Whitbread sold interest in Pure holding company for £1: Whitbread, the Premier Inn owner, sold its interest in Healthy Retail, a joint venture that operated Pure, the healthy food-to-go concept, for £1, Propel has learned. The Brewers Fayre and Beefeater owner acquired a 49% stake in the then eight-strong Pure in May 2016, for £6.8m, before exiting the business, which at that stage operated 16 sites, on 22 December last year. Propel revealed in January that Ralph Trustees, the family-owned hospitality group led by brothers Daniel and Stuart Levy, had become the new backers of Pure. The business currently operates 14 sites across London, plus a site at Gatwick airport and four catering hubs for corporate clients. Whitbread had an option to acquire the remaining 51% stake after two years from its initial investment but never took it up. A Whitbread spokesperson told Propel earlier this year: “As Pure was not a core part of Whitbread’s strategy, the group has sold its interest to a third party.” At the end of last year, all shares of Healthy Retail (HRL) were purchased by a newly incorporated company Healthy Retail Group (HRG), which backed the existing management team led by Pure co-founder Spencer Craig, who is also a director of HRG. The new vehicle is backed by Ralph Trustees, which owns The Grove, in Chandler’s Cross, Hertfordshire, plus five hotels under the Luxury Family Hotels banner, including The Ickworth in Suffolk and Fowey Hall in Cornwall. At the same time, Ralph Trustees is also an investor in Kerb and State of Play Hospitality, while it also previously invested in Puttshack. 

Sponsored message – Startle launches Up Your Game campaign to help pubs with promotion in the run up to UEFA Euro 2024: Music and technology provider Startle is launching Up Your Game. This initiative comes as sports fans excitedly anticipate the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in June, and the hospitality industry gears up for increased footfall in their venues. Up Your Game aims to support pubs and bars with their Euros promotion, with the help of Startle’s automated sports promotion channel, Arena. Already used by many enterprise brands including Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers, Startle Arena is a sports channel bringing pubs and bars a platform that automatically updates with “fresh, relevant content every day”. This includes Euros fixture promotions and extended coverage around all the games, “so pub managers don’t have to lift a finger or stress about scheduling and refreshing tournament promotions”. Chief executive Adam Castleton said: “Staying on top of promoting football fixtures, especially for big sporting events like the Euros, and building the entertainment into more than a 90-minute match requires a lot of time and energy, and we all know pub managers are busy enough. Startle Arena has automatically updated content, promotions that run themselves, and the ability to turn a 90-minute match into an immersive football experience with viral entertainment that aims to encourage customers to stay long after the final whistle.” Watch the full Arena showreel here to find out more. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

Bristol pub creates two-tier pricing with ordering at the bar more expensive: A Bristol pub has created a two-tier pricing system whereby ordering at the bar is more expensive. Ben Cheshire, who runs The Coronation pub in Southville, is so keen for customers to order via their smartphone that he is charging punters an extra 30p on pints ordered at the bar, with some drinks almost 10% more expensive for customers who order in-person. It means a pint of the house lager costs customers £3.50 at the bar – or £3.20 if they order through the QR code. For cask ale, it’s 20p cheaper using a smartphone, reports The Telegraph. Cheshire dismissed suggestions the practice was discriminatory against older customers and those who find the technology difficult to use. The pub owner said his clientele had become much younger since the covid pandemic and that the digital service reduced the burden on his staff. He said: “I lost all my older crowd completely overnight when everything had to go to ‘table service only’ during covid and I haven’t seen them since. For years I had an older crowd in here, looked after them, had private events for them and things like that, so that’s not the angle I’m trying to go for here. This is more helpful for our staff, that’s why I’m offering it. I’ve found that not having to be constantly serving people is way better for my mental health. Bar work can be really mentally tiring. This takes the stress away rather than having to constantly interact with different people for eight hours straight.” Cheshire said customers order more when using the online system as they explore the full drinks menu. Alongside a weekly quiz, he has introduced more obscure events to keep younger customers coming in, including a Saturday pottery session and a Dungeons and Dragons night every fortnight. “For those events, this is perfect,” he said. “They can carry on making their clay pots or playing their game without being interrupted and simply order from their smartphone and have their drinks brought to them.” However, Cheshire said 90% of his customers still choose to order at the bar and pay higher prices. “I’m a big advocate for European-style service,” he added. “I think we had a chance to change the culture during the pandemic but in most places it’s gone back to how it was, I think it’s a real shame.”

Dishoom in legal battle over rhyming slang for curry: Dishoom, the Indian restaurant group, has lodged legal papers with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the government body overseeing trademarks, to try to strip a London businessman of monopoly on the right to use Ruby Murray to describe curry. The Telegraph reports that on 15 May, Dishoom’s lawyers applied to revoke a registration secured five years ago by Tariq Aziz to use the Belfast singer’s name for all things curry related. Dishoom, which has restaurants in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham, has been using Murray’s name as a heading for curries on its menu, as well as serving its own Chicken Ruby. Dishoom, which recreates Irani cafes once common in Bombay, claims Aziz has not used the name Ruby Murray in a commercial way, so the registration should be revoked. A Dishoom spokeswoman said: “A third party has a trademark registration for Ruby Murray, and we don’t believe that they have ever used it. There is a principle of ‘use or lose it’ in trademark law, and we have therefore asked the UK IPO to remove the Ruby Murray mark from the register. Dishoom is not seeking to apply to register Ruby Murray in its own name. It wishes to remove the ‘monopoly’ on the use of Ruby Murray so it can be used freely by anyone when referring to curry.” In 2019, Aziz successfully registered Ruby Murray as a food and drinks trademark. The following year, the company director set up Murray Ruby, described by Companies House as “takeaway food shops and mobile food stands”. Aziz filed his latest accounts for that company in January, showing it was trading. Aziz, who remains the owner of the trademark, said: “I was surprised when I received a letter from the IPO. I don’t want the trademark to be revoked. I am trading under the trademark Ruby Murray. We have a premises in Islington, north London, called Ruby Murray. It’s closed for refurbishment at the moment, but will reopen soon. We also have a ready to eat range that we are looking to expand with frozen foods.”

McDonald’s drops smiles from Happy Meals: McDonald’s dropped smiles from Happy Meals in honour of Mental Awareness Health Week, which finished yesterday (Sunday, 19 May). The UK division changed the design of its Happy Meals to exclude the iconic smile in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week. The division dubbed the new iteration simply “The Meal”, notably removing the “happy” from the equation. The temporary redesign reflected the current mental health decline among UK youth. In a 2020 study from the country’s Office for National Statistics, 48% of children reported feeling pressured to feel happy. The new design left meals with a blank expression so that children can stick an array of stickers conveying different emotions to suit what they are genuinely feeling. A total of 2.5 million of these new meal boxes were shipped to more than a thousand locations in the UK, allowing children to get creative with their self-expression and in touch with their emotional side. Louise Page, head of consumer communications and partnerships for McDonald’s UK division, explained its goal was to facilitate dialogues about mental health among families.

Dame Karen Jones – there’s one vital ingredient no business can do without and that’s confidence: Dame Karen Jones, who co-founded Café Rouge and is currently chair of Hawksmoor, has said that there’s one vital ingredient no business can do without – confidence. She said it is “the intangible quality that allows you to contemplate success in the first place – and then do something about it”. Writing in the Sunday Times, the ex-chief executive of the Spirit pub group and current non-executive director at Mowgli, said: “We aren’t talking over-confidence here – that sleek, armoured pose that shouts ruler of the universe – but the quiet, comfortable-in-your-own skin knowledge that you can achieve things alongside the determination to have a go. Where does it come from? Where did I get the confidence to make the winning, multibillion-pound bid for a large pub group from a car phone (remember those?) sitting in a pub car park in Birmingham? Or the belief to move from a sought-after post-graduation job as an account planner in an advertising agency, to an entirely undefined role running restaurants? One answer lies in cheerleaders – those people who stand on the sidelines of your life and tell you that you can do it, who cheer on your endeavours and whose belief never wavers. My mother was mine; she never questioned my choices and she was steadfast in her belief that every problem has a solution. On the other side of the coin, as a leader, think about what you ask of your people and how you do it. My son’s take on what builds confidence is, ‘an empathetic boss who both stretches and supports you’. I once asked someone to take over a complex role at very short notice and give a presentation to a senior group of people – and watched a replay of my scarring meeting at the ad agency as she struggled and I watched helplessly. My fault; I regret it deeply. There is another aspect to confidence: the ability to look at things differently. At a time when it is so critical for enterprises to move from a one-dimensional measure of success – that linear connection between inputs and purely financial outcomes – to a more holistic, 3D construct that takes impact on people and the environment into consideration, confident leaders and managers can look into the future and understand what genuinely sustainable success looks like, and create it.”

The King supports Pub is The Hub with donation: Pub is The Hub has welcomed a donation from His Majesty The King to help independent publicans support local services and activities for communities in rural areas. The donation will help the community services fund that advises publicans to diversify their services. This can be anything from supporting a rural pub to opening a local community café, an allotment, a play area, library or village store. Pub is The Hub was founded by His Majesty The King, when he was The Prince of Wales in 2001. Over the past 23 years, Pub is The Hub has been able to help hundreds of pubs to diversify, with many receiving both advisory and financial support through its community services fund. Pub is The Hub’s future vision is to help 1,000 more pubs diversify over the next three years. Pub is The Hub chief executive John Longden said: “We would like to thank The King for this donation and all the support for Pub is The Hub since its formation. The King has always been a supporter of the local role of the British pub.” 

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a luxury hospitality venue that is looking for a director of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The business is seeking an entrepreneurial individual with a strong understanding of the luxury market. It is on the lookout for a sales-driven individual who is a sales expert in hospitality. As director of sales, you will identify and grow new business for the venue, develop strategic long-term customer relationships, assist with key site inspections, host familiarisation trips at the venue, act as the market segment specialist, oversee the bookings and events team, and ensure that the team is maximising revenue opportunities and conversions.” The salary is up to £85,000 and the position is based in Reading, Berkshire. For more information, email ed@corecruitment.com.

Scottish franchisee secures funding to operate nine Pret sites: Joup Group has received a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to acquire three existing – and open six new – Pret A Manger franchise stores across Scotland. The Glasgow group, which already owns six Domino's franchises across Dundee and Angus, will use the funding to open the Pret sites, with the biggest spanning more than 4,000 square foot. The sites are expected to open between June and September. Henry Dawes, chief executive of Joup Group, said: “We are really excited to continue to grow our business by becoming the Pret franchisee in Scotland.” Kevin McKenna, relationship director at HSBC, added: “We are pleased to have supported Joup Group’s ambitions for 14 years now. This funding package is particularly satisfying given the creation of more than 150 jobs, which will provide an economic boost to communities across Scotland.” Last month, Pret, the JAB Holdings-backed business, made a series of board changes as the business said it was doubling down on its long-held values, innovation and its next phase of international growth. Having served as chairman since JAB’s acquisition of Pret in 2018, Olivier Goudet will be succeeded by his colleague and JAB partner, Konrad Meyer. At the same time, Sinclair Beecham, one of Pret’s founders, and Larry Billett, Pret’s chairman from 2003 through 2011 and a board member until 2018, have returned to the business. Pret operates in 18 markets, including the UK, US, Canada, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and the Middle East, up from four markets in 2018. The company said the board changes will support Pret as it enters into further development partnerships with strong local franchise partners in a growing group of countries.

Cocotte founder – already exploring potential sites for new smash burger concept: Chef Romain Bourrillon, the founder of healthy rotisserie chicken concept Cocotte, has told Propel he is already exploring potential sites for his new smash burger concept, Supra Burger. The new concept is currently operating out of Cocotte Queens Park, as a pop-up. Bourrillon, who has worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, told Propel: “The smashed burger concept offers a unique approach to crafting burgers – by smashing the meat on a hot griddle, we achieve a perfectly seared crust that locks in more flavour. This method not only enhances taste but also speeds up the cooking process, catering to the fast-paced London lifestyle. We chose to introduce this concept now because we've noticed a growing demand for quality, gourmet burgers that offer a quick and satisfying meal. Additionally, the current culinary landscape is ripe for introducing innovative dining experiences that stand out in the competitive market. Our goal is to expand the smashed burger concept if it resonates well with our customers. We are committed to refining our model based on initial feedback and performance. While it’s early days, we are already exploring potential sites for future outlets. We're in preliminary discussions with several property developers and scouting locations that align with our target demographic and brand ethos.” The expansion of the new burger concept will operate independently of Cocotte's growth strategy. Bourrillon recently secured the Antipodea site at 30 Hill Street in an off-market acquisition, for a further Cocotte opening next month. He said: “Both brands will benefit from shared insights on operational efficiencies, marketing strategies, and customer service improvements. This dual-track expansion allows us to diversify our portfolio while leveraging the strengths of each concept.” He said that currently, trading across the business is “robust, reflecting both the resilience of our operational model and the loyalty of our customer base”. He said: “Despite the usual industry challenges, such as fluctuating supply chain issues and economic shifts, we've maintained a strong performance. We attribute this to our focus on quality, customer experience, and adaptability. We continue to innovate and adjust our offerings to meet changing consumer preferences and market conditions.”

JD Wetherspoon begins £5m Newcastle hotel scheme: JD Wetherspoon has begun work on a £5m scheme to create a hotel with 26 bedrooms and a big 3,000 square-foot beer garden at The Mile Castle in Newcastle. Launching its biggest branch yet, with 26 hotel rooms and Britain's “biggest beer garden”. The project has been in the pipeline since 2018, but was halted by covid. The venture will see the Mile Castle, in Newcastle, double in size, as it incorporates the city's first Wetherspoon hotel. Wetherspoon founder and chairman, Sir Tim Martin, said: “The investment highlights our commitment to the pub, its customers and staff, as well as the city of Newcastle.” The new hotel, which will be situated above the pub, is expected to open in November, and will be run by 200 staff – an additional 70 people to the number already working there.

 

Retro football experience to open in Sheffield: A retro street football experience that could be sport’s answer to crazy golf is set to open in Sheffield this summer. Yard Ball, at the former Arnold Laver depot in the city’s Little London Road, promises to transport visitors back to the days when “football was football”, with no goal music, no half-and-half scarves, and certainly no VAR. The £1m-plus, 50,000 square-foot venue will offer adults the chance to indulge in some sporting nostalgia, while youngsters will learn how the game used to be played. Visitors will be able to take on a series of challenges at the retro-themed attraction, including attempting to find the “top bin”, like in TV show Soccer AM; having a shoot-out against garage doors and practising their touch and finish as their friends throw balls down from the top floor of a purpose-built maisonette. Visitors will be able to refuel with food and drinks themed around fondly remembered football tournaments, like tacos inspired by Mexico ‘86, pizza and pasta to take diners back to Italia ‘90, and fish and chips to celebrate Euro ‘96

 

Lane7 gets go-ahead in Lincoln: Plans by bowling alley and amusement centre business Lane7, led by Tim Wilkins, to convert the former Boots store in Lincoln’s High Street into a new site centre have been approved. The building has been empty since 2019, when Boots moved to a new location in the city centre. The application was for a three-storey development, with three separate retail units on the ground floor, and bowling company Lane7 on the upper floors. There will also be arcade games and bar facilities. Other attractions include shuffleboard, pool and ping pong tables. Lane7 has venues across the country, including in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The application for the Lincoln venue was submitted to City of Lincoln Council earlier this year. An opening date for the venue is yet to be announced.

 

PizzaExpress opens debut airport site with a breakfast menu: PizzaExpress has opened its first airport restaurant at Gatwick’s South Terminal today. The restaurant will serve a bespoke “pizza-inspired” breakfast menu. Jane Treasure, food and beverage director at PizzaExpress, said: “Our founder, Peter Boizot, was known for his love of travel with some of his trips inspiring our menu and that’s no different today. Our newest restaurant at London Gatwick provided us with the perfect opportunity to showcase our passion for innovation by introducing something new and exciting, a breakfast menu with a twist. We have some seriously brilliant additions, but we've also made sure to keep a few icons available all day, such as our moreish dough balls, served with jam for that breakfast hit.” PizzaExpress’ breakfast menu includes full English breakfasts with dough sticks, bacon and pancakes; classic pizzas like a margherita; and a breakfast-inspired bacon and egg pizza. The restaurant has also added a breakfast version of its dough balls served with jam and classic breakfast drinks like mimosas. The new menu also includes children’s breakfast classics such as eggs and soldiers. The breakfast menu is available from 3.30am to 11am every day and the restaurant offers its regular menu throughout the rest of the day.

State of Play Hospitality plans Dublin site for Bounce: A table tennis-themed sports bar and restaurant is due to open in the basement of the former headquarters of the Central Bank of Ireland, in Dublin. The Sunday Times reported that Bounce is understood to be moving into the newly refurbished Central Plaza building just off Temple Bar in the city. Founded in 2012 by State of Play Hospitality, which also operates modern bingo and darts-themed bars, Bounce launched in central London and now has three locations across the British capital, including in Battersea Power Station. Bounce’s Irish opening, which is expected before the end of the year, will be the latest in a string of evening entertainment offerings landing in the capital. At the newly built Grafton Place, near Trinity College, the developer has signed leases for Pitch, an indoor golf facility, and Sandbox VR, a virtual reality experience backed by the singers Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake.

  

BHL Global refinances £73m bank loan after losses more than double, 2024 ‘challenging so far’: Restaurant and hotel operator BHL Global has refinanced a £73m bank loan with HSBC and is in discussions regarding the refinancing or further loans. “The group refinanced HSBC UK bank facility of £73m in February 2024 and directors are in discussion with Coutts Bank to refinance a £3.5m facility maturing in July 2024,” the group said in its accounts for the year ending 31 December 2023. “The directors have secured agreements for new loan facilities from March 2024 to March 2028, replacing previous facility which had expired February 2024.” It comes after the group’s pre-tax losses more than doubled during the period from £2,567,000 to £6,632,000. Its turnover was up from £29,281,000 in 2022 to £32,002,000. Of this, £13,603,000 came from food and beverage (2022: £13,090,000) and £17,691,000 from accommodation (2022: £16,112,000). Hotel occupancy was up from 73% to 75%, with average room rate rising from £471 to £494 and revpar increasing from £345 to £373. “Following the second year of the end of the covid breakdown, the year saw a further uplift in trading performance from 2022 by 9.2%, with revenue increasing by £2.7m over 2022, continuing the trend from 2022 with international and inbound travellers,” director Mahmoud Bakr-Ibrahim said. “The first quarter experienced a significant increase over the same period in 2022 as covid restrictions eased in first quarter of 2023. At Northcote, the return of the Obsession in January 2023 assisted the pent-up demand for the first quarter and the hotel continued to trade five days for first quarter and returned to seven days in the second quarter. The second quarter across the group experienced a slight increase in revenue through occupancy. The third quarter across the group saw a slight decrease over 2022 as expected with the bounce back experienced in 2022. Staycation market waned in the latter part of the year, however the group marginally increased average daily rate to cushion the conversion from increased operational cost. The national minimum wage increasing by 9.7% in April 2023 and with continued labour supply shortage in the hospitality sector along with inflationary pressure from food, utilities and insurance costs, the group’s hotel Ebitda decreased by £388,000 with conversion falling from 22.65% to 19.5%. The group mitigated some of these costs by entering in fixed costs. Towards the end of 2022, the base interest rate for the group’s external loans increased to 3.43%. The group was exposed to increased interest costs but was partially mitigated by having a hedge in place until June 2023. To date, 2024 has been challenging with the impact of inflationary pressures on guests from 2023 and subsequent impact on overseas travel and local food and beverage spend.”

Former Molson Coors UK commercial sales director joins Wadworth as NED: Former Molson Coors UK commercial sales director Martyn Cozens has joined brewer and retailer Wadworth as a non-executive director. Cozens – who spent more than three decades at Molson Coors and was responsible for hugely successful product launches including Madri – will join Wadworth on Wednesday, 24 July. “At Wadworth, we’re proud of our past and fired up by our future, celebrating 150 years of Wadworth next year, and we’re excited to have Martyn on board to offer invaluable guidance.” said Wadworth managing director, Tony Bartholemew. “The team is looking forward to working alongside Martyn, who we are sure will help continue driving Wadworth forward through his passion for our industry and his wealth of experience and expertise.”

  

Edinburgh gourmet burger business set to open second site in the city and seventh overall: Edinburgh better gourmet business Luxford Burgers is set to open a second site in the city and seventh overall. Luxford Burgers was founded in October 2020 by Alexander Galpin, starting out from a dark kitchen in a shipping container in Leith before moving to a flagship restaurant in St Leonard’s Street in March 2021. During 2022 and 2023, it expanded across the UK by opening delivery-only kitchens in Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Cambridge and Leeds, thanks to investment from Deliveroo and participation in its Deliveroo “Editions” model. It is now set to replace the former Blue Bear Cafe in Edinburgh’s Brandon Terrace, which closed in March 2023. Galpin, who also owns bao bun shack Ozen Street Food in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter, told Edinburgh Live: “We’re super excited to expand into Canonmills and hope we can provide a new favourite sit-in restaurant to the people of Canonmills, Stockbridge, Broughton and the surrounding areas. I’ve lived in Canonmills myself for four years, and can’t think of anywhere more suitable for Luxford to continue its Edinburgh journey. We’ll still be serving up our menu full of well-loved classics, with some additional specials to keep your eye out for! Luxford has grown from strength to strength in the last three years and while challenging at times, the journey has been fantastic.” Luxford Burgers also has a Bristol takeaway-only site listed as “coming soon” on its website – at Unit 1 in Glenfrome House.

 

Harewood Group acquires Harrogate pub as it pivots away from ‘traditional nightclubs’: Nightclub operator Harewood Group, which is behind Harrogate Irish bar The Four Leaf, has acquired another pub in the North Yorkshire town. The group, which owned the Viper Rooms nightclub until it closed suddenly in December 2022, will officially take over the Foundry Project in The Ginnel on Monday, 10 June. Paul Kinsey, who owns Harewood Group, said it had now opened two bars in Sheffield, including its second The Four Leaf, and acquired two in Harrogate since Viper Rooms closed as part of its strategy to “pivot away from traditional nightclubs to daytime and evening entertainment”. Kinsey said Foundry Project, which was owned by Marston’s, was a “good brand” with potential for improvement, reports The Stray Ferret. “The venue is well established as a high-quality late bar and we will be looking to add our late-night expertise to making it even more glamorous and exciting,” he said. “The venue remains trading as usual and the name won’t change.” He said the Foundry Project’s potential to attract daytime and night-time customers was one of its main attractions. It is the second Harrogate pub Kinsey has bought from Marston’s, which owned the Pitcher and Piano in John Street that is now Four Leaf. He said Four Leaf had performed strongly since it opened in March. “I think we’ve demonstrated that an Irish bar doesn’t have to be a cliched old fashioned pub, it can be a contemporary modern bar with live entertainment and good food,” he added. The Harewood Group owns and operates a group of late-night bars and clubs across the UK, including the Viper Rooms and Original Bierkeller brands, and said it is “selectively acquiring other individual or groups of venues in key locations”. Founded in 2003 by Kinsey, as well as managing its owned venues, it has also entered into short term venue management contracts, undertaken venue launches and joint ventures as well as completing long term turn around and earn out projects. It said its strategy is “to continue to roll out its core brands, make strategic acquisitions and enter into a variety of value adding relationships with third parties in the leisure, investment and banking communities”.

 

Hampshire Malawian coffee shop concept set to open fourth site: A Hampshire coffee shop concept based around roasted Malawian coffee is set to open its fourth site. The Maravi and Wellness concept, which recently opened in Christchurch’s Saxon Square, is set to launch a new site in Poole Road in Wimborne. Maravi and Wellness already operates sites in Poole and Bournemouth. The business is run by Mahin, Maariyah, Aziz and Adam Gaffar and uses organic beans directly sourced from smallholder farmers in Malawi. Adam Gaffar told the Daily Echo: “We have three components of the business – atmosphere, product, and service. They are very important to us, and not one is above the other. The people of Malawi have similar principles to what we want, they are spiritual people and they operate from the heart, which fits well with us.” The family originally owned three coffee shops in Malawi, which had started out as an artisan bakery business to sell their late mum’s baked products, before growing the coffee side of the business. “Unfortunately, two years ago my whole family was in a car accident,” Aziz said. “They went into a truck that just came out of nowhere with no warning. After that, the family felt all over the place. It all started with my mum’s dream, and we made it a reality for her. Right now, we're still a bit small, but eventually, as the years come by, we want to go back into Malawi and create a good facility for the farmers, because in Malawi it’s a big market for coffee and it’s our home.”

 

Midlands gym operator opens third site: Midlands gym operator Kingdom Gyms has opened its third site. It has agreed a long-term lease on a 9,019 square-foot unit in Coventry Road, Sheldon – adding to its sites in Ward Street, in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, and in Long Street in Atherstone. Karl Radbourne, owner of Kingdom Gyms, told Insider Media: “We are looking forward to the launch of this new state-of-the-art facility. Our expansion into the Sheldon area will allow people who live and work in the surrounding areas to pursue and maintain their fitness and health goals. Kingdom Gyms’ existing sites are not just considered a place to work out by our members, they also provide a sense of community with health and wellness at the centre of interest.”

Royal Yacht Enterprises returns to profit after Britannia footfall grows slightly above pre-pandemic levels: Royal Yacht Enterprises – which operates floating hotel the Fingal Hotel in Edinburgh, and The Royal Yacht Britannia – returned to profit in the year ending 31 December 2023 after footfall on the Britannia grew slightly above pre-pandemic levels. The company’s pre-tax loss of £140,752 in 2022 turned into a profit of £195,967 as turnover rose from £6,601,261 to £7,907,207. “Britannia welcomed 361,175 visitors in 2023, a significant increase of 51% on the 239,303 that visited in the post-covid recovery year of 2022,” the company said. “However, of more significance was that this represented a very modest 1.1% rise on the 357,271 that visited in 2019, or ‘old normal’ as we still refer to it. This made 2023 the fourth highest year for visitors since opening, giving greater confidence that the worst impacts of the covid lockdowns were behind us. This return to normal meant recruitment and retention issues were less of an issue, especially as we continue to be a Real Living Wage Employer and offer greater terms and conditions of employment than are the statutory minimum.” It also said that after “many years of disruption” to surrounding roads, the opening of the Leith extension to the Edinburgh tram route opened in June 2023 had made access to both Britannia and Fingal easier for guests. Meanwhile, plans to reconfigure the Ocean Terminal shopping centre are underway, which will see the demolition of the existing Britannia’s visitor centre and giftshop and new ones constructed. “In March 2024, Britannia began operating from a temporary ticket centre and gift shop on the ground floor of Ocean Terminal and will continue to do so for the duration of the construction period,” the company added. “The disruption caused by the redevelopment of the shopping centre is expected to have a significant, detrimental impact on the gift shop’s trading throughout the rest of 2024, following which the shop and visitor centre will then operate from new, state-of-the-art premises.” 

 

Aberdeen chef to open second restaurant: Aberdeen chef Graham Mitchell is planning to open a second restaurant in the city. Mitchell opened Tarragon in Rosemount Place in October 2022 and has decided to launch a second site following the “huge success” of his first. He told The Press and Journal that his next restaurant – Tarragon on the Terrace in Union Terrace – will be “different”. He said it will be a “casual bistro serving pre-theatre food”, as opposed to the original Tarragon, which is a fine-dining restaurant. “Tarragon has been a huge success, so my wife Clare and I felt it was a good idea to open a second one in a different location while making a different style of food,” Mitchell said. Tarragon on the Terrace will take over the site of the former Kirk View Cafe, which moved to bigger premises in Belmont Street. Tarragon on the Terrace will have capacity for 42 people and is expected to open next month.

 

Property developer acquires lease of Virgin Active gym in Nottingham’s Island Quarter for £5.9m: Property development group Conygar has acquired the long-term leasehold interest of the Virgin Active gym in Nottingham’s Island Quarter. The freehold of the site, located in The Great Northern Close of The Island Quarter, is already owned by Conygar, with the leasehold purchased from Wood Pension Fund. The purchase was subject to signing a new direct 25-year lease with Virgin Active at a rent of £600,000 per annum, with a 12-month rent free period spread across the first 24 months. The purchase price of £5.9m was funded by way of a drawdown of the second and final £7m tranche of an existing debt facility with ASK Partners, reports Insider Media. The surplus funds received over the purchase price and associated fees will be used to further progress The Island Quarter project. Construction of the 693-bed student accommodation development there is expected to complete this summer, while a planning application was submitted in February for the second phase of student accommodation comprising a 383-bed scheme. Conygar acquired the 36-acre Island Quarter site, which was formerly the headquarters and laboratories of Boots and had been mostly vacant for more than 25 years, in December 2016.

  

First pub in Ireland to win a Michelin star goes on the market for €1.25m: The first pub in Ireland to win a Michelin star has gone on the market for €1.25m. Agent Savills has been instructed to sell The Wild Honey Inn – including a four-bed private residential wing, a bar, restaurant and 13 guest bedrooms – in Kincora Road, Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. Chef Aiden McGrath and partner Kate Sweeney, which bought the property in 2008, are looking to if not retire, then to “enjoy life a little more”, reports The Irish Independent. Recalling being informed the business had been awarded its Michelin star in 2017, McGrath said: “After almost 35 years in the industry, it came as a massive shock. I will never forget that phone call – it was on a Tuesday evening, just as I was heading out the door. The phone rang and I debated whether to return to pick it up or just let it ring. I was stunned. It was a huge surprise, and I was absolutely delighted.” On acquiring the business in financially uncertain days of 2008, he said: “It wasn’t an easy time to set up a business in the depths of recession, but we made it work. It’ll be a lot easier for the next person, all they need is their own vision. Essentially, we’ve pulled the building apart and put it back together again.” As for what’s next for the couple, McGrath added: “There’s loads of people asking about us doing a small cookery school. But I’m cooking for 43 years, and it’s kind of come to the time where we need to start enjoying life a little bit.”

 

Newcastle coffee shop business set to close its two branches and roastery: Newcastle coffee shop business Canny Goat is set to close its two branches and its roastery. Its main shop, in Monk Street in Newcastle city centre, has been open since August 2019, while its second site, in Heaton’s Whitefield Terrace, opened in May last year. But managing director Iain Knox believes it is time for a different direction, with the Monk Street café to be taken over by Lagom Coffee. “It’s finally time to announce that Canny Goat Coffee is ready for a new field,” Knox posted to Facebook. “It’s been an amazing five years, but now I’m ready for a new challenge and for some fresh businesses to call our locations home. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve built here, and I want to give a huge thank you to all of my family, friends, staff and suppliers who have supported me along the way.”

 

Former Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes alumni opens new private dining restaurant in Nottingham: A chef who trained in the restaurants of Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes has launched a new restaurant in Nottingham city centre. Nichola Thompson has launched Table 47, an exclusive private dining restaurant located at 47 Bridlesmith Gate, in a building formerly home to the Barista Lab. She has also been head chef at The Moleface Pub Company and, most recently, performance chef at Nottingham Forest FC, reports Insider Media. “After covid, private dining became very popular,” she said. “People wanted bespoke events in their own home. They were lovely to work as they were always a celebration – a birthday or some other significant milestone. Now I have my own venue, diners can have that same intimate dining experience, either hiring for a small event or intimate dinner, and have bespoke menus, tasting menus or canapes, with me cooking in front of them as all part of the service.” Thompson’s aim is to launch the business on the ground floor with up to 20 covers, and to later expand into the two rooms above to ultimately accommodate up to 60 people. “I love Bridlesmith Gate – it has always had the reputation of a high-end street and has some lovely architecture,” she added. “I did look at venues in West Bridgford and other city centre locations, but I just love the double frontage here and there is room for growth, plus a lot of the infrastructure was already here as it had been a coffee shop.”