Exclusive – Rhode Island Coffee appoints new MD as it sets out ‘big’ expansion plans: Rhode Island Coffee, the award-winning north west independent coffee group, has appointed Ravi Ruia as its new managing director and he is aiming to use his experience in fast-paced start-ups to create a high-growth business, Propel has learned. Rhode island was started by Ruia’s father, Raj, 20 years ago as he wanted to pioneer “barista made coffee” and was one of the first to bring this to areas such as Altrincham and Warrington. Raj, who runs hospitality textile company Richard Haworth, was inspired by his time living in Paris and witnessing cafe culture there first hand. Rhode Island currently operates eight sites across the region, mainly in towns, and has won national awards for its coffee. Ruia told Propel he has “big plans” for Rhode Island as he brings his expertise from working in executive positions with Deliveroo and Delivery Hero in Hong Kong, Singapore and Denmark to the UK coffee market. As well as adding more sites, Ruia is also looking to expand the business’ customer base by “tapping more into the Generation Z market”. He said: “We would like to add four sites annually over the next couple of years, if possible.” Ruia believes the business can build a 20-strong portfolio in the region before looking to expand further across the UK. Ruia said: “Eventually, we want to roll out across the UK. We want each of our sites to have its own personality and character. International expansion is the north star – but it’s about finding the right market. I’d love us to have a presence in India one day – because that’s my family’s heritage.” Ruia said current trading has been “very good”. He added: “Our current demographic is generally older; they find our customer service both attentive and welcoming and we want to expand our profile more so we’re looking at how we can tap into the Generation Z market in particular. Our drinks and cakes are indulgent, and we like to see ourselves as an affordable treat across all generations.” 

 

Final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024 open for bookings with free places for operators, TRG CEO Andy Hornby to speak: The final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2024 has opened for bookings. The full-day conference – titled “new directions, new ideas” – takes place on Wednesday, 30 October at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London Kensington. Among the speakers will be Andy Hornby, chief executive of The Restaurant Group. He talks to Propel group editor Mark Wingett about the company’s plans for Wagamama and Brunning & Price, the role the group’s concessions business plays, and his thoughts on where the wider sector goes from here. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium Club members who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club members to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database tomorrow: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club members tomorrow (Friday, 6 September). The database will show the details of 268 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. It will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club members will also receive a 11,881-word report on the 268 new additions to the database. The database is now segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. New openings in the experiential leisure sector include Flight Club, with its latest opening in Liverpool; TeamSport, Britain’s biggest indoor go-karting operator, opening a new site in Oxfordshire; and True Padel, opening its second site, in Sunderland. Premium Club members also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who’s Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium 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.

McDonald’s UK and Whitbread CEOs meet government over workers’ rights reforms: Alistair Macrow, chief executive of McDonald’s UK, and Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread, were among business leaders to have met government ministers this week to be updated on plans for new laws around workers’ rights. City AM reported deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds were joined by the likes of John Lewis chief executive Nish Kankiwala, Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts and Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at the Co-op. Labour’s workers’ rights policies formed a cornerstone of its manifesto, but commitments around ending zero-hours contracts and offering day-one employment protections met with pushback from industry representatives including CBI chairman Rupert Soames. “This government is pro-worker and pro-business. We are committed to working with our brilliant businesses across the country to create a stronger, growing economy,” Rayner said. “We will work with all partners as we shape our plan to make work pay, so we get the win-win of greater productivity and a fairer working environment for staff.” Ahead of the meeting, Reynolds added: “The UK currently has one of the least protected labour markets compared with our international partners. It’s time to work together to deliver meaningful reforms that will transform the world of work for the benefit of businesses and workers.”

 

BII – 62% of pub owners say outdoor smoking ban would significantly impact their trade, with 20% saying it would result in closure: The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has outlined the extent of damage an outdoor smoking ban could do to the UK pub industry. Government documents leaked last week suggest it is looking at extending the ban on indoor smoking to areas outside pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, shisha bars and open-air spaces at nightclubs. In the BII survey, 62% of pub owners said an outdoor smoking ban would significantly impact their trade, with 20% saying it would result in closure of their pub. The members’ survey also revealed that the impact of high costs has hampered profitability, with only a quarter of pub owners surveyed making a clear profit. Only half have broken even over the summer, with a further quarter making a loss, even in the traditionally bumper summer months. Positive impacts from major sporting events have been countered by another lackluster summer, the survey said, while high costs are dramatically affecting their ability to thrive.

 

NTIA – live music sector surpassing £6bn in revenue a ‘significant achievement’ but independent events sector suffering: The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has said while the live music sector surpassing £6bn in revenue is a “significant achievement”, the independent events sector is suffering at the same time. New analysis from Live, the live music body, said the industry’s economic impact was £6.1bn last year, a 17% uplift versus the previous year. The figure was also a 35% increase on pre-pandemic figures from 2019, with direct concert revenue making up 75% of the total, boosted by the tours of artists including Beyonce, Elton John and Coldplay. It comes following last weekend’s scramble for tickets for Oasis’ reunion tour, and the seismic economic effect on cities where Taylor Swift performed her Eras tour this summer. “Surpassing £6bn in revenue for the first time is a significant achievement for the live music sector, demonstrating the immense economic impact and continued popularity of major concert performances like Taylor Swift's tour and the upcoming Oasis reunion,” said NTIA chief executive Michael Kill. “However, this success starkly contrasts with the severe challenges facing the independent events sector. Rising operational costs have led to the cancellation of 60 festivals this year alone, highlighting the precarious situation smaller festivals and events are in. While it’s encouraging to see large-scale concerts thriving, we must address the widening gap to ensure the entire live music ecosystem remains vibrant and diverse.”

UKHospitality – ‘Scottish government needs to put the brakes on planned regulation’: UKHospitality has said the Scottish government “needs to put the brakes on planned regulation” following the announcement of new first minister John Swinney’s programme for government. “The first minister clearly recognised the cumulative impact that new regulation is having on businesses, but there is nothing that explains what will be done to address this,” said UKHospitality Scotland chief executive Leon Thompson. “The challenging effects of visitor levy legislation, the possible introduction of a 25p charge on single-use cups, and possible restrictions on food and drink promotion continue to loom over hospitality businesses. The Scottish government needs to put the brakes on planned regulation to allow our businesses to reach their full potential.” Stephen Montgomery, director of the Scottish Hospitality Group, said the programme has not delivered for the sector and called it a missed opportunity. “If the Scottish government are true in their ambition to grow the economy, then profitable hospitality businesses need to be at the heart of this growth,” he added. “Recent polling showed almost 60% of people in Scotland want to see the existing non-domestic rates system reformed, and the Scottish government must urgently take action in this area.”

 

Greene King trials industry-first solar pergola: Brewer and retailer Greene King is trialling what it said is an industry first in the shape of environmentally friendly solar pergolas to heat outdoor areas. The first solar pergola has been installed at the Ock n Dough, a Hungry Horse pub in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. The solar power is generated by capturing the sun’s heat, which is stored as hot water in an insulated tank, which can then be pumped through the solar panel to create a warm surface. Work is underway to try retro-fitting the equipment to existing garden structures while the trial is monitored – which could include larger structures than the trial pergola. Additionally, there is a future potential being explored for the stored hot water to be used in the pub’s day-to-day operations. Paul Garland, Greene King’s property director said: “We are working hard with a whole host of businesses and new and emerging technology to decarbonise our pubs, and this is not always very visible for our customers. Here, we are tapping into a natural resource, and customers can see and feel its benefit in action while at the same time it helps to reduce our carbon footprint.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a hospitality operator with multiple premium concepts in Europe that is seeking a chief financial officer. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “This is a growing company with a pipeline of projects and therefore is looking to strengthen the team. For this position, experience in an international group is required. They will have a professional accounting qualification and experience in budgeting, reporting, accounting, planning and analysis; previously been in a chief financial officer or finance director level position; and have finance experience in hospitality.” The salary is negotiable, and the position is based in Manchester. For more information, email oliwia@corecruitment.com.

 

Pizzarova eyes expansion outside Bristol heartland: Bristol sourdough pizza business Pizzarova is looking to expand outside the city for the first time, as it eyes regional expansion and opening up to three new sites a year, Propel has learned. Pizzarova opened its fourth site in Bristol late last year on the former Hub Box site in Whiteladies Road. Pizzarova began life in 2013, operating out the back of a Land Rover fitted with a pizza oven, serving pizzas at festivals and in villages. Since then, founder Alex Corbett has opened permanent bases in Park Street and Gloucester Road, as well as a pop-up at Wapping Wharf. Last summer, it opened its third bricks-and-mortar premises, at 237 North Street, Southville. The business prides itself on using slowly fermenting sourdough, with dishes including double chorizo and hot honey and a vegan nduja. Pizzarova has appointed ARC as sole agents to seek new 2,500 square-foot to 3,500 square-foot sites, with target locations including Bath, Cardiff, Exeter, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton and Brighton. Jack Lander, managing director of Pizzarova, told Propel: “With four successful locations in Bristol, we are naturally looking to expand regionally now with two or three sites a year.”

 

Cornish Bakery preparing to open four new sites following record breaking summer, further locations in legals: Fast-growing independent brand Cornish Bakery is preparing to open four new sites following a record-breaking summer, with further locations in legals. The company, which has just opened a 1,900 square-foot bakery in the Bridlesgate area of Nottingham, will finish 2024 with further openings in Taunton, Winchester, Chelmsford and Milton Keynes – taking its total to 65 sites. It comes off the back of a record-breaking summer, with sales exceeding £1m per week, delivering like-for-like growth of 6.5%. Managing director Mat Finch said: “Nottingham has been incredible. We have been considering the city for some time now, and trading in the first few weeks has far exceeded our expectations, with more than 5,000 customers, net promoter scores of 71% and a lot of love for our new products including our pistachio croissant and salted caramel roll. Couple this with us breaking the £1m in sales per week over the summer period and a glowing review from The Times’ food critic Giles Coren, it’s fair to say Cornish Bakery is in demand! And we’re meeting this with the news that we’re now well into the process for our upcoming openings in some of UK’s most prominent market towns and cities. In the words of our founder, bakery is most definitely the new coffee shop. Our whole team is following this mantra carefully, and deeply, considering optimal locations for our dedicated Cornish Bakery growth strategy. Throughout the rest of 2024, we’ll be bringing our unique experience, top-flight customer service, B-Corp Union coffee, new product ranges and local charity partnerships to new places and spaces all over the country.” Coren, writing in The Times’ weekend magazine, described the sausage roll he tried at Cornish Bakery as one of the best he’s had, adding that his son’s chosen pasty was “perfect”.

 

Subway hires former KellyDeli chief development officer as head of franchise performance: Subway has hired Ahmed Rawi, former chief development officer at KellyDeli, as its new head of franchise performance. Rawi has spent the past year with KellyDeli – owner of Kelly’s Market and international sushi franchise Sushi Daily – and previous to that spent four years in various roles at European multi-brand franchise restaurant group AmRest, including franchise expansion director and franchise excellence director. Rawi also spent just under four years as managing director and franchise business manager with Papa John’s franchisee Q21 PJ, and the same amount of time as chief operating officer at Roosters Piri Piri. He started out with McDonald’s in 2005, spending four years as a business manager and three years as a franchisee supervisor.

 

Belgium-based VR experience concept seeking new master franchisee here after closing its UK operations: The Park Playground, the Belgium-based, virtual reality (VR) experience concept that made its debut in the UK in December 2022, is seeking a new master franchisee here after closing its UK operations. Founded in 2018, the business operates 13 sites across Belgium, Holland, Germany and Portugal and made its debut in the UK, in Leeds. It followed that with a second UK location, at Brindleyplace in Birmingham, last year. The Business Desk reported the Leeds and Birmingham sites have now closed, and the group is working with UK partners to bring its experiences to these shores again. Chief operating officer Sam Custers said: “Our focus and our commitment going forward will be continuing to deliver high-quality experiences through partnerships. The successful roll out of our VR technology with existing leisure operators and franchisees shows the growing demand for interactive group VR experiences and demonstrates the power of partnering local market knowledge with high-quality entertainment offerings. We’re excited about the upcoming opportunities we have to grow our business in those areas and we’re working closely with leisure operators and partners in the UK to continue to deliver our experiences to the region. With these closures, it did also unfortunately mean staff operating the venues had to be let go, which is always the most difficult part of any facility closure.” The business has also partnered with whichfranchise as it seeks partners to build back in the UK with. “Whichfranchise is delighted to be working with The Park to help secure master franchisees in the UK and globally,” the consultants said. “The Park is a rapidly growing global entertainment brand that offers premium virtual reality experiences. Keen to speak with experienced multi-unit franchisees.” A new report has been produced by Propel on the fast-growing experiential leisure sector. 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 180 companies, 3,500 sites and a 35,000-word report. The report is available for £595 plus VAT although Premium Club members can receive the report 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.

 

Burger King UK to trial Gourmet Kings delivery brand: Burger King UK, which operates 561 restaurants, 285 of which are directly owned, has launched the trial of a new delivery brand, Gourmet Kings. The trial, which the company said had been driven by popular demand for its Gourmet Kings menu item, has been rolled out to eight “regions” – Aldershot in Hampshire; Guildford, Walton-on-Thames, Woking and Egham in Surrey; Oxford and Didcot in Oxfordshire; and Reading in Berkshire – and will be available exclusively through Deliveroo. Burger King said: “Gourmet Kings by Burger King combines the best of British and Irish beef and crispy chicken with elevated all-new delicious flavours, like fiery chilli sauce and classic American style mustard paired with classic Burger King UK premium ingredients such as sizzling bacon, fresh rocket, onions and pickles for a refreshing crunch. Gourmet Kings by Burger King promises to make the difficult art of creating the perfect burger feel effortless, with a mission to deliver the unmistakable sensation of total food satisfaction straight to the door of burger lovers with more locations to come.” Last month, Alasdair Murdoch, chief executive of Burger King UK, told Propel that there remains “a lot to go after” for the quick service restaurant brand when it comes to expansion across the country, and that he believes the group’s performance will pick up further in the remaining months of this year. It came after the Bridgepoint-backed business reported a 30% rise in revenue to £381.8m in the year to 31 December 2023, with like-for-like sales growth of 3%. The company said its post year end trading has been “resilient” with total sales growth of 5%.

 

The Ivy Collection to open four new sites by year end: The Ivy Collection, the Richard Caring-backed restaurant brand, plans to open four new sites by the end of the year. The company is gearing up to open in Belfast, Bournemouth, Canterbury and Liverpool before Christmas. The business is set to invest £8m on the opening in Belfast, which will include an Ivy Asia. Set across two floors at the historic Cleaver House in Donegall Square North, The Ivy Belfast Brasserie is set to become the Ivy’s first full-service brasserie in Northern Ireland and only its second on the island of Ireland, when it opens later this month. The company has also lined up an opening in Liverpool’s former Bank of England building, in the city’s Castle Street; in the site that formerly housed retailers Burton and Dorothy Perkins in Canterbury’s high street; and in the former New Look building in the Square, in Bournemouth. Last month, Caring confirmed plans to take The Ivy to the US, with Miami, which is already home to Caring’s Sexy Fish brand, targeted for a launch.

 

Buzzworks to bring its Lido concept to Musselburgh: Scottish independent restaurant and bar operator Buzzworks Holdings is set to bring its Lido café, bar and restaurant concept to Musselburgh. Like is sister Lido venues in Troon and Prestwick, the 120-cover venue will offer an all-day menu, prepared in an open kitchen, as well as a semi-private dining room. Lido’s Mediterranean-inspired menu will include hand-stretched Neapolitan pizza, freshly made pasta, steak, piri piri chicken and locally landed seafood. There will also be a bespoke takeaway area – a first for Buzzwork’s Lido venues – complete with its own dedicated kitchen and collection point. Buzzworks managing director Kenny Blair said: “We are delighted to announce the opening of Lido Musselburgh, our 21st venue, and we’re excited to bring the vibrant Lido experience to the town. Musselburgh is a fantastic town with a strong sense of community, and we’re thrilled to offer a destination that everyone can enjoy and take pride in.” Buzzworks’ other concepts include Scotts, House, Vic’s & The Vine, The Duke, Thirty Knots and Herringbone.

 

Wingers reports 59.5% lfl sales growth: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers has reported 59.5% growth in like-for-like sales figures between August 2023 and August 2024 for its established franchised restaurants – with one store seeing its sales quadruple. The business, set up during the pandemic by brothers Amran and Dylan Sunner and their dad Bill out of a kitchen in Birmingham, has since grown to 12 locations. It is aiming to have 20 locations open by the end of 2024, with 50 store openings planned within the next four years. Amran Sunner said: “We have enjoyed phenomenal trade over the past 12 months in our new restaurants, but particularly at our established sites. Our franchisees have focused on building a loyal customer base around their stores and we’ve also invested strategically in local marketing. Franchisees have been agile in promoting local offers to boost sales, and we are onboard and actively engaged with all the aggregators, with positive results. Hednesford, near Cannock, is a typical example. It’s in a quiet residential area with just a Co-op on the parade, and yet it’s one of our top performing Wingers, achieved by developing a strong repeat customer base.” Franchise consultant Anthony Round added: “These numbers are a fantastic result for the team and are a testimony to the hard work and ever evolving franchise system within the Wingers business. The like-for-like growth shown is equal to any I have witnessed in the franchised quick service restaurant sector.” Wingers is now inviting further franchise applications in key development areas including the north east and north west, and on the M1 and M6 corridors, and is also looking to expand in Scotland. 

 

Boxpark to launch in London’s Camden this month, reveals opening line-up: Boxpark has confirmed it will launch in Camden later this month and has revealed its opening line-up of traders. The company is taking over the 12,000 square-foot Buck Street Market, which will feature 60 independent food and retail traders over three floors – alongside two bars and a rooftop terrace (subject to planning permission). The market will operate daily and stay open until 11.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Boxpark has been busy transforming the site since acquiring it in April, with the construction of a roof due to complete towards the end of the year. Among the first traders will be chip concept Chipsy, Yorkshire Burrito, Black Bear Burger and Phillipe Conticini, famed for his viral giant croissants. There will also be an events programme including weekly quizzes, comedy nights, live music and resident DJ sets. Boxpark chief operating officer Ben McLaughlin said: “This has been such an exciting and rewarding challenge so far, and one we cannot wait to see the results of. We are committed to flying the flag for independent businesses across the country, and this restoration will allow us to continue this in one of the most significant takeovers London will see this year. Following our Liverpool opening earlier this year, this next step for us is just the beginning of our upcoming expansion plans, and we cannot wait to see the response from the Camden community.” Having launched in Liverpool for its first regional site, Boxpark also has four London locations, with Camden set to be its fifth. It could yet lose its Shoreditch site, having been served notice by the landlords following the expiry of its lease – but a petition in favour of seeing the lease extended has been signed by more than 10,000 people.

 

D&D London hires Amanda Soton as new director of sales: Amanda Soton has stepped down from Nightcap to join D&D London, which owns and operates circa 30 restaurants across the UK and internationally, as its new director of sales. Soton joined Nightcap in 2019 as head of sales and was promoted to sales director a year and a half later, before becoming the company’s group sales director in March 2022. Prior to that, she spent more than ten years at Novus, including three and a half years as its head of sales. Last October, Calveton, the backer of Byron, and Breal Capital, completed a deal to acquire D&D London. 

 

Lina Stores to make regional debut next February: Lina Stores, the deli and restaurant brand backed by White Rabbit Projects, has confirmed it will make its regional debut in Manchester next February. As previously revealed by Propel, the company will open a Lina Stores and Bar Lina on the ground floor of the 17 Quay Street development in the city. The business is currently gearing up to open in London’s Shoreditch this month. Lina Stores will occupy a historical grade II-listed building, originally built in 1868 as a bank, in Shoreditch High Street. The ground-floor restaurant will have 87 covers while the basement will see the second iteration of Bar Lina, Lina Stores’ aperitivo bar, land in east London for the first time. The business, led by Éadaoin McDonagh, is targeting opening two or three sites a year, having opened its seventh site in London, in South Kensington, in April.

 

Costa Coffee to trial in-store coffee pod recycling: Costa Coffee, the Coca-Cola owned brand, is trialling coffee pod recycling. The company has partnered with Podback, a UK-wide coffee pod recycling service, to offer coffee pod recycling in 142 Costa stores across the UK. During the trial, customers can pick up free Podback recycling bags in-store and return them once full for Podback to collect and recycle. Customers will be able to pick up free Podback bags from baristas in all 133 Costa sites located within Tesco stores across the UK, and nine Costa Coffee stores in the Swindon area, then take back their full bags for recycling. In addition, Podback-branded recycling points have been installed. The rollout builds on Costa’s existing in-house pod recycling scheme. Liz Higgins, head of sustainability at Costa, said: “Through this trial with Podback, in-store drop-off points will offer coffee pod users the chance to conveniently recycle their pods with us – whether they are Costa branded or not. The new front-of-house recycling units will be supported by increased messaging in store. The trial will allow us to gather valuable customer feedback and insights, which we will use to enhance our future recycling solutions for pods, cups, and other packaging materials.”

 

Blacklock confirms September launch for regional debut: Skinny chops concept Blacklock has confirmed it will make its regional debut in Manchester later this month. Propel revealed last September that the Gordon Ker-led business, which currently operates five sites in London, was to open in the grade II-listed Freetrade Exchange building at 37 Peter Street in Manchester. It will now open the 115-seat restaurant – including booths for groups of up to eight guests as well as a 25-seat cocktail-bar – on Friday, 27 September. The restaurant will take the lower ground space of Harvester House, which dates to the Victorian era and was formerly home to a textile merchant. Blacklock opened its first restaurant in 2015, in London’s Soho, which was followed by further sites in the City, Shoreditch, Covent Garden and Canary Wharf.

 

Edinburgh pub operator trading in excess of pre-covid levels as it reports turnover increases to record £5.3m: Edinburgh pub operator DM Stewart has said the business is trading in excess of pre-covid levels. It comes as the company, which operates four sites in the Scottish capital, reported turnover increased to a record £5,289,285 for the year ending 30 November 2023 compared with £3,928,882 the previous year. Pre-tax profit was up to £321,667 from £413 the year before. In his report accompanying the accounts, director Christian Stewart stated: “The company responded and adapted its operations as a result of the covid-19 outbreak. During the pandemic, the company took the opportunity to implement a substantial refit of one of the premises, which resulted in a complete loss of income until reopening in spring 2022, and therefore only seven months income from this source was received in the comparative year figures. With trading returning to more normal patterns as 2022 progressed, the legacy of covid still had an impact into 2023, particularly through the impact of extra costs and on the labour market, as well as increasing inflationary pressure. Trading since the year end has been in excess of pre-covid levels and this has been achieved as a result of the substantial capital investment during the pandemic and subsequent years along with the implementation of the new systems to ensure the strongest possible returns in the future.” The company, which employs around 80 staff and has been operating since 1896, did not receive any government grants (2022: £50,100). A dividend of £280,000 was paid (2022: £220,000).

 

Peak District operator Longbow Bars & Restaurants ‘trading well’ as founder calls for greater recognition for talented individuals within sector: Peak District operator Longbow Bars & Restaurants, which is led by entrepreneur Rob Hattersley, has told Propel the business is trading well in 2024 as it called for greater recognition for talented individuals within the hospitality industry. The company operates The Maynard hotel in Hope Valley; The Ashford Arms, a historic high-end pub with rooms in Ashford-in-the-Water; and The George, an award-winning historic bar, restaurant and hotel in Hathersage. Hattersley said The Maynard has “gone from strength to strength”, and in the 12-month period to the end of June, sales were up 14% versus last year. The George reopened in June following an eight-month closure due to Storm Babet and is averaging 8% growth while The Ashford Arms, which opened in April, is serving 1,600 diners per week on average, surpassing initial revenue expectations by 45%. The company is also in the planning process to convert the former Royal Bank of Scotland building, in the heart of Bakewell, into a “premium dining experience”. Hattersley said the business also has “a few irons in fires” regarding potential acquisitions, “but nothing concrete”. Longbow has celebrated a raft of awards in 2024 including being named in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 along with individual success in regional competitions. However, Hattersley said while he was proud the company’s employees and Longbow itself have been recognised, it’s important to note that award winners “aren’t the only talent in the business”. He added: “Industry-wide, even more could be done to shine a spotlight on the breadth of talent that work within hospitality. Often, it is the companies that are recognised and not the individuals whose vital work is why the business is receiving recognition and accolades.” Hattersley founded Longbow shortly before covid hit, selling his house to fund his first venue, The Maynard. The company now employs 214 staff.