Coco Di Mama MD – London estate has had best 12 months since covid, trialling pizza slices: Jim Attwood, managing director of Coco di Mama, owned by ASK Italian, Zizzi and Boojum operator Azzurri Group, has told Propel that the Italian brand’s London estate has had its best 12 months since covid. Coco di Mama has also lined up a second train station site and is currently trialling pizza slices at selected outlets. Attwood said the brand, which operates 14 sites in London 11 roadside units, more than 100 delivery kitchens, and recently launched a retail range into Sainsbury’s, is in a constant flux of change because of its multiple channels to market. He said: “You have to think differently – it’s not conventional. The London stores just had the best 12 months since covid. That’s a long road back to health. Workers have been tiptoeing back, and then we’ve supplemented that core London business with the other channels. We’re pretty bullish about Coco. The catering operation within London has also been good for us. We do hot food in our catering, which is a point of differentiation from some of the other brands. We are pushing hard on that. Mondays are definitely getting stronger. Where it was Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, now it’s two-thirds Monday and Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday. Fridays are still a bit of a dog’s dinner – maybe that will change next year.” The company opened its first train station site at Liverpool Street in London 15 months ago with Network Rail. Attwood said: “It’s regularly posting record sales weeks, and on that back of that, we are close to securing our second mainline rail station. I think it’s going to be as good as Liverpool Street and will open next summer.” The company has also developed its first pizza offer, a single slice “pinsa”, with three different flavours at a price of £6.95. Attwood said: “That’s in trial at four sites at the moment, plus in our two Motor Fuel Group sites. I think that will help the brand where we got a good presence, adding a convenient, high-quality pizza offer that’s got a less-than-£7 price point. I think that’s going to give us some ancillary revenue.” 

 

Sponsored message – Deliverect acquires Tabesto to fuel in-store sales with smart kiosk technology, empower omnichannel success: Global food technology SaaS company Deliverect has acquired Tabesto, the first all-in-one restaurant and fast-food ordering and payment kiosk. A Deliverect spokesperson said: “Now, restaurant owners and operators who trust Deliverect to manage and increase their online orders can also transform their in-store service experience with Tabesto’s smart ordering and payment software technology, which has been shown to increase sales by up to 30%. Deliverect’s vision has always been to help the foodservice community thrive in the digital age, and the Tabesto acquisition will enable the company to further support both on and off-premise ordering, helping restaurants worldwide drive efficiency and elevate the dining experience.” Tabesto will be a product of Deliverect and operate in France and Switzerland. Deliverect Kiosk will also be available in the UK, Benelux and Spain, with plans to expand further into Europe and other regions in the following months and globally over the next year. This deal is the latest milestone for Deliverect following the launch of Deliverect Pulse, a marketing intelligence platform that improves brand visibility on third-party delivery apps. Today, Deliverect powers digital food sales for 50,000-plus establishments, including brands like Burger King, Little Caesars and Pret A Manger. 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.

 

Propel to launch four ground-breaking reports in 2025 for Premium subscribers, prices to be pegged: Propel will launch four ground-breaking reports in 2025 that will be available free to Premium subscribers. The Propel 500 report is an ambitious new project that will bring together the top 500 companies within the sector, offering not only comprehensive listings but also insights into the forces driving growth, innovation, and transformation across the industry. The report will be available at the end of February free for Premium subscribers. The International Report, released in spring, will examine the 100 biggest international brands expanding in the UK with analysis of turnover, market size, estate numbers and strategy. The Experiential Leisure Report will be the second edition of the report launched this year and will track the growth of the UK experiential market. The report will be available early summer. The Brands Report, launched in the autumn, will be a guide to the 500 largest foodservice brands in the UK listed by estate size. Propel managing director Paul Charity said: “There are 492 companies currently subscribed to Propel Premium, with its comprehensive overview of the UK foodservice market. We have sought to add ever more value and insight for our Premium subscribers year by year. Next year is no different, with new reports added to the existing stable of benefits, plus prices unchanged from this year.”

 

Lane7 marketing director Gabby Tomlinson joins speaker line-up at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit, open for bookings: Gabby Tomlinson, marketing director at Lane7, has joined the speaker line-up for Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Tomlinson will be part of a panel led by Mark McCulloch, founder and chief executive at Supersonic Inc, which also features Nicole Goodwin, group marketing director at Comptoir Group, Ali Earl-Grey, head of marketing and events at Kricket, and Michelle Farrell, group sales and marketing director at Nightcap, discussing their vision for marketing in 2025 and outlining the key trends and strategies shaping the future. Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale. The event is a partnership between Propel and Think Hospitality, aiming to build a community, promote the sharing of ideas, recognise talent and define the future of eating out. Bookings are now open for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series, taking place on 21 and 22 January at One Moorgate Place in London. The conference will focus on technology, marcomms strategies, proposition, brand building, the latest market insights, digital developments and diversification of revenue streams. It is designed for customer-focused chief executives, senior marketers, technology and innovation teams, as well as investors wanting to better understand the latest marketing, innovation and development opportunities to build market share and grow. For the full speaker schedule, click here. The pre-Christmas early-bird prices are as follows: a one-day ticket for operators is £295 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £550 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £395 plus VAT for one day and £700 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Tom Kerridge warns Budget tax hike will have ‘catastrophic’ effect on hospitality firms: Tom Kerridge has warned that the government’s tax hikes will have a “catastrophic” impact on many hospitality firms in the new year. The chef, who was among 120 business leaders to sign a letter in support of Labour ahead of the general election, said there was a lot of “business frustration” at the government after the Budget. He told Sky News: “There will be a huge amount of closures. We’ve already got high-profile names and Michelin-star restaurants that have decided to shut their doors. And when that starts to happen, it does begin to filter down.” Kerridge estimated that businesses will have to pay out an extra £800-£850 more per employee per year due to the hike to employers’ national insurance, which was “an awful lot of money” for many smaller firms. Last month, more than 200 of the UK’s biggest hospitality businesses signed a letter to the chancellor warning that the tax hike will force many to cut jobs or slash investment budgets. Analysis from Deutsche Bank suggests that around 100,000 jobs could be lost as a result of the national insurance hike.

Moscow approves sale of Carlsberg’s Russian assets: Danish brewer Carlsberg is selling its Russian unit to a local company in a $322m deal, according to a government document seen by the FT, after president Vladimir Putin signed a decree ending state control of the division. Russia took control of Carlsberg’s subsidiary, Baltika Breweries, in July 2023 and placed it under “temporary management”, leaving the company with no control over a business that had made up 10% of its global revenue. In October that year, Carlsberg said it had written off the business and accused the Russian government of having “stolen” Baltika. The Kremlin put tight restrictions on western companies that wished to leave the Russian market following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, often refusing to approve foreign asset sales unless offered sharp discounts. The government document shows that Baltika will be sold to VG Invest for Rbs34bn ($322m), with the deal expected to close in the coming days. It comes after Putin lifted the “temporary management” status from the company’s Russian subsidiary on Monday (2 December). Carlsberg said the deal would take the form of a management buyout. VG Invest is owned by two long-standing Baltika employees who currently hold leadership positions in the group. Company filings show that VG Invest was set up in August and is run by Baltika vice-president Egor Guselnikov. Carlsberg chief executive Jacob Aarup-Andersen said: “With this announcement we will settle numerous lawsuits and intellectual property rights issues related to Baltika Breweries. Considering the circumstances, we believe it is the best achievable outcome for our employees, shareholders and the continued business.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a foodservice business in Gloucestershire that is seeking a senior technical manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This position will be responsible for helping drive the success of the company’s technical operations by managing the technical teams, ensuring the quality and compliance of products and supporting innovation within product offerings. This is a senior leadership role requiring a blend of technical expertise, project management and strong interpersonal skills to lead cross-functional teams.” The salary is up to £65,000 and the position is based in Gloucester. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

Ottolenghi reports like-for-likes up 7% as turnover increases to record £30.9m, set up for international expansion: London restaurant and deli operator Ottolenghi has reported like-for-like sales increased 7% for the year ending 31 March 2024 as turnover rose to a record £30,881,763 compared with £27,793,486 the previous year. The company saw Ebitda before pre-opening costs drop from £2.8m to £1.7m as a result of an increase in central costs as it sets itself up for international expansion and due to rising cost pressures. The group, which operates seven sites under its eponymous brand and the Nopi and Rovi restaurants in London, posted a pre-tax loss of £941,725 compared with a profit of £769,671 the year before. In her report accompanying the accounts, chief executive Cornelia Staeubli stated: “It was an exciting year of brand and operational growth for the company. With a strengthened central leadership team, the company made its first site opening outside of London, at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, as well as opening Hampstead, the first site within London outside Zone 1 and 2. Alongside this, we underwent a rebranding to ensure a cohesive visual presence across all our media and packaging, which continues to be rolled out into FY25. In bringing our marketing team in house, we were able to grow our digital presence – increasing our website traffic by 20% and increasing our total social media audience by 23%. Post year-end, we announced our partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, an exciting opportunity for us to be able to play a part in the food and beverage offering at high-end hotels. The first site is due to open in Mandarin Oriental Geneva in FY25. We have been working on a range of wholesale products that launched in Waitrose in April 2024. Bringing Ottolenghi to a new market, the range is outselling Waitrose expectations. We continue to face the common challenges of the hospitality industry; utility costs increased as we came out of a three-year fixed contract, national minimum wages increased by 10% and the cost of ingredients remained volatile, requiring intensive effort to keep gross margin percentage under control. We have signed a lease for a site in Richmond, which is due to open in FY25, as we continue to explore expansion outside of Zone 1 and 2 in London. We will also be focusing on the expansion of the wholesale business, with further products and entry into new international markets. If required, a revolving credit facility of £2m is available until December 2025.” No dividend was paid (2023: nil).

 

Marston’s to invest between 7% and 8% of annual revenue to enhance estate: Marston’s, the Justin Platt-led business, has said it will invest between 7% and 8% of its annual revenue in the near-to-medium term to enhance its estate, to support its strategy of creating a “pure-play hospitality business wholly focused on running and operating pubs”. It comes after the company reported revenue was up 3.0% to £898.6m (2023: £872.3m) in the year ended 28 September 2024, with like-for-like sales up 4.8%. In October, Marston's said it saw the opportunity for five differentiated pub formats as it looks to drive a “high-margin, highly cash-generative local pub company”. Marston’s, which has 1,339 sites nationwide, said the strategy would “create a balanced portfolio across consumer segments”. Platt said: “To support our strategy, we will invest between 7% and 8% of annual revenue in the near-to-medium term to enhance our estate. Approximately one-third will focus on higher-return investment projects, such as the transformation of venues to fit our five formats. Complementing this investment, we will also leverage technology to strengthen the guest journey by streamlining order and pay and utilising data-driven insights for personalised marketing to drive an increase in revenue per guest. Technology will also help optimise costs through improved labour scheduling analytics and artificial intelligence-driven stock management, enabling more predictive and efficient operations. Marston’s is a people-led business, but there is undoubtedly a significant opportunity to complement our person-to-person offering with technology.” The company said capital expenditure was £46.2m in the year (2023: £65.3m). Platt said: “Capital was predominantly focused on maintenance of both the estate and operational systems during the year. We expect that capital expenditure will be around £60m in 2025, as we move towards the 7%-8% of revenue target.”

 

Chop Wok Express set to open seven UK stores next year and secures 75-plus site master franchise deal in India: Chop Wok Express, the wrap and noodle brand, is set to open seven UK stores next year and has secured a 75-plus site master franchise deal in India. Founded in Birmingham 2009 as Chop & Wok, the business has since grown to 11 sites, including four each in Birmingham and Greater London. The group also has locations in Liverpool, Keighley in West Yorkshire and Crawley in West Sussex, and is set to make its Scottish debut with a site in Edinburgh. Founder Andy Dulay said: “A stupendous year, with four Chop Wok Express’ opened up and down the country, bringing our tally to 11 now. And with a further seven confirmed as joining the franchise over the coming months, 2025 is set to be a sensational year, more so because the brand having agreed a master franchise licence deal in India.” Of the planned overseas expansion, Dulay added: “A glamorously successful launch at the Mumbai franchise expo this weekend. A huge thanks and congratulations to Gaurav Marya, Satyam Garg and the entire Franchise India team for leading us into this mammoth market, where we’ve already secured a master licence deal and a 75-plus store roll-out programme over the coming years.” Chop Wok Express’ most recent opening was at 96 Cavendish Street in Keighley last month.

 

Midlands McDonald’s franchisee returns to profit as revenue climbs to record £105.4m following addition of eight restaurants: Midlands McDonald’s franchisee Kyra Enterprises has reported turnover increased 43% to a record £105,440,994 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £73,560,577 the year before. During the period, the company added eight restaurants to its portfolio, taking the total to 26. The group posted a pre-tax profit of £2,372,843 compared with a loss of £512,913 the previous year. Gross profit as a percentage of sales rose 2.41% to 40.61%. Owner Glyn Pashley, in his statement accompanying the accounts, said: “The reimagining strategy continued to have a positive impact on sales growth. The ‘Convenience of the Future’ upgrade programme was carried out at two stores during the year. Sales through digital channels, including McDelivery, mobile and self-order kiosks, have increased during the year. The pace of change in the restaurant industry has accelerated post-pandemic, with customers increasingly looking for greater speed and choice when ordering food. The company will continue to push digital and delivery offerings. Higher levels of pricing have been introduced to counteract food cost inflation.” The company, which employs almost 2,800 staff, did not receive any government grants (2022: £7,620). Dividends of £950,000 were paid (2021: £1,400,000). Pashley became a McDonald’s franchise in 1999 when he took control of the store in Rugby town centre.

 

Chicken Shop returns to the expansion trail: Chicken Shop, the Sir Charles Dunstone-backed business that was previously known as Chik’n, is to return to the expansion trail next spring with an opening in London’s Hammersmith, Propel has learned. The six-strong company will open a site in the Kings Mall in March. Propel understands that Chicken Shop is in legals for several further sites to open across the capital next year. Chief executive John Nelson told Propel: “Chicken Shop is continuing on its mission to bring London’s best fried chicken to every corner of the British capital with the launch of a new restaurant in Hammersmith. We are excited to be opening beside Ikea at the buzzing Kings Mall in March 2025. The new Chicken Shop will trade over two floors bringing the best fried chicken on the planet to the great and good of Hammersmith.” Earlier this year, Nelson said the business was aiming for 70 UK sites long-term and thinking about European expansion. Last year, the business received a further £8.275m investment from Dunstone, its main shareholder.

 

Heartwood Collection opens fifth pub with rooms, seven sites lined up for 2025: Heartwood Collection, the Alchemy Partners-backed business which operates 28 Heartwood Inns pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK, has opened its fifth pub with rooms, in Epping Forest, Essex. The pub, which was acquired earlier this year from Whitbread and has 28 boutique bedrooms, has undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment to create a site with 90 bar seats and dining spaces with a further 128 seats. Outside, there is space on two terraces for an additional 90 seats. Richard Ferrier, chief executive of the Heartwood Collection, said: “We are delighted to have been able to bring what is a much-loved landmark back to life.” The group remains on track to open more than 60 sites by 2027, with more than 500 rooms, as part of its ambitious growth trajectory following its £100m investment by Alchemy Partners. The group already has seven sites confirmed for opening in 2025, including The Prince of Wales in East Barnet, London; The Old Crown in Great Bookham, Surrey; The George & Dragon in Marlow, Buckinghamshire; and The Red Lion in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

 

Boparan Restaurant Group to open two Slim Chickens sites this week: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the owner of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Carluccio’s and Giraffe brands, will open two new company-owned Slim Chickens sites later this week, as the US brand passes the 60-site mark here. BRG, which first introduced the US brand Slim Chickens into the UK in 2018 with an opening in St James Street in London’s Marylebone, opened a new company-owned Slim Chickens last week in Wood Green in the capital, and a franchise site in Basildon, Essex. This Friday (5 December), Slim Chickens will open in the former Comptoir Libanais unit at the Ashford Designer Outlet in Kent, and this will be followed a day later with an opening on the ex-Gourmet Burger Kitchen site in Brunel Square, Bath. In October, Propel revealed that BRG is set to open an international flagship site for the Slim Chickens brand next year, in London's Leicester Square, having secured the former Maison Du Mezze site. This autumn, Slim Chickens franchisee KK Restaurants opened the brand’s first UK drive-thru, and its first outside the States, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and told Propel it has a 24-month development pipeline for Slim Chickens here.

Caprice Holdings to make UAE debut today: Caprice Holdings, the Richard Caring-backed, high-end restaurant business, will make its debut in the UAE today (Wednesday, 4 December) with the opening of Sexy Fish Dubai, located on the rooftop of Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Innovation One. Following in the footsteps of its sister sites in Manchester, Miami and Mayfair, the 300-cover Japanese-inspired restaurant and terrace will feature views of Dubai’s skyline and signature artworks by Damien Hirst. The company said Sexy Fish Dubai “draws inspiration from the brand’s glittering heritage in the UK and USA” and “marks the next chapter for this world-famous restaurant and bar concept which first landed in London’s Mayfair in 2015”. Caring added: “We are thrilled to bring Caprice Holdings, our rich heritage, and expert know-how to a region that is bubbling with potential and opportunity. We look forward to bringing our unique approach to the region’s competitive and glamorous F&B landscape with the launch of Sexy Fish Dubai.”

 

Simon King returns to The Fat Duck Group as MD: Simon King, formerly of The Wolseley Hospitality Group and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, has rejoined The Fat Group, where he was once an operations manager, as its new managing director. King, who previously spent five years at The Fat Duck, stepped down as operations director at The Wolseley Hospitality Group this summer after less than a year in the role. King has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years. He started his career at The Ritz in London and, following several senior roles at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, Fat Duck Group and JKS Restaurants, he acted as chief operating officer at The Birley Clubs group before joining The Wolseley Hospitality Group. In 2021, he opened The Victoria in Oxshott, Surrey, with former head chef at the Crown at Bray, Matt Larcombe. In June, Propel reported that Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant empire posted a pre-tax loss of £1,377,368 for the year ending 28 May 2023 compared with a profit of £2,352,339 the previous year. SL6, the parent company for Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred Fat Duck and Hind’s Head restaurants, reported turnover fell to £9,529,648 compared with £11,500,717 the year before.

 

Mak Halal set to open in Sheffield for 13th site as it ramps up franchise offer: Mak Halal, the burger concept, is set to open in Sheffield for its 13th site as it ramps up its franchise offer. Founded in 2016 by Abdulwahab Omar, Mak Halal has since grown to four sites in Birmingham and five further Midlands locations, plus outposts in Cardiff, Slough and Manchester. Mak Halal is now set to extend its regional presence with a launch in Sheffield, in London Road, on Friday, 13 December. “We are very much now open for franchising with this great business,” said Anthony Round, Mak Halal’s franchise consultant. “I have had the pleasure of working with Abdul on developing the franchise system for Mak Halal over the last year. We have now the legal framework, commercials and support in place. Twelve stores already open, with Sheffield opening this month. Strong financials, full supply chain and a resonating menu offer.”

 

SSP hires new property director for UK & Ireland: SSP Group, the operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has hired Stuart Buchanan, formerly of Boots and Tesco, as its new property director for the UK and Ireland. Buchanan joins the Upper Crust operator after almost nine years with Boots, including the last three years as vice-president, property director for UK and Ireland. Prior to that, he spent more than ten years at Tesco, including a year as the retailer’s head of property operations. SSP yesterday (Tuesday, 3 December) reported revenue of £3.4bn for the year ended 30 September 2024, up 17% on the previous year, including like-for-like growth of 9%, helped by a good performance in the UK. SSP posted Ebitda of £343m (2023: £280m), while operating profit was £206m, up 32% on the previous 12 months. The company said it saw good performances in North America and the UK benefiting from “strong sales growth and operating margin improvements year-on-year”, with the UK business posting full-year revenue of £893m, with like-for-like growth of 11%.

 

Pret franchisee Exultant Group opens new Sheffield site: Pret A Manger has opened a site in Sheffield with franchisee Exultant Group. The 1,200 square-foot unit fronts Cambridge Street and is located on the ground floor of the Isaacs Building – a new office building that forms part of the Heart of the City scheme. Pret also has two sites in the Meadowhall scheme in the city. Having taken the decision to close its Fargate shop in Sheffield during the pandemic, Pret said it has returned to a new central location with more space for customers, including 38 internal seats and 20 external seats. The opening forms part of Pret’s commitment to reach more people in towns and cities across the UK. This includes its ongoing expansion across Yorkshire, with shops in Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and York. Exultant Group operates circa ten Pret sites and is also a franchisee for Pizza Hut Delivery and Anytime Fitness.

 

Shake Shack to make Birmingham debut next week: US better burger brand Shake Shack is to open its first restaurant in Birmingham next Tuesday (10 December). The brand will open on the former @pizza site in the city’s Grand Central shopping scheme, located above New Street railway station. Shake Shack currently operates 16 restaurants in the UK, including 12 in London, plus sites in Cardiff, Oxford, Lakeside in Essex and Gatwick airport. The brand also operates three delivery kitchen sites. Shake Shack is set to add to its regional presence here with an opening in Cambridge next year and also has a further site in London lined up, in the former RBS premises at 78 Notting Hill Gate. 

 

Bancone eyes Kensington opening: Bancone, the all-day fresh pasta concept led by Will Ellner and backed by David Ramsey and Jason Myers, is eyeing an opening for next year in London’s Kensington. Propel understands that the three-strong concept plans to open a site at 127a Kensington High Street as part of the Kensington Building in Wrights Lane. Bancone, which previously raised more than £900,000 from a crowdfunding campaign in 2023, opened a site in the Borough Yards development, last year. The concept launched in Covent Garden’s William IV Street in 2018 and opened its second site, in Soho’s Lower James Street, the following year. The company said at the time of the fundraise: “We have honed our business model and are now set to expand in London, with sites potentially lined up in Borough, Battersea, Notting Hill and Shoreditch/City (dependent on amount raised). We’ve successfully survived covid and are now serving circa 4,500 customers per week at our popular Soho and Covent Garden restaurants, which now regularly turnover £110,000-£120,000 per week.” Distrkt is understood to be acting for Ashby Capital, the landlord of the Kensington Building.

Luxury resort and golf business set to develop new wedding suite, nine-hole course and bar, looking into selling surplus land for housing: Luxury resort and golf business Leaderboard Golf is set to develop a new wedding suite, nine-hole course and bar and is looking into selling surplus land for housing. The company operates a portfolio of three golf course and hotel, spa and events venues in the south of England – Sandford Springs in Hampshire (where the new bar will be developed), Dale Hill in East Sussex (where the new wedding suite will be built) and The Oxfordshire in Thame (which will host the new nine-hole course). “Alongside the basic business model, we have commissioned a report to identify any areas of surplus land with potential for housing,” director Peter Gibbons said in the company’s accounts for the year to 31 December 2023. “Our golf breaks business and staycation bookings achieved record highs in 2022 and 2023. One of the biggest risks we face is that our customers will swap their allegiance back to foreign venues, with the potential for better weather.” Among the capital projects completed during the year was a new spa at The Oxfordshire. Previously, the chairman funded the capital projects, but the business said it has now been self-funding since 2021. “Without the need to raise funds externally, the group has a definite advantage over its competitors,” Gibbons said. “Our five-year plan is to continue to invest in the properties, to aid the growth in top-line sales and profitability.” The company’s turnover grew from £12,907,279 in 2022 to £13,504,988. Of this, £8,786,375 came from hotel, food and beverage income (2022: £8,377,701), £1,514,441 from green and visitor fees (2022: £1,429,873), £1,457,437 from golf subscriptions (2022: £1,372,582) and £1,071,638 from shop sales (2022: £1,093,939). A pre-tax profit of £779,272 in 2022 dropped to a profit of £610,285. Government grants of £39,509 were received (2022: £48,789). No dividends were paid (2022: nil).

New Hampton by Hilton hotel set to open in St Helens: A new Hampton by Hilton hotel is set to open in St Helens, Merseyside. The 120-bedroom hotel will become one of the anchor brands at the heart of the town's regeneration programme. St Helens Borough Council and ECF have signed a franchise agreement with Hilton for the hotel, which will be located in Bickerstaff Street. Spanning four floors, the hotel will feature 96 guest rooms and 16 long-stay guest rooms, alongside eight accessible rooms. ECF, a partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, is bringing forward the project with the council as part of a major regeneration programme. The hotel will form part of a mixed-use area that includes 64 homes, a new market hall and 11,000 square feet of retail space. Guests at the hotel will have access to fitness facilities and ground floor meeting rooms. Graham Dodd, managing director development UK & Ireland at Hilton, said: “As St Helens town centre undergoes a significant regeneration, we are delighted to partner with the council to bring this fantastic hotel to life, and we look forward to being part of a thriving new town centre development.”