Brakspear CEO – trading so far in 2025 has been strong, secures additional borrowing: Tom Davies, chief executive of pub operator Brakspear, has told Propel that trading for the business in 2025 has been strong, helped by acquisitions and a busy summer, but “our costs will be significantly more challenging as we progress beyond the summer”. It comes after the business reported a 7% increase in turnover for the year ended 29 December 2024 to £41.3m, accompanied by a 2% decline in adjusted Ebitda at £10.7m. The company, which operates around 110 leased and tenanted pubs, and a further 12 in its managed division Honeycomb Houses, reported underlying pre-tax profit of £7.5m – adjusted for an impairment charge totalling £700,000, which compares with £7.4m the previous year. On trading in 2025, Davies told Propel: “Trading has been strong, with turnover up 14%, supported by the acquisition of the Redesdale Arms, Moreton-in-Marsh, and the Kings Head, Cirencester – both added to our Honeycomb Houses managed estate. On a like-for-like basis, turnover is up 8%, with the summer so far being beneficial for both our tenanted estate business owners and for our Honeycomb Houses. We are finding the cost environment manageable because we have been able to drive some efficiencies with the busy summer. Our costs will be significantly more challenging as we progress beyond summer. Employment costs have increased by £500,000 per annum on a like-for-like basis since the Budget. This is being partially offset from efficiencies enabled by the long warm summer. Our guests are still visiting our sites with a 10% uplift in footfall year to date, but they are managing their spend by not ordering starters and desserts in the same quantity as last year – we are seeing a 17% decline in the sales of these courses [combined].” On the property market, Davies said the business was seeing more activity recently and wants to add further sites to its estate, “but there are some unrealistic price expectations”. He said: “We have secured access to additional borrowing from our bank (Lloyds), which is very supportive of our business. We want to add to our Honeycomb Houses estate and our tenanted estate over the coming months.”

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality on Friday featuring more than 272,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 272,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (22 August) at midday. The database now features 1,035 companies, and this month’s edition includes 87 new additions and 108 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, Multi-Site Database, the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers 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 subscribers 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 subscribers 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.

Glendola Leisure-owned pub introduces 4% service charge to those ordering at the bar: A central London pub owned by Glendola Leisure has introduced a 4% service charge to those ordering at the bar. The Telegraph reports that the “optional” charge is applied to food and drink at the Well and Boot in Waterloo station and adds 30p to the price of a pint of beer or cider. The venue displays the additional charge on a sign by the bar which states that 100% of its tips go to its staff. Martin Quinn, a campaigner for cash acceptance who visited the pub, said: “You can understand it if you’re sitting down and it’s table service, but you’re ordering it from the bar. Where’s the service in that?” Mr Quinn purchased a half pint of cider for £3.90 – about 15p more expensive thanks to the service charge, which he paid. The venue would not accept cash. Martyn James, a consumer expert, said service charge on drinks bought at the bar in pubs was a growing trend. “Sadly, I have seen this in a number of bars in London and other places,” he said. “There’s no definitive rules that cover tipping other than that the house is not meant to keep the tips. The key thing is it’s optional, but it forces you into an awkward situation where you have to tell the person who is pouring your drink, ‘I’m not tipping you’, and that goes against our British sensibilities.” Prices at the Well and Boot are £7.65 for a pint of Camden IPA, while an Aspall cider or Guinness costs £7.45. Cocktails are £12.50, and a regular-sized glass of sauvignon blanc is £8.50. Glendola Leisure, which is owned by the Salussolia family, was approached for comment. The company operates 16 pubs, bars and restaurants across London, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

 

Bubala founder to launch debut cookbook: Marc Summers, founder of Middle Eastern vegetarian concept Bubala, is set to release his debut cook book – “Bubala: Middle-Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Recipes to Share”. Bubala began life as a pop-up in east London in 2018 and has grown to three London restaurants – in Spitalfields, Soho and King’s Cross. Organised into chapters spanning sides and salads, skewers, mezzes, mains and sweets, the cookbook will feature restaurant favourites, new creations and Bubala larder essentials “to elevate everyday cooking”. Alongside recipes, the book will chart the restaurant’s journey – from Summers’ lightbulb moment to its early pop-up days – plus a behind-the-scenes look at daily life in the kitchen. Summers said: “Bubala has always been about more than just the food, it’s about the energy, the generosity, and the joy of sharing a meal. This book is my way of bringing that spirit into people’s homes.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a four-star hotel in London that is seeking an assistant director of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This role involves taking the lead on high-value group bookings and event-driven business. This is an opportunity for a strategic sales professional ready to own their market, build powerful client relationships and drive revenue in a fast-paced, high-performing environment.” The salary is up to £60,000. For more information, email ed@corecruitment.com.

 

Inn Collection Group’s completes £125m refinancing ‘to provide room for future growth’ but awaiting more certainty before going into new areas: Inn Collection Group chief executive Sean Donkin has told Propel the group’s £125m refinancing has “provided room for future growth” but it will await more certainty before going into new areas. The company, which has 30 sites currently trading and two being refurbished to its new model, has secured the refinancing through HSBC, consolidating its existing debts under one facility. It comes after Inn Collection Group last year extended its banking facility – which stood at £93.5m following a refinancing in May 2023 – by a further £5.3m. Donkin told Propel: “It also gives us a little bit of room for future growth – both in terms of further refurbishments and site optimisation, and hopefully growth. We like to trade in the areas we understand – like Northumberland, the Lake District, Lancashire, Yorkshire and North Wales – but we’ve also done some research into areas for potential expansion. We’re based in Newcastle, and any future areas we go into would ideally be within one or two hours in terms of travel. Having said that, the confluence isn’t there for mass expansion just yet – there is just too much uncertainty. We have the next Budget coming up in October, and everything the chancellor does seems to create more uncertainty – but we will adapt the best we can, and it will be exciting. We’re always talking to people about individual assets too.” In terms of current trading, Donkin said the first four to five months of the year were “fine”, but the summer months saw some softening, which he expects to see repeated throughout the rest of the year. He said: “Sales are 2%-3% up on last year, and whereas we’re also seeing a volume decline, especially in areas such as lunch, everyone seems to enjoy coming out to have a drink. More than two thirds of our estate is having its best year yet in terms of bottom-line profit.” The group’s latest site to reopen following refurbishment is the former Swallow Falls Hotel in Betws-y-Coed, which it acquired in 2021, and which reopened seven weeks ago as the Swallow Falls Inn and is “trading nicely”. The ones currently undergoing refurbishment are St Kilda Hotel in Llandudno and The Wordsworth Hotel in Grasmere, both of which the group acquired in 2022. The business reported turnover of £52,593,000 for the year to 31 December 2023, up from £36,358,000 in 2022. Pre-tax losses widened from £9,770,000 in 2022 to £13,227,000 while group Ebitda rose to £4.1m from £2.6m.

Punch – we’re aiming to double our single-site acquisition run rate over the next 12 months: Punch Pubs & Co, the Andy Spencer-led pub company, has said it is aiming to double its single-site acquisition run rate over the next 12 months after acquiring 35 community pubs during its 2024-25 financial year. The acquisitions include 14 pubs from the Milton 1 and 2 portfolios, along with 21 single-site additions. In the past two weeks, six new pubs have joined Punch – The Maverick, The Hanlon, Cob & Pen, The Red Lion, Ye Olde Anchor Inn and the Kings Head. The company said the growth strengthens Punch’s portfolio, which now stands at more than 1,300 pubs nationwide. Stephen Allen, group property director at Punch, said: “We’re delighted to welcome these 35 fantastic pubs into the Punch family. Each one presents an opportunity to invest, innovate, and inspire those moments that make our pubs special. Whether already thriving or just beginning their journey with us, these pubs are central to our vision of becoming the five-star pub company. I extend my thanks to everyone who contributed to this achievement.” Andrew Cannons, head of acquisitions, added: “2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for Punch, and we’re not slowing down any time soon. We’re aiming to double our single-site acquisition run rate over the next 12 months. With more single-site and package acquisitions already in the pipeline, we remain fully committed to growing our estate and welcome all discussions – whether for packages or single-site opportunities.”

SpudBros Express – we plan to be in city centres everywhere and have had franchise interest from most UK cities, we will be the main player in the jacket potato market: Gourmet jacket potato business SpudBros Express has told Propel it plans to be in city centres everywhere and has had franchise interest from most UK cities. It plans to open up to six sites this year and double that next year – as well as making its international debut – and have 30 to 40 sites by the end of 2027. Although the business has its roots in 1950s Lancashire, having started out as a potato cart run by Ernie Rhodes in Preston’s Flag Market in 1955, the family-run business is now operated by Jacob and Harley Nelson, who took it over in 2020 and rebrand it SpudBros. A sole site in London’s Soho will be followed next month by a flagship Liverpool store and its first franchise location, in Sheffield. “We want to be in all the city centres in the UK,” said James McCree, head of UK networks for Taster, which SpudBros partnered with in April to help roll out the business. “We’re opening our flagship in Liverpool in early September, and we’ve got our first franchisee opening in Sheffield shortly after that. We’re going to launch four to six this year, ten-12 next year and 20-30 by the end of 2027. We want to be in other countries and we’re looking at the Netherlands and Ireland – we are looking to have a pilot store in central Amsterdam in the first quarter of next year. There’s really good scope for places this business can go – a potato is a vessel essentially, and you can put whatever you want on it. It will be very much bricks and mortar led – we want to have fun, cool stores that people want to come to. We’ve got 16 or 17 deposits and our franchisee in Sheffield is looking for sites in Leeds already. The growth will be very spread out geographically, and while a lot of our deposits are for London and southern cities, we’ve got interest in most UK cities. It’s been a bit slower than we hoped as we’re basically starting from scratch, but we’re in quite a good place now and I think things will really start ticking over next year.” As well as its low capex, moderate investment levels and the absence of heavy extraction, other factors that have made SpudBros Express an exciting prospect include its social media reach and pull with influencers. “We are very much looking to create and co-create brands with influencers,” McCree said. “We’re predominantly a French company, and in France we have Pepe Chicken, and Starsmash, which we have co-created with Youtubers in France, so we know we can do it successfully. This is our playbook; we know how to create, grow and maximise brands with influencers. When we first spoke to SpudBros, they had maybe 3.5 million followers across all their networks. Fast forward a year, and it’s nearly eight million. As their influence grows and you have people like Will Smith and Mr Beast coming into the stores, it really amplifies what we’re doing. Apart from the jacket potato being a staple British favourite, which is never going to go anywhere, the boys have made it cool – and having that history and story behind it is why people love it so much. They’re a normal family from Preston trying to create a global brand, and people see that as a hero story – you’ve got the history and the Britishness of it, which all works really well together. We will very much be the main player in the jacket potato market going forwards.” Seeds Consulting is working with SpudBros Express and Taster on the brand’s expansion.

Knoops lays foundations for growth, Martin Long to take CFO role: William Gordon-Harris, chief executive of luxury hot chocolate shop brand Knoops, has told Propel it has lay the foundations for growth as the business makes some tweaks to its management team. The company currently operates 27 sites in the UK, with three more currently in its pipeline – in Cheltenham, Belfast and Scotch Corner Designer Village. Knoops previously said the brand will eventually grow to at least 300 stores in the UK and 3,000 globally in the next decade. Kai Hepworth, who joined earlier this year as UK managing director, has now stepped down. At the same time, Martin Long, the former chief executive of Game Group, who joined the business earlier this year as a non-executive director, has taken on the role of chief financial officer. He replaces Lorraine Dunbar, who is stepping down after more five and a half years as Knoops chief financial officer. The company has also hired Lucy Winzer, formerly of Pret A Manger, to help it scale in the UK. Winzer, who spent a year as property director at Aldi, spent almost a decade at Pret, including as the brand’s head of estates and development and UK property director. Gordon-Harris told Propel: “Martin Long has brought his vast experience as a chief financial officer and chief executive in Game Group and other leading brands into scaling Knoops. We now go into our international scale-up phase with the modelling and financial rigour most businesses only dream about. Kai helped our thinking in the UK, and it was decided that as Knoops is a multi-channel brand – with ‘stores’ only forming one leg of the business, and the opportunity being far more nuanced than simple four-wall economics (that most investors and commentators and managers understand) – the development of the UK should be carefully managed by the global team as this stage. Lucy joins us this month, and Knoops has awaited her arrival and the sign-off of store opening strategy under her authorship before accelerating to our increasingly optimistic assessment of the potential size and reach of the UK store estate. With the data Knoops has collected from its inception now coming into its own, with, for example, the clearly longer day part and the continuing like-for-like increases (which show no signs of slowing even in mature stores), the UK proposition alone is clearly a unicorn in plain sight.” Aaron Pennington, operations director, will work alongside Winzer to manage the brand’s UK store estate. Both report to Jo Brett, Knoops’ group chief operating officer.

 

Brother Marcus to open site in London’s Soho, reports quarterly sales record, regional debut under consideration: London eastern Mediterranean restaurant concept Brother Marcus is to open a seventh eponymous site in London, in Soho, as it told Propel it had reported a quarterly sales record. The business, which was founded by Tasos Gaitanos and Alex Large, will open on the former Social Eating House site in Poland Street this autumn. The site will have 84 covers spread across two floors. At the new site, Brother Marcus’ offering will also include special set lunch and pre-theatre menus, as well as a subterranean 14-seat private dining room – a first for the business. Upstairs, taking over the previous space of speakeasy The Blind Pig, will be Kamara – Brother Marcus founders’ first cocktail bar and a destination in its own right. The company said Kamara will take its place “among London’s most exciting cocktail bar offerings”, with the concept developed by Angelos Bafas (Kioku Sake Bar, Nipperkin and Soma) alongside the group’s co-founders. Earlier this year, Brother Marcus opened its biggest site yet, in the YY London building at the foot of One Canada Square, Canary Wharf. Large told Propel: “Sales performance has been excellent, with record quarterly sales of £3.52m. This was 8.6% ahead of budget. Year on year sales growth was 74% and like-for-like growth was 25.5%. This was achieved while keeping pricing flat year on year. Restaurant level Ebitda was 19.3%. Despite wider headwinds, Brother Marcus is in its strongest position to date.” Gaitanos said: “With a maturing support team and a renewed focus on training, we are enhancing our systems, strengthening our offer and raising the bar in hospitality. As we deliver our growth plans, the brand remains rooted in memorable experiences, with a clear sense of identity, purpose and momentum.” The business told Propel it is still targeting two to three openings in 2026, with a first regional site “under consideration”. Gaitanos said: “We have another site currently in legals. This is expected to open early 2026. We’ve had some investment interest but nothing to announce at this stage. Our growth is being financed by the bank, we are leveraging on our growth and profitability, so no urgency or need as we are able to deliver exciting and sustainable growth within our means.” On whether the group will look to open further sites under new bar concept, Gaitanos said: “The plan is to open further Kamara bars alongside new Brother Marcus sites where the opportunity fits. If the concept proves strong enough, stand-alone Kamara sites are very much on the table. As it is a new brand extension, we want to move slowly making sure we are able to deliver and embed ourselves as a quality offer consistently. I am sure there will be lots of learnings along the way – as the concept matures so will our confidence in opening more.”

 

Richard Morris to join Spinners as new chairman: Spinners, the competitive socialising concept that earlier this summer secured £4m in new investment, has hired Richard Morris, the former chief executive of Tortilla – the UK’s largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand – as its new chairman, Propel has learned. Morris, who is also currently a non-executive director at quick service sushi roll concept SushiDog, stepped down as Tortilla chief executive last spring after leading the business for a decade. He has also worked as an operations director at TGI Fridays and managing director of Loch Fyne Restaurants. In June the three-strong Spinners secured £4m in new investment from Gresham House Ventures. The business opened its first site in Reading in 2021 and also operates sites in Plymouth and Solihull. Jamie Bylett, founder and director at Spinners, told Propel earlier this summer the business plans to get to double figures over the next few years and create a “truly national brand”. Bylett told Propel the company’s roll out plans will be two-pronged – going to the biggest cities in the UK and “places where our competitors aren’t – “perhaps some smaller market towns as well”. On the appointment of Morris, Bylett said: “If we are to match the plans we have laid out for the business, we will need the experience and expertise that Richard can provide. I am looking forward to tapping into his industry knowledge as we look to scale the business and continually evolve.” Morris said: “I’m excited to be joining Jamie and the Spinners team, to help grow the estate in this fast-moving sector. Spinners sits at the more premium end, and I see this as a real benefit going forward. Having the support and investment from Gresham gives Jamie a strong board with experience in the leisure market.”

 

Soho House hires Neil Thomson as new CFO: Members’ club group Soho House, which is set to be taken private in a $2.7bn (£2bn) deal by a group led by New York-based MCR Hotels, has hired Neil Thomson as its new chief financial officer, effective immediately. Thomson, who will be based in the company’s London head office, will succeed Thomas Allen, who will remain with the business until the end of this month to help ensure a smooth transition. Thomson is a 30-year hospitality company operations and finance veteran, having served most recently as chief financial officer of Tasty Restaurant Group, a private equity backed US based franchisee of quick service restaurants. Prior to this, Thomson was chief financial officer of Del Frisco’s, a US high end and casual dining company. Thomson also held several senior management positions during 15 years at Yum! Brands, including chief financial officer of India, chief development officer of Pizza Hut International and chief growth officer of Pizza Hut Asia. Andrew Carnie, chief executive of Soho House, said: “Neil brings a rare combination of deep operational knowledge in hospitality, alongside financial expertise, which will be a huge asset as we continue to scale the business. On behalf of the company and our board of directors, I would like to thank Thomas for his many contributions to Soho House & Co. His exceptional strategic insight and financial discipline have been invaluable as we navigated the public markets. During a period of significant transformation and growth, Thomas has played a key role in building the strong business we are today, and I’m personally very grateful for the partnership we’ve had. We wish him every success in his next chapter.” It comes as Soho House is to be taken private in a $2.7bn deal by a group led by MCR Hotels, the third-largest hotel owner-operator in the US and owner of the BT Tower in London. Actor-turned-investor Ashton Kutcher will lead a consortium providing new funding to the business –§ and will join Soho House's board of directors once the transaction is complete, while the MCR chief executive, Tyler Morse, will be vice-chair. 

 

Homeslice CVA plan approved by creditors: Better pizza concept Homeslice, which was founded by Mark and Alan Wogan, has entered into a company voluntary agreement (CVA) after its restructuring plans were approved by creditors. Homeslice fell into administration at the end of 2024 but has continued to trade from its two sites in the City and Neal’s Yard, while its site in Marylebone closed. Administrators Begbies Traynor said they hoped a CVA will be able to save the business. Under the terms of the CVA, Homeslice must make at least 60 monthly voluntary payments of at least £8,000 to creditors. Homeslice will not exit the CVA until all secondary preferential creditors are paid in full and unsecured, non-preferential creditors receive a minimum dividend of 1.6p in the pound. Last month, Propel revealed Berberè, the independent Italian company founded by brothers Salvatore and Matteo Aloe, is to open a fourth site in London after acquiring the former Homeslice site in Marylebone. At the start of the year, the Wogans vowed to save the remainder of the business after it fell into liquidation, owing £2.5m. 

 

Blank Street Coffee plans Leeds opening: US coffee brand Blank Street, which made its debut in the UK in 2022, is lining up a first opening in Leeds. The company, which operates 45 sites in the UK, is set to take over a former Starbucks in Leeds city centre, at 48 Albion Street. At the same time, Propel understands Blank Street is lining up a third site in Birmingham. The business has applied to open on the former Caffe Nero site in the city’s Waterloo Street. In June, Propel reported that Blank Street plans to open in the former Philpotts unit on the corner of Portland Street/Oxford Street, in Manchester. Blank Street already operates three sites in Manchester, in Piccadilly Gardens, the Trafford Centre and King Street. Earlier this year, the brand, which currently operates circa 50 sites in New York City plus outposts in Boston and Washington DC, opened its second site in Edinburgh, on the corner of Princes Street and Hanover Street. It came after the business made its debut in Scotland, with an opening at 5 India Buildings, in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Blank Street also operates two sites in Glasgow. Last year, Issam Freiha, who co-founded Blank Street Coffee in New York in 2020 with Vinay Menda, said the UK market was a driving force of the company’s overall growth strategy.

 

Burger & Sauce opens site at West Midlands shopping centre: Burger franchise concept Burger & Sauce has opened a site at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands. The restaurant marks the final addition to the scheme’s leisure quarter – joining operators including Hollywood Bowl, Azzurri Group-owned ASK Italian, The Restaurant Group brand Wagamama and US brand Wingstop – following an investment of more than £12m. The 2,106 square-foot Burger & Sauce restaurant has space for 54 diners. Chief executive Adeel Nawaz said: “Our opening at Merry Hill is a real milestone for Burger & Sauce, bringing our delicious homemade burgers to a new audience in a dynamic location that’s part of our home. The centre’s high footfall and lively atmosphere makes it the perfect fit for our next venture.” Founder Saad Masood, who opened the first Burger & Sauce restaurant during the pandemic, has ambitions to grow the 20-strong business to 50 stores. JLL, Time Retail Partners, and Font Real Estate represent Merry Hill.

 

German hotel group acquires debut UK site: 1912 Hotels St Pauls, the newly established UK subsidiary of German-based 1912 Hotels, has made its first hotel acquisition in Britain. The purchase of St Pauls Hotel, in the centre of Sheffield, marks the start of the group’s strategic expansion into the UK hospitality market. The 169-bedroom, four-star hotel in Norfolk Street also features a restaurant, bar, meeting and conference facilities, along with a spa equipped with a heated pool, sauna and gym. Duncan Gray, managing director of 1912 Hotels, said: “We are thrilled to have completed our first UK acquisition as we look to establish a strong foundation for our UK expansion.” 1912 Hotels – which operates two hotels in Slovenia and one in each of Austria and Hungary – was advised on the Sheffield acquisition by DWF.

 

London restaurateurs Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie to open second site for Asian concept Huo: London restaurateurs Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie are to open a second site for their Asian concept Huo. The duo will launch the venue in Belsize Village on Monday, 15 September, adding to its outlet in Chelsea that opened in 2021. Head chef Yam Gurung has curated a menu that encompasses carefully selected dishes from around China and south east Asia, all cooked from scratch using traditional Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Singaporean recipes. All dishes, ideal for sharing and mains, include Thai sea bass fillet steamed with chilli and lemongrass. The Belsize Village site will be divided into three areas. A bar will offer Huo’s signature Asian-inspired cocktails as well as a selection of Japanese whisky, sake and on-tap beer. The back of the restaurant will house the main dining room and offers seating for up to 86 guests, and the private dining room located downstairs will seat up to 18 guests, complete with its own bar. An outside terrace will have seating for up to 16 guests. Rebak and Wilkie are also behind sister concept Uli, which has sites in Notting Hill and Marylebone. 

 

Members’ club provider Maslow’s to open site in London’s Kensington High Street: Maslow’s has agreed a deal to open a new 30,000 square-foot members’ house at AshbyCapital’s Kensington Building in Kensington High Street in London. Maslow’s third members’ house in London – after Mortimer House and 1 Warwick – will be located on the ground and first floors of The Kensington Building and will offer a range of workspaces – including private studies designed for teams of four to 40 – alongside collaborative lounges, a member-only café, boutique gym and fitness studio. Guy Ivesha, founder and chief executive of Maslow’s, said: “Opening within The Kensington Building is an exciting next step for Maslow’s. More than a new location, it represents an opportunity to evolve how we deliver workspace, combining member performance with our well-being-led philosophy. The building reflects our values, from its sustainability credentials to design integrity and architectural quality. We’re committed to designing and operating spaces people choose to spend time in, with workspaces that support productivity and well-being.” 

 

Liverpool brunch and cocktail bar business opens second site: Liverpool brunch and cocktail bar business Bam Boo has opened its second site following a six-figure investment. The company has transformed a former café in Lark Lane, with the 80-cover venue adding to its other restaurant in Bold Street. Bam Boo serves breakfast and brunch classics such as pancakes, bagels, poached eggs and fry-ups. In the evenings, the venues become cocktail bars with live music and jazz nights. Bam Boo now employs 27 staff in total. Co-founder and director Lauren Wright said trading at Lark Lane is ahead of expectations as casual dining enthusiasts increasingly seek venues with character, a strong social vibe and a unique experience. Wright, who established Bam Boo with Sam Patterson and Lloyd King, said: “We’ve been fortunate to experience overwhelming demand since opening at Bold Street in 2023. We’ve been fully booked there for months in advance, and we knew it was time to grow. Lark Lane felt like the perfect fit. It’s one of Liverpool’s most vibrant hospitality hubs, with a buzzing, independent spirit that aligns perfectly with the Bam Boo concept. Expanding wasn’t just about opportunity – it was also about meeting the demand from customers who wanted more of what we offer, in a location that feels authentic to us. The industry is definitely shifting, but instead of resisting change, we’ve leaned into it. Today’s customers are looking for casual, characterful spaces that suit their lifestyles – places where brunch turns into cocktails and where the atmosphere is just as important as the menu. While the sector is facing challenges, the appetite for unique, independent hospitality experiences is still strong.”

 

Entertainment venue Gameshow All-Stars set to open second site: Entertainment venue Gameshow All-Stars, which offers a “unique fusion of nostalgia and modern gaming”, is set to open a second site, in Leeds. Launched in Sheffield in September 2023 by Hannah Duraid and Aaron Giles, the business has lined up an opening on the former Geek Retreat site in the Central Arcade scheme in Leeds. Gameshow All-Stars offers a collection of high-tech mini games that draw inspiration from some of the most beloved game shows in television history, including testing your mental prowess in a Countdown-style challenge to spinning the wheel in a Wheel of Fortune-inspired game.

 

Daughter of Chris Corbin to move restaurant operations under one roof in London’s Marylebone next month: Amy Corbin, daughter of Corbin & King co-founder Chris Corbin, will move her restaurant operations under one roof next month, to London’s Marylebone. Corbin and husband Patrick Williams are relocating their Kudu, Kudu Grill and Curious Kudu bars and restaurants to the former Aubaine restaurant in Marylebone’s Moxon Street on Tuesday, 16 September following eight years in Peckham, south London. The new site will carry forward Kudu’s signature seasonal-led European cuisine with a South African twist. A refreshed menu format will include a selection of never-before-seen dishes alongside “standout favourites” from across the group, including plates from the original Kudu Restaurant and Kudu Grill – the latter celebrated for its open-fire cooking over wood and charcoal, inspired by the traditional South African braai. A “Best of Kudu” set menu – priced at £95 for four courses plus a glass of amarula liqueur with dessert – will also be available, while an express lunch menu will offer diners a taste of the Kudu experience, priced at £35 for two courses. As well as an extensive wine list showcasing the best of South Africa, there will also be cocktails and non-alcoholic options, including a take on the classic Mai Tai. The braai and open kitchen will sit at the heart of the restaurant, while upstairs will be a bar and private dining room that will open later this year. Williams said: “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Kudu to Central London and to join the close-knit Marylebone community – it’s something we’ve dreamed about for a long time. The move to a larger site with a bigger kitchen opens up so many exciting opportunities to continue sharing and celebrating our South African cuisine with our guests.”

Midlands coffee shop concept closes both its sites: Midlands coffee shop concept Cup has closed both its sites, suddenly and without warning. Cup had locations in both Hagley and Stourbridge, but both cafes have shut, reports the Stourbridge News. Cup has changed its Instagram biography to “closed” and advertised to its 10,900 followers that the Hagley site is up for lease. The post said: “Shop lease available in the heart of Hagley village, with or without equipment/furniture.” The Stourbridge site has been closed since earlier this month. Ed and Brooke Stringfellow are behind the cafes, which offered coffee, small plates and music night events.

Somerset brewery to restart operations: Brewing is returning to Wiveliscombe in Somerset later this month, when the New Exmoor Brewery will start brewing on the site of the former Cotleigh Brewery in the town. Exmoor Ales ceased brewing at its Golden Hill site in Wiveliscombe in May this year, at the same time as starting a collaboration with Hogs Back Brewery, which saw Exmoor Ales’ offer replicated at the Surrey brewer’s site. Hogs Back will continue to brew Exmoor’s main beers for the time being, while the new Exmoor Brewery will focus on new product development. Exmoor Drinks – the company created when brewing ceased at the Golden Hill site – will continue to distribute all Exmoor Ales brands, as well as Hogs Back’s flagship Tongham TEA. Hogs Back will also be investing in the Exmoor Ales beers, to introduce them to a broader audience. Exmoor Drinks chairman Jonathan Price said: “We are thrilled to be brewing back in ‘Wivey’, where we started brewing in 1979, in a new brewery. Deciding to close our brewing operation in May was done with a heavy heart, as the only response to insurmountable business challenges. Our collaboration with Hogs Back has been a lifeline, allowing us to remain independent and keep our ales on tap and on shelves – and introduce them to new drinkers.” Exmoor Drinks is also welcoming back Simon French as managing director designate. French joined Exmoor Ales 11 years ago as its first full-time field sales employee and worked there for three-and-a-half years. He leaves Timothy Taylor’s, where he was business development manager. Hogs Back Brewery chairman Rupert Thompson said: “In these very difficult times, one way to survive and, in time, prosper, is to collaborate with fellow like-minded businesses. We were pleased to be in a position to help Exmoor Ales and keep alive this popular local beer brand.”