Azzurri Group CEO – our fast casual concepts could generate greater share of profit over time, won’t rule out looking to add further brands: Steve Holmes, chief executive of Azzurri Group, the ASK Italian, Zizzi, Coco di Mama and Boojum operator, has told Propel he expects the group’s fast-casual concepts to eventually generate a greater share of the investment platform’s profit over time, and hasn’t ruled out making further acquisitions in that space. The business opened the first UK site for US brand Dave’s Hot Chicken earlier this month, and last week the site in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue set the “all-time weekly Azzurri sales record”. At the same time, the opening of a Boojum site in Liverpool was the “busiest and most successful British opening” that the brand has had. Speaking after Azzurri reported turnover increased 18% to £303.1m for the year ending 30 June 2024, Holmes said: “The investment platform that we have created, and the portfolio of brands that already sit in it, provide Azzurri with the diversification to successfully meet changing trends in the hospitality industry and a range of exciting growth opportunities. Our fast-casual brands have hit on that sweet spot of quality, affordability and value, and this part of the market is looking like it will grow more quickly in the future than perhaps full-service casual dining. Our businesses are all at different stages of their life, which is a good thing – they complement each other. With our high growth roll-out businesses in Boojum and Dave’s Hot Chicken, we can exploit significant UK white space potential. Dave’s Hot Chicken in particular represents a huge opportunity for the group. Our ambition is to open between 30 and 60 restaurants over the next seven years. The first site has had a phenomenal response and exceeded expectations.” The company has a new ASK opening in Preston at the beginning of Easter, and a new Zizzi opening in the Cotswolds Retail Park, in May/June. Holmes said: “We're still in play for another couple of Zizzis, and then we’ve got a pipeline developing for Boojum and Dave’s Hot Chicken is hotting up quite nicely. I'd like to be able to do four or five more Dave’s next year if we can. For operational reasons we would like to do a couple more in London and build the business with a critical mass in one city. One of the benefits of the platform now is that we don't sort of feel the need to do sites that we might not be 100% sure of. Even if you do three or four in each business, we are still going to be opening close to 20 sites a year.” On looking at adding further brands to its portfolio, Holmes said: “We're always looking. ASK and Zizzi are two mature businesses that are still doing very well, still throwing off cash, and still got growth potential, but the benefit of the investment platform is that hopefully we can look at other opportunities, either M&A or master franchise agreements that can help bring new businesses to the UK or acquire ones that are already here and leverage the platform in the same way that Boojum and Dave's have been able to.” Coco di Mama recorded strongest like-for-like performance across the group – see Company News

Discover how to drive commercial success through food innovation at Restaurant Marketer & Innovator, open for bookings: Discover how to drive commercial success through food innovation at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit. Laura Mimoun, chief marketing officer at Fulham Shore, will delve into the organisational dynamics that enable food teams to drive effective menu innovation. With case studies from Franco Manca and The Real Greek, Mimoun will explore the role of data in making informed decisions, when innovation should be embraced and when to avoid the temptation. 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, 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.

UKHospitality – ‘incentivising growth should remain central goal for government’ as inflation rises for second month in a row: UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has said incentivising growth should remain the central goal for the government after inflation rose for a second month in a row. Prices rose at their fastest pace since March as inflation hit 2.6% in the year to November, according to the Office for National Statistics. Nicholls said: “The continued increase in inflation is concerning, and inevitably makes day-to-day life harder for businesses and consumers. Combined with lacklustre growth figures, it makes for a troubling economic picture. Despite these inflation figures, incentivising growth should remain the central goal for the government, and the Bank of England can play an important role today (Thursday, 19 December) by lowering interest rates. Changes to employer national insurance contributions, particularly lowering the threshold, remains the biggest barrier for hospitality businesses and we urgently need the chancellor to rethink these changes to protect businesses and team members.” A spokesperson for the British Beer & Pub Association added: “If pubs are to keep their doors open it is imperative the government delivers permanent and meaningful reductions to business rates, as our sector is hugely burdened with punishing costs and taxes. We look forward to working with the government to bring forward these urgent changes in the new year.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a facilities management company that is seeking a business development manager with a strong background in security services. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “Responsibilities will include developing and executing strategies to grow the security services portfolio, identifying and securing new business opportunities while building lasting client relationships, preparing and delivering compelling proposals and presentations to win contracts, collaborating with teams to ensure exceptional service delivery and exceeding growth targets.” The salary is up to £70,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email joe@corecruitment.com.

Azzurri Group CEO – Coco di Mama recorded the strongest like-for-like performance across the group, to be in 1,000 supermarkets by Easter: Coco di Mama, the Italian food-to-go brand owned by ASK Italian, Zizzi and Boojum operator Azzurri Group, recorded the strongest like-for-like sales performance across the entire hospitality investment platform’s portfolio in the year to 30 June 2024, as it benefited from its multi-channel strategy and investment in partnerships. Azzurri currently operates 14 sites in London under the Coco Di Mama brand, 133 delivery kitchens, eight roadside units and has a retail range in circa 800 Sainsbury’s supermarkets. Speaking after Azzurri reported turnover increased 18% to £303.1m for the year ending 30 June 2024, chief executive Steve Holmes said: “Our 14 London-based stores have navigated a year that included trading disruption from the ongoing rail and London Underground industrial action once again. Trading rhythm has continued to improve, however, with double-digit like-for-like sales and transactions volumes improving as City office workers’ routines continue to build gradually towards three days-plus per week in the office. The investment made in proposition improvement has been well received by customers and we will continue to invest in this area as customers demand greater ‘premiumisation’ across the product range. Coco has also seen the benefits from its multi-channel strategy and investment in partnerships. There are now eight Roadchef’s operating the Coco brand and a recent deal has seen the brand’s baguettes being offered through 600 Sainsbury’s stores from October 2024. The partnerships with the ASK and Zizzi brands where Coco products are offered to customers through delivery aggregators continues to be strong despite the emergence of increased competition in this area.” Holmes told Propel that Sainsbury’s has now asked the brand to offer its retail range “in another 200 supermarkets”, which will take it up to being available in 1,000 stores in total by Easter. The company opened its first train station site at Liverpool Street in London 15 months ago with Network Rail. Holmes told Propel: “That site had a record week last week and is the most successful Coco we've got.” Propel reported last month that Coco had lined up a second train station site in London and was currently trialling pizza slices at selected outlets.

KFC to debut new concept ‘Saucy’: KFC will debut a new concept in the US tomorrow (Friday, 20 December) with the launch of Saucy in Orlando, Florida. Saucy is a “flavour-forward dining destination” featuring chicken tenders and 11 sauces – a nod to KFC’s original recipe with 11 herbs and spices. The sauces include chimichurri ranch, peri peri ranch, Thai sweet ‘n spicy and spicy mango chutney. “Everyone is obsessed with sauce – more is more,” said KFC’s chief new concept officer, Christophe Poirier. “With Saucy, we’ve taken KFC’s famous original recipe and amplified it with a new concept that lets consumers play with flavour.” At Saucy, customers will be able to order sauces individually or in a flight of four with their choice of tenders – all hand-breaded and fried in small batches as a part of Saucy’s made-to-order model. Sauces and tenders can be paired with toasted Hawaiian rolls, crinkle-cut fries, and coleslaw. The menu also includes an EZ Crispy Sandwich, Spicy Queso Crunch Sandwich, and various combos, including a three-piece tenders combo with a toasted roll, fries, medium drink, and choice of sauce for $7.99. Poirier said there are more than 4,000 ways to order from the new concept to “have a different flavour experience every time”. The concept will feature an 11-strong drink line-up, including a variety of tea, freezes, and “refreshers”. KFC US president Tarun Lal said the challenging macroeconomic backdrop “makes it the perfect time to experiment with a new concept”. “We strongly believe that every brand must innovate,” he added “We don’t want to be left behind. We are pushing the boundaries of serving what we serve in KFC but in a different asset format and with a different experience.” While backed by KFC, Saucy is designed to convey a different look and experience. KFC’s plans for Saucy are to continue growing the concept slowly “to refine both the team member and customer experience”. Unlike much of the KFC system, Saucy is a 100% equity concept fully funded by parent company Yum! Brands. 

Northern Ireland holiday park operator hires former Haven MD as chairman and eyes growth after receiving private equity investment: Northern Ireland holiday park operator Blair’s Holiday Parks has hired former Haven managing director Tim Gibson as its chairman and is eyeing growth after receiving private equity investment. Gibson, who is also a former executive director of Away Resorts, will collaborate with Blair’s current co-owner and managing director, Colin Mayrs, to lead the business through the next phase of its growth journey. Following the investment from private equity firm Melior Equity Partners, Mayrs will retain an equity stake in Blair’s and will continue as managing director for an interim period. Its senior leadership team will also remain in their roles to oversee an expansion plan that will include the acquisition of new sites across Northern Ireland. Established in 1978 by Tom Blair, the uncle of Mayrs, Blair’s currently operates three parks in Portrush including Hilltop, Craigahulliar and Blair’s, and Castlewood on the eastern shores of Lough Neagh. “The future for Blair’s is not only secure, but very exciting now,” Mayrs told The Irish News. “I have built the business over 20 years and now feel it’s the right time for new investors to take the reins. My management team and I are completely confident in Melior Equity Partners’ ability and capacity to take the business forward.” Gibson added: “I am excited to be joining the Blair’s business as it enters its next phase of growth. Colin and his team have built something special through an innovative and entrepreneurial approach and a dedication to fantastic customer experiences. I look forward to leveraging my experience in the sector, in both privately owned and private equity backed businesses, to work with the team and Melior to take the business to the next level.”

Center Parcs to launch new experiential concept: Center Parcs, which operates five family-friendly holiday villages across the UK, is launching a new experiential concept that includes mini golf, augmented reality darts and interactive shuffleboards. The Puttify mini golf course, from attraction designers Greenspan, will feature state-of-the-art technology, neon-lit environments and digital scoring so players can automatically track their progress. Lee Barrowcliff, group outdoor leisure manager at Center Parcs UK & Ireland, said: “Excited to finally share that our new indoor leisure venue, the Entertainment Hive, is coming to Woburn Forest in 2025. After many months of planning, it’s amazing to see the vision starting to come to life. Housing one of the first Puttify golf courses in the world, along with augmented reality darts and interactive shuffleboards, it’s set to be an amazing venue.” As well as Woburn, in Bedfordshire, Center Parcs has locations at Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire and Elvedon Forest in Suffolk. Last month, the business announced plans to launch its first venue in Scotland – on a site east of the A7 trunk road between Hawick and Selkirk. The land is currently owned by the Buccleuch Group, which has signed an option agreement with Center Parcs covering approximately 1,000 acres of land, with the development expected to extend to 400 acres. Proposals are at an early stage and Center Parcs intends to submit a planning application in 2025. 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.

McDonald’s launches new ‘On-the-Go’ prototype site in US: McDonald’s has launched a new prototype “On-the-Go” store in the US, which is tailored for digital and drive-thru orders and has a smaller footprint, no lobby and no dine-in option. The site in Los Angeles also features food lockers solely dedicated to delivery orders and separate windows for mobile orders. It is the first time the fast-food brand has tested lockers in the US. The group previously opened a prototype digital-focused site in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2022.

Gravity launches new arcade games concept: Experiential leisure operator Gravity has launched a new arcade games concept. Gravity Arcade, which offers arcade classics such as Super Bikes 3, House of the Dead Scarlet Dawn and Zombies Ready Steady Go, and games such as air hockey, basketball and boxing, is one of four divisions the group now operates – alongside Gravity Max (e-karting, street golf, augmented reality bowling, karaoke), Gravity Active (trampolining, rock climbing) and Gravity Social (digital darts, shuffleboard, PS5 gaming). Brian Webb, chief development officer at Gravity Active Entertainment, said: “We have opened our first Gravity Arcade at Bluewater in Kent. The venue looks fantastic and is a welcome new addition to our expanding portfolio.” Gravity operates circa 20 venues across the UK. Earlier this week, Propel revealed that Gootopia, the slime-making experiential leisure concept backed by TV presenter Steph McGovern, will open its first pop-up sites in Leeds and Castleford through a partnership with Gravity, launching in January. Last month, VR Entertainment, the UK franchisee of virtual reality brand Sandbox VR, launched at Gravity Max Wandsworth in London for its third venue here.

 

Creams set to open new Tesco partnership site in Stevenage: Fast-growing dessert parlour operator Creams Café is set to open a new site in partnership with Tesco, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The site will open this week in the ground floor of the Tesco store in the Forum, in Stevenage town centre. Creams chief executive Everett Fieldgate told Propel earlier this year that its partnership with Tesco has been a success and that its next phase of expansion would be led by more such stores. He said: “The Tesco partnership has gone very well – we tested three different types of business model with Tesco and we’re moving forward very confidently with two of them. We haven’t done a lot previously with kiosks and grab and go, but we’ve recruited in a business development role that’s looking to move those areas forward.” Earlier this month, Creams opened its second store in Buckinghamshire, at 39-41 High Street in Aylesbury. After Stevenage, it has one further opening lined up before the end of the year.

SSP launches new Peaky Blinders themed restaurant at Birmingham airport: SSP Group, the UK operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, has launched a new Peaky Blinders themed restaurant at Birmingham airport. Shelby & Co is the first of its kind for the Peaky Blinders franchise in a travel location and will be a key part of Birmingham’s departure lounge, with space for 290 diners. The bar displays the 1920s throughout its design and offers an extensive food and drinks menu that showcases local breweries and gin. The themed food includes a Billy’s Breakfast Bap or a Blinder Benedict for breakfast, followed by all-day dining options Finn’s Fish & Chips, The Tommy Burger and The Piggy Blinder toad in the hole wrap. There are also bespoke cocktails such as gin-based The Garrison and the Birmingham Sour. “Over the past 12 months, one of our key focus areas has been expanding our bespoke airport bar and restaurant concepts,” said Cathy Granby, business development director for SSP UK & Ireland, which already operates five outlets at Birmingham airport. “Shelby & Co really does bring this hugely popular show to life, and what better way to celebrate all this city has to offer than bringing a flavour of Peaky Blinders to Birmingham airport?” The deal for global rights in travel environments was brokered by SSP and Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, the distributor of Peaky Blinders. David Christopher, director of licensing and merchandising at Banijay Rights, added: “To expand the beloved Peaky Blinders world to Birmingham airport – Banijay’s first official travel venue licensee – is a huge privilege for us. This partnership enables fans and customers to have a deeply immersive ‘Peaky’ experience as they pass through one of the UK’s most important travel hubs.”

Sessions signs partnership with Netflix to create TV show-inspired delivery menus: Sessions, the growth platform for original food brands, has signed a two-year partnership with Netflix, which will see it create menus inspired by some of the streaming service’s shows – including Squid Game, Bridgerton and Stranger Things. The menus will be exclusively available on delivery platforms to “enhance the experience of fans watching at home”. The first of the menus, created for Squid Game, features Korean fried chicken and will launch on Thursday, 26 December to coincide with the release of the second season of the series globally on Netflix. It will be exclusively available on the Just Eat platform. A Sessions spokesperson said: “Delivering on our mission to bring original food to more tables, the partnership represents a new responsive model for the hospitality industry. After four years of building the infrastructure for this new model, we’re in the unique position where we can deliver trending food to under-served consumers when their appetite for them is at its peak. The menus are developed and brought to life by our studio team, optimised for scale by our operations and supply chain team and distributed across our network of 300-plus franchise kitchens – all underpinned by our technology, which enables our kitchens through order management and direct integration with delivery platforms.”

Hollywood Bowl set to open £3.1m site in Inverness: Hollywood Bowl is set to open a new site in Inverness. The company has started work on the £3.1m project at the Eastfield Way shopping park in the Scottish city. The centre, due to open in the spring, will feature 22 bowling lanes including four VIP lanes – each equipped with the latest bowling technology, including high-tech scoring. There will also be an arcade and an American-style diner. Chief executive Steve Burns said: “We are thrilled to finally begin construction on our family entertainment centre in Inverness. This cements our commitment to contributing to the local economy and enhancing the leisure landscape of the area.” Earlier this week, the group, which operates 73 sites in the UK, reported a good start to trading in its 2025 financial year following record revenue in 2024, and said it is well-placed to mitigate increased costs while keeping its offer affordable.

Jason Atherton launches ‘life’s legacy’ restaurant in London’s Savile Row: Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton has launched his “life’s legacy” restaurant, in London’s Savile Row. Row on 5 is split across two floors at 5 Savile Row, the home of British bespoke tailoring. The opening marks a first for Savile Row – previously there has never been a restaurant leased in its 290-year-old history. The venture sees a continuation of its sister restaurant Row on 45 in Dubai, which was awarded two Michelin stars within the first six months of its opening. Row on 5 offers a 15-course tasting menu divided into three acts. The restaurant features 28 covers with a bar and lounge area, surrounded by three wine cellars and a view into the lounge kitchen where the first three courses are served. The main dining room, located on the upper floor, is where guests are served the main nine courses of their menu before heading back downstairs for their last three courses of desserts and petit fours, alongside wine and cocktails. Atherton said: “I have been fortunate enough to open restaurants all over the world, but Row on 5 is different. I want it to be my legacy, and I don’t say that lightly. ‘Row’ stands for ‘Refinement of Work’, and in this case I mean my life’s work as a chef. Row on 5 will be like a fashion designer’s haute couture collection – a showcase of creativity and finesse, but instead of fine fabrics and artisanal needlework, the stars of Row on 5 will be the world-class culinary team and the very best produce from all over the British Isles.” The opening is Atherton’s fifth of 2024. His The Social Company portfolio includes the Michelin-starred City Social, Little Social and HotDogs by Three Darlings in London. Beyond the UK, the group is behind Michelin-starred venues such as 7Tales and City Social in Dubai, Pig & Palm in Cebu, Maraya Social in Alula and King’s Social House in St Moritz. 

Six by Nico confirms Bristol plans: Six Company, the company behind the Six by Nico restaurant business, has confirmed it will open a site under its core brand in Bristol next year. Propel revealed earlier this year that Six Company had secured the former Carluccio’s site near the city’s Cabot Circus scheme to open a 3,200 square-foot Six by Nico restaurant at Quakers Friars, next to Cote. Six by Nico, which operates 16 UK restaurants in locations including Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Oxford, will open the Bristol site in February. Founder Nico Simeone said: "We’re thrilled to be opening our first Six by Nico restaurant in the heart of Bristol. This vibrant and bustling city has a unique energy that we believe will challenge our creativity and inspire us to push new boundaries. We’re excited to be part of the local dining scene and to share our passion for innovative, high-quality food with the people of Bristol. When we launched our ‘At Home’ service during the pandemic, we saw a strong connection with the local community, which made this opening feel like a natural next step.” Earlier this week, Propel reported that Six Group had lodged plans to open a site for its core brand in Nottingham. The company has applied to the city council to transform the former George’s Great British Kitchen at 15 Queen Street, a listed building, into its latest venue. Six Company is also believed to be planning an opening in Newcastle. 

Mikhail Hotel & Leisure Group reports 50% turnover growth due to having ‘more scope to trade’: Merseyside operator Mikhail Hotel & Leisure Group has reported 50% turnover growth during the year to 31 December 2023 due to having “more scope to trade”. The company’s turnover increased from £11,438,800 in 2022 to £17,109,889 and underlying Ebitda was up from £2,292,115 in 2022 to £2,581,778. Pre-tax profit fell slightly from £839,720 to £806,073 as costs shot up from £5,894,172 to £10,249,342. No government grants were received (2022: £60,041). Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £83,917 (2022: £52,924). “Group turnover increased year on year by £5,671,088 (2022: £2,945,320), which equated to an increase of 49.58% (2022: 34.68%),” director Rob Ashcroft said. “The increase is again due to more scope to trade during the year as well as more venues open fully. Net assets increased by £315,263 (4%) to £7,581,424. At the balance sheet date, the group had bank borrowing in place amounting to £4,852,393 (2022: £5,272,989). The directors are thankful of the continued support of the bank. At the balance sheet date, the group owed directors £1,260,412 (2022: £1,339,755). The directors will continue to support the group.” In November 2023, the group closed its Liverpool Chinese restaurant, Lu Ban, in Cains Brewery Village. The group has a portfolio of 16 leisure and hospitality businesses across the region.

Umbrella Project co-founder to launch new venture: Andy Kerr, co-founder of the east London operator Umbrella Project, is to launch a new bar venture. Kerr has teamed up with Tom Gibson to launch Parasol in the former Nest nightclub space at 36 Stoke Newington Road in Dalston, in the spring. There will be cocktails alongside a regularly changing food menu, as well as a wine list and bar snack menu from Provisions, plus DJs, reports Hot Dinners. Kerr founded Umbrella Project, which is  behind The Sun Tavern and Discount Suit Company bars and  drinks shop and tasting room The Umbrella Workshop, in 2014. Kerr previously told Propel he is planning further expansion with new concepts and has always wanted to open a Soho location.

Manchester dessert concept opens fourth site: Manchester dessert concept Cheat Daze has opened its fourth site. Cheat Daze was co-founded in 2022 by Muhammed Abdullah and launched at 197 Mauldeth Road in Burnage. A second site followed at 42 Woodford Road in Bramhall, Stockport, and then a third at 255 Bolton Road in Salford. Cheat Daze has now launched at 174 Westgate in Bradford. 

The Depot plans biggest ever year in 2025 including Jess Glynne and Kings of Leon gigs: Cardiff independent warehouse events venue The Depot is planning its biggest ever year in 2025, including running 28 outdoor events. Founded in 2015 by Nick Saunders, who is also behind crazy golf concept Par 59 in Bristol and Cardiff, Depot held a series of gigs at Cardiff Castle in 2024 and will put on a concert by Jess Glynne at the historic venue in July 2025. Saunders told Insider Media: “We’re launching two new outdoor event sites in 2025: Blackweir Fields, where we aim to obtain a licence for 35,000 – making it the largest greenfield site in Wales – and Bute Park, with a capacity of 15,000.” Kings of Leon are expected to play Blackweir Fields on 29 June, and Alanis Morrissette is scheduled to take to the stage at the Castle on 2 July. Saunders added: “We believe this growth is driven by several factors, including an increase in artists touring, Cardiff gaining recognition as a city for live events, and the rising demand for inner-city day festivals over larger weekend festivals. The past three years have been busy with opening venues, and this year has been focused on refining our operations. Next year, we’ll be expanding the outdoor events business.” In November last year, Saunders also opened Outpost Bar & Kitchen in Cardiff’s Llandaff Road.

 

South London oyster concept opens second site: South London oyster concept opens Oybar has opened its second site. It has acquired the site previously occupied by Mitchells & Butlers’ O’Neill’s pub brand at 66 The Broadway in Wimbledon, offering a seafood-focused menu alongside a European wine list. Oysters can be ordered individually, baked as Oysters Rockefeller or as part of a selection of seafood platters, reports Hot Dinners. Mussels and smoked salmon are also available, as well as snails and beef bourguignon. The original Oybar opened at 9 Chestnut Grove in Balham over the summer.

 

Greater Manchester café owner opens deli shop: Greater Manchester café owner Sas Hardman has opened a new deli shop. Hardman opened the Sasilicious café in Bury Road in Tottington in April 2023 and has now opened Sasilicious Deli in Bridge Street in Ramsbottom. Hardman has taken over the former Entwistle’s deli in the town, owned by Dave Entwistle, where she worked for two years before opening her Tottington shop. “It made sense as Dave wanted to keep it as a deli because he made it a deli around 23 years ago, and that’s where he started making Lancashire sauce, which is very popular around these parts,” she told the Bury Times. “I was the perfect person because he knows me really well, so he just handed the keys over. I missed all the customers, and I had a really good rapport with them as I’m from Ramsbottom, so I know most of the people who went in there.” The shop, which has a wide variety of options that also caters to vegans, vegetarians and those who are gluten-free, has been refurbished and now has a seating area.

 

Japanese bakery brand opens in London's West End for second site: Japanese bakery concept Happy Sky Bakery has opened in London's West End for its second site. Founder and head baker Motoko McNulty has opened at 40 Hanway Street, near Tottenham Court Road tube station. The outlet joins the concept’s first site, located at 94 Askew Road in Chiswick, west London, reports Hot Dinners.

 

Aston Villa FC unveil plans for multi-use venue that will be Premier League’s largest beer hall: Aston Villa Football Club are planning to create a major multi-use venue as part of its ambitious masterplan. “The Warehouse” will become the largest beer hall in the Premier League when complete and will be free for ticketed supporters on matchdays. Beyond matchdays, The Warehouse will transform into a “premier” concert venue and event space. The 3,500-seater venue will host “world-class performances”, from live music and sporting events to community activities. The project includes the development of a new ticketing office, an improved plaza in the North Grounds for large player receptions and an expanded club shop. Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa FC, said: “This is a transformational project, well on its way to completion for next season. We want to create the best matchday experience possible in the Premier League and the strategic decision to utilise this space as a world-class entertainment venue adds another pivotal piece to climbing the financial fair play mountain.”