Exclusive – Gusto Italian appoints advisors to explore strategic options: Gusto Italian, the Palatine and Beechbrook-backed, premium Italian restaurant and bar group, has appointed advisors to explore its strategic options, Propel has learned. The Matt Snell-led business, which operates 14 sites across England and Scotland, is understood to be working with sector specialist advisors Tamweel on its options, which may include securing new investment or a sale of the business. Propel understands that a process will commence in the coming weeks, with Gusto set to attract interest from trade players and private equity. It is thought that the business is trading profitably with revenue of £28m for the year to the end of September 2023 (2022: £24.2m), while site and company Ebitda stands at circa £4.4m and £1.5m respectively. The business was founded in 2005 by Living Ventures, the hospitality and development platform led by Jeremy Roberts and the late Tim Bacon. Palatine backed a management buyout of the business in 2014, and over the ensuing ten years, the company has established itself as a “best-in-class operator, providing a premium, Italian inspired dining experience” from an estate of city centre and neighbourhood sites with a footprint stretching from Edinburgh to Oxford. The company, which has been led by Snell since 2018 and operates half of its sites in the north west, opened its first southern site, in Oxford, at the end of 2022 after a £1.8m investment. Under Snell, the business said it has led the way in the sector with “industry leading net promoter scores, a successful premiumisation strategy and innovative loyalty programmes”. Over the past few years, it has also made substantial upgrades to its core estate, redeveloping sites including those in Edinburgh and Alderley Edge. Earlier this spring, Gusto relaunched its existing loyalty programme, Gold Rewards, as Gold Club and introduced the Platinum Club, a subscription-based membership to the restaurant's neighbourhood venues designed to drive covers and value for loyal guests. The company said Platinum Club, an industry first in casual dining, encompasses all the benefits of a Gold Club membership, with paid subscribers receiving the added rewards of 40% off the à la carte menu from Sunday to Thursday for the cardholder and up to three guests in the out-of-city Gusto Italian restaurants (Alderley Edge, Cheadle Hulme, Cookridge, Didsbury, Heswall and Knutsford). The business said that early results are “encouraging”, with members increasing their expected visit frequency from an annualised three times per year to nine times per year, increasing average food and beverage spend, and to date, has generated more than £100,000 in subscription income.

 

Sponsored message – introducing Sky Sports+, giving more choice to businesses via live streams and a new dedicated TV channel: Launching this August, Sky Sports+ will be “transformational” in the amount of choice venues will have access to, making it easier for venues to browse, discover and show the sport that matters most to their customers. Venues with a connected Sky Q box will have the ability to choose up to 100 live events via concurrent streams, giving more opportunity to drive more footfall, spend and dwell time than before. Sky Sports+ comes at the start of a new long-term and landmark partnership with the EFL, with more than 1,000 EFL games a season featuring every team more than 20 times and every Championship club on at least 24 occasions. The scale of Sky Sports+ will be evident from the opening weekend of the 2024-25 season, with every game from the Championship, League One and League Two streamed live – a first in broadcasting history. Damian Saunders, managing director at Sky Business Hospitality, said: “The launch of Sky Sports+ is great news for our hospitality customers. With all 72 teams from across the EFL shown at least 20 times throughout the season – plus every game from the Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy – venues can now offer a more localised, personalised sports viewing experience to help boost trade throughout the week.” To find out more, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Last chance to book today for Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: Today (Friday, 10 May) is the last chance to book for the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday (14 May) at One Moorgate Place in London. Susan Chappell, divisional director at Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), will be among the speakers. Chappell, who is responsible for the All Bar One, Browns, Nicholson’s and Castle estates, which have an annual turnover of £500m, will highlight how M&B is evolving its business to stay abreast of trends in digital and premiumisation, and how its business transformational programme Ignite is delivering ongoing improvements. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club members. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Next edition of Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book to be sent to Premium Club members today: The next edition of the Propel Turnover & Profits Blue Book will be sent to Premium Club members today (Friday, 10 May), at midday. The 912 companies in the database are turning over a total of £65.6bn. A total of 579 companies are making a profit while 333 are making a loss. The profit being made by sector companies is now outstripping losses by £1.68bn. The Blue Book shows the total profit of the 912 companies in the list is £4,005,581,244 and losses are £2,322,211,757. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to five Propel paid-for events – The Excellence in Pub Retailing Conference (14 May), Social Media for Profit (18 July), the Talent and Training Conference (1 October) and Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025). Operators that are Premium Club members are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club members 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 members 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 members 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.

 

More than two thirds of hospitality venues saw lfl drop in profit in first quarter of 2024, with half operating at a loss or just breaking even: More than two thirds of hospitality venues saw a like-for-like drop in profit in the first quarter of 2024, with half operating at a loss or just breaking even. A joint survey by UKHospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association, Hospitality Ulster and the British Institute of Innkeeping showed that when comparing the first quarter of 2024 with the same period in 2023, a third (33%) of operators were seeing an increase in revenue. Despite this, 70% of venues have seen a reduction in profit, with nearly 50% operating at a loss or just breaking even. One-in-four businesses still remain completely exposed, having no cash reserves, with almost half having six months or less, while two thirds (66%) of businesses now have significantly increased wage costs. Despite these pressures, 95% of operators are planning to invest in customer service, 92% in staff training and 71% in venue refurbishments, all up significantly on last quarter. In a joint statement, the trade bodies said: “Our regular survey of our joint memberships showed the resilience of our sector, as well as an appetite to invest in teams and venues for the future. Consumers choosing to spend their disposable income in pubs, restaurants, hotels, and cafes is no surprise, as we provide a much-needed opportunity for fun, celebration and vital social connection, but in order for our members to survive and thrive, they need to be profitable. Their profitability has been heavily impacted by high inflation in food and drink, high energy costs, disruption from rail strikes and the impact of increased labour costs, that have had a ripple effect at every level. The sector is innovative, adaptable and has the potential to provide much needed growth for the economy, but in order for operators to invest in this potential, the sector also needs a fairer, modern and more proportionate tax and regulatory regime.”

 

London-style junk food advert bans rolled out across UK under Labour: A TfL-style junk food advertising ban would be rolled out across the UK under a Labour government in a bid to help tackle child obesity. The Evening Standard reported that shadow health minister Preet Gill highlighted Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, outlawing ads for high-in-sugar food and drinks on London’s transport network as a policy that could be launched nationally. She said a Labour government would ban paid-for online advertising of calorific foods aimed at children and look at using council-owned billboards and buses to spread healthy eating messages. “We have seen that in London junk food [advertising] is banned on transport, Gill told the Food, Diet and Obesity Committee. “I’m just thinking about the West Midlands conurbation, there is a lot of opportunity to get a lot of this messaging there – in terms of screens and buses. Local authorities own a certain number of screens. They put the messaging out when it was the covid pandemic so banning it [advertising] nationally is on the agenda as is giving a lot more thought in terms of what are the opportunities locally that we could be utilising and doing much more working in partnership with our local government colleagues. The advertising will just go to other places and we have got to be mindful of that and how can we lessen the impact of that, especially near schools. There are lots of big challenges.” A ban on junk food advertising across London's entire public transport network came into force in 2019. Adverts for foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar are not allowed to be displayed on the Underground, Overground, buses or bus shelters. An academics’ study, published in 2022, claimed 100,000 obesity cases had been prevented due to London’s junk food advertising ban. But critics questioned the findings, with the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank branding it “one of the worst pieces of junk science” ever seen.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with an established premium spirits brand that is seeking a senior national account manager to join the team and head up the grocery and retail arm of the business. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “You will be directly responsible for managing relationships, promoting the brand, and ensuring growth of the off-trade business. Ideally, you will come from a background in grocery and retail, be ambitious, driven, and keen on progression.” The role is based nationwide with a salary of up to £50,000. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com.

 

I am Döner secures first Canadian site, in talks to expand presence in Middle East, opens new Liverpool site with Costa franchisee: I am Döner, the award-winning, better kebab brand backed by Think Hospitality, has secured its first Canadian site and is in talks to expand its presence in the Middle East. Propel revealed exclusively in January that I am Döner had signed a multi-site franchise deal to take the brand into Canada, with FD Builders set to open five stores in the cities of Toronto and Mississauga in Ontario. I am Döner has now signed for its debut site in the country, in Toronto, making Canada its second international market following its location in Dubai’s Silicon Oasis. At the same time, I am Döner is in discussions to open more sites in the Middle East and build on that single site in Dubai. Back home, it has opened a new store in Liverpool in partnership with Optimum Group – the Costa and Kaspas franchisee it partnered with in 2022 to expand in the region. The location, at 17 Woolton Street in Liverpool, builds on the Bootle site it opened with Optimum Group in 2022 and is I am Döner’s seventh UK site. Chairman James Hacon said: “What a week it’s been for I am Döner. The highlights: launching a new store in Liverpool with Optimum Group; signing our first location in Canada on a super high footfall Toronto spot; released our biggest ever menu refresh; and to top it all off, we had a record trading week in our original store in Headingley. We are also currently in talks with prospective partners in the GCC looking to take on our brand in the region, building on our dark kitchen launch in Dubai, which helped to prove the brand. We are open to other conversations with the right partners.” I am Döner was founded in Leeds in 2016 by Paul Baron, a former Michelin experienced chef who aimed to transform the kebab from much more than just a late-night guilty pleasure. The brand made its London debut in December when it opened in Camden – adding to its sites in Bootle, Datchet, Harrogate, Headingley and Leeds. 

 

Roy Ellis – London opening for Albert’s Schloss can be a calling card for international opportunities: Roy Ellis, chief executive of Mission Mars, has told Propel that he hopes the group’s upcoming Albert’s Schloss opening in London’s Soho will prove to be a calling card for international opportunities for the Alpine-inspired beer hall, bar and restaurant concept. The business is investing £7m on what will be the biggest Albert’s Schloss site yet, when it opens at 20-24 Shaftesbury Avenue on Friday, 5 July. Set over two floors over 18,000 square feet and with room for more than 600 guests, it will have five bars, a stage for live performances and an on-site bakery for Bavarian treats. It will also include a retail space on the ground floor and will be the fourth UK Albert’s Schloss, with other sites in Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester. Ellis said: “You couldn’t get more bullseye in terms of location, with three tube stations nearby, and there are a lot of people moving through the area. It is also great to see other fantastic businesses close by doing amazingly well, including Oisin (Rogers) and Charlie (Carroll), who have done a great job with The Devonshire and put this part of London back on the map. If we can create half the appetite for coming to this area they have created, we will be delighted.” Ellis said that the business had looked at a site in Edinburgh for the brand earlier this year but continues to wait for a more prime location and has had talks on opening in Las Vegas. He said: “Hopefully, if we get this site right and trade as we think we can, it will allow for the opening of doors in other locations, whether that be UK or overseas – more so the latter. I think it will be extremely helpful for our international ambitions. We were looking recently in Vegas, at a site that would have been potentially great for us, and it was great to present the performance of the Schloss we already have, but frankly, they had never heard of the locations or the brands operating nearby us. I think it would have been a whole lot different if we had been operating a successful business in the heart of London.” On trading, he said that Schloss has been “positive like-for-like ever since covid, it has slightly slowed but it is still 5-6% up”. 

 

PizzaExpress to make airport debut with Gatwick opening: PizzaExpress will make its airport debut with the opening of a site in partnership with Airport Retail Enterprises in London Gatwick’s South Terminal later this month. It will be the only PizzaExpress in the UK serving a breakfast menu, alongside its traditional pizzas and classic Italian dishes, with the pizzeria opening from 3.30am to 11pm daily. The bespoke breakfast menu will include an Italian bacon and egg pizza featuring crispy pancetta alongside breakfast staples such as smashed avocado and poached eggs served on golden, freshly baked dough; “The Full Works”, featuring a classic English breakfast served with a PizzaExpress twist of dough sticks; pancetta and maple syrup pancakes; and breakfast dough balls and jam. PizzaExpress said the opening of an airport location marks a new phase of growth for the brand, which now operates more than 100 restaurants in 12 markets internationally, in addition to the UK and Ireland. Chris Holmes, chief development officer at PizzaExpress, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening PizzaExpress at London Gatwick, which is a gateway to many destinations across the world, including some of our own international markets. Our customers want to enjoy their favourite brand everywhere and at any time, so opening sites across travel hubs – of which Gatwick is set to be the first airport location – provides even more opportunities for our customers to connect with us. Embarking on a journey with our franchise partner, Airport Retail Enterprises, we wanted to set the stage for something different across our Gatwick airport site.” Last month, Propel revealed that PizzaExpress is looking to launch in the US and has begun the search for franchisees to aid its expansion there.

 

Boss Pizza signs up master franchisee to accelerate Scottish expansion, aiming for 15 new locations in near future: Franchise pizza concept Boss Pizza, founded during the pandemic by Ajmal Mushtaq, has signed up a master franchisee to accelerate its expansion in Scotland. Goheer Ventures – led by Imran, Bilal, Kamran and Aman Goheer – has acquired the Boss Pizza licence for the north east of Scotland and plans to open 15 new locations across the region in the near future. The quartet are descendants of the family behind the Shalimar restaurant in Glasgow’s Gibson Street, which helped pioneer the dining scene in the city during the 1960s and 1970s. “We’re very excited about the future of Boss Pizza as we look to bring their fresh style of pizza across the country,” Imran said. “Goheer Ventures has always aim to continually to push boundaries and set new standards of excellence in the food and beverage sector. Boss Pizza is the next stage of that and we have some ambitious plans to turn the brand into a household name. We’re looking for passionate individuals to come aboard as franchisees to help us bring the brand to pizza lovers in every city in the country.” Boss Pizza currently has two stores in Scotland – in Hamilton and Larkhall – and earlier this year launched in Acton for its English debut, with further sites in London’s Shepherd’s Bush and in Manchester due to open soon. “Delighted to announce the sale of the Boss Pizza master franchise for north east Scotland,” Mushtaq said. “This marks a major step forward to expand our brand in Scotland. The region was bought by brothers Imran, Bilal, and Kamran Farooq, who bring decades of collective industry experience to this Boss Pizza venture.” Mushtaq, who previously operated acclaimed Indian restaurant Mushtaqs in Hamilton, previously told Propel that he was aiming to grow Boss Pizza to 100 stores through franchising.

 

Greggs opens 2,500th site, ‘key step’ towards operating more than 3,000 shops: Food-to-go operator Greggs has opened its 2,500th site, in Cobham, Surrey, which the company said was a “key step” towards its vision of operating significantly more than 3,000 shops in the UK. In 2021, Greggs launched its five-year growth plan outlining its ambition to reach significantly more than 3,000 shops in the UK in the longer term. It plans to open between 140 and 160 new shops in 2024, with a focus on expanding its presence in travel hubs and roadside locations to reach more customers. The 2,500th shop, located in a petrol forecourt, is Greggs’ eighth shop with Sainsbury’s, and brings the total number of shops with supermarket partners, including Asda and Tesco, to 50. Last year was a record year as Greggs accelerated its shop opening programme – with 220 gross shop openings and 145 net new shops. Tony Rowson, property director at Greggs, said: “We’re proud to have hit this milestone and opened our 2,500th shop in a location that demonstrates the breadth of our estate and the popularity of our brand. We are grateful for the hard work of our teams and the support of our valued partners as we continue to expand towards our vision of significantly more than 3,000 Greggs shops longer term.” Rhian Bartlett, chief food commercial officer at Sainsbury’s, added: “We’re delighted to have opened our eighth shop with Greggs, at our Cobham store. It follows the successful launches of Greggs café-style formats at other Sainsbury’s locations, which have already proved popular with our customers, and we’re excited to build on this partnership further.” 

 

Pasta Evangelists hires former Starbucks head of acquisitions and franchise store development to lead expansion plans: Pasta Evangelists has hired former Starbucks head of property acquisitions and franchise store development Axel Bret to lead its expansion plans. Bret spent five years with Starbucks, leading the acquisition of 40-plus company-owned stores per year and the development of 50-plus franchised stores per year in the UK market. He previously spent eight years with Lidl, including four as senior consultant on property acquisitions, managing and expanding Lidl’s property portfolio across east London. “It is with immense joy that we introduce Axel Bret to the Pasta Evangelists famiglia,” the company posted to social media. “Axel brings with him a wealth of experience, having navigated the realms of property acquisitions and franchise management with esteemed companies such as Starbucks and Lidl. In his new role as head of growth, Axel will lead our expansion efforts, opening new chapters in our pasta journey. With his expertise, we’ll spread the aroma of authentic fresh Italian pasta far and wide.” The delivery-start-up, which was founded in 2016 by Alessandro Savelli, first entered the takeaway market with a single unit in east London but now operates more than 30 takeaway units across the capital. In January 2023, Pasta Evangelists launched its own takeaway service in London, with an ambition to eventually open more than 800 takeaway units. It also operates a stand-alone restaurant within the Dining Hall at Harrod’s in London.

 

Gordon Ramsay to open new restaurants and culinary academy at London’s 22 Bishopsgate: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has announced it is opening new restaurants, bars and a culinary academy across the top floors of the 22 Bishopsgate building in the City of London. As revealed by Propel last October, the chef is set to open a site under his Asian-inspired Lucky Cat brand at the property, and a Bread Street Kitchen restaurant and bar. On top of this, on the 60th floor of the building there will be a 14-seat chef’s table run by the team from Ramsay's three-Michelin-starred Chelsea restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. There will also be a Lucky Cat terrace bar on that top floor, with a late licence, opening till 3am. At the same time, the chef is opening a cookery school at 22 Bishopsgate – the Gordon Ramsay Academy, which is sponsored by the cookware brand HexClad, which will teach skills in “everything from pasta-making to mixology”. Ramsay said: “This is more than just a new opening, it’s a significant milestone for our business. We’re not only launching the highest culinary experiences in London, but also creating a vibrant culinary hub at the incredible 22 Bishopsgate.” Bookings for the new sites will open in September. The company currently operates Lucky Cat sites in London’s Mayfair and Manchester. The group also currently operates seven sites in the UK under its Bread Street Kitchen concept. Last month, Propel revealed that Ramsay was in talks to acquire the former Haugen site in London’s Stratford, with a view to opening a Bread Street Kitchen on the site, which closed last autumn.

 

Brakspear adds to Gloucestershire estate: Pub operator Brakspear has added to its estate in Gloucestershire, with the acquisition of The Lamb near Bourton-on-the-Water. The acquisition of the grade-II listed village pub with rooms in Great Rissington means the 125-strong Brakspear now has a portfolio of six pubs and venues in Gloucestershire, including the Egypt Mill in Nailsworth, the Frogmill in Andoversford, and The Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold. Tom Davies, Brakspear chief executive, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of The Lamb in Great Rissington, and it will be a fantastic addition to our estate. We have other businesses with rooms within the Cotswolds, which are thriving, so it’s an area we understand. The Lamb, a beautiful grade II-listed building with 14 bedrooms, overlooks the Windrush valley. The property has been under family ownership for many years, but due to ill health, it was discreetly offered to the market. The pub boasts a bar and restaurant with 80 covers and 14 en-suite bedrooms. Plans are underway for Brakspear to invest in refurbishing The Lamb's bar area and dining spaces, with the work to be carried out by Brakspear’s own skilled in-house design team.” Gerard Winder, Brakspear’s business development manager, added: “Our vision for The Lamb is to create a community hub while also offering a wonderful place to relax, stay and dine if visiting from further afield.”

 

Carlsberg still supplying 3.8% ABV lager to Wetherspoon after Sir Tim Martin warns on weakening beer: JD Wetherspoon has said it will continue stocking stronger Carlsberg despite the brewer looking to reduce the strength of its beer, reports The Telegraph. Wetherspoon pubs visited by The Telegraph continued to sell Carlsberg’s Danish Pilsner brewed at 3.8% ABV despite the brewer announcing in July last year it would reduce the alcohol content to 3.4% in response to tax changes. It comes after Sir Tim previously criticised brewers for watering down beer and suggested he may stop selling the products of those that do it. A Wetherspoon spokesman said Carlsberg had agreed to continue supplying the pub company with its 3.8% ABV beer “for the time being”. However, a spokesman for Carlsberg said it “fully expected” to only brew at 3.4% ABV at some point in the future. The alcohol content of several beers and ales have been cut in recent months as brewers seek to make savings as the cost of energy and ingredients soars. Because duty is charged on the alcoholic strength of the final product, brewers can make a saving by reducing their strength. When Carlsberg made the change, it said the move would free up money to invest in brewing new beer and support broader public health goals. However, the move also made it eligible for a lower tax rate on weaker beer brought in by the government. Under the new system, beers at 3.4% ABV or lower only have to pay £9.27 per litre of alcohol, versus £21.01 for beer from 3.5% to 8.5%.

 

FoodCo reveals locations for next openings after launching 68th UK Muffin Break site: FoodCo UK – the operator of Australian brands Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue here – has revealed the locations for its anticipated next openings after launching its 68th UK Muffin Break site. It has opened at the St Anns shopping centre in Harrow, north west London. Among its pipeline of openings for the rest of 2024 are branches at Watford in Hertfordshire, Ilford in Essex, and Dundee in Scotland. Josh Nixon, head of estates at Muffin Break, said: “We are thrilled to bring Muffin Break’s signature offerings to the vibrant community of Harrow. Our commitment to quality, freshness and innovation remains unwavering as we continue to expand our presence across the UK. We look forward to welcoming guests to our new store and sharing the Muffin Break experience with even more communities in the near future. Muffin Break's newest establishment in Harrow marks the beginning of an exciting expansion phase for the brand, with numerous stores in the pipeline set to open in key locations across the UK. Among these anticipated openings are branches in Watford, Dundee, and Ilford.” As well as Muffin Break, FoodCo operates 20 Jamaica Blues in the UK. The group launched here in 2001 as the UK arm of the Australian FoodCo business, which was founded in 1989 and has more than 550 locations across eight countries. Propel revealed in March that FoodCo UK’s turnover topped £40m for the first time in the year to 30 June 2023. 

 

London champagne and cheese concept Champagne + Fromage to open Isle of Wight site: Champagne + Fromage, the London champagne and cheese concept, is to launch a site on the Isle of Wight in the Wellington Hotel in Ventnor. Opening on Saturday, 1 June and located within the hotel, but also accessible from Ventnor beach, Champagne & Fromage will occupy the main dining room, bar and extensive outside terrace. Hotel owner, Andy Kinnaird, said he had followed the success of Champagne & Fromage from its original Covent Garden bistro to further sites in London and the first outside the capital in Bath, and felt the concept would be a perfect fit for The Wellington Hotel. He said: “I am delighted to have secured Champagne & Fromage for The Wellington Hotel. The offering is something that will be new to the island, and I hope something exciting for not just the guests of the hotel but residents and visitors to the Isle of Wight as well. I can’t imagine anything beating a glass of Grower Champagne while watching the sun set over Ventnor beach.” Champagne + Fromage founder Stefano Frigerio added: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the Wellington Hotel on the Isle of Wight. Together, we are introducing our renowned pairing experience of Champagne and cheese, coupled with a unique twist with oysters and seafood platters. I am sure that this exciting collaboration will deliver a fresh and cherished novelty to the island, delighting all who visit.” Frigerio founded the company in 2011 and has grown it to two London locations – in Covent Garden and Greenwich – alongside sister concepts Cheese + Fizz in Brixton and Comptoir + Cuisine in Bath. Champagne + Fromage launched a two-pronged franchise scheme last year – through partnerships whereby pub, restaurant and deli owners introduce the Champagne + Fromage offering into their existing setup, and through franchisees opening their own stores. The first partnership launched in October at The Milford Arms in Isleworth, west London. 

 

The Loveable Rogue to open third site in Glasgow: Glasgow operators Joe Lazzerini and Amalia Colaluca, who own two The Loveable Rogue gastropubs in the city, are to open a third site under the concept. The pair have acquired the Sur Lie restaurant in Nithsdale Road in Glasgow's south side. With sites already in the city’s West End and the East End, the new Loveable Rogue south side is due to open at the end of June after a complete refurbishment. The first The Loveable Rogue opened in the former The Hebridean site at 333 Great Western Road in 2020, followed by a second, in the former Beat 6 site at 10 Whitehill Street, in 2022. Last year, Lazzerini and Colaluca put their Italian restaurant, Oi Mamma, on the market. The pair only took over the former Rafaelle’s restaurant, at 151-155 Milngavie Road in Bearsden, in spring 2023, rebranding it as Oi Mamma. Jonathan Clough, of Smith & Clough, acted on the Nithsdale Road deal. 

 

Award-winning chef Aiden Byrne to leave Cheshire pub: Award-winning chef Aiden Byrne, who was the youngest chef to win a Michelin star at the age of just 22, has announced he is to leave The Church Green gastropub in Cheshire, which he has run for the past 16 years. Byrne, who ran Manchester House for seven years and went on to launch the restaurant at 20 Stories when it first opened in Manchester, and his wife Sarah, who have run the pub in the village of Lymm together, said they reached the “bittersweet decision” to now step away to “pursue other opportunities”. They will leave the pub on Sunday, 19 May. Aiden Byrne said: “After 16 incredible years, Sarah and I have reached the bittersweet decision to step away from The Church Green on 19 May. We have every confidence that you will be in excellent hands, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting journey ahead for all involved. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to each one of you – our amazing customers, dedicated suppliers, and invaluable team members – for your unwavering support and commitment to The Church Green and the vibrant community of Lymm. As we embark on this new chapter to pursue other opportunities, we leave knowing that The Church Green will continue to thrive under the care of another independent operator, who will undoubtedly bring their own passion and vision to this beloved space.”

 

Holy Carrot to open debut restaurant this summer in Notting Hill: Plant-based restaurant Holy Carrot is to open its debut permanent site this summer, in London’s Notting Hill. The concept, which is the brainchild of former Vogue producer Irina Linovich, will open at 156 Portobello Road, with the kitchen to be led by chef Daniel Watkins, previously of Acme Fire Cult. The 2,000 square-foot site, which will be spread over the ground floor and basement, will have 60 covers and feature a cocktail bar. The business said it will deliver “Holy Carrot’s signature dishes to a new customer base, including Holy Buffalo Wings and the Truffle Celeriac Risotto alongside new additions”. It will build on Holy Carrot’s pop-up restaurant in Knightsbridge and sold-out supper clubs. Linovich said: “This first flagship restaurant for Holy Carrot has been a long time in the planning for us. We are thrilled to be able to share this news, as we set roots in Notting Hill, a place we now call home. Portobello Road's iconic charm and creative spirit perfectly align with our mission, offering a seamless fit for our unique vegetable-focused dining experience. We want to create a relaxed dining spot, both inside and out, where guests can indulge in the very best pleasures of life: food, wine, good vibes and great company. A neighbourhood restaurant that our customers come back to time and time again. With a talented chef such as Daniel Watkins overseeing our menus, I am excited to see what dishes he can bring to help us on our next step in the Holy Carrot journey.” Shelley Sandzer acted for the leaseholder.

 

Landsec sells entire hotel investment portfolio for £400m: Landsec has completed the sale of its entire hotel investment portfolio in a deal worth £400m. The sale to Ares Management is in line with Landsec's strategy to release capital from sectors in which the company does not have scale. The hotel portfolio, which comprises 21 assets, is fully let to AccorInvest and generated net income of £28.4m over the company's last reported financial year. Of the total consideration, £350m has been received on completion with the remaining £50m payable within 24 months. Mark Allan, chief executive at Landsec, said: “We said in late 2020 that our focus would be on areas where we have a genuine competitive advantage. In line with that strategy, we have continued to recycle capital out of assets where our ability to add further value is limited. The sale of our hotel portfolio and other non-core assets will further strengthen our balance sheet and leave us well placed to take advantage of opportunities in the market as they arise.” Across a number of separate transactions, Landsec has also completed the disposal of £217m of other non-core assets since the end of September.

 

Pieminister closes ‘most ambitious site to date’: Pie and mash restaurant operator Pieminister has permanently closed what it described as its “most ambitious site to date”, in Nottingham. The company opened the restaurant in Long Row in 2016 under its eponymous brand before rebranding it to Long Row Social in May last year. The rebrand was designed to turn it into an all-day venue, with brunch, coffee and cake, and drinks in the evening, but still selling its staple pies. Two escape rooms at the back of the restaurant closed and were replaced by a pool table and a photo booth. A Pieminister spokesperson told Nottinghamshire Live: “It was probably our most ambitious restaurant. We opened with more than double the size of any other Pieminister. While we managed the space well pre-pandemic, it’s not right for post-pandemic and cost-of-living crisis eating-out patterns, with our costs so high nowadays and people still eating out less than before. We really hope to open again in Nottingham, in the not-too-distant future. We’ll just go for somewhere about a third of the size next time.” Pieminister was launched in 2003 by Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg and operates 14 sites, some of which are under franchise, as well as a retail range.

 

Tom Aikens’ twin brother to lead kitchen at new brasserie opening in London’s Canary Wharf: Robert Aikens, the twin brother of chef Tom Aikens, is to lead the kitchen at a new brasserie opening in London’s Canary Wharf. Marceline is opening at Wood Wharf, above the space that will be occupied by the second site of Good Food Society’s Mediterranean concept Hovarda. Some of the team behind Hovarda are also involved with Marceline, reports Hot Dinners. The restaurant, which opens in August, is inspired by both Parisian and New York brasseries. The menu from Robert Aitkens, who started as a chef with the Roux Brothers before heading to New York, will include skate Kiev with pomme puree and Ravioles du dauphine. There will also be French classics such as steak tartare, tuna niçoise, escargots de Bourgogne and French onion soup. In addition to the main restaurant, there will be a terrace and a bar called Salon Marceline. The wine list will be predominantly European, with 30 wines by the glass. There will also be cocktails. Nick Garston, of the Found Agency, acted on the deal.