Benito’s owner sets out expansion plans, launches new pizza concept, adds Bruce Isaacs to board: Elangeni Hospitality Group (EHG), the owner of Benito’s, has set out plans to open a further 12 sites under the Mexican brand over the coming 18 months, as it launches its new concept, Slice & Dice, in Oxford. The Mike Pearson-led business currently operates two Benito’s sites, in Oxford’s Westgate scheme and at Luton airport. Pearson told Propel that the business had turned around the Oxford site, which is now a £1m turnover business, while the Luton site, which opened at the end of last year under a new franchise agreement with Airport Retail Enterprises UK, is a £1m-plus turnover business. The 12 new stores are a combination of company owned and franchised operations and Pearson said two more Benito’s stores are planned to open before the end of 2024. Benito’s, formerly Benito’s Hat, was acquired by Pearson through EHG at the end of 2022 and has since been repositioned with an updated look and feel, self-service kiosks and a branded breakfast offer. Pearson told Propel that Benito’s is looking to grow its presence across the UK and is actively seeking high street franchise partners nationally, as well as new locations for company stores across the Midlands. He said: “It was a tough few years for Benito’s coming through covid, but we feel it is now in a strong position to fulfil its potential. We are delighted with the turnaround of the Oxford site and blown away by the performance of the Luton opening.” The company has also opened the debut site under its new sister concept Slice & Dice, which opened at Landsec’s Westgate development last Friday (12 July), alongside Benito’s. The pizzas were developed in conjunction with serial restaurateur Amit Joshi, formerly of Rocket Restaurants and co-founder of the Jones Family Project, and come alongside a range of salads, cheesecake, American beers and cocktails. Customers can also roll a pair of dice after every purchase for the chance to win a free slice. Pearson said: “We’re trading brilliantly well with Benito’s in the scheme and see a huge opportunity for pizza by the slice in the centre.” Pearson told Propel that the business would take its time with the new concept but believes it is perfect for operating in similar shopping schemes. It has also strengthened its board in preparation for further growth, with industry veteran Bruce Isaacs, who founded Ed’s Easy Diner, joining as a non-executive director to work alongside Pearson to drive the growth of both concepts. Isaacs is joined as a non-executive by Joshi, who has invested in and helped develop Slice & Dice and will also be taking a wider group remit. Isaacs said: “The pipeline of growth that we have already managed to secure is encouraging and there is certainly room for much more in the coming two to three years. What’s more impressive is that this growth is coming through business cash flow, which is a nice position to be in.”

 

Panel looking at how the sector maximises the benefits of inclusivity and diversity to be held at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club members: A panel looking at how the sector ensures it maximises the benefits of inclusivity and diversity will be held at Propel’s Talent & Training Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Tuesday, 1 October at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. The conference will showcase examples of outstanding people culture among companies within the sector and how the industry is attracting talent. Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, will be joined on the panel by Hannah Plumb, talent and culture director at The Alchemist; Raj Jones, head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sodexo; and Georgina Warren, global diversity, equity and inclusion director, at IHG Hotels & Resorts. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £345 plus VAT for operators and £395 plus VAT for suppliers. Premium Club members get a 20% discount. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released tomorrow featuring 880 companies: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 19 July) at midday. The database now features 880 companies and more than 236,000 words of content. The database will feature 60 updated entries and 14 new companies. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results reported as well as broader information around Ebitda, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, produced in association with Virgate; the New Openings Database; the Turnover & Profits Blue Book; the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. All Premium Clubs members will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including the Talent and Training Conference (1 October), Restaurant Marketer and Innovator (two days in January 2025) and Excellence in Pub Retail (May 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.

 

Marston’s revealed as top UK pub company in PCA survey of tied tenants for second year running: Marston’s has been revealed as the top UK pub company in a Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) survey of tied tenants for the second year running. For its latest annual survey, the PCA spoke to 1,203 tied pub tenants on their relationships with the UK’s top six pub companies. The data showed tenants at Marston’s have the highest overall satisfaction rates at 79%, a six percentage point decrease on last year. This is followed by Admiral (78%, up three percentage points year-on-year), Greene King (77%, up two percentage points year-on-year), Star Pubs (64%, up nine percentage points year-on-year), Punch (61%, up one percentage point year-on-year) and Stonegate (47%, down three percentage points year-on-year). The survey indicates 63% of tenants are happy with the relationship they have with their pub company, a percentage point rise from last year, while 21% are actively unsatisfied. Tenants at Marston’s have the highest levels of satisfaction with their agreement (83%), followed by Admiral on 79% and Greene King on 75%. Three in four tenants still agree their business development manager is fair in discussions and 74% of tenants said they have all the information they need about their role.

 

Pernod Ricard to sell wine business to focus on spirits and champagne brands: Jameson whiskey-maker Pernod Ricard has agreed to sell its wine business, including Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo, to a group of investors as it focuses on its spirits and champagne brands. The Paris-based company said it is selling the brands to Accolade Wines owner Australian Wine Holdco. The value of the sale has not been disclosed, but Pernod Ricard said it includes a portfolio of wine that produces more than ten million cases every year. The acquisition will see winemakers Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo snapped up by the investors. The wine division spans wineries in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Pernod Ricard said the brands it is selling will benefit from being owned by a group that is “dedicated to the wine industry” and can explore new opportunities around the world. It also will free up space for the company to home in on its premium spirits and champagne brands. Pernod is one of the biggest spirits groups in the world and owns hundreds of brands from Absolut vodka, Havana Club rum and Beefeater gin to Malibu, Kahlua and Jameson. The company made more than €12bn (£10bn) in sales last year and recorded an operating profit of nearly €3.3bn (£2.8bn).

 

Restaurant business led by Andy Sheridan blackmailed in fake review scam: A small chain of independent restaurants is being blackmailed by criminals who said unless they are paid thousands of pounds, they will flood their online listings with fake one-star reviews. Chef Andy Sheridan and business partner Sam Morgan own and run five restaurants across the north west and Midlands, with a sixth preparing to open in Prestatyn, north Wales. The criminals threatened the business through its WhatsApp booking service, demanding payment of £2,000, and the pair initially ignored the demands. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Morgan said: “This is just classic fraudster tricks – the weapon is fear. Ultimately, we are a small independent business. Yes, we have got six or seven restaurants, but underneath it all we are just two lads trying hard to make a living. We are not a multi-million organisation; we don’t have the resources that tackle these things.” The restaurants targeted include Restaurant 8 in Liverpool, The Bracebridge in Birmingham, Black and Green in Worcestershire, Restaurant OXA in Wirral and the soon-to-open Dishes in Prestatyn. After refusing to pay up, the fake one-star reviews began to roll in. Morgan said they tried to report the fake reviews to Google but hit a dead end. A Google spokesperson said reviews must be based on real experiences and information, and having looked into the case, are removing the policy-violating content. Morgan said: “I think this happens more, we are not isolated. Unless we speak up about it, other people will bury their head in the sand, their businesses are going to get destroyed.” Sheridan, who has appeared on the Great British Menu and Come Dine with Me The Professionals, added: “There will be some people who will pay out of fear. The stress levels are already high, you take it personally.”

 

Britain’s brewing heritage being ‘struck down by stealth’: Britain’s brewing heritage is being erased “by stealth”, the scion of one of Britain’s oldest beer dynasties has warned. Jamie Allsopp, a descendant of the 19th century brewer Samuel Allsopp, told The Telegraph that Britain’s cask ale industry was in danger of disappearing without a concerted effort to protect it. Allsopp said: “I think our heritage is being sort of struck down by stealth. We need to have a think about why we’re not looking after [cask ale] and why it is a unique product. And then we need to think about why other countries celebrate their national products and why we haven’t done that. This is a unique product in this country that is delicious, and we should be celebrating it.” Propel revealed in May that the team behind Allsopp’s Brewery is to return to operating pubs with an opening in London’s Kensington. The business will open The Blue Stoops on the site of The Kensington Wine Rooms this September in homage to the original Blue Stoops in Burton-upon-Trent, where his family brewed from 1730. His seven times great-grandfather, Samuel, is revered as the inventor of the IPA style, which he first brewed in a teapot in 1822. The company is being assisted on the launch by Charlie McVeigh, the founder of the Draft House brand.

 

Welsh government urged to reduce sector’s business rates burden: The Welsh government has been urged to reduce the sector’s business rates burden following new laws which allow it to implement differential multipliers. The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill passed in the Senedd introduces measures that allow an easier path to business rates reform. This includes more flexibility to make changes to reliefs and exemptions and enabling changes to the calculation of payments for different categories of ratepayers. David Chapman, Executive Director of UKHospitality Cymru, said: “This paves the way for a lower multiplier for hospitality, which we’ve been calling for to reduce the burden on our sector and increase the fairness of the rates system. Hospitality pays three times more than sectors like banking, for example, as a proportion of turnover, which is completely unjust and penalises bricks and mortar businesses. Total reform of the system is desperately needed and I hope that the Welsh government will work closely with the UK government, which has pledged to reform rates, to ensure there is consistency and a level playing field across the UK.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a luxury retail brand that is seeking an experienced principal. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The business is looking for a principal to steer the business to new heights. As such, you will manage and execute strategic, operational, financial, and governance initiatives; work closely with management teams on routine and ad-hoc projects; analyse and interpret complex financial data; develop sophisticated models; assess investment risks and returns; conduct thorough market and competitive analysis to drive strategy; and mentor and coach junior team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.” The salary is up to £170,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email oliwia@corecruitment.com.

 

Promoted content – meet Samarkand Palav, the Uzbekistan street food concept freshening up London: Akbar and Sanobar, the husband-and-wife duo, recently opened their street food business Samarkand Palav with the help of McCain’s Streets Ahead Programme, celebrating the unique cuisine of Uzbekistan. If their unique story and passion doesn’t grab your attention, their food certainly will. To find out more, click here.

 

BrewDog opens debut Thailand bar, plans ‘multiple’ venues: Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog has opened its debut site in Thailand and plans “multiple” venues in the country. BrewDog Ploenchit has launched in Bangkok, opposite the Central Embassy, with franchise partner Atalanta Hospitality. The bar offers 16 taps of craft beer from BrewDog as well as Thai and south east Asian craft breweries, alongside a selection of spirits and wine. The food menu features wings, burgers and salads as well as some “local exclusives.” BrewDog co-founder James Watt said: “Building on BrewDog Ploenchit, we plan to open multiple new venues in Thailand over the next few years in partnership with our amazing Thai business partners.” BrewDog announced its partnership with Atalanta Hospitality in May as part of its plans to treble its 100-strong bar estate over the next decade.

 

Six by Nico to open in Bristol: Six Company, the company behind the Six by Nico restaurant business, will open a site under its core brand in Bristol next year. The company has secured the former Carluccio’s site in the city’s Cabot Circus scheme to open a 3,200 square-foot Six by Nico restaurant at Quakers Friars, next to Cote, in early 2025. Since opening in Finnieston in 2017, Six by Nico now has 15 locations, with a Newcastle site also in the pipeline. In April, Propel revealed that Six Company had appointed advisors to assess its funding options as it looks to step up its expansion plans in the UK and overseas and has begun working with Cavendish on its strategic options. Until now, Six Company’s growth has been funded out of cash flow and debt provided by ThinCats. Propel understands that McWin, the backer of Big Mamma Group and Sticks’n’Sushi, is one of the parties to have run the rule over the business.

 

Rosa’s Thai secures Kingston site: Rosa’s Thai, the TriSpan-backed business, has added to its 2024 openings pipeline after completing a deal on a site in Kingston. The Gavin Adair-led business, which earlier this year opened its 40th site, in Richmond, has taken a new lease on the former Wildwood site in Kingston High Street. The company plans to open the site in October. Before that, it will open new restaurants on the corner of Baldwin Street and Marsh Street in Bristol, in what used to be a Co-Op shop and post office; and in Norwich, after securing the split of the former Byron in the city’s Chantry Place. It also has openings lined up for next year in the ex-TM Lewin site at 16 Promenade in Cheltenham, and at Jackson’s Corner in Reading. Thomas Rose, of P-Three, acts for Rosa’s. Richard Negus at AG&G acted on the Kingston deal.

 

Banana Tree to make leisure park debut next week: Banana Tree, the Big Table Group-owned brand, has confirmed it is to open its first site on a leisure park, in Stevenage. The brand will open the site, its 21st in total, on the former Firejacks site at the Hertfordshire town’s leisure park in Six Hills Way. The site, which will open on Friday, 26 July, will be the first for the brand to include a dedicated bar area as well as the restaurant, that has 210 covers inside and 35 outside. The restaurant will also feature a specially dedicated delivery and click-and-collect station and an open kitchen. At the start of last month, Big Table Group told Propel that Banana Tree had delivered “consistently strong” like-for-like sales in recent months. The company acquired the then nine-strong Banana Tree for an undisclosed sum in September 2022 and has since converted 11 of its existing sites, the majority Café Rouges, to Banana Tree. At the end of last year, Big Table Group chief executive Alan Morgan told Propel that he believes the company can grow Banana Tree, within 18-24 months, to the size of its Las Iguanas brand, of which there are currently 51.

 

Nobu’s London Mayfair restaurant reports record £10.5m turnover: Nobu’s restaurant in London’s Mayfair has reported turnover increased 2.4% to a record £10,507,847 for the year ending 31 December 2023 compared with £10,261,012 the previous year. Pre-tax profit was down to £1,038,896 from £1,339,622 the year before. Net assets stood at £920,446 (2022: £1,108,084). No government grants were received (2022: £6,000). A dividend of £1,000,000 was paid (2022: £1,000,000). Nobu, which was founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Taper, also operates hotels with restaurants in London’s Shoreditch and Portman Square, among a global portfolio of 56 restaurants and hotels.

 

London restaurant group Maginhawa set to launch second site for its Filipino bakery concept: London restaurant group Maginhawa is set to launch a second site for its Filipino bakery concept, Panadera. Opening this summer at 7 Picton Place in Marylebone, it adds to the company’s original Panadera site in Kentish Town, which opened in 2021. It is the latest launch for Omar Shah and Florence Mae Maglanoc, who are also behind Donia, Bintang, Mamasons, Ramo Ramen and Moi Moi Island. The new Panadera will serve up pandesal (Filipino milk buns), ube pie, sandos and speciality drinks such as ube matcha latte and orange espresso, alongside some “exciting new additions to our menu”. The pair told Hot Dinners: “We’ve been working hard to create a space that feels just as warm and welcoming as our first location, and we can’t wait for you to experience it.”

 

Balfour Hospitality ‘set to prosper’ after putting ten-year plan in place, increases bank loans by £2m and receives £4m in shareholder investment, paid £1.9m for two pub freeholds: Balfour Hospitality, the south east pubs and venues arm of Balfour Winery, has said it is “set to prosper” after putting a ten-year plan in place to form a solid structure for growth. This has included strengthening the management and departmental teams; increasing its vineyard plantings to grow production from 300,000 bottles to a million bottles of wine annually; and adding new facilities to the winery to take advantage of an increase in wine tourism. In its accounts for the year to 31 December 2022, the group said it increased its bank loan by £1m to £3m to help fund the building of the new winery and received £4m from its existing shareholders to strengthen the balance sheet and fund the company’s growth plans. It also paid £1.9m for the freeholds of two pubs it acquired in Kent in February 2024, funded internally alongside a further £1m bank loan. In addition, the company said 2023 saw a record harvest, which saw the winery produce nearly 900,000 bottles of wine. It comes as the business reported turnover of £6,418,359 for the year, up from £5,377,393 in 2021. Of this, £4,372,645 came from winery sales (2021: £4,072,010) and £2,045,714 from pub, restaurant and hotel sales (2021: £1,305,383). Its pre-tax loss widened from £509,056 to £1,020,724. Director Leslie Balfour-Lynn said 2022 had been “a year of transition” for the group and that the increase in losses can be understood by the underlying strategy put in place for future growth. “In summary, I believe the group is well set to prosper over the medium term,” she said. She added that areas of risk include a poor harvest, as in 2021, hampering wine sales growth. This, she said, is being mitigated by planting new vineyards on long term grower contracts in different locations. Additionally, the group wrote off its £150,000 investment in Cellarhead Brewery due to financial uncertainty surrounding the company. No dividends were paid (2021: nil).

 

Pret franchisee Exultant Group opens its fourth Leeds site and ninth overall: Pret A Manger franchisee Exultant Group has opened its fourth site in Leeds and ninth overall. The business, founded in 2014 and led by Mizan Syed, became a Pret franchisee for Yorkshire in January 2023 after growing a portfolio of Pizza Hut Delivery locations. Having initially taken over the running of Pret’s site in Sheffield Meadowhall, it launched locations in Leeds’ Woodhouse Lane, Merrion Centre and Lands Lane. The company, which also has Pret sites in Newcastle and Bradford, has now added to its footprint in Leeds with an opening in Unit 1b at 4 Wellington Place.

 

Roadchef swings back into FY profit, Ebitda up 10.7%: Motorway services operator Roadchef swung back into profit in the year to 31 December 2023 as it posted a 16.9% increase in revenue to £256m (£219m). The company, which operates 30 service stations across the UK, posted pre-tax profit in the period of £13.7m compared to a loss of £6.6m the year before, while Ebitda was £44.6m, which was 10.7% higher than the previous year. There were more than 49 million visitors to the group’s services in the year, in addition to the 2.5 million customers served through the group’s drive thru offerings. The company said: “During the year, management sought to enhance the diversity and convenience of the group’s catering offerings with the opening of two McDonald's drive-thru units, as well as a further Leon unit. The group has also invested in the refurbishment and modernisation of existing units, which included the refurbishment of several Costa Coffee units in the year. Finally, during the year, the group completed an extensive hotel refurbishment project at Chester. The new 41-room hotel was designed in conjunction with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and is part of a larger multi-year investment by the group as it looks to upgrade its hotel offering. Super 8 offers greater variety in room style to customers, with access to a more premium experience. A second Super 8 location has been planned for Durham in 2024, in order to trial the concept further, before a wider investment is considered across the estate. Management continues to assess the suitability and success of the group’s catering and retail offerings and will look to make further investment in the year ahead.”

 

EasyHotel acquires second Madrid property: EasyHotel has acquired its second property in Madrid. The 94-bedroom hotel, situated in the San Blas-Canillejas district of the Spanish capital in Calle Miguel Fleta, is scheduled to open in spring 2025. The hotel will also offer a breakfast restaurant and an outdoor terrace. The addition to its Spanish portfolio comes as EasyHotel ramps up its expansion across Europe, with a particular focus on Spain. Other hotels are already open in Madrid Centro Atocha, Barcelona Fira and Malaga, with further developments to open in Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona Meridiana in the coming years. Outside of Spain, the brand has opened a fourth hotel in Zurich, and a hotel in Marseille is due to open later this year. The new Madrid hotel brings the brand’s total number of hotels to 49. Part funding for the new hotel is coming from the brand’s shareholders, with a second tranche of its €50m equity commitment by Ivanhoe Cambridge and Icamap in 2021. This second tranche of €23m was scheduled for release when the company reached 49 hotels. Karim Malak, chief executive of EasyHotel, said: “Spain is an incredibly important market for us as we’re seeing huge demand for branded great-value hotels across the country. We’re exploring many more owned, leased and franchised opportunities as we look to grow our network of low-carbon hotels across Europe.” EasyHotel is growing its network on the back of a strong performance, with 2023 revenue across its owned and leased network doubling and total sales passing €100m for the first time.

 

Ukrainian restaurant concept secures London site: Qirim, a new Ukrainian restaurant concept inspired by the Crimean Tatars, has secured a site in London. The concept, which showcases the rich heritage of the Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group from the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea, will open later this year at 152 Curtain Road in Shoreditch. Edward Pearse Wheatley, of Cafe Ventures, which worked on the Shoreditch deal, said: “The restaurant will celebrate Ukraine’s culture with a focus on the national dish chebureki, accompanied by a variety of small plates and house wine. Cheburek is a type of dumpling filled with seasoned ground meat and onions, cooked to a golden, crispy perfection.” Soraya Tavakoli, of Distrkt, also acted on the deal. 

 

Lane7 to open Dublin site before year end: Boutique bowling company Lane7 will open its first site in Ireland, in Dublin, this December. The 12-strong business will open a 14,500 square-foot site in the city’s Dundrum town centre. The venue will offer ten-pin bowling, augmented darts, floor shuffle, curling, ping pong, pool and dedicated karaoke booths. Gavin Hughes, managing director of Lane7, said: “We are excited for Lane7’s first venue in Ireland. We know how much the people of Dublin love a good night out, and we’re looking forward to showing them what Lane7 has to offer.” The company is currently gearing up to open its debut international site, at the Playce at Potsdamer Platz, in Berlin. Last month, Propel revealed that Lane7 had secured a second site in London, a 15,000 square-foot site in Camden Market which is set to open later this summer. It is also lining up sites in Lincoln, Altrincham and Milton Keynes, and two in its home city of Newcastle, including a new concept for the business. Will Biggart, of Torridon, acts for Lane7. A new report produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector will be available to purchase on Thursday, 1 August. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes more than 190 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. Existing Premium Club members can receive the report on Thursday, 1 August for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium members on Tuesday, 10 September at 9am. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

 

Former River Cottage chef to open debut solo restaurant: Chef Sam Lomas, who began his career at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage, has partnered with a Somerset hotel for his debut solo restaurant venture. He will be taking over the former home of Michelin-starred restaurant Osip to launch Briar, a neighbourhood restaurant celebrating hyper-local produce and foraged ingredients. Opening in September, it will be located at the Number One Bruton hotel in Bruton, Somerset, which is owned by husband-and-wife team Claudia and Aled Rees. Launching in the Georgian townhouse’s old hardware store, Briar’s menu will be dictated by the growing seasons of the kitchen garden. Serving a daily changing blackboard menu of small plates, snacks, sharing dishes and puddings, it will focus on Somerset ingredients and food traditions as well as craft cooking and “unfussy” dishes. Sample plates include trout crudo with parsley, white currants and chilli; Bruton dairy curds with grilled courgettes and sourdough crumbs; and Berkshire pork chop with Swiss chard and cider sauce. Lomas, a former Roux Scholarship finalist and Great British Menu contestant, also plans to run a calendar of “foodie occasions” including long-tabled supper clubs in the venue’s ancient courtyard. He said: “I’m delighted to be bringing Briar into the beautiful space at Number One – we are flattered by the shoes we’re stepping into and are looking forward to bringing our affordable and approachable Somerset fare to the table in Bruton. I am fizzing with ideas for Briar and can’t wait to share more details soon.” Number One Bruton opened its doors in 2020. Osip, meanwhile, which is led by chef Merlin Labron-Johnson, is in the process of moving to a new location at 25 Kingsettle Hill in Bruton, with the help of a £125,000 Kickstarter campaign, which overfunded to raise £166,261.

 

Stonegate Group invests more than £2.6m in transforming four Slug & Lettuce sites: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has invested £2.6m across four of its Slug & Lettuce sites. Joining the brand’s sites in Manchester’s Deansgate, Birmingham and Solihull, Slug & Lettuce Albert Square in Manchester is the most recent site to receive investment and reopened last week following a £646,000 renovation. The company said: “The new design includes luxurious seating booths, dazzling decorations, and stylish terrazzo and marble tabletops. A newly installed photobooth adds a fun element, allowing guests to capture memorable moments with friends and family, whatever the occasion. These investments signal a new era for Slug & Lettuce, marked by an evolution in the look and feel of venues across the UK.” 

 

Chaiiwala opens second drive-thru site: Street food cafe franchise Chaiiwala has opened its second drive-thru location. The brand made history at the start of 2023 when it opened the first Indian drive-thru in the UK, in Bolton, in partnership with EG Group. It has now launched a second, in Preston New Road in Mellor Brook, Preston, offering 100-plus covers as well as a drive-thru options. The firsts have kept coming for Chaiiwala this year with the opening of its debut airport site, at London Luton, last month, followed by the launch of its first university location, in Calgary, Canada, also in June. Founded in Leicester in 2015, Chaiiwala has more than 100 locations globally and has a long-term target of 500 stores both here and abroad.

Chester hotel plans gets green light: Plans to redevelop a former Chester bingo hall into a seven-storey, 142-bedroom hotel have been approved. Developer TAG is behind plans for the Mecca Bingo Hall adjacent to St Oswald's Way, which will be transformed into Hotel Chester and will be run by an as yet unnamed hotel operator. Also planned is a restaurant on the ground floor, with the venue set to create 80 jobs. Luke Averill, director of TAG, said: “Designs for Hotel Chester have been inspired by the city's history and reflect Cheshire West and Chester Council's ambition to support the growth of the area's visitor and business economy. Rejuvenation in this part of Chester is much-needed and we believe Hotel Chester will act as a catalyst for exactly this.” The building dates to 1931 and was originally home to The Gaumont cinema before becoming a bowling alley in the 1960s and a bingo hall, which closed earlier this year, in 1970.