Boparan Restaurant Group – 16 Slim Chickens in build, lines up airport site in Germany, signs 50-unit deal for Giraffe World Kitchen: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) has told Propel it has up to 16 sites in build for its Slim Chickens brand, and plans further growth in Europe in the second half of this year, including more transport hub sites after winning a series of airport tenders. BRG, which first introduced Slim Chickens into the UK in 2018 with an opening in St James Street, in London’s Marylebone, will open its next site at Wembley Park in the capital, on Tuesday, 25 February. Slim Chickens will also open a new 125-cover UK flagship site on the former Maison Du Mezze site in Leicester Square, in around four weeks’ time, with a 90-cover site in Edgware Road set to launch around the same time. The three openings will bring Slim Chickens’ UK estate to 67 sites. At the same time, Propel understands BRG has Slim Chickens sites lined up for this year in Greater Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Cheshire, the West Midlands and the East Midlands. Last year, BRG penned deals to launch Slim Chickens in Poland and Germany. Last April, Propel revealed that BRG had signed a 20-site development plan for Germany with The Foodelity Group, with the first site there opening in August, at Mohrenstraße 17 in Berlin. BRG also penned a deal to launch Slim Chickens in Poland, with a debut site there set to open later this year. BRG told Propel that more sites in key cities in Germany and Poland are planned for the second half of 2025. Propel also understands BRG has won a series of airport tenders across Europe, with the first opening to be with the Casual Food Group in Düsseldorf airport, which is planned for next March. At the same time, Propel understands BRG has signed a new development agreement to open 50 sites in transport hubs across the globe over the next five years under its Giraffe World Kitchen brand. BRG currently operates nine sites under the brand in the UK, including sites at Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester airports. Giraffe also operates in seven international airports, including Malaga, Dubai and Barcelona. Last year, Giraffe World Kitchen opened its first site in India, in partnership with HMSHost, in Terminal 2, at Bangalore airport. 

Deposits being taken for the Propel Bangkok study tour: Places are now open for booking on the Propel Bangkok study tour, which takes place between 13-16 November 2025. Bangkok is a culinary hot-bed of talent and has no less than 34 Michelin-starred restaurants. The city also boasts some of the highest rooftop bars and restaurants in the world and is a hospitality bucket list in Asia. Highlights of the trip will include: a visit to the famous floating market; a night food tour in Chinatown; a tour of the city’s most revered Hawker operations; a Thai cookery masterclass; a tour of the most impressive rooftop bar and restaurant operations; visits to some of the city’s most admired bar and speakeasy operations, some of which are in the world’s top 50; a visit to the railway food market; and visits to some of the best hotel operations in Asia. Included are flights, three nights’ accommodation, three hosted dinners, welcome drinks reception, and all tours. Deposits of £500 are now being taken to confirm places. The single occupancy price is £3,500 and twin occupancy price is £3,250. The tour will be hosted by Myles Doran, founder and managing director of Hospitality Inc, which is a specialist in delivering irresistible international hospitality tours. For further information, please contact myles@hospitality-inc.co.uk or 07710 783485.

Premium Club members to receive next Who's Who of UK Hospitality on Friday: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club members on Friday (21 February), at midday. Another 16 companies have been added to the database, which now features 891 companies. This month’s edition will also include 85 updated entries. 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, 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 Excellence in Pub Retail (May 2025) and discounts on specialist sector reports such as the Propel 500 and International Brands report. 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.

UK market for competitive socialising ‘risks oversupply’, say operators: Operators of bars and venues built around darts, bowling and escape games have warned the UK market for competitive socialising venues risks becoming oversupplied as they struggle to encourage repeat visits. Tim Wilks, founder of Lane7, was one of several executives to warn the FT that the number of venues risked growing faster than customers’ appetite for them. “The markets are evolving quickly [to the point] of oversupply in certain markets,” Wilks said. Paul Davies, category director at research firm Mintel, said his research had shown 15% of UK adults and 23% of those aged 16 to 24 had participated in crazy golf in the last year. Although bars that offered multiple activities had maintained their growth momentum, crazy golf and some other activities had reached their peak, Davies said. “There is very limited scope for growth in those particular markets,” he said. Steve Moore, chief executive of Red Engine, which runs Flight Club darts bars and the Electric Shuffle shuffleboard brand, said the marketing required to acquire new customers had grown “more and more expensive” because of saturated markets. The company was setting up an in-house market intelligence team to select suitable sites for new development, he said. Richard Harpham, chief executive of XP Factory, which runs 26 Escape Hunt games room sites and 31 Boom Battle Bar entertainment venues in the UK, acknowledged many small operators faced “constant cash challenges”. Those would probably worsen following planned increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the national minimum wage from April, he said. However, he added his company had found it could site venues closer to each other than it previously anticipated. XP Factory, which is listed on London’s alternative AIM market, plans to add eight to ten new Escape Hunt venues annually. In December, it said it hoped eventually to have a total of 100 sites, instead of the 50 previously anticipated. “We need far smaller catchment areas than we thought we did,” Harpham said.

Sacha Lord – Rachel Reeves must act now to save pubs, we are at risk of an epidemic of chronic loneliness: Sacha Lord, chair of the Night Time Industries Association, has said he strongly believes “we are at risk of an epidemic of chronic loneliness” if more is not done to save the local pub. Writing in the Daily Express, Lord said: “For thousands of elderly and isolated individuals, their local is a vital source of companionship and community. And I’d argue that every generation needs pub life. Those hours propping up the bar are how we socialise, meet new people, find life partners. Sure, you can chat online, but it’s not the same. Earlier this month, I wrote to the chancellor Rachel Reeves expressing my deep concern over the precarious situation facing independent and small businesses in our industry. I told her to act before irreversible damage is done, and urged her to give pubs a fighting chance – not even to thrive, but simply to survive. As someone who has made a career in this industry, and who hears from landlords everyday who are concerned for their businesses, it’s frustrating to see that – despite previous pledges of support – there appears to be little genuine concern in Westminster for the plight of hospitality. Taking a penny off a pint in alcohol duties does nothing when costs are out of control, or when a glass of wine is going up by 8p, and pushing the punter further away. Even now, in the build-up to the spring Budget, we’re witnessing job losses, venue closures and stalled expansion plans. In the last fortnight alone, I’ve heard of one pub company that has put a stop to opening five new sites as a direct result of the upcoming tax changes, and another small group whose costs will skyrocket beyond seven figures due to the national insurance changes. I’m no economist, but even I know that this isn’t the way to secure growth. The chancellor has to do better or we risk losing our locals for good.”

Deliveroo sacks more than 100 drivers in crackdown on illegal migrants: Deliveroo has sacked more than 100 riders as part of a crackdown on illegal immigrants in its workforce. The Telegraph reported that Deliveroo has culled 105 workers who illegally shared their rider accounts with undocumented workers, the company told MPs. Deliveroo confirmed the figures after coming under increasing government scrutiny over the number of illegal migrants working for the company. They have been able to infiltrate Deliveroo’s workforce as so-called substitutes, which is an arrangement where they work on behalf of a person who has a registered account. Abuse of that system has led to mounting political pressure on companies such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, all of which were ordered to appear before the Commons business and trade select committee last month to discuss employment rights. In a letter to the business and trade select committee last week, Paul Bedford, Deliveroo’s director of policy, said: “We have off-boarded 105 Deliveroo riders since April 2024 due to their substitutes providing invalid right-to-work documents. To be clear, a substitute rider must have their right-to-work status verified before they can complete any orders with Deliveroo.” According to Home Office statistics, two in five delivery riders stopped during a series of random checks in April 2023 were found to be working illegally. In an attempt to reassure the government, Deliveroo has recently provided Justin Madders, the employment rights minister, with a dossier on how it is tackling the problem. A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “Deliveroo has led the industry in taking action to secure our platform against illegal working. We were the first to roll out direct right to work checks, a registration process, daily identity verification and now additional device checks for riders, including substitutes. We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and continue to strengthen our controls to prevent misuse of our platform. We would encourage the government to ensure all major platforms urgently adopt the same standards.”

Liverpool venues praised for helping female customers in distress: Two Liverpool venues have been praised for helping female customers in distress. One bar successfully implemented the “Ask for Angela” scheme to support anyone feeling vulnerable on a night out, while another helped prevent a potential spiking incident. John Hughes, Liverpool’s night-time economy advisor, took to LinkedIn over the weekend after being made aware of the incidents. “Came out this evening to thank two bars in the city centre who over the last two weeks have done great work,” he said. “Teddy’s bar last Saturday had a young lady who came to the bar and ‘Asked for Angela’, so the staff took the young lady into a safe space and called the police. Two weekends ago, a young lady was in Coyote Ugly and one of the staff noticed someone putting something in her drink and used the test kits we give out, and it came back positive. So, using the City Watch Liverpool BID radio, called the camera room and they followed the guy, and he was arrested. Brilliant work, and just goes to show why Liverpool is one of the safest places to go for a night out, and why we have just been awarded Purple Flag again for our 15th year.”

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a foodservice business that is looking for a procurement manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will initially manage all fruit, vegetables and bakery categories and be responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing supplier relationships to ensure the best quality products at the most competitive prices. The procurement manager will play a key role in cost control, supply chain efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.” The salary is £55,000 and the position is based in Wokingham, Berkshire. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

Exclusive – Puttshack hires David Bagley as interim chief executive: Indoor mini golf experience Puttshack, which operates 16 sites in the US and four in the UK, has hired David Bagley, current chief investment officer of US investment fund Emerging, as its interim chief executive, after the unexpected departure of Logan Powell, who had been in the role for less than a year, Propel has learned. Last summer, Puttshack promoted Powell from global president and chief financial officer to chief executive. Powell, who had served as the brand’s global president and chief financial officer since 2019, succeeded Joe Vrankin, who oversaw the company’s growth in the UK as chief executive and subsequently brought the brand to the US in 2021. Vrankin moved on from the company. A Puttshack spokesperson told Propel: “David brings more than thirty years of experience in corporate finance and operations management, specialising in the restaurant and hospitality industry, as well as a specific focus on brands in the entertainment sector. We are confident in the team's continued focus on achieving our business goals.” Bagley has managed or advised a variety of multi-sites companies throughout his career including Popeyes and Burger King. Last November, Puttshack promoted Andrew Willett to managing director of its UK division. Willett joined Puttshack from Social Entertainment Ventures in January 2020 as UK financial director and was promoted to group finance director in July 2022. He oversees Puttshack’s four UK locations – Bank and White City in London, Watford in Hertfordshire and Lakeside in Essex. Puttshack opened its 16th US venue – and 20th globally – at the High Street development in Dunwoody, Atalanta, last autumn. The company has openings lined up in Florida, Ohio and Chicago.

French better burger brand seeking franchise partner to help It make UK debut: French better burger brand Big M is seeking a franchise partner to help it make its UK debut. Big M was founded in 2019 and has since grown to 70 locations across France. Big M has now partnered with Richard Pakey, managing director UK and overseas franchise consultants at Lime Licensing Group, to seek an entry into the UK market. “Struggling to get a ‘golden arches’ franchise? Ask me about the next best alternative,” Pakey said. “70 locations in France and now looking for a franchisee to open a UK first. Potential progression to be the UK master franchisee. From low footprint right up to drive-thru and with bottom line net figures you wouldn’t expect in food and beverage.” Big M’s website states: “Welcome to Big M, the essential fast-food reference in France since 2019, now with a national presence and soon abroad! Big M is one of the pioneers of halal fast food in France. It was in 2019 that Big M was created in the Paris region, in Bondy precisely. The concept is both simple but relevant since it responds to a real customer demand: bringing together the best of the burger in the same place. Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? We are looking for passionate partners with whom to share our flame.”

Individual Restaurants confirms plans to launch premium pizza concept, ‘would look to roll out further’: Individual Restaurants, the Restaurant Bar & Grill and Piccolino operator, has confirmed it plans to launch a new premium pizza concept in Manchester, called Forbici, and told Propel it would “look to roll out further”. Propel revealed last April that Individual Restaurants was planning to launch the concept under the name Forbici and secured a former Betfred site in Manchester’s Cross Street for the new venture, which will launch next month. The company said the new concept is “bringing with it the finest master bakers hailing from Naples and promising the formula for the world's most powerful pizza dough”. It said: “Staying true to its name, meaning scissors in Italian, Forbici will serve pizza the Neapolitan way: always quartered, always with scissors, always protecting that signature, delicate and airy crust. It’s ‘four ways always’ and each table comes equipped with a pair so guests can cut into quarters, fold and enjoy. Forbici isn't just about honouring tradition, but also about celebrating Manchester. The menu blends classic ‘born in Naples’ flavours with its ‘rising in Manchester’ local influences, reflecting the city’s spirit while bringing in the authentic Neapolitan classics we know and love.” Andrew Garton, chief executive of Individual Restaurants, said: “Forbici isn't just another pizza restaurant – it’s a new way of experiencing pizza. We are pioneering a new wave of pizza in the UK, with the simple belief that pizza should be better. We have brought together the finest master bakers who have spent decades honing their craft in Naples to create the perfect formula for fermenting the world’s most powerful pizza dough. Born from centuries of Neapolitan expertise and heritage, Forbici will be rising in Manchester this year.” On whether the company would look to expand the concept, Garton told Propel: “Yes, absolutely, we would look to roll out further. However, right now we are focused on this launch and ensuring Forbici is a success.”

Welsh restaurant group Redefining Dining Co acquires smokehouse concept Cattle & Co, plans rollout: Welsh restaurant group Redefining Dining Co has acquired the two-strong smokehouse concept Cattle & Co and plans to roll it out. In the coming weeks, Cattle & Co, which operates sites in Cardiff and Llanelli, will undergo a full rebrand and relaunch, complete with a fresh new look and menu that builds on its existing Southern American classics. Redefining Dining Co is behind The Welsh House, which operates sites in Cardiff, Carmarthen, Neath and Swansea; The Wine House in Swansea and Salvatore’s Pizzeria in Carmarthen and Neath. Group operations director Alex Budge said: “We’re looking forward to bringing the Cattle & Co concept to the next level. Our team is passionate about delivering memorable dining experiences, and we’re excited to elevate the space, the menu, and the overall experience for everyone. Not only will we be retaining the Cattle & Co team members and suppliers, but we will also be offering new opportunities as we look to grow it across Wales.” Cattle & Co Llanelli is temporarily closed while an extensive refurbishment commences with a planned reopening date in March. The Swansea site continues to operate with the focus on a refit on the upper floors and external area ready for a spring opening. Matthew Kompaniez, Cattle & Co Llanelli head chef, said: “This rebrand is an incredible opportunity to elevate what we already do best – serving up delicious, high-quality food in an inviting atmosphere. We’ve kept the favourites, and we’re excited to introduce some smoking new additions. After working with Cattle & Co for four years, it’s time for a new era and challenge. I’ve enjoyed working alongside John Taylor, Redefining Dining Co’s group executive chef, and we can’t wait to share the new menu.”

London artisan doughnut brand looking to grow again through franchising, plans to open ‘a small number of key sites this year’: London artisan doughnut brand Dum Dum Donutteries is looking to grow again through franchising and said it is plans to open “a small number of key sites this year”. Dum Dum was founded in 2013 by Paul Hurley, who was previously operations manager at Dunkin Donuts UK and director of operations at Demon Donuts. Pre-covid, Dum Dum grew to around a dozen locations, including Westfield, The O2, Oxford Circus, Bond Street, Bromley, Croydon, and Euston in London. Dum Dum also grew out to Bicester, Watford, Bluewater, Windsor, Birmingham and even Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Dum Dum currently operates from sites in London’s Oxford Street and Peckham. “Our latest property list for franchises is looking good,” Hurley said. “With our turnkey franchise, we find the property, negotiate the lease, design to fit-out/install. A number of Central London locations have now been taken, with the plan to open a small number of key sites this year. Turnkey option available from £75,000.” New turnkey franchise sites available include Holborn, Baker Street, Canary Wharf, Waterloo, Elephant & Castle and Kensington & Chelsea. Concepts available are kiosks, carts and mobile trucks.

Bravo Inns founder Ken Buckley joins Inglenook Group in an advisory role: North west pub operator Inglenook Group has announced Ken Buckley, who co-founded Bold Pub Company and Bravo Inns, has joined the circa 60-strong business in an advisory capacity. The company said Buckley brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He was a senior board member at Greenalls until 1999, when he joined Sporting Lodge as managing director. In 2003, he founded Bold Pub Company, backed by Close Brothers Finance and later Albion Capital. He sold the company in 2007, enabling him to launch Bravo Inns, which he later sold to Hawthorn Leisure in 2019. He subsequently joined Hawthorn as a non-executive director. When Hawthorn was acquired by Admiral Taverns, he continued his involvement as an advisor to its community wet-led division – Proper Pubs. Buckley, who recently concluded his agreement with Admiral Taverns, will support the Inglenook team with the execution of the company’s business plan, “leveraging his extensive network and experience within the industry”. James Waddington, chief executive of the Inglenook Group, said: “We are both proud and privileged to have such a seasoned veteran as Ken – and I use this word in its most complimentary form – joining us at this stage of Inglenook’s journey. I am confident he will help us realise our future vision.”

Little Lion Entertainment CEO – there had been a ‘gold rush mentality’ around competitive socialising, companies such as Netflix could soon buy other operators: Tom Lionetti-Maguire, chief executive of Little Lion Entertainment, the business behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience attraction and Chaos Karts immersive go-karting, has said there had been a “gold rush mentality” around competitive socialising, but that regular changes of activity will maintain interest in its outlets. Little Lion is planning to launch a Pac-Man themed immersive site next month in Manchester and aims to reach a total of 25 sites, mostly in the UK, within the next five years. Lionetti-Maguire told the FT regular changes of activity meant the sites would work like games consoles. “You can have infinite content and there is infinite repeatability with different games [so that] we can target different audiences,” he said. Lionetti-Maguire acknowledged there had been a “gold rush mentality” around competitive socialising. But he said: “Regularisation of the market is already happening, as there’s been a number of companies that have fallen into administration.” Lionetti-Maguire, whose company is backed by private equity firm Edition Capital, predicted that private equity firms and entertainment companies such as Netflix would soon buy other operators.

Amigos Burgers & Shakes opens in London’s Hounslow for 19th site: Better burger brand Amigos Burgers & Shakes has opened in Hounslow, west London, for its 19th location. It has opened at 370 Bath Road, as it builds towards a previously stated target of 100 sites by the end of 2028. Amigos was launched in Acton, west London, in 2011 by Waqas Siddique and Kasim Akhter, with all its locations based in Greater London suburbs. The business revealed plans last summer to expand outside of the capital, having secured a five-store franchise deal for the Birmingham area. “It is our absolute pleasure to unveil our latest Amigo to the family,” the company posted to social media. “We officially launched Amigos Burgers & Shakes in Hounslow West. Absolutely amazing turnout and we were able to easily handle over 1,000 orders on the first day while managing service impeccably. Welcome to the team and congratulations to our franchise partners, amazing start! Another one chalked off and on to the next one.” The company also said last year that it is finalising its first master franchise agreement and looking at opportunities for overseas expansion.

Camile Thai continues rollout of its Indian comfort food brand: Dublin-based healthy food delivery company Camile Thai Kitchen has continued the rollout of its Indian comfort food brand, Thindi. Camile Thai launched Thindi in 2022, offering “feel good Indian food” and a “modern take on Indian cuisine”. Thindi has since grown to 17 locations in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland and has now launched at the Camile Thai store at 174 Pembroke Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Camile Thai, founded in 2011 by serial entrepreneur Brody Sweeney, operates circa 40 restaurants in Ireland, the majority of which are franchised, plus three in Northern Ireland and four in England. In April 2023, the business placed its UK operations into liquidation, which Sweeney said, “was really about getting rid of our leases” and “a failure of the business model rather than people didn’t like our Thai food”. Since then, Camile Thai has started to build back its UK estate with openings in Winchester and Dorset.

Nando’s launches apprenticeship programme in Republic of Ireland: Nando’s has expanded its apprenticeship offering to the Republic of Ireland across its 13 restaurants in the country. The content is aligned to its current Level 3 apprenticeship in England and Scotland, with learners in Ireland gaining a CPD certificate of completion (management development programme) instead of an apprenticeship. The expansion follows the launch of Nando’s Level 5: Pathway to Strategic Leadership (PSL) qualification in England last year, to provide a clear development and career pathway from entry level to senior management. It also follows the expansion of the apprenticeship programme to Scotland in October 2024. The launch also means that apprenticeship equivalent training opportunities (and certificates) are now available across more than 470 Nando’s restaurants. Since launching its apprenticeship programme in England in 2017, Nando’s has trained more than 500 apprentices across its restaurants and central support functions. Following the programme launches last year, Nando’s has also already welcomed 25 apprentices on to the programme in Scotland and more than 30 apprentices on to the Level 5 PSL programme. Maria Horn, Nando’s UK & Ireland chief people officer, said: “More members of our staff across our restaurants and central support teams now have the opportunity to do an apprenticeship, or equivalent qualification, with Nando’s. As an official supporter of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re proud to be supporting Nandocas in building rewarding careers in the hospitality sector, from restaurant management to finance to HR.”

The Stable returns to the expansion trail with Padstow opening: Sourdough South, operator of the Three Joes and The Stable pizza concepts, has returned to the expansion trail with the latter concept, with a long-awaited opening in Padstow, Cornwall. The business has opened its tenth site in Padstow’s Mill Square. The new 120-cover restaurant is the first of The Stable sites to serve an exclusive new menu offering with “larger, thinner, crispier pizza bases, alongside additions such as smashed burgers and fish and chips”. The Padstow venue also debuts The Stable’s first breakfast menu with highlights including The Whole Hog Brekkie, the Miller's Mix, and “timeless favourites” such as eggs royale. Emma Blackmore, co-founder of Sourdough South, said: “We’re excited to open in Padstow. We pride ourselves on value for money and exceptional tasting food, and we can’t wait to introduce locals and visitors to our delicious fresh sourdough pizzas, cider, and new breakfast menu, which will be exclusive to The Stable in Padstow.” 

The Climbing Hangar set to make Midlands debut: Indoor climbing operator The Climbing Hangar is set to open its first site in the Midlands. The business, founded in 2011 by Ged MacDomhnaill and Stephen Challoner, has been given the green light to open a venue in Nottingham city centre. The Climbing Hangar will create 30 jobs by renovating a warehouse in Crocus Street currently used by AFS to sells electrical appliances and domestic goods. A planning statement said: “The Climbing Hanger now provides a number of successful facilities across the UK, with climbing and bouldering of increasing popularity and reaching a greater audience, with its participation at the Olympics. This site provides an opportunity to accommodate the requirements for the use in an accessible location and within an existing vacant building that meets the space, height and configuration requirements for a bouldering centre.” The Climbing Hangar currently has two sites in Liverpool alongside venues in Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Plymouth, Reading, Sheffield and Swansea. The Nottingham go-ahead comes four months after The Climbing Hangar was acquired by Verlinvest, the investment firm that backs K1 Speed karting and Insomnia Cookies. Verlinvest said it has invested £20m in The Climbing Hangar and plans to “scale the business globally”.

Continuum Group ‘exceeded budgeted expectations and delivers strong performance’: The Continuum Group – which operates eight UK attractions through partnerships, management contracts and an owned portfolio – said it “exceeded budgeted expectations and delivered a strong performance” in the year to 31 January 2024. The year saw the first six months of operation of the company’s Loch Ness Centre, which opened in the summer of 2023, and was also a first year of operating without its I’m a Celebrity Jungle Challenge attraction in Salford Quays, which closed in November 2022. The company’s turnover grew from £16,313,002 in 2023 to £18,911,934. Pre-tax profit of £1,489,095 in 2023 dropped to £1,393,071. Further analysis showed the closed I’m a Celebrity attraction contributed income of £1,795,761 to the 2023 figures. The company received government grants of £550,355 (2023: £466,848) and paid dividends of £332,000 (2023: £391,000). Director Andrew Pawson said: “With the Scottish market demonstrating considerable growth, The Real Mary King’s Close continues to deliver outstanding performance, with its strong brand reputation also driving penetration in a competitive environment. The group also completed the investment in The Loch Ness Centre, with an opening in June 2023. This strategic investment will allow the group to further capitalise on the strong Scottish market. Other attractions in the portfolio continue the recovery back towards pre-pandemic visitation levels, with only Greenwood Forest Park not performing at a level anticipated, with the continual challenges of unpredictable weather patterns and a challenging Welsh tourism market. The group overall exceeded budgeted expectations and delivered a strong performance.” Pawson was appointed acting chief executive in November 2024 following the departure of Juliana Delaney after 16 years with the business. At the time of his appointment, Pawson said: “We are looking for new attractions that could benefit from revitalisation, a fresh commercial approach and the unique skills of our talented team.” Sue Garland-Worthington, formerly deputy chief executive of British Tourism and Visit Britain, has also joined the group’s board.

Wood Leisure – sale of Glasgow holiday site helped consolidate business and increased capital available for investment: Scottish holiday park operator Wood Leisure has said the sale of its Glasgow holiday site has “helped consolidate the business and increased the capital available for investment”. In its accounts for the year to 31 January 2024, the company said it had taken the decision to sell Campsie Glen holiday park, to the north of the city. Post year-end, the site was acquired by Largo Leisure in March 2024, and since then, Wood Leisure has acquired the Faskally caravan park in Perthshire to bring its portfolio back up to six sites. The company is also in negotiations to purchase a parcel of land for leisure use adjacent to its Callander Woods holiday park. It comes after the business reported turnover of £8,591,206 for the year to 31 January 2024, up from £7,681,265 in 2023. Pre-tax profit also grew from £694,586 to £909,022. Government grants of £9,754 were received (2023: £7,681,265) and dividends of £61,200 were paid (2023: £153,000). Director Colin Wood said: “In 2023, we continued to be impacted by high interest rates, inflation, huge increases in gas and electricity prices and staff demands for cost-of-living wage increases. All of these have impacted massively on our business for two years now, and it is just not possible to recover these spiralling costs by increasing prices to our customers. Government interventions to support businesses no longer exist but the legacy of covid continues to create challenges. Demand in 2023 continued to be good but the peak of 2021 will be extremely difficult to surpass. Availability of holiday homes has improved in 2023, offering more choice for our customers and more potential for them to upgrade to newer models. The huge increase in the price of new holiday homes, however, coupled with the cost-of-living pressures, has made holiday home sales challenging.”

Nottingham pub operator opens third site: Nottingham pub operator AJ King has opened his third site. King has relaunched The New Castle in the suburb of Sneinton. The pub had been closed since May last year after previous owner Judith Birkett – who was the city’s oldest landlady at the age of 88 – passed away. King told Nottinghamshire Live: “We've got big shoes to fill – we definitely have.” King said once the dust has settled, the kitchen will reopen, serving breakfast, pub classics and a Sunday roast. Games such as Sticky 13s and bingo are in the pipeline, along with live music. King said: “I like the area. It's close to Sneinton Market, and you've got the older and younger generation and it's the perfect place for them to mix. We want to build a community space.” King also operates Poet's Corner in The Meadows, and the Rose Inn in the nearby village of Strelley.

Owners of Michelin-rated Bristol restaurant to open second site: The owners of a Michelin-rated restaurant in Bristol have announced plans to open a second venue in the city. Mark and Karen Chapman, who run Cor in Bedminster, will open a new restaurant in Wapping Wharf on Friday, 25 April. The new venture, called Luca after the couple’s first son, will be based around an Italian sharing plates concept. Posting to Instagram, the couple said: “Named after our first son, bringer of light, Luca is a love letter to the wonderful food, culture, warm hospitality and adventure experienced in Italy. A place that will always be very special to us. Focused on quality ingredients, prepared simply, with love.” The couple said that Cor will be “bringing you sharing plates in a welcoming atmosphere alongside excellent wine and cocktails, with a greater focus on Italian cuisine and culture”.