Esquires Coffee owner reports 5.1% sales growth: Esquires Coffee owner Cooks Coffee Company said it has delivered a strong trading performance across both the UK and Ireland during 2025/FY26 to date, with “continued growth in system sales, positive like-for-like sales and disciplined network expansion”. For the nine months ended 31 December 2025, UK Esquires stores achieved sales of £21.9m (NZ$ 49.4m) with growth of 18.3% and like-for-like sales growth of 5.1%. In Ireland, total store sales increased by 27% to £9.9m (NZ$ 22.3m) for the nine-month period, with like-for-like sales growth of 6.3%. The company said this momentum was supported by a positive Q3 FY26, during which: UK total store sales increased by 18.4% year-on-year, with like-for-like growth of 2%; Ireland delivered total store sales growth of 25.3%, with like-for-like growth of 3.8%. The company said: “According to data published by the Allegra World Coffee Portal, the UK branded coffee shop market recorded outlet growth of 3.5% and sales value growth of 5.5% during 2025. Against this backdrop, the board is pleased with Esquires Coffee’s performance, which continues to outperform the wider market on both sales’ growth and network expansion with store sales for calendar year 2025 of £28.6m (NZ$64.6m) in the UK and £12.8m (NZ$28.9m) in Ireland.” In the UK, the business opened 18 new stores and closed seven, resulting in a net gain of 11 stores with 81 stores trading at 31 December 2025 (2024: 70). All stores are franchised in the UK. In Ireland, four new stores were opened with no closures, resulting in a net gain of four stores and 21 stores trading at year end (2024: 17). Of these, 17 are franchised and four are company managed. The group recently announced that Esquires Coffee has entered into a master franchise agreement for the United Arab Emirates, one of the fastest growing markets for specialty coffee outlets. The master franchise agreement is a ten-year agreement, with a right of renewal, and provides for the opening of a minimum of 50 Esquires Coffee outlets in the UAE over the term of the agreement. The parties to the agreement are “successful operators in the UK with multiple stores in the Southeast of England”. The company’s board said it “remains encouraged by the group’s trading momentum, the resilience of the Esquires Coffee brand and the continued demand from franchise partners across both the UK and Ireland”. Aiden Keegan, chief executive of Cooks Coffee Company, said: “We are delighted with the performance delivered across both the UK and Ireland during 2025. The continued growth in system sales and positive like-for-like performance reflect the strength of the Esquires brand and our long-standing focus on quality, organic ingredients and balanced food options. Against a challenging consumer backdrop, the business has continued to grow, expand the store network and outperform the wider market. We remain focused on disciplined expansion and supporting our franchisees as we continue to build the Esquires Coffee brand internationally.”

Prezzo Italian launches “first-of-its-kind” family dining subscription scheme: Prezzo Italian, the Cain International-backed business, has launched a “first-of-its-kind” family dining subscription, where kids get a three-course meal for free every time an adult orders a full-priced meal. From £1.99 per month or £19.99 for the year, the Prezzo Italian Kids Club will be available all year round. The subscription, which is entirely app-based, allows for one visit per day, with unlimited visits throughout the year. Prezzo’s kids menu includes fresh, Italian-inspired dishes and healthier options, including a hidden veggie rainbow pasta. James Brown, chief executive of Brava Hospitality Group, parent company of Prezzo Italian, said: “At Prezzo Italian, we know that family life is busy, especially for larger families juggling multiple little ones. That’s why we wanted to create something genuinely helpful, built around real families, offering everyday value all year round. This isn’t just a half-term deal or a one-off promotion, but real, everyday value that parents can rely on, especially when budgets are stretched. This is the first subscription of its kind in the UK, and we believe it’s the best value family dining offer out there. For less than the cost of a coffee a month, parents can take the stress out of mealtimes. That’s what Prezzo Italian is about: good quality food, enjoyed together. Parents can feel confident their kids are eating balanced meals while still enjoying all their favourites.”

Parisian bakery feels the heat as radical rivals win over Gen Z: For three generations, Poilâne has held pride of place as Paris’s most celebrated bakery. Often described as the “Louis Vuitton of boulangeries”, its fans include Nigella Lawson, Kylie Minogue and Robert De Niro. Poilâne, known for its signature miches, big round sourdough loaves stamped with the letter P, exports its loaves around the world, with five shops in Paris and one in London, but the rise of rival artisanal bakeries is now threatening its survival. The Times reports that the family-run company has gone into receivership after posting a loss of more than €2m in 2024. All its branches remain open but it is struggling to compete with innovative newer bakeries offering a more varied range of sourdough loaves, snacks and pastries more in tune with Gen Z tastes. Apollonia Poilâne, the bakery’s director, said problems began during the covid pandemic and have been worsened by rising flour and labour costs, while the French are eating less bread. “Paris, where we make a large proportion of our sales, loses part of its population each year,” Poilâne told Le Figaro. No stranger to adversity, the 41- year-old has run the bakery since her parents died in a helicopter accident when she was 18. It was founded by her grandfather Pierre in 1932. “It was my decision to go into receivership,” she said. “We’re reworking all the basics to enable Poilâne to bounce back. There are very few bakeries like us, known throughout the world.” Poilâne, whose customers tend to be older, supplies high-end restaurants favoured by baby boomers, such as Les Deux Magots. Poilâne’s decline was accelerated by the closure of its main production site outside Paris for more than a month last year after health inspectors found a rodent infestation. “This should never have happened,” said Apollonia Poilâne. “It didn’t reflect our normal standards of quality. There had been problems with coordination but we moved fast to correct them.”

The Rank Group hires interim CFO: The Rank Group has announced that Cliff Baty has been appointed as interim chief financial officer, effective from 23 February 2026. He will join the group’s executive committee. The company said: “Cliff is a highly experienced chief financial officer with deep expertise in strategic and financial planning, investor relations, financial controls, international business operations, and stakeholder management, built across listed leisure and gaming businesses.” Baty was appointed chief financial officer of Manchester United plc in 2016, a position which he held for over eight years, until 2024. Prior to that he was chief financial officer of Sportech plc from 2013 to 2016, an appointment which followed an eight-year period as financial director of Ladbrokes plc.