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Wed 30th Oct 2024 - Propel Wednesday News Briefing |
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Story of the Day:UKHospitality – national minimum wage rise will add £1.9bn to the hospitality wage bill: UKHospitality has warned that the forthcoming national minimum wage rise will add £1.9bn to the hospitality sector’s wage bill. The national minimum wage is to increase by up to 6% next year, with more than one million low-paid workers in line for a pay rise. Rachel Reeves is expected to announce an increase above inflation, and even higher than what had been predicted last month, in today’s Budget (Wednesday, 30 October). About 1.6 million people are in line to receive the national living wage of £11.44 an hour – the minimum wage for those 21 and over – rising to more than £12.12 after ministers promised to “raise the floor” on wages. UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “These wage rises are well above expectations and make the Budget even more important. It’s an added £1.9 billion to the hospitality wage bill, on top of the cost of the Employment Rights Bill, and, if rumours about the Budget are true, employer NICs and business rate rises. Trying to balance the books from the pockets of high street businesses will simply leave hospitality as collateral damage – threatening jobs, future investment, price increases for consumers, and business viability. Businesses will be approaching the Budget with even more trepidation following this news. Our companies desperately want to be able to support higher wages for staff but what is being asked of them is simply unsustainable if taxes are going to shoot up at the same time. In light of this, it's paramount that the Budget includes targeted measures to support the high street and the cost burden it is facing. That must start with addressing the broken business rates system and implementing a lower, permanent and universal level for hospitality.” Paul Wigham, chief executive of pub and bar group All Our Bars, accused the government of failing to listen to businesses. “They imagine that 6% increases for the lower inexperienced staff make no difference,” he told Propel. “There will be no cost impact for a £65,000 train driver who has decimated city businesses. However, where there exists a service model, the impact is huge and not restricted to a small number of people, because all retail and service is affected. We would need to increase our prices by 1.5-2% just for this element of our cost base, depending on the proportion of staff cost in the turnover, but the same metric will apply to the suppliers too, who need to take the same action – the sector will finish up with 6% increases and hope it can survive the falling demand that results from a 30-40p increase on our average pint. Good luck with those inflation numbers, and if the government listened to the employers generating the GDP that they are taxing, they would not seek to lose jobs for the younger or more disadvantaged.”
Industry News:Premium Club members to receive updated segmented Multi-Site Database featuring 784 pub and bar operators on Friday: Premium Club members are to receive the Multi-Site Database on Friday (1 November), at midday. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,264 multi-site operators and is now searchable in seven main segments. The database features 961 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 784 (24%) pub and bar operators, 548 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 445 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 267 (8%) hotel operators, 204 (6%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. It is updated each month, and this edition includes 21 new companies. New additions to the pub and bar sector include Three Hills Brewery, operating taprooms in Northamptonshire, and Glasgow nightclub operator Dawncrest. 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 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.
C&C Group CEO – premiumisation is here to stay, wine and spirits will continue to lag behind beer and cider: C&C Group chief executive Ralph Findlay has told Propel that premiumisation is here to stay and that wine and spirits will continue to lag behind beer and cider. Speaking following the group’s half year results, in which C&C reported its premium brands delivered double-digit revenue growth – with Menabrea up 17% and Orchard Pig up 20% – Findlay said: “Premium brands have shown strong growth, and there is the potential to place them further. They currently make up 9% of our branded revenue sales, and there is an internal target to take that to 15%.” He added: “Wine and spirits have been relatively weak compared with beer and cider due to cost of living pressures on the consumer. We’re seeing some of that in the pub space, and we don’t see it changing any time soon.” Findlay said going into the festive season, the business is in much better shape than this time last year, and the fact that it is a midweek Christmas this year will bring about the bonus of an extended trading period. Going into 2025, Findlay said much of the company’s focus will be around the Magner’s brand, having taken its distribution back in-house from Budweiser. “It’s no reflection at all on Budweiser,” he added. “It’s a work in progress, but there will more structure around its distribution.” C&C said its results for the six months to 31 August 2024 were “in line with expectations”, with an overall marginal net revenue decline of 3%, and net revenue growth of 2% in Matthew Clark & Bibendum. Underlying group operating profit before exceptional items was up 29% to €40.3m, with operating margins improving to 4.7%.
Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a growing event solutions business that caters to a diverse range of events and exhibitions across the UK and is seeking a sales director. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The position will be responsible for maximising and growing the revenue across the business by designing and delivering strategic sales action plans that are specifically designed to meet the targets of the business. The individual will be organised and methodical in their approach and eager for new business development. They must have a background in working with events agencies and exhibition providers and a fantastic network of contacts.” The salary is up to £85,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email marlene@corecruitment.com.
Company News:McDonald’s CEO – UK traffic down but value offers generating excitement: McDonald’s chief executive Chris Kempczinski has said while traffic is down in its UK market, value offers are generating plenty of excitement here. Speaking to investors following the company’s third quarter update to 30 September 2024, in which UK sales dropped by an unspecified amount alongside a 1.5% like-for-like drop in global sales, Kempczinski said: “We are seeing a tough industry. UK, France, Germany and Australia are all markets where the industry traffic is down. That said, we are either gaining share or seeing sequential improvement in all of our major markets, which is encouraging. But I’m not satisfied with the pace, and I think there's more that we need to do to step up and accelerate. There's a number of adjustments that are being made in each individual market to augment their value programmes, and I think we have an opportunity to overlay on top of that some stronger marketing efforts as well.” Kempczinski gave the ‘three for £3’ in the UK as an example of a successful value offering launched in the quarter. “We are working at pace with our franchisees in international operated markets to offer everyday affordable price menus coupled with entry-level meal bundles as we are not consistently delivering both in all markets today,” he added. “We will continue to take a forensic approach to evaluating our offerings, acting with agility to ensure we are delivering against the expectations of our customers. We are beginning to see progress. For example, in the UK and Germany, we have grown traffic share in environments that have further deteriorated since secomd quarter. The UK drove excitement amongst customers by providing compelling value propositions across all occasions with the return of the three for £3 menu by providing a £2.79 breakfast bundle and by capitalising on consumer excitement through the launch of the Grimace Shake. And being further inspired by the success seen in the US, the UK recently launched a £5 meal bundle to further strengthen value positioning.” Total revenue was up 3% to $6,873m from $6,692m the previous year. For the year so far, revenue is up 2% to $19,532m compared with $19,088m the previous year.
Boston Tea Party CEO – staff turnover at historic low and profit doubles at Ebitda level, green credentials paying dividends: Sam Roberts, chief executive of all-day dining casual cafe brand Boston Tea Party, has told Propel that focusing on its green credentials is paying off, helping staff turnover hit a historic low and profit double at an Ebitda level for the year ending October 2024. Last week, the 23-strong group launched its “Hey, Big Coffee Chain” campaign, which challenges the UK’s largest coffee brands to follow its lead and eliminate single-use cups – a move made by Boston Tea Party in 2018. Six years on, and with consumers and staff placing more importance on sustainability, Roberts believes the decision is reaping its rewards – and helping deliver a strong performance. “We’re closing in on 1,000 signatures on the petition, which is available on our website – it’s really gaining traction,” Roberts said. “We’re trying to raise that awareness of the impact single-use cups have on the environment and show companies there’s another way. When we took the decision to ban single-use cups, we wanted our customers and teams to see that we want to make a difference, and I believe that’s paying off. We’ve just delivered a record low level of staff turnover – percentage-wise, it’s in the high 40s/low 50s – and we don’t have any recruitment issues. While turnover for the financial year is set to be flat at £26m, with headwinds subsiding, we are set to double our profit to £1.2m at an Ebitda level. We’ve also had a record year for our Boston Foundation – which aims to offer young people from our most deprived communities the opportunity to learn and grow – with work placements to more than 200 people. We’ve always worked hard to improve our menus and train our teams with our general managers and kitchen managers taking part in our Aspiring Leaders project.” Roberts also revealed it plans to roll out its delivery-only concept Hash & Bun, which launched at its site in Bristol’s Stokes Croft in July and is “doing really good numbers”, to more of its sites. He added: “Our focus this year has been on training and developments, but we’re working on a couple of deals for new sites, looking at suburban Bristol and Birmingham. We’re looking at one at the back end of 2025 and one at the start of 2026. It’s about making sure the site is right.” With the minimum wage set to reportedly rise by more than 6% next year, Roberts said it will put “hundreds of thousands of pounds” of costs on the business. “We’re try not to pass that on to the customer in terms of price, but it’s becoming more difficult,” he added. “We know our customers are being squeezed because they’re visiting less, although they are spending more when they do.”
Lebanese street food concept opens first franchise site, preparing to launch debut overseas location: Lebanese street food concept Mayyil has opened its first franchise site and is preparing to launch its debut overseas location. Mayyil was founded in 2022 by Ayman Assi as a sister concept to Beit El Zaytoun, the Lebanese restaurant in Park Royal, west London, which opened in 2016. Having launched Mayyil near Harrods in Knightsbridge in September 2022, a second site opened in nearby Notting Hill in January. Mayyil is now opening its first franchise location, in London’s Angel, and will also soon be launching in the UAE. “Mayyil Lebanese on the go is growing,” said founder Ayman Assi. “We started with a vision of bringing the authentic flavours of Lebanese street food to London, and what a journey it’s been. After successful launches in Knightsbridge and Notting Hill, we’re thrilled to announce our third location opening soon in Angel, London – and this time, as a franchise. But the excitement doesn’t stop there. We’re expanding internationally, with our first UAE location currently under renovation and set to open soon. Here’s to more growth and great food to come!” In March, Propel revealed that Assi was targeting 20 UK Mayyil sites over the next five years, as he rolls out the franchise programme. A further company owned store is also set to open next year. Assi is also behind Levant-inspired hospitality group, Zataro Group.
Roxy Leisure hires new operations director: Roxy Leisure – part of the Professionals at Play portfolio which also includes Pins Leisure – has hired a new operations director. Leane King has joined the business after 11 years at The New World Trading Company (NWTC), where she supported its growth from two to more than 30 sites. King brings more than 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry to the role, having spent time at NWTC as a general manager, senior operations manager, regional manager, head of operations and regional operations director. She led a national team of 25 operational managers, overseeing 22 direct sites to drive growth. She said. “Entering the competitive socialising environment provides a new sector full of huge opportunities for me personally, and I’m looking forward to supporting Roxy with its exciting expansion plans.” Colin Sadler, chief operating officer at Professionals at Play, added: “Leane has great experience from NWTC and a detailed knowledge of working in busy high street bars. It’s an exciting time as we look to cement our position as one of the country’s leading competitive socialising businesses, and we are confident that Leane’s appointment will help us achieve this goal.” Formerly Roxy Leisure Holdings before its rebrand in August, Professionals at Play operates the Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room, King Pins and Star Pins brands under its Roxy Leisure and Pins Leisure divisions. A new report has been produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector. 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 180 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. The report is available to Premium Club members. 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.
Arc Inspirations opens debut Scottish site for first of three launches in next month: Arc Inspirations, the premium bar operator, has opened its debut site in Scotland – the first of three launches in the next month. The company has brought its New York-inspired cocktail bar concept Manahatta to Edinburgh following a £2.45m investment. The 380 square-metre venue in Rose Street showcases Manahatta’s new “elevated” look. The company currently operates 18 bars across ten locations in the UK and is set to open a Manahatta in Nottingham and a site for its sports bar concept Box in Sheffield. Following this, the group will also launch a Manahatta in Liverpool in early 2025 and is pursuing further site opportunities in London, Cardiff and Scotland. Propel revealed last month that Arc Inspirations is also in talks to open a Box in Edinburgh next year. Chief executive Martin Wolstencroft said: “Edinburgh is the first of three new locations we’re launching in the coming month, marking a major milestone for Arc Inspirations. This opening is especially meaningful as it brings not only our first venue in Scotland, but the first of a new look for Manahatta. We’ve elevated the concept to create a glamorous and exciting bar, truly inspired by the beat of New York. Next up Manahatta Nottingham, followed closely by Box in Sheffield.”
Jason Atherton opens fourth restaurant this year: Chef Jason Atherton and wife Irha have opened their fourth restaurant this year. Named after their three daughters, the duo have opened the 85-cover Three Darlings at 241b Pavilion Road in London’s Chelsea, focusing on “blending innovative cooking techniques with sustainably sourced ingredients”. They have brought on board executive chef Jake Oswin, former senior sous chef at Dinner by Heston, who leads a menu of “modern English cuisine infused with European influences and global healthy food trends”. The all-day neighbourhood bistro also serves a takeaway option. Dishes includes oysters of the day served with Three Darlings fermented chilli sauce and horseradish mignonette; nduja, cacklebean egg and Piquillo pepper; Dorset clams with garlic butter; Cornish cod with flamed mussels and Grelot onion; spatchcock partridge with chicken fat butter; and a mini rack of English lamb. “Three Darlings is a project that’s particularly close to our hearts,” said Atherton. “Opening a restaurant and naming it after our daughters makes it truly special – a heartfelt tribute to both our family and my passion for culinary creativity.” There is also a curated selection of wine and cocktails, while the restaurant repurposes its food waste into a hot sauce, which can be purchased in the venue and will soon be available online. The restaurant sits in Atherton’s The Social Company portfolio, which includes the Michelin-starred City Social, Little Social, HotDogs by Three Darlings, Mary’s, Sael and Berners Tavern in London. Beyond the UK, it is behind Michelin-starred venues such as Row on 45, 7Tales and City Social in Dubai, Pig & Palm in Cebu, Maraya Social in Alula and King’s Social House in St Moritz.
Pure Leisure adds three Scottish sites to portfolio as it reports turnover nears £60m: Holiday park operator Pure Leisure has added three luxury lodge and caravan parks in Scotland to its portfolio for £7.1m and sold its Bowland Lakes in Preston for £2.5m. Pure Leisure is wholly owned by John Morphet, who started life as a farmer but made his fortune in the leisure business, founding South Lakeland Caravans in 1988 and Pure Leisure in 2004. Pure Leisure operates around 15 holiday lodge and caravan parks in the UK, as well as Tydd St Giles Golf and Leisure Estate in Cambridgeshire and Bridlington Links Golf and Leisure Estate in West Yorkshire, alongside the 750-acre Westmoreland estate in Barbados. The details of the acquisitions and sale were revealed in the company’s accounts for the year ending 31 January 2024, where it reported turnover increased 14.3% to £57,839,000 compared with £50,587,000 the previous year. Of the 2024 figure, £29,992,000 arose from the UK (2023: £28,950,000) and £28,147,000 from Barbados (2023: £21,637,000). Pre-tax profit fell to £12,438,000 from £24,987,000 the year before as the group spent almost £14m on acquisitions and administrative expenses climbed £12.5m. In the UK, holiday home sales in the year remained consistent with the prior period, although average margins dipped due to increased costs applied by the manufacturers, the group said. The overseas business is dependent upon real estate sales, fractional ownership revenue and the associated margins. Sale volumes increased in 2023 compared with the prior year with a mixture of whole property and apartment sales. The fractional ownership offering on the resort continued to prove to be attractive to buyers looking at entering the overseas property market, Pure Leisure said. During the year, Pure Leisure, which employs around 350 staff, acquired Lakesway Holiday Home & Lodge Park in the Lake District for £11.3m as well as agricultural land in nearby Shap for £2m, and the former Falls of Shin Visitor Centre in the Scottish village of Lairg for £431,000. Six Arches Caravan Park in Lancashire was sold for a profit on disposal of £2.6m. No dividend was paid (2023: nil).
M&B set to open new All Bar One at Glasgow Central station: Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is set to open a new All Bar One at Glasgow Central station. M&B has applied for permission to convert and refurbish an empty space above M&S Simply Food. There had previously been plans to open a JD Wetherspoon in the unit, but these were later dropped, reports Glasgow Live. The new application states there would be a similar fit out to the approved project, when the council had concluded the works would “not detract from the historic character of the building and will not be detrimental to its appearance”. M&B is leasing the unit from Network Rail and proposes “minor, non-structural alterations” inside and new lighting at the main entrance. There is currently an All Bar One on the corner of St Vincent Street and West Nile Street in Glasgow.
Two Magpies acquires macaron brand: East Anglia bakery Two Magpies has acquired Love a Taste – which trades as Hilton Macarons – for an undisclosed sum. Hilton Macarons was founded by James Hilton and Andrea O’Keeffe, who developed the recipes and created and launched the brand in 2019. Since inception, Hilton Macarons has focused on producing luxury handmade macarons, which are all gluten-free and vegetarian, from its Suffolk premises. In the last four years, Hilton Macarons has won eight Great Taste Awards and has developed more than 60 flavours. With a nationwide customer base, it is now the second (of 24) ranked brand for patisserie in the UK, according to Trustpilot, with a score of 4.9. Steve Magnall, chief executive of Two Magpies, said: “Hilton Macarons is without a doubt one of the best in this space and a perfect fit for us. This acquisition opens new markets for us and gives us an even greater presence in the gluten-free sweet market. We are pleased to have agreed the purchase and look forward to growing the brand alongside the Two Magpies brand.” Hilton added: “We have a solid wholesale business and a loyal online customer base, and we are very excited by the enhanced growth prospects for Hilton Macarons given Two Magpies’ significant high street presence across East Anglia and access to the resources of a larger group.” Yasmin Wyatt, operations director at Two Magpies, will be leading the integration of Hilton Macarons into the Two Magpies family.
Hotel and aparthotel operator reports record turnover of £22.1m: Europoint Holdings, which operates hotels and aparthotels in London and Edinburgh, has reported turnover increased to £22,072,824 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £18,895,754 the year before. Pre-tax profit was down to £1,627,912 from £2,392,214 the previous year. In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors stated: “The company will continue to improve its existing portfolio and seek acquisitions.” No dividend was paid (2022: nil). The company employs around 130 staff.
Gym brand Snap Fitness opens 100th UK site: Gym brand Snap Fitness has opened its 100th UK site. The landmark location has opened at Unit 6 in Central Twelve, Derby Road, Southport. Snap Fitness, which opened its first UK gym in Kent in 2012, has grown to become the sixth largest private gym operator in the UK and has at least five more gyms opening before the end of 2024. “This is a fantastic milestone for us but we’re just getting started,” said Kevin Yates, chief executive of Snap Fitness EMEA. “The resilience of the fitness industry is amazing to see and it’s so rewarding for us to help ambitious entrepreneurs own their own gyms and capitalise on this momentum. The key for us is not standing still, and there are so many exciting developments in the pipeline for what we offer members in our gyms. We’re relentlessly ambitious, and while there are of course bigger and more well-known gym operators out there, we’re focusing on ourselves and working towards offering the best and most supportive member experience available.” In addition to its 100 UK & Ireland sites, Snap Fitness has more than 1,000 gyms across 20 countries, with in excess of one million members.
The Stable founders acquire Michael Caines’ former Devon restaurant: Richard and Nikki Cooper, who founded The Stable pizza restaurant brand in 2009 before selling it to Fuller’s a decade later, have acquired chef Michael Caines’ former restaurant in Exmouth, Devon. A deal has been finalised for Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant and Café Patisserie Glacerie at the Side Shore, which has been shut since Caines announced his intention to sell earlier this month, reports Devon Live. The new owners are the team behind the Swim café and beachside terrace in Lyme Regis – which the Coopers opened in 2018 with Andy Briggs and Kyle Clarke after selling their final share of The Stable restaurants. Caines said: “We are delighted to announce the sale of the business to another local business operator that shares a similar passion, for fun relaxed dining.” Mickeys Beach Bar and Restaurant opened in 2021 alongside Cafe Patisserie Glacerie, which was a joint project between Caines and pastry chef Sylvain Peltier. Caines still operates the Pool House Restaurant at Lympstone Manor Hotel. The Coopers, who also previously operated The Bull Hotel before selling that too to Fuller’s, are also behind the Rise restaurant in Bridport. The Stable brand is now operated by Three Joes owners Sourdough South, which acquired it from Fuller’s in 2020, and has nine sites across the south west, south coast and Midlands.
Oxfordshire wine bar business owner set to open third site for his padel concept: Oxfordshire wine bar business owner George Sandbach is set to open a third site for his padel concept, Padel People. Sandbach is a director of The Oxford Wine Company and owner and managing director of The Sandy’s Group – which operates Sandy’s Piano Bar, Sandy’s On The Move, Little Sandy’s, The Oxford Wine Café, The Oxford Wine Cellar and Jukeboxers Duelling Piano Bar. In 2022, he also founded Padel People, which currently has a site in Wimbledon, south London, and one opening soon in Sedlescombe. Padel People is now also preparing to launch in Basingstoke, Hampshire – with a three-court venue at Victory Hill in Winterthur Way. The business said. “This expansion brings us one step closer to making padel more accessible and building a strong community of players. We hope to open by the end of the year; if not, it will be in January 2025. As a company, we’re excited to finally be expanding and reaching new communities.” Sandbach added: “James Rock and I are so pleased that both this site and Sedlescombe are opening soon, and we can do more on the ground padel related work. Hopefully, more sites to come, but for now, we’re excited to get going with these two projects.”
French restaurant concept to open at London's The Berkeley hotel: French restaurant concept La Môme is set to open at London’s The Berkeley hotel. La Môme will replace Marcus Wareing’s restaurant at the venue, which closed last year. Ugo and Antoine Lecorché, who are behind La Môme, also have sites in Cannes and Monaco. Dishes in those restaurants include lobster roll to share, large crudo platters, rack of lamb with pine nuts and fish of the day. Opening in January, the restaurant will also have a ten-seater bar and a newly created terrace, reports Hot Dinners. “We are trying to bring to The Berkeley an experience that is about all the senses,” said Antoine. “Not only about the food, but about the welcome, the service, the music, the energy, where something interesting is happening every day.”
South London pub company opens second gastropub: South London pub company Polygon Public House has opened its second gastropub. Polygon Public House, led by Josephine Savry, was established in 2017 with the acquisition of its first site, The Rose & Crown, at 2 The Polygon in Clapham. Earlier this year, it acquired The Saxon, at 50 Clapham High Street, out of administration for £2m, from East London Pub Co. The 4,815 square-foot pub has now reopened as The Ox after undergoing an extensive refurbishment. The venue is split between a main bar, a 30-cover mezzanine restaurant, a snug, a 55-capacity private events space and a rooftop terrace. The menu includes dishes such as black pudding scotch egg with pickled onion mayonnaise; Japanese smashed burger with bone marrow kewpie and dill relish; king scallops with crispy Thai chicken wing and pickled ginger; and vegan maple and soy baked swede, with onion dashi, katsu and crispy vermicelli. A retro trifle trolley offers puddings such as sticky toffee pudding with stout toffee sauce and clotted cream ice cream; white chocolate parfait; and coconut and kaffir line panna cotta, topped with pineapple and candied cashews. There is also a selection of cocktails, wine and local craft beer. As previously reported, Polygon Public House will open a third pub with rooms, The Florence, in Islington in 2025
Champagne bar and restaurant business secures ex-Greens site for third location: Champagne bar and restaurant business The Bubble House has secured the former Greens site in Sale for its third location. Chef Simon Rimmer closed the Stanley Square site, his last remaining restaurant, in September. It followed the closure of Rimmer’s Greens restaurant in West Didsbury earlier this year, which has since been taken on by north west restaurant and bar concept Porta Tapas. The Bubble House, the new owners of the Sale site, originally launched in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, in 2005 before opening a second site, in Bramhall, in 2008. “Since the pandemic, we have been looking to grow and looked at several sites in the south Manchester area and always liked the development in Stanley Square, therefore when this opportunity materialised, we didn’t hesitate in making an offer, which was successful,” The Bubble Room owner Simon Mason told the Manchester Evening News. “We had to move quickly on the acquisition and are grateful to all parties in turning this deal around quickly so we can open late November. Our plan now is a recruitment drive and some design changes to put the ‘Bubble’ feel into the unit. We are really looking forward to bringing our unique style to Sale and contribute to the vitality of the transformed Stanley Square.” Rimmer’s West Didsbury restaurant operated there for more than 30 years while the Sale site was a more recent addition, opening in 2022.
New gym concept opens at Merry Hill in West Midlands: New gym concept XF Gym has opened its debut site, at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands. The 40,000 square-foot club has launched in an anchor unit in Merry Hill’s Upper Mall, featuring an open-plan workout zone and state-of-the-art studios. Classes include yoga, dance, cycling and boxing, and there will be a ladies-only workout space, as well as wellness amenities including a sauna, steam room and massage beds. XF Gym chief executive Laurence Benson said: “At XF Gym, we have a singular goal of helping our members live better, so we’re thrilled to have opened and to start delivering on this commitment. With its extensive local customer base, broad and high-quality tenant mix, and most importantly, its genuine dedication to creating a community-focused hub, Merry Hill aligns perfectly with our values, making it the ideal home for our debut studio.”
Lifestyle aparthotel platform Aendre Group strengths team: Lifestyle aparthotel platform Aendre Group has strengthened its senior management team and advisory board. This follows the group’s launch in June, which saw it secure backing from newly formed private equity firm JuneX Capital Partners and co-investor New End. Gary Jones takes the role of equity director – finance and operations, with more than 30 years commercial and financial experience in the real estate sector and joins Aendre from Delin Property where he oversaw finance, legal, risk and compliance as chief financial officer. In this new role, Jones will lead the financial and operations departments at Aendre as it delivers on its strategy to create a series of new scalable hospitality brands “with a focus on transitioning carbon inefficient office buildings into green destination properties that foster communal belonging”. The group has also hired Carina Cimpean from Goldman Sachs as advisor with more than four years of real estate private equity, and Christian Suarez, as senior investment analyst, who joins from Sonder where he managed underwriting across UK, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. Aendre has also boosted its senior advisory team, with Edward Chang, who most recently served as managing director, real estate for American Hotel Income Properties REIT, and Dave Barry, president and chief executive at Urby, an innovator in hospitality-focused residential real estate with a community of 4,000 residents and growing. Aendre co-founder Chris Strong said: “The modern urban consumer’s needs have evolved and from our perspective, the lifestyle sector hasn’t kept up. We believe that these consumers’ needs are not being met. Our mission is to leverage our collective lifestyle/extended stay experience to deliver a new form of hospitality experience – one that arguably doesn’t exist.”
New yakitori restaurant coming to London’s Holborn: New yakitori restaurant Hotori is set to open in London’s Holborn. Owners Mike Zheng and Kuangyi Wei will open the restaurant at 1 New Fetter Lane on Monday, 18 November – inspired by their trips to yakitori spots in Japan. There will be chicken served up in 17 different types of yakitori – including engawa (belly); soriresu (chicken oyster); bonjiri (tail meat); kashiwa (thigh); tebamoto (wing); tsukune (chicken meatball); nankotsu (cartilage); sunagimo (gizzard); and hatsu (heart). There will also be Japanese wagyu and miso black cod, veggie sticks, peppers, and shiitake mushroom, along with tempura and chicken karaage, while drinks will include sake, whisky and wine, reports Hot Dinners.
East Sussex mixed-use hospitality facility put on the market: The Sussex Exchange, a mixed-use hospitality facility in St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex, has been put on the market and is available to buy or let. The complex closed in July after its previous operator, The Sussex Exchange, went into liquidation. The building was developed by economic development company Sea Change Sussex and opened in 2012 as a restaurant, bar, conference centre and cinema – and has also more recently incorporated a nightclub. The facility spans 9,046 square feet over two floors, with large outdoor terraces. It is available immediately to buy for £1.2m plus VAT, on a 999-year lease from 2008, or to let on terms to be agreed for £100,000 plus VAT a year. The operator’s trade suffered extensively during the pandemic, leading to challenges in financial recovery, reports Insider Media.
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