Weather cools hospitality group performance as sector sees 1.5% sales growth in July: Britain’s managed hospitality groups reported year-on-year growth of 1.5% in July 2024, down from June’s rate of 2.9%, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. As July started with the peak of the 2024 Euros, including the quarter, semi-final and final games, Britain’s pubs enjoyed a more positive outcome from the tournament than the England team, experiencing like-for-like growth of 4.9%. The best performing segment in July, pubs within the M25, performed especially well, with 9.9% like-for-like growth. It was a slightly more negative picture for other segments as consumers shifted their spend towards pubs. Restaurant performance saw steep declines, dropping from a 4.7% increase in June to a 2.1% drop in July. Bars had another negative month, down by 6%, while the on-the-go segment saw like-for-like growth of 1.5%. CGA director Karl Chessell said: “With most positive growth being seen in the pub sector in July, this had a knock-on effect to other hospitality venues as they saw like-for-like drops in performance. For hospitality as a whole, this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. The uplifts seen based on key events within the month show that whilst the cost-of-living pressures are still ongoing, consumers are still making those all-important visits to hospitality venues. As we move into the back end of summer, with warmer weather, and an upcoming bank holiday at the end of the month, we hope to see growth spread more equally across key segments.”

 

Sponsored message – Sturdy Foods launches new range of hand-stretched sourdough pizza bases: Specialist foodservice pizza manufacturer Sturdy Foods has launched a new range of hand-stretched sourdough pizza bases for foodservice operators “looking for a way to reduce labour costs and serve excellent quality pizza”. The bases are made using a unique blend of Italian flour, fermented for a minimum of 24 hours before being hand-stretched and lightly baked, giving an authentic and very easy to prepare option for any pizza menu. The company has also launched a new website where operators can purchase direct and get next day delivery of the pizza bases direct to the restaurant. Sturdy Foods has established itself as a key player in the pizza dough ball and pizza base market in recent years, winning several Great Taste awards for its products and being at the forefront of innovation in the UK pizza market. Managing director James Sturdy has led the business since 2013. With more than 20 years’ experience in the pizza market, he is passionate about helping operators to increase their profits with pizza. He said: “We are delighted to bring our new hand-stretched Romana style pizza bases to the UK market. Our team has spent months developing and improving the product and they offer a superb solution for pizza operators looking to serve outstanding quality pizza with significant savings on storage and labour costs. Our new Certo Pizza website also offers a very easy way for operators to purchase direct, saving further costs and hassle.” To find out more, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released on Friday featuring more than 237,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 237,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club members on Friday (23 August), at midday. The database now features 878 companies, and this month’s edition includes seven new additions and 85 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. 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.

Scottish ministers urged to reform ‘unfair’ tax regime that is ‘penalising’ hospitality businesses: Scottish ministers have been urged to reform an “unfair” tax regime that is “penalising” hospitality businesses. The Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) said bars, restaurants and cafes often pay substantially more in business rates than other sectors, reducing the amount of money available to expand and invest. “If a new tax strategy is to achieve a tax system that works for everyone in Scotland, it must have fairness at its core,” the industry body told MSPs. “That means ensuring businesses and sectors operating in the same space are treated equally by the tax system, which is not currently the case. For instance, the hospitality industry currently pays business rates based on the turnover of their business, while retailers pay business rates based on the square footage of their premises. In practice, this often results in businesses of a similar size and in an immediate proximity paying vastly different rates, with hospitality businesses often paying a far larger percent in rates compared to other sectors, even though the sector in most cases employs more people per square footage, than retail. This unfairness is further compounded by the fact the existing system takes no account of the profitability of a business when calculating its rates. This means that hospitality businesses are treated unfairly compared to other sectors, a discrepancy the new tax strategy should seek to address.” The SHG said the sector is a vital part of Scotland’s economy, accounting for around 200,000 jobs and contributing £9bn to the economy. It also said polls show a majority of Scots support reforming the non-domestic rates system to provide parity across all sectors.

Cask Marque secures grant to help relaunch beer sommelier programme: Cask Marque, the non-profit beer quality control initiative that encompasses pubs and brewers in driving excellence in beer quality, has secured a grant to help relaunch its beer sommelier programme and guild. Cask Marque announced last month that it planned to relaunch the programme, which was previously run by the Institute of Brewers and Distillers, and prior to that, the Beer and Cider Academy. The funding will be used to launch a new website and trademarks, create two new courses, design and printing, and for PR, marketing and project management. Cask Marque founder Paul Nunny said: “This is a significant investment in the programme and will give the guild a kickstart to deliver their mission of engaging individuals to learn about beer, take the beer sommelier assessment and promote guild members as beer educators.”

Job of the Day: COREcruitment is looking for a director of finance and resources for a renowned heritage site and cultural landmark in London. The client is seeking a dynamic individual to lead strategic development and growth of this organisation. In this pivotal role, you will drive the evolution of financial and IT capabilities, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while fostering a high-performing team. You'll lead budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis, supporting the business in achieving financial sustainability and excellence. Your leadership will extend across HR and IT strategies, providing a professional company secretarial service and managing a diverse range of corporate responsibilities. You'll oversee audit processes, risk management and procurement to ensure they meet and exceed sector standards. The salary is £75,000 plus benefits. For more details and to apply, contact Oliwiwa Collins at oliwia@corecruitment.com.

 

Nigerian tapas concept Chuku’s planning to raise £500,000 to kick-start expansion as it aims to establish itself as national brand: Nigerian tapas concept Chuku's is planning to raise £500,000 to kick-start its expansion as it aims to eventually establish itself as a national brand, Propel has learned. Siblings Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederick started out in 2016 operating pop-ups around the capital and used that time to “soak up everything we could about the hospitality industry”. They noticed a “real hunger for Nigerian cuisine” as well as the opportunity to promote their African heritage, and “slowly but surely” they were able to raise the funds to open their debut site in London’s Tottenham High Road, in February 2020. Emeka said they used the pandemic to “hone their financial acumen” and develop the menu, which is 90% gluten free and 50% vegan. Despite facing funding challenges and covid-19 lockdowns, they’ve managed to grow their business, even securing a £8,000 donation from Beyonce after successfully applying for a grant through her foundation, where she awarded funds to ten businesses in each of the cities where she performed. Now having now got the Tottenham site “how we want it” and serving more than 50,000 diners to date, the siblings have their eye on Central London for a second site – and then will “look to grow from there”. They are aiming to raise the funds through a mixture of angel investment and debt and recently received support through Virgin StartUp’s Empower100 programme, which is helping them connect with investors. “We’re ready to take that next step,” Emeka told Propel. “While we can’t think about site number three until after that, the ambition is to be a nationwide brand. We think there are still a few more opportunities in London, and beyond that, we’re looking at growing into other cities such as Brighton and Manchester. One of the reasons we’ve decided not to go down the crowdfunding route this time around is we want to tap into the nous of those investors who have that experience of growing a business.” Ifeyinwa added: “We make all our sauces in-house, so we’d also love to make that step into retail. It’s not just about the food – we want to be a voice for African culture.”

Pret Express now in over 80 locations, links up with more convenience store brands: Pret A Manger, the JAB Holdings-backed brand, has told Propel it has rolled out Pret Express, its “24/7 self-service coffee-to-go solution”, to more than 80 locations, with retail partners now including the Co-op and Spar. Propel revealed in July 2021 that Pret, which had been seeking new routes to market as its core business in central London was impacted by the pandemic, had trademarked the Pret Express name and was set to follow Costa, which operates circa 10,000 Express machines around the world, and introduce a vending format into offices, convenience stores, hospitals and petrol forecourts. In October 2021, Pret confirmed it had entered into a partnership with JDE Peet’s, the pure-play coffee and tea company and owner of brands including Peet’s Coffee, Douwe Egberts and Jacob, to launch the trial of Pret Express. JDE Peet’s provides the self-service technology and capabilities, with bespoke furniture designed exclusively for Pret. Propel understands that Pret Express is now live in more than 80 locations across the UK, as well as in Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It can be found in offices, convenience stores, gyms, hospitals, post offices and petrol forecourts. This includes Co-op, Budgens and Spar stores and Barclays’ head office.

BrewDog set to make Northern Ireland debut: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog is set to make its debut in Northern Ireland, with an opening in the new Belfast Grand Central station. Chris Conway, chief executive of Translink, said that the new £340m station, which is due to begin a phased opening from 8 September, will feature Pret a Manger, M&S and BrewDog, with additional retailers yet to be announced. He told BBC Radio Ulster: “This is a station which is the largest integrated station on the island of Ireland. It has very modern, advanced features with lots of accessibility throughout, contactless ticketing, modern customer information screens and new retail offers such as Pret a Manger, M&S and BrewDog for example, and we will add to the regeneration of the whole area of Belfast.” BrewDog’s managed bar estate currently comprises 60 bars throughout the UK and 16 across Europe. Earlier this summer, BrewDog opened its debut site in Thailand with franchise partner Atalanta Hospitality. BrewDog announced its partnership with Atalanta Hospitality in May as part of its plans to treble its 100-strong bar estate over the next decade.

Pasta Evangelists to make transport hub debut: Pasta Evangelists is to open its first airport site, in Manchester airport’s Terminal 2, next month. The opening will only be the brand’s third customer-facing site in the UK and the first outside of London. The company opened its first restaurant site in London’s Richmond last month and told Propel at the time that it thinks it can have more than 100 sites under the new concept operating across the UK. The delivery start-up, which was founded in 2016 by Alessandro Savelli, Chris Rennoldson and Finn Lagun, first entered the takeaway market with a single unit in east London but now operates 47 takeaway units. In January 2023, Pasta Evangelists launched its own takeaway service in London, with an ambition to eventually open more than 800 takeaway units. It also operates a stand-alone restaurant within the Dining Hall at Harrods in London. The Manchester airport site will open in late September and will, for the first time, introduce customers to the Pasta Evangelists’ Italian breakfast offering, which is set to be rolled out to other locations in the future. Among the selection of dishes will be an Italian breakfast bowl, including grilled pancetta, Sicilian sausages, frittata, baked borlotti beans and mushrooms, with a vegetarian option also on offer. Savelli said: “We are thrilled to launch our first airport outlet at Manchester airport. It is a very exciting time to see the rapid growth of the Pasta Evangelists brand as it continues to reach new consumers. This past year has been a huge step forward for us with the launch of the Pasta Factory, our Richmond franchise store and a wealth of regional openings for our takeaway kitchens. We are constantly seeking new ways to innovate, and the Italian inspired breakfast menu at Manchester airport is just another example of our passion and willingness to expand into new areas.”

TRG Concessions to make Northern Ireland debut with new restaurant at Belfast City airport: TRG Concessions, a division of The Restaurant Group, is set to make its Northern Ireland debut with a new restaurant at Belfast City airport. Samson’s Kitchen & Bar will be the first food and beverage unit with a table service offering at the airport. Creating 30 jobs, it is scheduled to open in late September. Kirsten Pottinger, commercial director at TRG Concessions, said: “After over 30 years of successfully operating quality food and beverage destinations in airports across the UK, we are excited to be adding Northern Ireland to our portfolio for the first time ever.” Michael Jackson, head of commercial at Belfast City airport, added: ‘From traditional favourites to modern twists, the menu will incorporate locally sourced ingredients and will be themed around the iconic Samson and Goliath cranes – an instantly recognisable staple of Belfast’s landscape.”

Boss Pizza reveals locations for ten new sites to open by end of 2025: Franchise pizza concept Boss Pizza, founded during the pandemic by Ajmal Mushtaq, has revealed the locations for ten new sites to open by end of 2025. Boss Pizza currently has two stores in Scotland – in Hamilton and Larkhall – and earlier this year launched in Acton for its English debut, with a Manchester site also due to open soon. It has now confirmed four new Scottish sites are set to open – in Aberdeen, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld and Glasgow – as well as six in England. These will be in Hemel Hempstead, Huddersfield, London (Shepherd’s Bush), Luton, Oldham and Wolverhampton. The brand has also opened a new headquarters in Hamilton, which it said will enable it to expand its head office team and accelerate its nationwide growth. “The response to our brand of pizzas has been incredible,” said Mushtaq. “The demand has exceeded our expectations, and we are delighted to be expanding across the UK.” Ross Findlay, operations manager at Boss Pizza, added: “We have invested heavily in our new head office, a bigger support team and our distribution capabilities. This will really help accelerate growth across the UK and provide the franchisees the best possible support service.” Mushtaq, who previously operated acclaimed Indian restaurant Mushtaqs in Hamilton, last year told Propel that he was aiming to grow Boss Pizza to 100 stores through franchising.

Burlison Inns adds Bury St Edmunds site to its estate: Burlison Inns, the multiple pub operator headed by Gary Burlison, has added a freehold site in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, to its estate. The company has acquired 98 Risbygate Street, in the centre of the Suffolk town. The site, which will be the group’s 15th, previously traded as a tapas restaurant, and as a pub before that. The company, which also owns Nethergate Brewery, intends to reopen the premises under its former name, The Rising Sun, as a traditional and family friendly local. At the start of this year, Burlison told Propel the business was seeking to expand further after making its first acquisition in five years. It came after the company bought the freehold of the Good Beer Guide-listed Horse and Groom at 21 Park Street in Hatfield, formerly operated by Stonegate. Gareth Hatton, associate director at Everard Cole, acted on the Bury St Edmunds deal.

Shake Shack confirms plans for West Midlands debut: US better burger brand Shake Shack has confirmed it is to increase its regional presence in the UK with an opening in Birmingham later this year. As revealed by Propel in June, the company will open on the former @pizza site in the city’s Grand Central shopping scheme, located above New Street railway station. Shake Shack Birmingham Grand Central will open its doors in the third quarter of 2024, with seating for up to 84 guests. It will be the brand’s 19th opening in the UK. Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in New York’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to more than 430 locations, including 140 international outposts. There are 14 other Shake Shacks in London and one each in Cardiff and Oxford, as well as restaurants at Gatwick airport and Lakeside in Essex. Shake Shack is also set to further strengthen its footprint in London with an opening in the former Royal Bank of Scotland premises at 78 Notting Hill Gate.

Nando’s targets school leavers through Hospitality Heroes apprenticeship programme: Following a successful inaugural year, Nando’s has launched its school leavers recruitment campaign and opened applications for the second intake to its Hospitality Heroes Level 2 Apprenticeship Programme. The programme is open to school leavers and anyone over the age of 16 across England, to offer a Level 2 Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeship. The 15-month syllabus, provided in partnership with Lifetime Training, includes training on customer service, team leadership and personal development, while providing opportunities to learn in-restaurant. The 114 applicants welcomed as part of last year’s inaugural intake are now over halfway through their programme and are set to graduate later this year. The programme forms part of Nando’s apprenticeship offering, established in 2017. Maria Horn, chief people officer at Nando’s, said: “Launching the second year of the programme supports us in our ambition to develop our future managers from within our business. We welcome applicants looking to work in a fast-paced and varied environment to build skills that will serve them throughout their careers with Nando’s and beyond.”

Knoops lines up debut site in the north east: Luxury hot chocolate shop concept Knoops, which earlier this month secured EIS approval for a £5m fundraising led by Lush co-founder Andrew Gerrie, has lined up an opening in Newcastle. The 20-strong business, which also recently appointed Julian Metcalfe, the founder of Itsu and Pret A Manger, as a non-executive director, has lined up an opening on the former Island Poke site at 150 Grainger Street in the city, with an opening planned for this October. Propel revealed at the start of this month, that the brand had lined up its first opening in Northern Ireland, in Belfast. The business, which recently opened in Bristol, will open in the Victoria Square shopping centre, in the Northern Irish capital, later this year. The company also has openings lined up on the former Trailfinders unit in Exeter High Street and at 22-23 Parliament Street, York. Knoops, which made its Scottish debut in March with a launch at 11-15 Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, has a long-term target of 120 stores here and 3,000 globally by 2030. Knoops, which also completed an £8.3m fundraising last year, said the new funding would be used to aid its international expansion.

Essex KFC franchisee reports FY increase in pre-tax profit: KFC franchisee Kefco Sales, a major franchisee for the QSR brand in the Essex area, saw its pre-tax profit increase from £250,236 to £1,099,606 in the year to 24 December 2023, and said it “considered the company results for the period to be satisfactory in the current economic climate”. Revenue in the year rose by 2.5% to £45,413,075, while Ebitda stood at £2,825,090 (2022: £2,162,911). Gross profit margin in the period increased to 8.6% (2022: 7.4%). The business said it managed an increase in sales and returned a profit in the financial period despite “macro-economic effects causing increased cost of sales and in other areas”. Kefco Sales, a family business, operates circa 20 KFC locations across Essex including Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton and Southend. Established in 1972, the business now employs more than 900 staff.

New York’s 7th Street Burger to open in London in collaboration with Truffle Burger: 7th Street Burger, the New York-based smash burger concept, has announced an international collaboration with London’s Truffle Burger. From Wednesday, 4 September to Sunday, 8 September, it will be taking over Truffle Burger’s Soho location for a “week-long foreign burger exchange”. The partnership came to life after Truffle Burger founder Tom Bickers visited 7th Street Burger’s first store in the East Village in 2021. The brainchild of Kevin Rezvani, 7th Street Burger has since expanded to 18 locations across New York. The pop-up menu will include the company’s signature classic cheeseburger and loaded fries as well as a special limited edition Truffle x 7th Street collab burger. Tom Bickers, founder of Truffle Burger, which operates four sites across the capital, told Propel: “The moment we experienced 7th Street’s burgers in New York, we knew we had to introduce them to London. This collaboration is a celebration of our shared passion for exceptional burgers and the vibrant street food scenes in both cities. At Truffle Burger, we’re all about bringing excitement and innovation to the table. With the growing popularity of smash burger concepts in London, we are really looking forward to partnering with 7th Street to offer something truly unique and show a city which is definitely not shy on smash burger concepts what makes their approach stand out.”

Wendy’s franchisee lines up Lakeside opening: JRK Restaurants, which is a UK franchisee of Wendy’s, the third-largest quick service restaurant brand in the US, has lined up its fifth opening under the brand, in Essex. The company, which recently opened Wendy’s sites in Chelmsford and Southend, is understood to have lined up an opening in the Lakeside shopping scheme. JRK also operates Wendy’s sites in Guildford and Portsmouth. JRK is also a franchisee for Slim Chickens along the south coast of England. It is thought JRK is planning to open more than 25 units in the next three years across the UK with the different brands it represents. It has so far opened four Slim Chickens sites. Earlier this month, Wendy’s, which has opened circa 30 sites since its return to the UK in 2021, added to its drive-thru estate in the UK with an opening in Liverpool. The company expects to see up to 50 restaurants in the market by year-end and said it was in a great position to continue growing the brand in the UK to 400 restaurants over time. 

Rarebreed Dining returns to positive FY Ebitda, continuing to look for new sites: Rarebreed Dining, the three-strong steak-focused pub company, reported Ebitda of £42,214 in the year to 30 September 2023, against a loss of £78,709 in the previous 12 months, as it said the impact of post-covid 19 “cast a long shadow over the economic trading environment”. The company reported turnover for the year of £4,078,106 (2022: £4,112,408), with a pre-tax loss of £513,507 (2022: loss of £892,290). It said: “Rampant inflationary pressures driving household utility bills and food prices caused the Bank of England to react with aggressive interest rate hikes. Although energy prices in themselves were more connected to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the impact on consumer spending was noticeable. The government also introduced inflation-busting unprecedented increases in national minimum wage rates. Although in itself this isn’t a driver to our cost base, the impact is felt through maintaining differential rates, which the business had to absorb as customer budgets were squeezed. The uncertain backdrop could be measured by having no less than four chancellors in the space of the 52 weeks under review. At a time when the hospitality industry was suffering generally from a shortage of workers, it was a very challenging year. Given the challenges and pressures outside of our control, the business did well to withstand the macroeconomic headwinds and keep consistently high levels of service, building maintenance and staff morale.” The business said it looked to retain its best talent by paying as much as it could, and with “the employment landscape for kitchen workers and chefs generally” particularly concerning, training and development its kitchen teams has become key, along with an extensive staff welfare programme. “We believe we have the management skills, operational concepts and ambition to grow the business,” it added. “Our strategy is to grow our business by finding suitable sized units which are in locations with strong demographics, in affluent market towns. We are continually looking for sites which fit these criteria.” At the turn of the year, the group closed its Corn Stores restaurant in Reading. It said negotiations with potential buyers/lessees are ongoing, and no binding sale/lease agreements have been entered into on the site. Rarebreed, which is working with Savills as it considers its options, currently operates from The Plough Inn, Cobham (leasehold); The Shurlock Inn, Twyford (freehold); and The Waverley Inn, Weybridge (freehold).

Sandwich concept Mondo Sando launches £30,000 fundraiser to help open first permanent location: Sandwich concept Mondo Sando has launched a £30,000 fundraiser to help open its first permanent location. Launched three years ago as a pandemic project, Mondo Sando has held residencies at the Grove House Tavern in Camberwell and The White Horse in Peckham – and will continue to operate the kitchen at the Grove House. It is also looking to this autumn open Cafe Mondo, having secured a premises at 42 Peckham Road in Camberwell. Cafe Mondo will operate as a “fast-slinging sandwich joint” by day, and a “magic little dive with unserious and always affordable drinks, snacks and plates” by night. A Kickstarter campaign, which runs until 20 September, will help raise funds for the build, kitchen essentials and start-up costs. Those who back the project can earn rewards such as dinner for two, a free sandwich and a sandwich making masterclass. Co-founders Jack Macrae and Viggo Blegvad said: “We’ve spent a long time looking for a shop that fits the bill. South east London has always been our home, it’s where our regulars live and where we first started out. We’ve always wanted to run a place where you can grab an amazing sarnie for lunch, make some bad decisions when the sun goes down, and do everything in between on the weekends. Cafe Mondo is our love letter to all the great spots you’ve stumbled upon in all the best stories you’ve told.” With 29 days to go, the campaign has so far raised £4,087 from 65 backers.

Parkdean Resorts launches new support system for employees going through the menopause: Parkdean Resorts, the UK’s largest holiday park operator, has launched a new support system for employees going through the menopause. It has partnered with My Menopause Centre to offer employees access to an online menopause clinic that provides holistic, evidence-based and personalised care. The initiatives include a 45-minute fast-track consultation with a specialist doctor, and prescriptions will be offered where appropriate. The doctors will offer personalised support and help formulate treatment based on a plan that works for the individual. It follows Parkdean Resorts signing the Age Friendly Employer Pledge, training more staff as mental health first aiders and partnering with the British Heart Foundation to provide on-site heart checks. Becky Cain, wellbeing and inclusion manager at Parkdean Resorts, said: “Ensuring the good health and wellbeing of our staff is of the utmost importance here at Parkdean Resorts and we’re proud to announce our partnership with My Menopause Centre. We look forward to growing our partnership and continuing to provide an inclusive and welcoming working environment.”

The Wolseley Hospitality Group promotes Charles Hilton to group executive chef as David Stevens leaves to join Jeremy King: The Wolseley Hospitality Group, formerly Corbin & King, has announced the promotion of Charles Hilton to group executive chef following his eight-year tenure as head chef at its Brasserie Zedel site in London’s Piccadilly. Hilton promotion comes after David Stevens stepped down from the role to take up a new role with his former boss Jeremy King. Stevens spent more than ten years at The Wolseley Hospitality Group, including more than seven years as its group executive chef. His new role is executive chef at Jeremy King Restaurants, and he is currently overseeing the reopening of Simpsons in the Strand, London, which will open later this year. With over 30 years’ experience in professional cooking, Hilton will now oversee 200 team members across The Wolseley, The Wolseley City, The Delaunay, Brasserie Zedel, Manzi’s of Soho, Colbert, Soutine, Fischer'’ and Bellanger. The company said that with an extensive knowledge of French and European cuisine, Hilton is passionate about sourcing locally produced, high-quality ingredients. Hilton said: “Having worked for the group for the last eight years, it’s been a pleasure to take on the role as group executive chef. I’m excited to be working across our nine restaurants and will be focusing my efforts on our younger generation of chefs as well as developing our menus. Every month we run masterclasses and supplier visits to teach our chefs the skills they need to succeed within our industry.”

Hampshire and West Sussex hospitality group opens fifth venue: Hampshire and West Sussex hospitality group Ideal Collection has opened its fifth venue. Boathouse Swanwick has launched on the site of a former restaurant owned by the group at Swanwick Marina, which was demolished after closing last year. The new, larger restaurant also has a takeaway coffee shop and a terrace on the banks of the glorious River Hamble. Ideal Collection managing director Oliver Weeks said: “A lot of commitment and effort from so many people went into bringing this venue to life, so I’m thrilled to see the hard work starting to pay off.” The group also operates Kimbridge Barn in Romsey, Boat House Chichester in Chichester, The Bugle in Hamble and The White Horse in Otterbourne. Founded in 2002, it also has a central production kitchen at Kimbridge Barn.

Jeremy Clarkson names new pub The Farmer’s Dog: Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that his new pub in Oxfordshire will be called The Farmer’s Dog and will have its grand opening this Friday (23 August) at midday. Clarkson recently became the owner of The Windmill pub in Burford, Oxfordshire. He revealed that the historic Cotswolds pub cost him less than £1m. While announcing his latest venture, Clarkson said that the pub will serve locally-sourced ingredients as well as products from the Diddly Squat Farm and his own Hawkstone beer on draught. He said: “I also wanted a room I could turn into a clubhouse, which, on wet weekdays, would provide a mental health forum and a free pint for the nation’s farmers. I wanted dogs and families round the fire. And a restaurant where absolutely everything had been grown or reared in Britain. Even the salt, pepper and wine. I had even decided there’d be no coffee or Coca-Cola.”