Exclusive – Snowfox Group rebrands as the Wonderfield Group, signifies next stage of growth for YO! owner: The Snowfox Group, a multi-channel and international Japanese food business which owns brands including YO!, Panku, Bento and Taiko, has announced that it has become the Wonderfield Group. It said that the new brand identity signifies the next chapter for the business following its acquisition by Zensho, the leading Japanese food group, last summer, in a deal valued at $621m (£494.5m). The Wonderfield Group will consolidate the company’s brands under one name, reflecting the business’ expansion across geographies and brands. The company now consists of multiple market-leading brands including: YO!, Panku and Taiko in the UK; Bento in Canada; Snowfox, Snowfruit, Zenshi and AFC Franchise Corp in the US; Sushi Circle in Germany; SushiTake in Spain; and Sushi Izu in Australia. The company said while maintaining its number one position in Japanese cuisine in several markets, it has diversified into wider food groups such as salads, poke, fruit, bakery, hot food and sandwiches. The Wonderfield Group employs more than 5,500 team members across 16 countries and supplies in excess of 7,000 stores and 9,000 kiosks. Richard Hodgson, Wonderfield Group’s chief executive, said: “Our new Wonderfield Group branding embodies the core values and vision of our company. The transformation is more than a visual update; for us, it signifies the next stage for our business as we bring all of our brands under one roof and move forward as one, consolidated team. We’re incredibly proud of our roots in Japanese food, and we will continue to honour the history of our business, but we are excited about our expansion into new cuisines and new geographies. Since our business was acquired by Zensho last summer, we have made great progress against our strategy, and are delighted to be serving more customers around the globe through more kiosks and through our retail partnerships.” YO! features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is 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 Propel Premium 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.

KAM MD Katy Moses to speak at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Katy Moses, managing director of sector insight consultancy KAM, will be among the speakers at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 1 October at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. The conference will showcase examples of outstanding people culture among companies within the sector and how the industry is attracting talent. Moses will talk through exclusive research on the current state of recruitment and retention across the sector, and where it could be doing better. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club members get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Premium Club members to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database next week: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members on Wednesday, 7 August, at noon. The database will show the details of 268 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 11,881-word report on the 268 new additions to the database. The database includes new openings in the cafe bakery sector such as an opening from Docker Bakery in Folkestone in Kent, Gail’s Bakery making its Midlands debut and Canadian pancake brand Fluffy Fluffy making its London debut. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, in association with Virgate; 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 Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including the Talent and Training Conference (1 October), Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025) and Excellence in Pub Retail (May 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.

 

Diageo CEO – consumers are facing an ‘extraordinary environment’, non-alcoholic Guinness sales surge among teetotal Generation Z: Debra Crew, chief executive of Diageo, has warned that consumers are facing an “extraordinary environment” and that she expects the pressures on consumers to persist in the coming months. Crew said: “We are in a very extraordinary consumer environment. You do see persistent inflation that is really weighing on consumers and weighing on their wallets.” Diageo reported that sales in the 12 months to the end of June fell 1.4% to $20.3bn, while the volume of drinks it sold during the period dropped 5% as consumers cut back. It comes as the business said that non-alcoholic Guinness sales have doubled in Europe amid surging demand from teetotal Generation Z drinkers. Guinness 0.0 now accounts for 3% of all global Guinness sales after consumption doubled across Europe in the year to June 2024, according to parent company Diageo's preliminary results. Crew said: “We literally cannot make enough of it. It is flying off the shelves.” Guinness 0.0 was launched in 2021, and in the last six months has become the UK's top-selling non-alcoholic beer. Growth in overall Guinness consumption has also been “phenomenal”, with sales of the beer jumping by 15% and recording double-digit growth for the seventh six-month period in a row. This was particularly driven by a surge in British female drinkers, with Guinness consumption among women up 27% last year. Crew said: “We're really broadening the consumer base. The rugby lads still love us, but we also have women coming into the brand.” The likes of pop star Olivia Rodrigo, the England cricket team and Sir Keir Starmer all being photographed with pints of Guinness has also helped, Crew said. “The rise of meme culture has allowed us to hand over the marketing keys of the brand a little, and this has been a significant help for us in recruiting more Guinness consumers in Great Britain.” Crew also called on the UK government to cut taxes on the production of spirits here and unlock new export markets through free trade agreements. She said: “Things like an India free trade agreement are really important for us as India consumes half of the world's whiskey volumes.”

 

UKHospitality – making significant changes to Low Pay Commission remit now is disruptive and unhelpful: UKHospitality has said making significant changes to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) remit now is “disruptive and unhelpful”. The government has announced a new remit for the LPC, replacing the one issued under the previous administration in March. It asks the LPC to make recommendations, by October, for the national living wage and national minimum wage rates that should apply from April 2025. “Our staff are the lifeblood of hospitality and businesses are passionate about properly rewarding them for their crucial role,” said UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls. “That’s why we agreed with the current remit of the Low Pay Commission to maintain wage rates at 66% of median earnings, which will see the living wage increase at twice the rate of inflation. After all, this is the basis upon which hospitality businesses have been planning and budgeting. However, making significant changes to the remit for 2025 now is disruptive and unhelpful. Evidence has been submitted to the LPC on a basis that is now out-of-date. It would have been far more pragmatic to wait and make these changes in 2026. With a new remit now in place, the LPC must recognise that the 20% increase to wage rates over the past two years clearly accounted for the cost of living. I would urge it not to recommend yet another significant increase, which would raise serious questions over affordability. There now must be a fresh round of consultation with business groups before recommendations are made to ensure that balance is struck in an affordable manner.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a business that offers “fine spirits and refined experiences” that is seeking a spirits sommelier specialising in tequila and whiskey to join its team. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will be responsible for managing the extensive collection of tequila and whiskey, providing expert recommendations, and delivering exceptional service to the club’s discerning members. The hours will be shift work along with evenings and weekends.” The salary is up to £80,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com.

 

South London smash burger brand to make international debut this month as it aims for 100 sites by 2028: South London smash burger brand Smacks Hamburgers is set to make its international debut this month as it aims for 100 sites by 2028, Propel has learned. Smacks was founded in 2021 by Kaysor Ali, who is also behind the eight-strong casual steak dining business, Steakout. Smacks has since grown to ten sites, including regional locations in Preston and Southport, and it will this month open its first overseas location, in Dubai’s Motor City – a residential development centred around the Formula 4 circuit at Dubai aerodrome. “It's a flagship store that is looking fantastic and is creating a great deal of excitement and interest in the region for locals, holiday makers and ex-pats from the UK,” said franchise director Mark Salter. “We’re already receiving enquiries across the Middle East, and our first store in the US opens in Virginia in 2025.” Back home, Smacks is currently working through a pipeline of openings that will see it triple its estate in the short term. “As most of our stores are currently in the Greater London region, we naturally have a great deal of demand from franchisees to open in this area,” Salter said. “We are currently working through applications from Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester and some seaside towns such as Weymouth, which is soon to open. A store in Glasgow will open soon, located next to Tim Horton’s in Glasgow city centre and within the university campus area, so we expect it to be a huge hit with local students and businesses alike. We will open 100 stores by 2028. We work closely and in partnership with excellent franchisees, who have had great success and wish to open more stores. We exhibited for the first time at the London International Franchise Show this year – until this point, all of our partners have approached us organically. The franchisees we work with all have drive, passion, good ethics and care greatly about their business. The big change for us this year is that we're strengthening our management team to enable us to open more stores to keep up with demand.” To this end, as well as hiring Salter, the business has brought on board chef Oliver Bird, formerly of Burger & Lobster and Goodman, and who was trained by Gordon Ramsay.

Cineworld restructuring plan would leave only 38 sites unimpacted, £32.3m funding requirement if plan not implemented: The restructuring plan laid out by Cineworld would leave only 38 of the company’s circa 100 sites unaffected, Propel has learned. Last week, Cineworld announced it will close six venues across Britain as part of a plan to cut costs, as the debt-laden company continues to struggle with the headwinds facing the cinema industry. The affected sites are Glasgow Parkhead, Bedford, Hinckley, Loughborough, Yate and Swindon Regent Circus. Propel understands that 38 sites generate Ebitda of more than £200,000 per annum; or which “generate positive Ebitda of up to £200,000 and are over rented, for which rent savings, if they were included in the restructuring plans, would be less than £25,000 per annum”. These leases are not included in the restructuring plans. A further 33 sites are categorised as class B leases, which are sites Cineworld considers uneconomical on current terms and which require a reduction of rent to place them on a viable long-term footing. There are ten class C1 leases, which require an amendment to turnover rent to place them on a viable footing. The six sites set for closure come under class D1 leases, which are considered unviable even if no rent was charged. Propel understands the UK company’s US parent group will provide a further £35m of additional investment if the restructuring plans are sanctioned, to be used for capital expenditures, including refurbishment and enhancement of viable cinemas; while an “intercompany lender will provide additional liquidity of £16m to the UK group, in the form of debt”, if the restructuring plans are sanctioned. Management forecasts that, as a result of the turnaround plan, it will be possible to improve Ebitda performance by £20m, £21m and £22m in FY25, FY26 and FY27 respectively. This is before considering the “impact of the proposed capex programme, which is likely to improve performance further”. The UK group’s cash flow forecast as at 25 July 2024 showed a total funding requirement of £17.9m (£15.2m in September and a further £2.7m in December 2024) for the remainder of FY24. In FY25, the UK group is forecast to require a further £32.3m – in the event that the restructuring plans are not implemented. The company is being advised by AlixPartners.

 

Greggs adds 5p to cost of sausage rolls as it faces wage bill pressure, plans more evening openings: Food-to-go retailer Greggs has increased prices on some of its items, including an extra 5p on sausage rolls and their vegan equivalent, as it faces pressure from a rising staff wage bill. It comes as the business reported first-half sales were up 13.8% in the 26 weeks to 29 June 2024, from £844m in the first half of 2023 to £960.6m, with company-managed shop like-for-like sales up 7.4%. Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie said the company had increased the prices of some items on its menu, including cheese sandwiches, by either 5p or 10p in recent weeks, but has kept meal deal prices unchanged. She insisted no more price rises are planned for the rest of the year. Currie said the group took action to offset higher pay for its 32,000-strong workforce, having raised salaries earlier this year ahead of the increase in the national living wage. She said: “The biggest inflation cost right now is the increase in the national living wage and making sure our employees get the wage increases that are appropriate. That puts pressure on the cost increases within the business.” Greggs said it remains committed to its long-term aim to have “significantly” more than 3,000 shops across the UK, having opened 99 new shops and closed 18 to reach 2,524 in the first half. The company has plans to open up to 160 new shops on a net basis by the end of the year. At the same time, the business is planning to keep more of its stores open into the evening. Currie said sales made after 4pm were growing faster than average like-for-like sales. She said: “We believe this is, in the long term, a really profitable part of the business. I would say pretty much all of our new shops that we open this year will have that evening offering available because we’re opening in those catchments where evening works particularly well.”

 

Signature Group – operating environment ‘remains exceptionally challenging’, reports record turnover of £32.2m but falls to loss: Signature Group has said the operating environment “remains exceptionally challenging”. It comes as the company, which is owned by Nic Wood and operates 24 sites in Scotland, saw turnover increase to a record £32,170,637 for the year ending 31 October 2023 compared with £28,116,248 the previous year. The group, which employees circa 700 staff, made a pre-tax loss of £600,618 compared with a profit of £951,310 the year before. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The year ended 31 October 2023 represented a challenging year for the group. Both the pubs and brewery businesses battled significant inflationary pressures across the cost base, specifically in respect of employee, food, raw material, and utility costs. The national living wage increase added £1.0m of cost into the business, while the group’s utility costs almost doubled, with an additional £0.6m of cost in the year, when compared with prior year. The group’s ability to pass these cost increases on to customers was hindered by the cost-of-living crisis. As we progress through FY24, the operating environment remains exceptionally challenging. However, the directors are confident the group has a strong team in place to overcome the hugely significant macroeconomic headwinds currently being experienced. We continue to invest in our people, products and venues, believing that we can return to a strong level of profitability.” No government grants were received (2022: £252,500). No dividend was paid (2022: nil).

 

The Curling Club secures second site, targets five more by 2026 winter Olympics including permanent bricks-and-mortar venue: The Curling Club, the London alpine-themed curling concept, has secured a second site for the 2024-25 season, Propel has learned. The concept, which has a 230-capacity winter home next to the Southbank Centre, is also set to bring its offer of curling, music, dancing and drinks to the Vinegar Yard in London Bridge. The new venue will have capacity for 600 guests. New investors, along with the original shareholders, are targeting five further sites, including a permanent bricks-and-mortar venue ahead of the winter Olympics in 2026. Chair Trevor Bowers told Propel: “We have a hugely successful model, tried and tested, and with bookings strongly ahead of the 2023-24 season, we recognise this to be the right time do deliver our growth plan. We are being approached with further exciting site opportunities and are confident at least two of these will form part of our growing estate.” Eve Muirhead, the captain of GB’s curling team and Olympic champion in 2022, continues to be The Curling Club ambassador and will host events across both sites. A new report produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector will be available to purchase tomorrow (Thursday, 1 August). The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes more than 190 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. Existing Premium Club members can receive the report on Thursday, 1 August for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium members on Tuesday, 10 September at 9am. Email kia.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

WatchHouse turnover up 56.8% aided by strong lfl sales: Specialty coffee concept WatchHouse reported turnover of £9.5m for the year ended 30 July 2023, up 56.8% on the previous year aided by strong like-for-like sales. The company continued to invest in growth and increased its estate from nine Houses to 13, recognising a loss (including preopening and investment costs) of £2.6m. WatchHouse founder and chief executive Roland Horne said: “2023 was an exciting time for WatchHouse, where we continued to expand and set up for our next stage of growth with our first successful Crowdfunding campaign.  We have continued the momentum in 2024, opening a further six Houses to bring our estate up to 19, including our first international House in New York which has exceeded our expectations.” WatchHouse is expected to open its second House, in New York’s Chrysler building, in the autumn, with four London Houses to be opened in the next six months (Fitzrovia, Marble Arch, Battersea Power Station and Millenium Bridge). The business said it was also exploring global franchise opportunities and Propel understands that it is in talks with partners to launch in South Korea and the Middle East, as part of a new international franchise programme.

Kaspa’s to make central London debut: Dessert franchise brand Kaspa’s is to make its central London debut with an opening in Soho’s Dean Street. Founded in 2013, Kaspa’s has grown to more than 100 UK sites and has a long-term target of 500 locations here. Kaspa’s also operates in two overseas markets, launching in Morocco in May, at the Menara Mall in Marrakech, having entered its first overseas market in 2020 with an opening in Islamabad, Pakistan. Founder Azhar Rehman told Propel last year: “We used to open in 150-200 square metres, but the market has changed with the delivery side really picking up, so now we’re trying to remodel. With that, we’re anticipating anything from 300-500 stores in the UK through opening smaller stores and kiosks. We will review the progress of these new outlets and see how they prosper, and if they do well, this new model could be something quite positive for us.”

 

Leisureplex Hotels sees revenue and profit climb after acquiring three new hotels, agrees new finance facilities: Leisureplex Hotels, part of employee-owned hotel operator Alfa Leisureplex Group, saw its revenue and profit climb in the year to 31 December 2023 after acquiring three new hotels and has agreed new finance facilities. During the year, the company acquired The Norfolk Royale in Bournemouth, The Royal Hotel in Weymouth and Waverley Castle Hotel in Melrose, Scotland, to take its portfolio to 24 sites. Revenue was up from £30,090,425 in 2022 to £34,474,846. More than 65% of this was generated from transactions with another group company, Alfa Travel, which provides a range of holidays and short breaks. Pre-tax profit grew from £3,753,065 to £3,806,187 despite an increase in costs of more than £3m. No government grants were received (2022: £146,175) and no dividends were paid (2022: nil). Volumes increased by 6.5% (1.3% excluding the hotels acquired in the year), achieving the highest bed nights recorded by the company. Net assets increased by £3.2m to £46.5m. “The business is in a strong position and continues to grow its market share in the coach travel industry, with significant growth in bed nights expected again in 2024,” director Emma Russell said. “Cost pressures arising from the inflationary environment affect supplies and will remain challenging. However, the business is well placed with its pricing strategy to manage this. In April 2024, the group agreed new finance facilities, consisting of a three-year revolving credit facility and an annual overdraft facility.”

 

Former Hub Box head of food launches new premium burger concept: Luke Taylor, former head of food at Hub Box, the south west burger and barbecue business led by Richard Boon, has launched a new premium burger concept. Taylor, now head of operations at Philip Warren Butchers (PWB), has launched Native Burger in the former PWB branch in Launceston, Cornwall. The PWB business has moved to a larger site on the town’s outskirts, leaving the 20-cover site free for the launch of the new concept. Native Burger exclusively showcases PWB meat in a concise menu featuring cheeseburgers, fried chicken and loaded fries “with provenance of product paramount to the offering”. These include the Twisted Fire Starter (beef patty, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, jalapeño, onion and sriracha mayo) and The Workout (double beef patty, pulled beef brisket, bacon crumb, lettuce and barbecue sauce). Located at 1 Westgate Street, the restaurant is open for dine-in and takeaway from Wednesday through to Sunday.

  

ETM Group to open new rooftop bar and restaurant Kitty Hawk: ETM Group is to add another central London-based rooftop bar and restaurant to its estate, with the opening of Kitty Hawk this September. The company, which already operates Aviary Rooftop Bar & Restaurant, Wagtail Rooftop Bar & Restaurant and The Botanist in Sloane Square, will open the new venue on the rooftop of Page 8 Hotel in Covent Garden. Simon Gaske, chief commercial officer of ETM Group, said: “Kitty Hawk is more than just a venue; it’s an experience. Our aim is to create a space where every moment is savoured, and every visit is memorable. This new venue exemplifies our dedication to innovation and excellence in London’s ever-growing hospitality scene.” Last week, ETM Group and Maven Leisure announced the launch of a new concept, Sport London, which consolidates its premium sports-led hospitality venues under one distinguished brand.

 

Etci Mehmet to open in Leeds tomorrow for fourth site: Turkish steakhouse concept Etci Mehmet is to open its fourth site tomorrow (Thursday, 1 August), in Leeds. The concept, which was founded by Mehmet and Mustafa Dag in 2017, will open in the ex-Leeds Gas Showroom site in the city’s Eastgate. Etci Mehmet opened its first site in Manchester’s Chester Street and has since launched further restaurants in Birmingham’s Star City and Liverpool’s Bold Street. The company said: “Etci Mehmet offers a culinary journey with a menu inspired by the rich flavours of Turkish cuisine. Awarded the best-Turkish steakhouse in the north west, indulge in premium dry-aged steaks along with a selection of slow cooked specials, a mix of kebabs and mezes meticulously crafted with the finest ingredients.” Operations director Amine el Gueddar added: “We have been working very hard to create something special for Leeds, which stays true to our Turkish roots and our passion for food and hospitality while providing diners with the relaxed and vibrant experience we are known and loved for. We already have a dedicated following from across Yorkshire and we can’t wait to welcome them and our new guests to Leeds.”

 

92 Degrees opens third train station site: Independent coffee roaster 92 Degrees has opened its third site within a train station. The company, which was established in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter in 2014, made its transport debut in May when it launched at Liverpool Lime Street station. Now, 92 Degrees has opened an outlet in Liverpool Central station. Jack Brewitt, co-founder and chief executive of 92 Degrees, said: “I cannot believe this is our third train station location after only opening our first two and half months ago – Liverpool Lime Street station, Glasgow Queen Street station and now Liverpool Central station. The whole team has absolutely smashed this.” In February, Brewitt told Propel that the 17-strong business plans to reach the 20-site-mark by the end of this year. He said the company, which is privately funded, was looking at opportunities in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow for further openings.

 

Cambridge operators whose debut restaurant was awarded a Michelin star set to open second site: Cambridge operators Sam Carter and Alex Olivier, whose debut restaurant was awarded a Michelin star, are set to open second site in the city. Carter, a former chef with Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, and wife Olivier are set to open Margaret’s at 18 Chesterton Road. The 30-cover restaurant will focus on dishes containing locally sourced ingredients, if its licensing application is approved. The duo took over the lease of Restaurant 22, which has been operating for 30 years at 22 Chesterton Road, in 2018, leading it to 3 AA Rosettes in 2022 and its first Michelin star in 2023. A statement from the listing for the new restaurant said: “The premises is to be converted into a relaxed, neighbourhood restaurant serving delicious locally sourced food prepared and served by a talented team. The restaurant will seat around 30 guests with tables for dining only. All alcohol sales will be ancillary to food sales. The primary focus of the restaurant will be on high quality, well prepared food and to provide a relaxing experience for our guests.”

 

The Coffee House launches training academy: North west independent coffee shop The Coffee House has launched a new training academy. It comes after the business – founded in 2011 by brothers Chris and Stephen Shelmerdine – earlier this month opened its

25th store, in the Spinning Gate shopping centre in Leigh, Greater Manchester. “Our new training academy is officially open,” a company spokesman said. “This milestone has been a long-time dream of ours, and we’re thrilled to see it become a reality. By centralising our training operations, we can streamline the process and maintain consistent quality across all our staff and stores. Our new academy allows us to move training out of the stores and into a dedicated space, accommodating larger groups and providing a more personalised, one-on-one approach. This approach not only enhances our training efficiency but also emphasises internal staff development, enabling us to upskill our current team members and foster growth from within. We’ve had a fantastic start with our initial sessions, receiving excellent feedback from applicants. Here’s to investing in our people and continuing to raise the bar on coffee excellence.” Propel revealed exclusively in May that The Coffee House is eyeing an estate of more than 80 sites after securing a £4m cash injection from the founder of investment platform AJ Bell, Andy Bell. The investment will help accelerate the growth of The Coffee House, with plans to operate more than 30 outlets by the end of 2024.

 

Cardiff operator formed by ex-Gordon Ramsay and Galvin alumni to open new brasserie and bar at city hotel: Cardiff operator A&M Hospitality Group, which is the brainchild of former Gordon Ramsay and Galvin brothers alumni Andrei Maxim and Daf Andrews, is to open a new brasserie and bar at the Coal Exchange Hotel in the city. Aura, which opens in September, will offer modern European cuisine, a cocktail menu and all-day dining. It will occupy a single floor with 72 restaurant covers, 26 bar seats and a private dining room. The venue will also include a dedicated event space. Keith Clash, general manager of The Coal Exchange Hotel, said: "Crafted and brought to life by our team of industry experts, Aura aims to provide an unforgettable dining experience, where innovative cuisine meets a warm and captivating atmosphere.” A&M Hospitality Group is behind high-end restaurant Silures in Wellfield Road in the city. Maxim and Andrews worked at London venues such as Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay, Galvin Bar & Grill and The Coral Room.

 

Newcastle operator plans to convert former restaurant into brewery and taproom: Newcastle operator Christopher Lee has submitted plans to convert a former restaurant in the city into a brewery and taproom. He is a director of both of Brew Shack and of Lucky Brew & Tap, which wants to establish the site at 139 Jesmond Road, which previously housed The Patricia restaurant. The current restaurant seating area will be converted into a taproom area for customers, selling ale and craft beer that has been brewed on site. “A small selection of other drinks from local merchants, including wine, cider, spirits, soft drinks and tea/coffee, will be available to purchase and consume on site”, the planning statement said. While there would be no cooking or reheating of food, cold food options will be made available, according to the applicant.

 

South London operators open new jerk chicken restaurant: South London operators Daniel and Heleena Maynard have opened a new jerk chicken restaurant. The duo, who used to run Jerk Off BBQ in Deptford’s Creekside before the area’s redevelopment forced its closure, have opened Mauby at 1 Harefield Road in Brockley. Mauby offers a mixture of cocktails, drinks and bar snacks, with a plan to bring in a full food menu soon, reports Hot Dinners. Bar snacks include mixed tomato salad with sardines and crackers, fried plantain and a pickle plate, while the full menu will offer fresh fried seafood, stewed beans and vegetables alongside “lesser-known homestyle West Indian dishes”.

 

Travelodge submits plans for Corby hotel: Travelodge has submitted plans to develop a new hotel in Corby, Northamptonshire. The company – which operates more than 600 hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain – is proposing an 80-bedroom, four-storey property for vacant land at Old Station Yard in the town, reports Insider Media. A statement lodged with North Northamptonshire Council on behalf of the applicant said: “The proposed development represents an enhancement by comparison with the existing vacant site. The proposed development will assist in delivering much-needed visitor accommodation in the locality. The delivery of such accommodation will have tangible benefits in terms of job creation and monetary spending in the locality.” Meanwhile, Travelodge has opened its first hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The 69-bedroom property, which includes a bar-café that is also open to the public, is part of Forge Island, a waterside development that also includes a cinema, restaurants and leisure businesses.