Loungers launches first loyalty scheme: Café bar operator Loungers, which opened its landmark 300th site earlier this month, has launched its first loyalty scheme across its 261-strong Lounge estate. The company, which also operates Cosy Club and Brightside, launched the scheme, which sees consumers pick up a Lounge passport within Lounge sites, at the end of last week. Kate Eastwood, Lounge managing director, told Propel: “It is our way of rewarding our customers for visiting different Lounges. Essentially a customer can buy a Lounge passport for £3 with all proceeds going to that Lounge's local charity partner. Then every time they go to a different Lounge they can collect a unique sticker. We've had loads of fun designing 261 different Lounge stickers. As their stickers mount up in their passports they will unlock rewards – starting with a free hot drink for three stickers and all the way to getting one of our iconic lampshades and free hot drinks for life for 150 visits. Our most loyal Loungers have been asking for this for a while, so we are excited to start rewarding them for visiting Lounges around the country. We actually think they care more about having a passport to track their visits than any reward we might offer them.” It is understood there will also be “super special, ultra-rare golden stickers – only available at milestone openings”. Earlier this month, Loungers opened its 300th venue, in Alton, Hampshire. The Fortress-backed, Nick Collins-led business opened the Antico Lounge at 37-39 High Street. Last week, Loungers followed that up with the opening of its 261st Lounge (and 301st overall site) – the Espino Lounge in a former HSBC in New Milton, also in Hampshire. Founded in Bristol in 2002 by Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, Loungers began with a single Lounge in North Street, Bristol. They introduced sister brands Cosy Club in 2010 and Brightside in 2022. Loungers has opened 22 new Lounges so far this year, contributing an average of nearly £1m investment and around 30 jobs to the local high street it serves. Alongside the new Lounges opened this year, the company opened a new Cosy Club in Reading in May – to be followed by Leeds in September and St Albans in October. 

Premium Club members to receive updated Multi-Site Database with 3,451 operators and 25 new companies on Friday: Premium Club members are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (29 August), at noon. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,451 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,003 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 801 (23%) pub and bar operators, 600 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 483 (14%) quick service restaurant (QSR) operators, 283 (8%) hotel operators, 227 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 53 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 25 new companies. The database includes new companies in the QSR sector such Flame & Ice, specialising in flaming smash burgers, and Manchester gourmet burger concept Shakedown. Premium Club members also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium 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 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.

Honest Burgers in trademark dispute with MSG-based seasonings company over ‘honest’ term: Honest Burgers, the Active Partners-backed business, is in a trademark dispute with Honest Umami, which sells MSG-based seasonings, over the use of the term “honest”. Honest Burgers, which operates 39 sites, has trademarked the term but Honest Umami co-founder Rob Miller pointed out there were several other businesses with “honest” in their name, including Liverpool cafe Honest Coffee and Manchester pizzeria Honest Crust. Miller said he and his co-founders had “sunk all our not exactly substantial life savings” into Honest Umami. It registered “Honest Umami” as a trademark last year, but Honest Burgers’ challenge is set to go to tribunal. “It would set us back to square one,” Miller told The Observer, adding that legal costs from the trademark dispute and discarding already made packaging would be unaffordable. “I don’t know whether we would just jack it in at that point. Honest Burgers’ claim is umami is just a descriptive word, the secondary thing, [and] that we’re basically calling our brand ‘Honest’. It’s quite the opposite. Umami is the point, the way we’re going about it is honest.” In a witness statement seen by The Observer, Honest Burgers’ chief marketing officer Marcus Denison-Smith said: “While we are sympathetic to our competitors and don’t like to take action unless we really feel that we need to, we cannot, for the integrity of our brand, allow other third parties to use and register similar names. This will cause consumer confusion and will dilute the brand that we have spent many years and great expense building.” A lawyer with experience in trademark disputes told The Observer it was not a clearcut case and that both sides had reasonable arguments. “The whole purpose of trademark law is to avoid consumers getting confused, and we think there’s no consumer in the world who’d look at a pot of Honest Umami and a burger restaurant and think they were somehow related,” said Miller. 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a fast-growing food business that is expanding across the UK and EU and is seeking a procurement and supply chain manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will have end-to-end responsibility of all procurement and supply chain management, managing the sourcing, logistics and supplier partnerships to ensure a smooth-running supply chain and successful business growth.” The salary is up to £75,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

Burger & Sauce doubles growth target to 100-plus sites: Burger franchise concept Burger & Sauce has doubled its growth target to 100-plus sites. The 20-strong business, which was founded during the pandemic by Saad Masood, has long held ambitions to grow to 50 sites. The company, which opened its latest site last week, at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands, has now doubled that target and said it is aiming for 100 locations long-term. “We’ve been busy behind the scenes at Burger & Sauce – and now’s the perfect time to share what we’ve been cooking up over the past few months,” a company spokesman said. “Investing in our supply chain: we’ve secured a 15,000 square-foot meat/poultry processing and marination facility. This gives us greater control over quality, consistency and pricing – and ensures we’re future-ready. New stores launched: Sheffield city centre and a second site in Nottingham in the city centre in Clumber Street. Many more sites are in the pipeline and set to launch in the coming weeks across the UK. Growing our leadership team: we welcomed a new chief operating officer to sharpen our operations and a new marketing manager to drive forward our brand. Key hires to help us scale with purpose. Climbing the delivery charts: ranked number three in the UK on Uber Eats (burger category) by revenue – and we’ve done it with far fewer sites than those above us. We’re number 48 in the UK overall on Uber Eats by revenue – again, with the smallest number of sites in the top 50. On Just Eat, we’re now number four in the UK (burger category) by revenue. These wins reflect the power of the brand, our operational focus, and our loyal customers. We’ve been laying the groundwork for big things ahead, and we’re on track to scale Burger & Sauce to 100-plus sites in the next five years. This is just the beginning.” On its latest opening, at Merry Hill, the company added: “Our new flagship store is officially open, bringing you the freshest handmade burgers, top-quality ingredients, and our legendary signature sauces. This is store number 20 for us, a milestone we are so proud of. We faced challenges with this opening, but the team pulled together, overcame them, and came out stronger.” 

Wingers seeking partner to expand in the north east with, five more stores in build: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers has said it is seeking a partner to expand in the north east with, and that it has five more stores currently in build. The business – founded during the covid pandemic by Amran, Dylan and Bill Sunner – currently has 17 stores and has previously targeted a 50-strong estate by 2027. In June, the company said it was on track to open eight more sites this year and a further ten in 2026. Giving an update, franchise consultant Anthony Round said: “We are looking for like-minded individuals who wish to develop a cell of stores in the north east. We are seeing some great opportunities being presented which we know will work for the concept and this presents a fantastic opportunity for someone who wishes to develop a multi-site quick service restaurant business. We have 17 stores open, five stores in build and a strong pipeline for 2026 and beyond, with a strategic aim of 50 stores open by the end of 2027. Our current stores are seeing extremely strong like-for-likes and record weekly sales volumes.”

Tequila Mockingbird launches new dive bar concepts, looks to future-proof estate: South London bar operator Tequila Mockingbird is diversifying beyond its cocktail-led roots with the launch of two new dive bar concepts in London – Bad Habits Club in Clapham Junction and Sinners Social Club in Covent Garden, Propel has learned. Tequila Mockingbird said the pair mark a “significant step” in the group's strategy to build a “balanced portfolio of experience-driven, value-led late-night venues”. It said that Bad Habits Club, in Battersea Rise, established the blueprint for Tequila Mockingbird's dive bar approach: a rock-led music programme, accessible pricing, and interactive entertainment. The venue features darts, a pool table, foosball, arcade machines and a photo booth, alongside a stripped-back cocktail list, draught beer and a happy hour with £5 pints and cocktails. Food is delivered in partnership with Patty & Bun, introducing a “recognisable and casual dining offer to the late-night setting”. Building on this, Tequila Mockingbird relaunched its Covent Garden Lyceum site as Sinners Social Club earlier this month. Designed to appeal to a wider demographic, the venue combines “affordable drinks with competitive socialising activities and a bold music programme spanning new wave, glam rock, old school hip hop and alternative bangers”. Better burger brand Byron provides the food offer, complemented by the site's Saturday brunches that have been retained and reimagined to suit the new concept. Jonathan Bas, founder of Tequila Mockingbird, told Propel: “Bad Habits Club was our first step in evolving beyond the cocktail-first model, and the warm reception showed there's a real appetite for venues that combine nostalgia, affordability and interaction. With Sinners Social Club, we've doubled down on that strategy – creating a dive bar that's music-led, sociable, and unpretentious, with plenty of reasons to stay all night. As a group, these launches mark our commitment to broadening our demographic reach, diversifying revenue streams, and future-proofing our estate in a competitive market.” The two concepts now sit alongside Tequila Mockingbird's established cocktail bars in Wimbledon, Putney and Charing Cross. 

Greene King ends Seared concept trial: Brewer and retailer Greene King, the operator of circa 2,600 pubs, has ended the trial of its Seared pub concept. Propel revealed at the end of 2023 that the Nick Mackenzie-led Greene King was to begin trialling Seared – a pub concept with a “freshly grilled, globally-inspired menu”. The first Seared site subsequently opened at The Castle in Droitwich, Worcestershire, last spring, after a seven-figure refurbishment. Seared was positioned “slightly higher than Hungry Horse”. Mackenzie told Propel at the time: “Hungry Horse remains really important to us – we've still got 230 sites under the brand and we're still investing in those businesses and evolving that brand – but this sits slightly above it. Seared is something we've been working on for a little while now. It is very much about maximising our position in the value segment of the market. Seared is about staying as a pub but putting in a really good value for money, well executed food offer focused around freshly grilled food, with a little bit of an international twist to it.” However, 14 months later, Greene King has ended the trial and reverted the pub back to its Flaming Grill brand. A spokesperson for Greene King told the Worcester News: “After testing ‘Seared’ over the past 14 months, we have taken the decision not to progress with this concept as part of the Greene King portfolio. However, we are taking insight and learnings from the trial and will invest those in Flaming Grill as a core future brand.”

Black Sheep Coffee makes Florida debut: Speciality coffee shop operator Black Sheep Coffee has opened its first store in Florida, in the US. The site has opened at 2,750 SW 27th Terrace in Miami for the brand’s fourth US location overall. As well as more than 100 locations in the UK, Black Sheep Coffee also had four in the UAE and one in France. George Livanos, the brand’s senior operations manager, said: “We’ve opened our first Black Sheep Coffee store in Florida. I’m grateful to have been part of the process in Miami – I’ve walked away with new insights into both the business and my own ways of working. It’s reminded me how valuable past experiences are when you finally get to bring them all together on one project. I had the opportunity to wear a lot of hats out here: training our team from scratch, coaching new managers, working with contractors, franchise partners and our US team. The best part has been watching the team come together, building its confidence, and bringing Black Sheep Coffee to life in a new market. Miami coffee scene – watch out, there’s a new player in town.” Black Sheep Coffee made its US debut in the summer of 2024, in Mockingbird Lane, East Dallas. The brand has since added two further sites in Texas, but this is its first outside of the state. In January, co-founder Gabriel Shohet told Propel that the brand’s entry into the US market has been a “resounding success” and that the company’s aim is to have 250 shops in the US by the end of 2027. Black Sheep Coffee said in March its US stores are generating higher sales than its UK average.

Wingstop and independent coffee company Bean secure sites at Sheffield’s Meadowhall: Wingstop UK, which is backed by US private equity firm Sixth Street, has secured a site at Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre as part of a flurry of new food and beverage openings at the scheme. Wingstop has signed for a 4,574 square-foot unit in Lower Level Oasis for what will be its debut South Yorkshire site. As part of the series of deals that involves more than 60,000 square-foot of space, independent coffee company Bean has opened in Meadowhall and also launched a new iced coffee pop-up concept. Bean, which was founded in 2008, has signed for a permanent 60-seat central unit at the entrance to Lower Level Oasis. The site is a 16th bricks and mortar location for the business which has also launched its Iced by Bean pop-up concept at Meadowhall, in the centre’s Upper Level High Street. Iced by Bean will next head to Liverpool ONE, where it is taking over the former Sblended unit in the destination’s Galleria. Also at Meadowhall, Japanese restaurant concept Maki & Ramen, which operates 13 sites, has taken 1,846 square-foot of space in Upper Level Oasis. Pizza and burger concept Suburb has added to its Doncaster location by securing 2,791 square-foot of space in Meadowhall’s Upper Level Oasis while Yorkshire-inspired eatery Harriet’s has taken a 2,412 square-foot kiosk in front of the next-generation Frasers department store. A new concept from the team behind Caffe Rizzoli at Meadowhall, Harriet’s will focus on local dishes with locally sourced ingredients. Vue and Big Table Group-owned brand Frankie & Benny’s have also recommitted to Meadowhall. Vue, which is next to the new Wingstop restaurant, has renewed the lease on its 43,304 square foot site, with extensive refit works underway, while Frankie & Benny’s deal includes a refit of its 4,187 square-foot restaurant in Upper Level Oasis.

Professionals at Play opens King Pins site in Leeds: Professionals at Play – the Foresight-backed, parent company of the Roxy Lanes, Roxy Ball Room, King Pins and Star Pins concepts – has opened its new King Pins site in Leeds. The venue at the White Rose shopping centre offers ten-pin bowling, duck pin bowling, tech darts, shuffleboard, ice-free curling, American pool, karaoke, Wild West shooting, and arcade games. Crazy pool is also on offer at King Pins for the first time. Founded by Matt and Ben Jones in 2013, the group, which rebranded as Professionals at Play last year, has since grown to 11 Roxy Ball Rooms, eight Roxy Lanes, five King Pins and one Star Pins site. In January, Professionals at Play told Propel it plans to open at least six new venues across its brands in 2025 to deliver more than £50m of revenue and further Ebitda growth. The 2025 Experiential Leisure Report, the second year of Propel’s exhaustive report on the market, is now available. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It also provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes 197 companies, marking a 10% growth in the sector since last year’s study, with 3,700 sites. The report is available for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club subscribers can receive it for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium subscribers on Wednesday, 10 September at 9am. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

Real Eating Company returns to its roots with new food direction: Real Eating Company, the Helena Hudson-led independent cafe and coffee concept, is returning to its roots with a major overhaul of its food offering. The reimagined menu and operations has launched at its site in North Street in Chichester, West Sussex, marking the beginning of a phased rollout across all eight Real Eating Company locations. Hudson has once again teaming up with Steve Beadle, who played an important role in the very early days of the business. Beadle has brought his experience and expertise from kitchens and institutions including The River Café, Soho House, and the Portrait Restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery. The new Real Eating Company menu “blends freshly prepared seasonal food with a sense of theatre”. Food preparation is moving downstairs, into an open kitchen. The refreshed menu features widened breakfast options and a rotating selection of salads, alongside homemade frittatas, mac and cheese, soup, and toasties. Real Eating Company is also working with Jo Hunter, of West Sussex female-founded bakery Piglets Pantry, which supplies Buckingham Palace, to offer its Victoria sponge cakes. Hudson said: “We are excited about launching this new direction and evolution to our customers in Chichester initially. It certainly feels like a return to what the Real Eating Company was initially all about and it’s fantastic to be working with Steve again. This is what true independence looks and feels like. We’re doing this our way, no shortcuts, no compromises – just real good food, great coffee, and support for other women blazing their own trails in life and in business.”

Chipotle launches drone delivery service: Chipotle has announced the launch of its new “Zipotle” delivery service via Zipline drone. Customers of the fast-casual brand in Rowlett, part of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, can now download the Zipline app and get Chipotle delivered to their door via autonomous “Zips”. “Zipotle is a quick and convenient source of delivery that lets guests enjoy our food from places that are traditionally challenging to serve, including backyards and public parks,” Curt Garner, president, chief strategy and technology officer at Chipotle said. “Zipline's commitment to building an efficient, environmentally friendly delivery experience is synonymous with our mission to cultivate a better world.” After a consumer downloads the Zipline app and places an order, employees place the finished order into a nearby “Zipping Point”, at which point the hovering Zip drone picks up the order and flies it to the destination. While the Zip drone hovers 300 feet in the air, the Zip then lowers to the ground. The automation system is designed to carry orders of up to 5.5 pounds (though that will increase to eight pounds over time) and can deftly avoid static or moving obstacles. Chipotle is not the first restaurant brand to partner with Zipline. In 2023, Sweetgreen tested Zipline ordering.

The Breakfast Club publishes first cook book as it celebrates 20th anniversary: All-day dining concept The Breakfast Club has launched its debut cook book as it marked its 20th anniversary. The company opened its first site in Soho’s D’Arblay Street on 22 August 2005, and has gone on to grow into a 15-strong business. The company's co-founder Jonathan Arana-Morton said: “Over the years we've found so many reasons to say no to writing it. Our recipes are simple – we make comfort food not complex food. But here it is, The Breakfast Club Cook Book. Much to the bemusement of my dad who thinks it's something akin to Willy Wonka letting five kids into his chocolate factory and sharing all his secrets. Before we know it, everyone will be cooking a full English, putting bacon on pancakes and smashing avocado on toast. The Breakfast Club is doomed. But what I've learnt over the last 20 years of running this business (and the last eight months of putting this book together) is that a cook book is much more than just a collection of recipes and a caf is so much more than what you put on the plate. We wanted to tell a story. We wanted a celebration. The Breakfast Club is a lovely story brought together by the wonderful people who have worked here over the years. It's also a wonderful story that has been shaped by the people that come in every day and trust us with their most important meal of the day. Most importantly, we wanted to take a moment to be proud of what we've achieved – you don't make it to 20 years without doing some pretty tasty food. We don't always give ourselves enough credit. This is not any old avocado toast, this is delicious Breakfast Club avocado toast with a wonderfully tasty mojo picon and a fresh, crisp pico de gallo (that kind of thing). Well done to every chef that brought their magic to our cafs and this cook book.”

Amorino franchisee opens fourth store, builds underway in London’s Bromley and Wembley: Amorino franchisee 4orty has opened its fourth store with the Italian gelato brand. London-based 4orty was founded in 2023 by former KFC franchisee Khawar Hussain, who spent the best part of two decades as a director at Barack Holdings before the eight-strong business was acquired by Tahir Group in 2023 – in a move that made Tahir Group the largest KFC franchisee in London. 4orty has now opened in Lakeside, Essex, joining its other stores in Canterbury in Kent and in London’s Greenwich and Camden. Amorino currently has circa 38 UK stores and is currently in-build in Bromley and Wembley. The brand will open at Unit 501, The Glades shopping centre in Bromley, and Unit 50B, London Designer Outlet, in Wembley. A company spokesman said: “These are part of our ongoing UK expansion, with several new openings planned for 2025 and beyond. Since January, we’ve proudly opened five new shops, and there’s more to come! From north to south, we’re committed to bringing the Amorino experience — artisanal gelato, macarons, and flower-shaped joy — to as many communities as possible.” Propel revealed earlier this month that Amorino, which will open in Newcastle next month, also has locations in Oxford, Bristol, Henley, Bromley, London’s Fulham Road, Cheltenham and Chelmsford in the pipeline.

Yorkshire Mexican restaurant introduces QSR concept to lead business’ roll out: Yorkshire Mexican restaurant Mexi Bean Express has introduced a quick service restaurant (QSR) concept to lead the business’ roll out. Propel revealed last month that the four-strong business, founded by Danielle Best, was preparing to launch its first travel hub location, at Wakefield station. It has now opened and features the model that Mexi Bean Express will use to fulfil its plans to grow across the UK before expanding globally. “As well as it being the first location at a transport hub, it's the first QSR model for Mexi Bean Express (as opposed to fast casual) – it's how the locations are going to look as the franchise rolls out,” a company spokeswoman said. “The concept has been adapted to a grab-and-go style where you can choose your own fillings menu. You can choose your own fillings and still get all the action-packed flavours you’d expect from a Mexi Bean Express. Since we opened last week, we have been welcoming commuters, locals and visitors on the move. So swing by, grab your feast or let us deliver the fiesta straight to your sofa.” Best also last week relaunched her Brighouse-based wellness studio and superfood cafe concept, Kalm, following a renovation. “At Kalm, our mission is to provide a unique space to help people relax, unwind and practise self-care,” she said. “I hope our expanded facilities will inspire even more people to prioritise their well-being.”

Mexican restaurant concept Mucho Picante opens fourth site: Mexican restaurant concept Mucho Picante has opened its fourth site in the Midlands. Brothers Mo and Kamran Rashid have opened their latest location at Trinity Street in Coventry, joining the business’ two Leicester sites and one in Derby. The menu includes traditional and innovative dishes – from birria tacos and picante burgers to nachos and picante fries. Other unique items on the menu include desserts such as banana tacos and birria pizza, as well as drinks like traditional jarritos and soft options, reports The Coventry Telegraph.

Hampshire bakery concept to expand to Berkshire: Hampshire bakery concept The Street Bakeshop is to expand to Berkshire. Tim Goodwin opened the original The Street Bakeshop in Old Basing, Basingstoke, in 2020. He will now open in the former Zest restaurant unit in Lime Square, Green Park, Reading. Goodwin grew up in South Africa, where his parents owned a butchery, bakery and takeaway. He said: “We are hoping to engage with people who work at Green Park daily; people who come in for a cup of coffee who we can get to know in the morning, for a pastry or a bite to eat for lunch. And then the broader Reading community – people who value food. We’re not just targeting Green Park and the people who work at Green Park; we want others to feel welcome, too. We’re hoping to be a great space for them as well to get some customers from there, but we do need to have an offering that’s special enough to draw people to the park.”

 

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen founder to open new restaurant at London’s Somerset House next month: The chef and restaurateur behind Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Imad Alarnab, will open a new concept at London’s Somerset House next month. Alarnab has partnered with Michalis Ntais and Christos Georgogiannopoulos to launch Aram, a new cafe, deli and restaurant at Somerset House, as it expands its food and drink offering. A departure from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, Aram – which opens on Monday, 8 September – will serve baked goods, salads, breakfast and lunch from across the eastern Mediterranean, with dishes inspired by the regions spanning Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan and beyond. Aram will overlook Somerset House’s River Terrace and house four rooms – a deli that will also be home to a new shop with products from across the Mediterranean, two dining rooms and the Salamlik, an “elevated dining space designed to celebrate and nurture emerging talent through events, from supper clubs to cooking classes”. Alarnab said: “We are collectively inspired by the eastern Mediterranean, and how it reminds us of home, and we want to celebrate this in the best way possible. Opening in Somerset House is a milestone for us and feels like the perfect location to bring Aram to life, especially with the addition of Salamlik.” Somerset House will also be home to Poon’s, the debut restaurant for Amy Poon’s celebrated Chinese heritage food, and Setlist, a new riverside food, music and arts destination championing female talent launched by James Dye, founder of Franks Café and the Camberwell Arms, along with Thomas Kidd, co-founder of the Adventure Bar Group, and Paul Smyth, co-founder of Mission Kitchen.

 

Somerset operators set to open second site: Somerset operators Steve and Tracy Elliott are set to open their second site together. The Elliott’s opened The Chapel bar and restaurant in a grade II-listed former Victorian mental asylum in Cotford St Luke, near Taunton, in 2022. They have now applied to open The Chapel Tap, a beer shop and taproom, in the former Jack Willis shop, which is also grade II-listed, in Taunton town centre. “The building is currently unoccupied, its past use as a retail store having ceased in January 2024,” the application said. “It is intended that initially the first phase of the new use would be to provide the drinking area/bar on the ground floor, as well as the second-floor toilet. As the business becomes established, it is then intended to bring the first-floor additional seating area online. It is anticipated that these premises will used as a ‘wet’ bar, and no food will be prepared on the premises (cold pre-prepared snacks will be sold, as will hot drinks). In addition, products (primarily beer and beverages) will be sold for consumption off the premises; two sides of the ground floor are shelved out for retail use, so an element of retail would remain.”

 

Nottingham deli owners set to open new cafe: The owners of Cleo’s Delicatessen in Nottingham are set to open a new cafe. Chloe Cross and Theo Solomon, who operate the deli in the AMP development in the Arnold area of the city, will open Cleo’s Coffee House a few doors away, in the former 1 Market Place Tea Rooms, next month. The owners posted to social media: “We are hoping to be open mid-September. We have an amazing team, ready to get started. The deli bar will remain the same.”

 

Chester operator opens second site: Chester operator Les Owens has opened his second site. Owens, who owns the Coach House, has launched The Duck & Dagger, located in the restored 19th-century Steam Mill. Owens, who now employs around 50 staff across his two Chester premises, said the reception since opening has been "overwhelmingly positive”. He said: “Our vision was for a more traditional venue with hearty British food that supports local producers, in a rustic setting that makes the most of our amazing location. It complements The Coach House perfectly while offering something unique to this part of the city.” Matt Scard-Jones, a Wrexham-born chef with more than two decades’ experience in pubs and award-winning restaurants across Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire, is heading up the kitchen at The Duck & Dagger. 

  

Rum brand DropWorks aiming to raise £450,000 through crowdfunding campaign to support growth: Rum brand DropWorks is aiming to raise £450,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to support its growth. Founded two years ago by Lewis Hayes, DropWorks is located in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. DropWorks’ rum is now present in more than 400 high-end venues across the UK. DropWorks chief executive and former Diageo executive Graham Appleyard said: “Rum is about to have its ‘moment’ just as other spirits such as gin have seen a major increase in popularity – leading to more drinks made with the spirit both in bars and at home – over recent years. As the business continues to grow and reach new rum-lovers all over the UK, we wanted to offer shares to those who love excellent rum.” DropWorks will be crowdfunding with Crowdcube, offering equity in return for investment. DropWorks said the amount of equity on offer will be revealed when the campaign opens to early investors on Monday, 1 September. The funds will be used to expand into more premium pubs and restaurants and expand DropWorks’ distillery experience. Lewis has been in the drinks industry for the past 20 years. From initially working in bars, he has previously opened multiple venues around the world with his consultancy, the London Bar Consultants.

 

Former global cyber security consultant opens first pub: Former global cyber security consultant Kelly Shaw has opened her first pub, in Hampshire. Shaw has relaunched The Ship in Bishops Sutton following a full refurbishment of the 16th-century pub. The 44-cover pub and adjoining 22-cover private dining room have been entirely redesigned by Ivy House Life, Shaw’s interior design company. Leading the menu is Tristan Lee, who was chef-proprietor of Michelin-starred Restaurant Tristan in Horsham, West Sussex, before it closed in 2022. Snacks and small plates at The Ship include ham hock doughnuts served with piccalilli and pork schnitzel served with samphire and fennel remoulade, while mains include trout served on a bed of roasted shallots, watercress and bacon, and beetroot tart served with ricotta, cherries and rainbow chard. The drinks menu includes organic and biodynamic wine from small-scale producers, classic cocktails and a rotating line-up of beer that champions local breweries. Shaw said: “Although I kickstarted my working life pulling pints in Winchester, I went on to pursue a decade-long career in global cyber security consultancy before deciding to unleash my creative side through interior design. When I decided to take over The Ship, I knew my unique blend of experiences would come together, and I have been able to draw on my technical and business acumen while considering the sensory richness of dining and design.”