Professionals at Play to consider funding options next year: Professionals at Play, the operator of Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room and King Pins, has told Propel it is currently in talks with advisors on a potential investment process next year. The business is currently beauty parading with three sector advisors, including PwC and Houlihan Lokey, with the view to appointing one next year to look at options for current backer Foresight’s exit. Founded by brothers Matt and Ben Jones, the business comprises the Roxy Ball Room, Roxy Lanes and King Pins brands, as well as new family-focused brand Star Pins, due to be launched later this year, in Coventry. At the start of 2020, Foresight, the investment firm that previously backed Mowgli, invested £7.5m into the then eight-strong Roxy Leisure. The company has since grown to operate 21 sites across 12 cities, and alongside the Coventry launch, has further sites planned within the next 12 months in Bristol, Glasgow, Belfast, Leeds and London. The business recently changed its name to Professionals at Play, creating a group brand for its competitive socialising operators, Roxy Leisure and Pins Leisure. The rebrand to Professionals at Play was bolstered by a management restructure, with Colin Sadler promoted to group chief operating officer. The former managing director of Pins Leisure, Sadler joined the business in 2023, leading on the expansion of the King Pins brand, which now operates across two sites in Manchester, with several more in the pipeline. He will oversee group operations, commercial, marketing and the people teams during the next phase of growth. Jones, Sadler and fellow managing director Ben Warren will be among the speakers at next month’s Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party. A record number of more than 450 people have booked to attend the conference, on Thursday, 5 September, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry, with a waiting list now in place for operators. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to be added to the waiting list.

Premium Club members to receive Multi-Site Database with 3,232 operators and 44 new companies on Friday 30 August: Premium Club members are to receive the Multi-Site Database on Friday, 30 August. The next Propel Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate, provides details of 3,232 multi-site operators and is now searchable in seven main segments. The database features, 953 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 780 (24%) pub and bar operators, 540 (17%) cafe bakery, 441 (14%) quick service restaurants, 265 (8%) hotel, 205 (6%) experiential leisure and 55 (2%) fine dining. It is updated each month, and this edition includes 44 new companies. New additions to the cafe bakery sector include South Wales coffee shop Bean & Bread; Latin dessert concept Churros Locos and Merseyside railway station coffee shop concept Coffee Carriage. 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 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.

The Devonshire becomes the UK’s first pub to serve Guinness 0.0 on tap: The Devonshire pub in London’s Soho, has become the first in the UK to serve Guinness 0.0 on draft. Guinness 0.0 is readily available in cans across the UK but until now had yet to make it into any pubs in a keg. “We think it’s the best zero product available on draught,” Devonshire co-owner Oisín Rogers told the Evening Standard. “It’s a great substitute for people who are driving or avoiding alcohol for whatever reason. The Guinness 0.0 out of the tap is far superior to the canned version. It genuinely tastes amazing and comes through the same installation that we designed for the Dev’s usual Guinness. I was genuinely hugely surprised by the quality of the flavour and its texture and all of that.” Rogers said his team would serve the alcohol-free pints in “a new tulip glass” supplied directly by Guinness, which he claimed to have had a hand in designing. The price will be £6.35 a pint, compared to the price of regular Guinness, which is £6.90. Consumers will be able to distinguish the zero tap from the others on the bar thanks to a distinct, one-off blue keg badge, designed by Diageo for the pub. More than 1,000 pubs in the Republic of Ireland have been able to serve Guinness 0.0 from a keg since late last year. Rogers previously said that he was told by Diageo that his pub has the biggest Guinness account in the world. Speaking at Propel’s Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference earlier this summer, Rogers would not be drawn on the venue’s average weekly sales but said “they spent a long time beginning with a two” – which are understood to be in reference to takings in excess of £200,000 per week. He also said the pub has a daily delivery of Guinness to keep up with demand.

Restaurateur Alex Claridge’s second restaurant enters Michelin Guide two months after opening: Restaurateur Alex Claridge’s second restaurant has entered the Michelin Guide just two months after opening. Claridge opened Albatross Death Cult in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter at the end of June, joining his nearby venue The Wilderness. The entry reads: “Let’s first address the elephant – or rather, the albatross – in the room. This is no ordinary name for a restaurant, but then Alex Claridge has never been an ordinary restaurateur. The man behind the self-proclaimed ‘rock and roll fine dining’ at The Wilderness has taken inspiration from Coleridge’s poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ for the moniker of his latest venture – which consists almost entirely of small seafood dishes prepared using techniques like curing and water-bathing. The whole experience, centred around an attractive counter, will be a memorable one.” Albatross Death Cult is one of eight new restaurants added to the UK & Ireland Guide in August, including Skof in Manchester, the first solo venture from Tom Barnes, the former executive chef at Three Michelin-starred L’Enclume. Also added is Roe in London’s Canary Wharf from Jack Croft and Will Murray, the duo behind Fallow in Haymarket. Further new entries in London are French restaurant Camille in Southwark, Portuguese restaurant Volta Do Mar in Chelsea and Julie’s in North Kensington. There are also two new entries from Ireland – Darog in Galway and The Coach House in Redwood.

Sir Tim Martin defends pre-flight drinking in row with Ryanair: Sir Tim Martin, founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, has defended pre-flight drinking as he said the pub company removed two-for-one alcohol deals and “shooters” from airport menus “years ago”. Sir Tim said Wetherspoons’ airport pubs no longer served shots such as Jägerbombs, adding that alcoholic drinks made up just a third of sales at these sites over the past four weeks. He told The Telegraph: “We’ve had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines that I’m aware of in recent years. Years ago, we stopped selling ‘shooters’ at airports, as well as ‘double-up’ offers. Ryanair, in contrast, offers a discount on Irish whiskey if a double is ordered.” It comes after Michael O’Leary, group chief executive of Ryanair, called for a two drinks per passenger limit at airport bars to curb drunken disorder on flights. Over the past four weeks, the height of the summer travel season, Wetherspoons’ airport pubs derived only 33% of sales from alcohol, Sir Tim said. A total 25% of sales came from soft drinks, tea and coffee, with the remainder from food purchases. Sir Tim said: “Coffee volumes, which include free refills, approximately match lager volumes at our airport pubs.” Wetherspoon operates The Windmill pub at Stansted airport, Ryanair’s biggest base, and also has three outlets at Gatwick and two at Heathrow – all but one located after passengers have cleared security checks. Sir Tim said all Wetherspoons premises were covered by CCTV so problem drinkers could be readily identified. UKHospitality said airport outlets provided robust staff training and many already limited servings of alcohol. Kate Nicholls, chief executive, said: “Pubs are not the only places in airports that serve alcohol and all venues, including lounges and duty-free, have a duty to act responsibly.” She added that “the vast majority of passengers are able to responsibly enjoy a drink or bite to eat before taking off on their travels”.

CAMRA chair steps down due to illness: The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) chair Nik Antona has announced that he is stepping down from the role with immediate effect due to a serious illness. Antona has resigned from his position as CAMRA chair and as a national executive member in order to concentrate on his treatment and recovery. The organisation’s national executive will now conduct an election process to select a new chair. Having served as a CAMRA volunteer for more than two decades, both with his local branch in Burton-on-Trent and as a regional and national director, Antona was appointed as chair five and a half years ago. In a message to all members, he said: “It has been a privilege to serve as CAMRA chairman. It has been a challenging time for the organisation, but we have emerged from covid and the cost-of-living crisis in as good a position as possible, thanks to the tireless dedication of our active members and volunteers, and the support of the wider membership across the country.” CAMRA vice-chair Ash Corbett-Collins wished Antona a speedy recovery from his illness and said that the organisation looked forward to welcoming him back as an active member.

Licensing update: John Gaunt & Partners licensing solicitors has just published its latest licensing update. This month, there is guidance on renewing pavement licences, a report on the proposed shoplifting and assault laws, and an update on the private members’ bill seeking to amend the Licensing Act 2003 so licensing hours orders can be made more easily. The full update can be accessed here.

Job of the Day: COREcruitment has partnered with an established drinks wholesaler looking to hire a regional sales manager. The London-based role has a salary of up to £60,000 and will involve managing a team of five across London and surrounding areas. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “My client is a dynamic and rapidly growing drinks company known for its innovative products and market-leading brands. As they continue to expand their presence across the UK, they are looking for a motivated and experienced regional sales manager to drive their success in London.” In addition to the salary, the hiring client is also offering a company car, travel and drinks allowance. For more information and to apply, please contact Mark Girdlestone at mark@corecruitment.com.

Kiss the Hippo – our goal is to have 16 cafés in central London by the end of 2025: Speciality coffee shop Kiss the Hippo has told Propel its goal is to have 16 cafés in central London by the end of 2025. The business, which was founded in 2018 by Can Eren, will open its ninth site in the capital, in Soho, next week (Monday, 2 September). Managing director Alex Damgaci told Propel that the business will reach ten locations by the end of this year. He said: “In the meantime, we’re expanding our roastery space in North London, which will triple our production capacity by the end of October and allow us to share more award-winning, carbon negative and delicious coffees with our valued guests and wholesale coffee partners. Additionally, we are in the legal process for the leases of the next three locations, which will open in the first half of 2025. Our goal is to have 16 cafés in central London by the end of 2025.” The opening next week, at 30 Golden Square, marks the brand’s third opening of 2024. Kiss the Hippo's brand director Irem Aksuyek said: “As London’s first carbon negative coffee company, we are driven by a deep commitment to excellence in every cup. We are thrilled to bring our expertly curated café experience and exquisite bean-to-cup coffee to the heart of Soho and we can’t wait to share our passion for great coffee with this iconic neighbourhood.”

North west concept Egg & Co targets 40 sites: Egg & Co, the north west concept led by founder Umer Khalid, is aiming to grow from four to 40 locations over the next five years. The business, which currently operates in the likes of Cambridge Street Collective and Kargo Mkt, has begun working with the Paolo Peretti Group (PPG) on its expansion plans, with a focus on food halls and transport hubs. PPG said it will be supporting Egg & Co’s senior leadership team across several functions including operations, franchising, business development and marketing. Paolo Peretti, managing director of PPG, said: “We are really excited to have brought Egg & Co on board. The leadership team have fantastic ambition for their business, which sits right in PPG’s sweet spot in terms of growth – they are a brand who require foundations for this next stage, and we are well placed to support. Given Egg & Co’s strong dining concept and high level of quality, we are very optimistic about the roll-out over the next five years.” The brunch concept offers sandwiches featuring unique sauces and artisan brioche buns.

Bubbleology strikes retail partnership with Ocado: Bubbleology, the London bubble tea bar operator, has struck a retail partnership with Ocado that will see its make-at-home bubble tea kits added to the online supermarket’s list of nationwide retailers. The range includes two mixology kits: the Fruit Bubble Tea Mixology Kit with raspberry and passion fruit tea, and strawberry and mango popping boba; and the Milk Bubble Tea Mixology Kit with taro and brown sugar milk flavours instant tapioca pearls – both retailing at £7 each. The new listing comes as part of Bubbleology’s strategic partnership with Aimia Foods, which began in June 2023. Since then, the range has successfully been available via more than 1,500 retail stores nationwide including ASDA, Tesco, Morrisons, B&M and now Ocado. This year, the brand is projected to serve more than eight million bubble teas through both its bricks & mortar footprint and rapidly growing grocery retail range. Bubbleology founder and chief executive Assad Khan said: “We are delighted to be working with Ocado, as we continue growing our grocery range. As one of the UK’s leading online retailers, this new listing cements our position as the frontrunner in the UK’s bubble tea market, both in and out of the home and is set to significantly extend our brand reach.” The company said that the Ocado listing is part of its ambitious plans to further grow its out of home presence while it continues to expand its high street store presence over the next 12 months to over 50 sites. It currently operates from circa 35 sites across the UK.

Chipotle to open latest London site next month: US brand Chipotle will open its latest London site, in the former HSBC site at 95 Gloucester Road, next month. It will open on Friday, 6 September, bringing the brand’s UK footprint to a total of 20 locations. Guests can order in restaurant, via the Chipotle UK app or through Uber Eats, Just Eat or Deliveroo. Chipotle’s chicken al pastor will be available for a limited time, while it will be only the brand’s second location in the UK to serve lemonades, aguas frescas and tea from Tractor Beverage Co. Last month, Chipotle, which operates 18 sites in London plus one each in Watford and Guildford, said it is also planning an opening in Essex’s Lakeside shopping centre.

Popeyes UK to make Northern Ireland debut next month: Popeyes UK, the US fried chicken quick service restaurant brand backed here by TDR Capital, has confirmed that it will open its first restaurant in Northern Ireland, next month (20 September) and said the opening “represents the start of our commitment to the island of Ireland”. Based at Lesley Forestside Shopping Centre, the new site will create 90 local jobs. Since its arrival to the UK in November 2021, Popeyes has opened more than 50 locations. The brand intends to double the size of its current estate and create more than 2,000 jobs, with plans for 30 new restaurants, drive-thrus and delivery kitchens in 2024, including the Belfast opening. Tom Crowley, chief executive of Popeyes UK, said, “We’re incredibly excited to have landed in Northern Ireland – a region we’ve had our eyes on for some time. The Belfast opening represents the start of our commitment to the island of Ireland – it’s only the beginning of our plans. We plan to bring the spirit of New Orleans to our opening experience and are looking forward to welcoming existing fans and those trying for the first time.”

Redemption Roasters opens Hampstead Village site: The world’s first prison-based coffee company, Redemption Roasters, has opened its latest site, in Hampstead Village. The now 11-strong company, which earlier year said it planned to treble revenue over the next three years after completing a £2.7m investment round, has opened at 14 Perrins Court. The company also has a site in St Giles Square lined up for an opening before the end of the year. In April, the company said it planned to launch four new retail premises over the coming months in London and expand its wholesale network. The Macquarie Group Foundation, R&Co4Generations (the Rothschild & Co Group Foundation) and Barrow Cadbury Trust were among those companies that invested in Redemption Roasters’ latest fundraising round, which gave it a pre-money valuation of £22m. Launched in 2017, Redemption Roasters has recorded more than 60% year-on-year growth since 2019, with annual revenue forecast to exceed £25m by 2026. The company is planning to open a further 17 shops in the capital by 2026.

Atis set to open Moorgate site: Atis, the London salad brand co-founded by former Noble Rot sommelier Eleanor Warder, is set to open its eighth site in the capital. The company will open at 20-22 Ropemaker in Moorgate, for its City flagship, later this year. The brand will occupy more than 3,000 square feet within the new Ropemaker development. Philip Honer, co-founder of Atis, said: “Everyone at Atis is so excited to be opening at Ropemaker and to be part of the thriving City community around it. The core of Atis is built around a modern, sustainable way of eating and we are proud to be a part of a building that shares the same core values of sustainability and modern design.” Henry Turner, asset manager at landlord Old Park Lane Management, added: “It’s a privilege to partner with a company that shares our values and progressive ESG agenda – an excellent addition that will benefit both our immediate Ropemaker customer base and the wider surrounding community.” Atis will open its seventh site at 15 Eastcheap on 2 September, which will be its second new site of 2024 following its launch at 295 Regent Street earlier this summer. The new City store will offer delivery via Deliveroo and click and collect services, as well as kiosks for ordering in-store.

Britvic shareholders vote in favour of £3.3bn takeover by Carlsberg: Britvic shareholders have voted in favour of Carlsberg’s proposed £3.3bn acquisition. The Danish brewer sealed the deal in early July when the board of the soft drinks group behind Pepsi UK and Fruit Shoot backed a recommended takeover. Carlsberg had upped its bid to £12.90 per share, with Britvic also agreeing to pay shareholders a 25p per share dividend. Yesterday, Britvic confirmed that its shareholders had voted in favour of the transaction. At the court meeting, the vote was backed by a margin of 99.69%, while the general meeting received an even higher 99.76%. Completion remains subject to regulatory approval. Carlsberg plans to roll its UK Carlsberg-Marston’s business into that of Britvic, creating a joint company called Carlsberg Britvic. It agreed to pay £206m to buy out Marston’s remaining 40% stake in the joint venture. 

Former Mitchells & Butlers executive set to open first London site for his northern Thai barbecue concept: Former Mitchells & Butlers executive Mike Palmer is set to open the first London site for his northern Thai barbecue concept. Palmer operates two Redroaster sites, the Lucky Beach cafe and a Lucky Khao restaurant – all in Brighton. He is now bringing Lucky Khao to London with the opening of Khao Bird above The Globe Tavern in Borough Market, on Thursday, 19 September. It will focus on regional specialities such as Gai Yang (grill marinated chicken) and Khao Soi (curry and noodles), using sustainably sourced British ingredients and Thai spices. Head chef Luke Larsson has worked in Thai kitchens at Samuay & Sons, 100 Mahaseth and Bo.lan, while sommelier Zeren Wilson has produced a wine list selected to pair with the dishes, alongside cocktails with Thai-inspired twists. Khao Bird will be taking over the space from TĀTĀ Eatery’s Tóu Sando bar, which was also previously home to Adejoké Bakare’s Michelin-starred Chishuru. Palmer said: “Khao started out for us as a series of pop-ups in Brighton, inspired by our time studying and working in Thailand, and in 2018 we opened our first permanent restaurant, in Brighton’s historic old post office. Now, with this exciting opportunity in Borough Market, we’re diving into the unique cuisine of Chiang Mai. We’ve named the place Khao Bird as a nod to our love for the city’s famous BBQ chicken. The menu features northern Thai classics, particularly the flavours that light up the city’s night markets, with some playful twists that reflect our journey from Brighton to Bangkok.”

Sweden-based Mexican fast-food franchise chain Zócalo makes regional UK debut: Sweden-based Mexican fast-food franchise chain Zócalo has made its regional debut in the UK with an opening in Birmingham. Propel revealed at the start of this year that the business has lined up an opening on the ex-Eat 4 Less site in the city’s New Street. The site has now opened with 60 covers spread over two floors. It has been launched by Meena Tamilarasu and Satish Rajamanickam Rajarathinam, who are local franchisees for the brand. Zócalo opened its first UK restaurant last year, at 21 Great Windmill Street in London’s Soho. Master franchisees Pritesh and Shivum Amlanu partnered with chef Andre Martin and former Premier League footballer Jose Fonte for the opening. Zócalo was founded in 2002 and has grown to circa 25 restaurants in Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, the UK and Iceland. Speaking at the start of the year, Zócalo chief executive Einar Örn Einarsson said: “We have so many people who are interested in opening Zócalo restaurants in the UK, so hopefully our master franchisees can get a couple of deals across the finish line.” In January, the business launched its first restaurant in the Republic of Ireland as franchisee Robert O’Donaghue opened at Unit 3 Village Green in Church Road, Douglas, Cork.

Café concept Trade opens fourth site: Trade, the London-based café concept, has opened its fourth site in the capital, in Highgate. The business, which is led by co-founder Alex Stone, has opened on the former Wine Cellar site at 1 Swain’s Lane. The concept operates as a breakfast and brunch café throughout the day, serving specialty coffee, artisan sandwiches, bagels, pancakes and eggs, and then as something more akin to a bar in the early evenings, with draught beer, wines and cocktails available. Stone operates the business with his mother-in-law, Marion Boltman, after originally setting it up with his late father-in-law. The family opened their first cafe in Commercial Street, Spitalfields, in 2013, followed by others in Essex Road, Islington, in 2017 and Old Street, Islington, two years later. The business is looking to continue to expand organically. Samuel Nassimi at CDG Leisure acted on behalf of Trade to acquire a new lease on the Highgate site. 

Chef Alex Aitken set to open fourth restaurant in partnership with Harbour Hotels: Chef Alex Aitken is set to open his fourth restaurant in partnership with Harbour Hotels. Opening next month, The Jetty Restaurant, Bar & Terrace at the Padstow Harbour Hotel in Cornwall will be the fourth in the group’s The Jetty portfolio, where Aitken is chef patron. Its other The Jetty restaurants are at the hotels in Christchurch, Southampton and Salcombe. Located on the ground floor of the hotel, the 60-cover restaurant offers panoramic views of The Camel Estuary as well as all-day dining and a dedicated bar and terrace. The seafood-focused menu will be almost entirely sourced from local fishermen and suppliers across Cornwall, with an ever-changing daily catch of the day roster including local day boat fish, plus whole Padstow Lobster and Porthilly Oysters when in season. Other dishes on the opening menu will include cockle popcorn, twice baked cheese soufflé’, surf and turf and roasted monkfish. Aitken said: “I’m excited to bring our coastal dining experience to this vibrant part of the UK. Padstow’s culinary heritage is well revered and our focus will be on serving fresh, locally sourced seafood, paired with innovative flavours that celebrate the essence of the Cornish coast.” Aitken opened his first restaurant, Le Poussin in Brockenhurst, in 1983, which went on to hold a Michelin star for 15 years. Harbour Hotels, which is owned by the Nicolas James Group, owns 14 hotels and spas across the UK.

Ennismore secures site for first Hoxton hotel in Australia: Gleneagles and Hoxton hotels owner Ennismore has secured a site for its first hotel in Australia under the Hoxton brand. It will open The Hoxton at 560 Church Street in Melbourne in 2027, featuring 198 bedrooms alongside a café, bar and restaurant. There will also be a gym and hybrid event spaces centred around a communal pantry. Ennismore founder Sharan Pasricha said, “We are delighted to bring The Hoxton to Australia for the first time, Melbourne has been in our sights for a long time for The Hoxton. Our guests and brand followers have long been asking for a Hoxton in Australia, and we’re thrilled to finally make it happen.” There are currently 16 The Hoxton hotels across the UK, Europe and North America, with further sites due to open soon in Edinburgh, Florence and Oslo – the brand’s first in Scandinavia.

Maison François team confirms September launch for new French-inspired café in Borough Market: The team behind Maison François in London’s Mayfair has confirmed it will launch its new French-inspired café in Borough Market next month. Restaurateur François O’Neill, who opened brasserie and wine bar Maison François at the former site of Green's Restaurant & Oyster Bar in 2020, will open Café François on Wednesday, 11 September. It will feature a ground floor deli counter, rotisserie, open kitchen and dining room, while on the first floor will be two further dining rooms. O’Neill, along with executive chef Matthew Ryle and Ed Wyand heading up front of house, are creating a menu that “pays homage to much loved affordable French classics, while also embracing global influences and flavours and there will also be an international wine list and classic cocktails”. All bread and patisserie will be created in the in-house bakery, visible to customers behind a glass wall on the first floor.

Cookies & Cones brings Bromley store back under its ownership but set to lose Chelmsford site: Essex American-style dessert company Cookies & Cones has brought its store in Bromley, south east London, back under its ownership but is set to lose its site in Chelmsford, Essex. The Bromley site is located within Primark at 162 High Street, while the Chelmsford one is at 135 Bond Street. As well as Bromley, the business also operates stores at 105 Broadway in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex and Brocklebank Retail Park in Charlton, south east London. “We’re thrilled to share that the third of our three stores is now officially back under original independent ownership,” said founder Matt Davis. “A warm welcome back to Cookies and Cones Bromley Primark. Please note that Cookies and Cones Chelmsford is no longer operated by us. Over the coming months, it will be rebranded and transition away from the Cookies and Cones name.” At the start of last year, the company had ten sites and said it was planning an 11th as well as moving into a new production facility.

Wiltshire Indian restaurant operators open second site: Wiltshire Indian restaurant operators Foyez Rahman and Khaled Miah have opened a second site. Business owner Rahman and Miah, his uncle and head chef, have opened Sasa’s Indian Kitchen and Bar at the Pettifers Hotel in Crudwell. The duo also run Asha Indian Kitchen in The Crown at Cerney Wick, offering a fusion of Asian flavours and UK and European culinary trends. “It is a great opportunity to showcase more of what we can do,” Rahman told the Wilts & Glos Standard. “My uncle is an excellent chef who has been cooking great Indian food in the area for 38 years, since 1980, and before that was at a great restaurant that really set the trend in West Kensington. There will be roti wraps, burgers or barbecued paneer alongside charcoal sizzlers of roasted king prawns and charred peppers. Chef specials include the Korma Sutra, The Birthday Suit and Take Your Cloves Off – it is a fun menu, and we look forward to sharing it with Crudwell and the surrounding area.”