Euros final,” he told reporters. “I don’t want to go through that again, so I don’t want to jinx anything. We must mark it in some way, but the most important thing is getting it over the line on Sunday.”