Midlands smash burger business set to make London debut this year as it targets 28 sites by 2028, in final stages of securing first international location: Midlands smash burger business Brgr Lab has told Propel it is set to make London debut this year as it targets 28 sites by 2028 and is in the final stages of securing its first international location. The business, launched by brothers Hamzah and Hassan Islam in 2020, uses an innovative “science meets food” concept – serving drinks in conical flasks and sauces in beakers and test tubes, while its burgers are “formulated like experiments, pushing flavour boundaries with bold combinations”. It currently has UK locations in Coventry and Leicester and earlier this year signed a multi-unit franchise agreement to take the brand to Qatar. “We have an exciting pipeline of new openings scheduled for 2025,” the founders told Propel. “A major highlight will be our first flagship London store, opening later this year in Ilford – a 60-seater full-service restaurant. In total, we have five new UK stores planned for 2025: two in London, two in the north and one in Glasgow. Our focus is on measured, strategic growth; we plan to expand the brand in phased stages to ensure each site is fully optimised for long-term performance. By 2028, our goal is to operate 28 stores across the UK and international markets. To achieve this, we are intentionally capping growth at six new stores per year.” As for how the Qatar plans are progressing, they said the company is in the final stages of securing its first location there. “The rollout plan will focus on high-traffic shopping destinations during the initial three years, with targeted openings in four of Qatar’s premier malls,” they said. “Looking ahead, Brgr Lab intends to expand into premium commercial real estate, including The Pearl, with plans to launch its first 50-seater flagship restaurant in Qatar by 2027. We are also actively exploring opportunities for commercial restaurant space in both Dubai and Sharjah. From a strategic perspective, Sharjah is being considered as our initial entry point into the UAE market, and this location will most likely be operator-owned. Following that, we plan to expand into Dubai through a franchise model, leveraging the brand recognition and operational foundation built in Sharjah.” The founders also said their first franchise location, in Leicester, is performing beyond expectations. “Leicester is a highly competitive hub for QSR brands, so launching there came with its risks, but our partners believed in the Brgr Lab vision, and the results have exceeded expectations,” they said. “The success of this launch has validated our model and given us confidence in our approach to franchising.”

 

Propel launches Operational Excellence Conference, Honest Burger founder Philip Eeles to speak, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Propel has launched the Operational Excellence Conference in partnership with Purple Story and is open for bookings. The conference, which takes place on Wednesday, 9 July at One Moorgate Place in London, is designed for operations directors, managers, area managers, site managers and chief executives who want to maximise performance. Among the speakers will be Philip Eeles, founder of Honest Burgers, Breadstall Pizza and Pineapple, the latter collecting and benchmarking people metrics from 75 business on a quarterly basis. He will reflect on starting a new restaurant in the current market; the need for a balance between taste, operational efficiency and gross profit; and how people metrics underpin overall performance. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book.

 

Next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality to be released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday featuring 58 updated entries and 21 new companies: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature 58 updated entries and 21 new companies when it is released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (23 May), at midday. The database now features 922 companies, and this month’s edition includes more than 246,000 words of content. 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 subscribers 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 Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including the Operational Excellence Conference in July and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers 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 subscribers 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 subscribers 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.

 

Greggs CEO – households are saving rather spending, even though they have got more money in their pockets: Roisin Currie, the chief executive of Greggs, has said while consumers’ disposable income is on the rise, helped by the April increase in the national minimum wage, evidence shows households are “saving, not spending”. It comes after Greggs said its performance improved through the first 20 weeks of 2025, with like-for-like sales in its company-managed shops increasing 2.9%. Currie said the 6.7% increase in the national living wage to £12.21 an hour was “putting more money in people’s pockets so people should be able spend more” although consumer confidence was still “not strong”. She said Greggs had been helped by the good spring weather, which had “encouraged people to come out of their home more”, but added that consumers remained “cautious”. Currie said the whole retail industry was in a “heightened state of alert” after the cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, and Greggs had continued to invest in improving the security of its systems. “The industry is coming together to share learning,” she added. John Moore, a senior investment manager at wealth manager RBC Brewin Dolphin, said while Greggs had been going through a tougher period recently, there were optimistic signs in the update. “The company is trying to right-size in the aftermath of the national insurance increases, recalibrating its rollout and growth ambitions,” he said. Ben Hunt, analyst at Panmure Liberum, said: “In line with other retailers reporting recently, trading at Greggs has improved over the past 11 weeks, no doubt supported by favourable weather and stronger footfall. While this provides a more solid underpinning for near-term forecasts, we remain cautious and are surprised that recent product innovation and strategic initiatives are doing little to move the dial more meaningfully. While we acknowledge that outer-year consensus expectations now reflect more realistic profit growth assumptions, we still view consensus forecasts for 3.5% like-like sales growth in the outer years as challenging, given: (1) prior signs of volume deceleration leading up to this update, (2) multi-year high comparatives, and (3) our view that the evening trading initiative has yet to resonate meaningfully with customers.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment has been retained by an international hospitality group that is looking for a director of sales for one of its establishments based in Ras al Khaimah in the UAE. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be responsible for developing and implementing sales strategies to drive revenue growth, manage a sales team and build relationships with clients. The director of sales will ensure the establishment meets its sales targets and provides a positive guest experience.” The salary is AED 18,000 (negotiable) per month (£3,600) plus flights, medical, accommodation, schooling and visa. For more information, email sameer@corecruitment.com. 

 

Arc Inspirations CEO – we are open to mergers and acquisitions and may consider fourth brand, now spending double on sites but returns harder: Martin Wolstencroft, co-founder and chief executive of Arc Inspirations, the premium bar operator, has said the 21-strong company is open to mergers and acquisitions opportunities and has “been in conversations with various businesses”. Speaking at Propel’s Excellence in Pub and Bar Retailing Conference, Wolstencroft also said the current cost environment had “knocked us back a few years in terms of our profit targets and where we want to get to, but there's opportunities out there for similar businesses to merge”. The company – which operates the Banyan, Manahatta and Box brands – has a target of reaching 50 sites by 2030. “We’ve looked at a few businesses over the last few years about who we can acquire, in terms of whether that’s a strategic acquisition moving into new areas, or someone who’s similar to ourselves,” he said. “Then we could look at taking out head office costs, so that’s an opportunity we’re constantly looking at, and we’ve been in conversations with various businesses.” Propel revealed this week that Arc Inspirations is to make its debut in London with the opening of a flagship site under its sports bar concept, Box, in Shaftesbury Avenue. The company is set to invest £4m on the new 7,200 square-foot site. Wolstencroft said the company is also set to make its debut in Wales, with an opening at the Howells development in Cardiff, and was keen to maintain its cluster approach to growth. He said: “We want cities where we can open all three of our brands. It really helps build our culture and provides opportunities to develop your teams. They can move around different sites and become experts about various cities. We won’t go into a city unless we think we can open more than one of our brands in it. The biggest challenge we’ve seen is how much costs have increased. When we opened Manahatta in Manchester’s Deansgate, we probably spent £1.2m and generated £1.3m in profit. Now what’s happening is it’s costing £2.5m to open one of our sites, and the returns, because of the increase in all the costs, are a lot harder.” Wolstencroft said the business needed to keep evolving, which may mean that one day it would need a further brand. He added: “It is about evolving your brands and moving them forward, and that might mean we have to take on a fourth brand, so we can really max out in a city.” Wolstencroft was one of the speakers at Propel's Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. Propel Premium Club members will receive all the videos from the event on Friday, 30 May at 9am. 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.

 

Comptoir Group – detailed review of company’s overall strategy is currently ongoing: Comptoir Group, the owner of the Comptoir Libanais and Shawa brands, has said that on the back of management changes, a detailed review of the company’s overall strategy is ongoing and that a “prudent approach to capital management is key” over the next 12 months to position it for growth beyond 2025. It comes after the company said its first-quarter 2025 trading performance has been in line with expectations, as it reported 2% like-for-like sales growth in the year to 29 December 2024. Earlier this year, the company rehired Chaker Hanna as its chief executive, with Richard Kleiner also returning as chairman. Comptoir said: “While this review process is still ongoing, it is clear that providing a genuine value for money offering is pivotal for the group. We are not shying away from the challenges that face the industry, particularly around cost pressures in procurement and labour. The new board considers a prudent approach to capital management is key over the next 12 months to further strengthen the group’s cash position and position it for growth beyond 2025. As a result of the challenging backdrop facing the company and industry, the management team is increasingly focused on operational efficiency improvements, to position the company for success in what is a difficult period for hospitality across the UK. We continue to believe there is considerable potential to grow the group’s franchised operations, and we see this as a complementary and relatively low-risk route to extend the presence of our brands, both within the UK and in overseas territories. While the strategic direction of the new board is still being shaped, the goal of the group remains the same, offering a genuine value for money, pleasant, unique offering to our customers.” The company’s first franchised Shawa restaurant opened in Abu Dhabi in March 2024, and it signed a new agreement with Areas Italy that saw the opening of a new Comptoir Libanais in Malpensa airport, Milan in June last year.

 

PizzaExpress opens Edinburgh airport site: PizzaExpress has opened its second airport site, at Edinburgh airport. The brand made its airport debut with the opening of a site in partnership with Airport Retail Enterprises in London Gatwick’s South Terminal last May, which became the only PizzaExpress in the UK serving a breakfast menu. PizzaExpress has partnered again with Airport Retail Enterprises to open a site in Edinburgh airport’s departures area. An Airport Retail Enterprises spokesman said: “From early-bird breakfasts to fresh, family favourites, we’re bringing feel-good food to travellers from check-in to take-off. This was no half-baked project – it’s the result of a piping hot collaboration between the brilliant PizzaExpress team and our own Airport Retail Enterprises (UK) crew.” Talking last May, Chris Holmes, chief development officer at PizzaExpress, said: “Our customers want to enjoy their favourite brand everywhere and at any time, so opening sites across travel hubs provides even more opportunities for our customers to connect with us.”

 

German Doner Kebab to open in Norwich: German Doner Kebab (GDK), which is backed by private equity group True, will open a site in Norwich tomorrow (Thursday, 22 May). The brand, which is approaching 150 UK locations, will open in St Stephens Street. Customers will be able to choose from GDK’s signature menu, which includes its new doner rice bowl and the Doner Krunch Burger – Cool Original Doritos chips smothered in cheese sauce with a choice of doner meat, served in a brioche bun and an original burger sauce. Earlier this month, True made a “strategic investment” in GDK, which operates circa 170 sites globally, to support its continued rollout in the UK and accelerate growth across existing and new markets.

 

Farmer J secures City site, plans two further UK openings this year: Farmer J, the all-day market concept, is to further enhance its presence in Central London with an opening in the City. The 15-strong business has secured a site in Coleman Street for an opening later this summer. Founder Jonathan Recanati told Propel that the company planned to open two further sites in the UK this year, which may include a first site outside the capital. He said trading across the group’s estate had continued to be strong in the first five months of the year. The company, which earlier this year opened in Marylebone Village and Cowcross Street, hopes to take its first steps internationally this year, with a focus on the east coast of the US, targeting locations in New York and Boston. Recanati previously said the vision for the business is to hit a “minimum of 50 sites in the UK” and that it has “only scratched the surface to continue to build a global brand”.

 

International bistro brand Bagatelle confirms June opening for second London site: International bistro brand Bagatelle has confirmed its second London location will open next month. Chez Lui, which will open at 184a Kensington Park Road in June, will be the debut restaurant from Bagatelle’s La Bistrot Collection. The 130 square-foot Notting Hill restaurant will be “inspired by the timeless romance of Parisian dining” and “filled with French spirit and seasonal food”. Bagatelle Group’s corporate chef, Rocco Seminara, will lead a menu offering dishes such as egg mayo with tarragon and pickled mustard seeds, fried purple artichokes with celery pesto and trout roe vinaigrette, sea bass carpaccio seasoned with fresh citrus, knife-cut beef tartare with chimichurri sauce, and roast chicken with baked potatoes in jus. Complementing this will be a curated wine list highlighting French classics, alongside a selection of crafted cocktails. The group currently trades from 15 venues globally and made its UK debut in 2018 with the launch of Bagatelle London at 34 Dover Street in Mayfair. The group will follow the opening of Chez Lui with La Bistrot Collection’s second restaurant, Café Des Lilas, at 25-26 Motcomb Street in Belgravia. The business, which is also exploring opening a site in Manchester, told Propel in November that it is “exploring unique opportunities to expand the Bagatelle brand within the UK”.

 

Indi-Go Rasoi makes transport hub debut with its largest site to date: Indian street food concept Indi-Go Rasoi has made its transport hub debut, at London’s Liverpool Street station, with its largest site to date. The store, the business’ seventh site, is the first to offer a new breakfast menu — including paratha egg rolls, masala dosa and toasties – served daily from 7am to 11am. Customers coming later in the day can enjoy freshly made bread and pastries from the traditional tandoor in the window of the unit. Founded by Ranu Miah in 2011, Indi-Go Rasoi was born out of a desire to fill a gap in the quick service restaurant sector – “bringing premium Indian cuisine into a fast, efficient format without compromising on quality”. The business operates five further sites across London and a site in Selfridges in Birmingham. Miah said: “We’re excited to open our first unit with Network Rail – and there’s no better place to start than Liverpool Street. The energy here is non-stop, with commuters, tourists and city workers all passing through every day. It’s exactly the kind of setting Indi-Go Rasoi was made for – fast, fresh, and full of flavour. This launch is a big milestone for us, and we see it as another step in sharing our food to even more people across the country.” 

 

Cambridgeshire multi-site operator acquire second pub: The Don’t Panic Group, the Cambridgeshire multi-site operator, has acquired its second pub. The Jordan Mason-led business has secured the White Hart in St Ives. The business already operates the White Hart in the village of Warboys. The group also operates Don’t Panic Pizzeria & Grill, Mac Attack, Burger Club, and the Don’t Panic escape rooms business in the county. On the new pub addition, Mason said: “Another massive step forward. We have just taken on our second pub location. After two fantastic years of trading and growth in our little village pub (the first location within Don’t Panic Group’s pub division), we are expanding into a prosperous market town site. Refurbishment is well underway. Another White Hart to add to the collection.”

 

Five Points Brewing Company co-founder set to open new Leeds pub: Five Points Brewing Company co-founder Ed Mason is set to open a new pub in Leeds. Brewery Wharf Tavern, situated on the River Aire, close to the new Aire Park, has been closed since 2024 and was previously The Oracle bar and nightclub. Mason and his team at the Whitelock Group, which also operate Whitelock’s Ale House, The Meanwood Tavern and White Cloth Hall in Leeds, plan to open the new venue in July. Brewery Wharf Tavern, which has a large outdoor terrace overlooking the River Aire, will operate as an independent freehouse. It will showcase a wide range of independent beers and real ales alongside cocktails and wines, and will champion local Yorkshire-based food and drink suppliers. Mason said: “Leeds has a lot of rooftop drinking spots, but very few waterside ones, so we are excited to be opening on the banks of the River Aire. There remains strong demand for quality hospitality venues and we want to add to the range of brilliant Leeds businesses, while helping to contribute to the growing community as the city expands on the south side of the river.” In London, Mason has a taproom at the Five Points brewery, plus The Pembury Tavern in Hackney, and last October, he told Propel he is looking to open more pubs in the capital.

 

Catering entrepreneur to launch lunch and coffee shop business: Catering entrepreneur Nick Collins has revealed his latest venture will be a lunch and coffee shop business, starting with an outlet in Cardiff. Collins set up workplace, wedding and school catering group Cleverchefs in 2015 and built it up to sales of £16m across 100 sites last year. Now, he plans to add coffee and sandwich outlet Square and Fair to his growing business. He told Insider Media the eatery would provide square focaccia sandwiches and fair trade coffee. The first branch is expected to open in Royal Arcade, Cardiff, later this summer, while a second is set to open at the Smash Padel sports facility, launching in Llandaff Fields in the city later this year. Speaking at a round table discussion on family business growth, Collins said: “The lunchtime market, the sandwich market, is booming. There’s not enough good lunchtime spots that focus on coffee and food at the same sort of level. I always like to find a gap in the market. Cardiff is massively behind in that London lunchtime feel.” Collins added: “One focus once I get the new business set up is to make hospitality great again. It’s the best profession.” 

 

EasyHotel adds three hotels to Spanish portfolio: EasyHotel has added three new hotels to its Spanish portfolio. With the openings in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, EasyHotel’s Spanish portfolio now totals five hotels, including its existing properties, Barcelona Fira and Málaga. The new Madrid Alcalá property is now open, with Barcelona La Sagrera and Valencia Ciutat Vella due to follow later this summer. The 75-bedroom Barcelona La Sagrera opens on Monday, 7 July, while EasyHotel’s first Valencian property, the 95-bedroom Ciutat Vella in Plaza Rojas Clemente, opens in August. The openings will add more than 250 bedrooms to EasyHotel’s Spanish portfolio. The brand’s growth is supported by a £24.5m refinancing agreement with CaixaBank, helping accelerate development across key Spanish cities. A further opening is planned in Alicante for 2026. Chief executive Karim Malak said: “We are thrilled to see the significant progress of our rollout in Spain. As we open three hotels this year alone, we are staying true to our mission to provide great sleep, smart design and unbeatable city access at an affordable price.”

 

Padel operator Pure Padel set to make south east debut: Padel operator Pure Padel will open its debut site in the south east this autumn, in Lightwater, Surrey. The company, co-founded by Sammy Arora, will open six courts, a clubhouse, café, bar, pro shops and changing rooms at Lightwater Leisure Centre. Sammy Arora, founder and managing director of Pure Padel, said: “We’re excited to bring Pure Padel to Lightwater, transforming underutilised land into a vibrant sports hub. By repurposing four unused tennis courts, we’re not only meeting the growing demand for the sport in Surrey, but also contributing to the development of active, engaged communities. We’re confident that this new offering will attract both new and experienced players who are eager to try padel in an area where the sport is currently under-served.” Pure Padel has ambitions to open 30 clubs across the UK within five years, including ten during 2025. The company currently has venues in Manchester and Cheshire, with sites in Darlington and Stockport due to open this month, followed by a Leeds location this summer.

 

Ham Restaurants confirms June opening for fifth London site: Dominic Hamdy – founder of Crispin in Spitalfields, Bistro Freddie in Shoreditch, Bar Crispin in Soho and Crispin at Studio Voltaire – has confirmed his fifth London site will open next month. His Ham Restaurants group will launch Canal – a ground-floor, all-day restaurant as part of the Mason & Fifth hotel in Westbourne Grove – on Thursday, 30 June. Featuring a waterside terrace overlooking the Grand Union Canal, the restaurant will also offer an indoor dining room to accommodate up to 70 guests. The opening also marks the debut of Quality Projects, a dedicated special projects and consultancy business founded by Hamdy, which will focus on “collaborations around innovative hospitality concepts across the city”. Dishes at Canal will include ricotta agnolotti with cavolo nero and pecorino, and red mullet with bouillabaisse, mussels and Mangalitza sausage; plus sharing options like Cornish John dory with lemon dill butter and monksbeard, and Jersey sirloin with brown butter jus, béarnaise and potatoes. There will be cocktails on tap while the wine list will showcase classic regions and progressive producers. Hamdy said: “Canal marks the exciting debut of Quality Projects and our very first venture into west London. With Canal, we’ve set out to create a place that is rooted in generous hospitality with an urban Riviera feel.” Ham Restaurants started out as a scotch egg business trading from Borough Market in 2014.

 

Nottinghamshire operators open third site: Nottinghamshire couple James and Jennifer Aspell have opened their third site in the county, and second in Nottingham. The pair have opened cocktail and wine bar Loose Ends, in Nottingham city centre. They also run tequila bar 400 Rabbits in Hurts Yard in the city and French-style cafe Le Petit Vert in Farnsfield. Operations manager Julien Latil told the Nottingham Post: “Our concept is to make something simple but elevated and elegant. We don’t want to make drinks with 12 ingredients and craziness; we want things that taste well, with an extra level of depth. The whole vibe is to try and be sustainable – we reuse as much as possible.”

 

West Midlands family-owned operator secures third site: West Midlands family-owned operator Farmers Fayre has secured its third site. The company has been appointed by The National Trust and Historic Coventry Trust to operate the 60-seat café at the grade I-listed Coventry Charterhouse. Ingredients sourced locally, along with herbs grown on-site from the Charterhouse's walled garden, are used to create the dishes. Farmers Fayre operates sites at Stoneleigh Park and Ryton Pools Country Park, both on the outskirts of Coventry. Nicola Reece, director and co-owner of Farmers Fayre, said the ethos of the National Trust was very much in keeping with the business’ own ambitions as it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Gurminder Kenth, general manager at the Charterhouse, added: “We have been working hard to bring in an operator to run the café with flair and passion for excellence. Farmers Fayre is an incredibly popular venue at Stoneleigh Park and Ryton Pools Country Park and we are looking forward to seeing its innovative, freshly prepared menus come to life as the Charterhouse begins the next stage of its incredible history.”

 

Co-founder of London restaurant Carousel to launch new Roman-inspired venture: Ed Templeton, co-founder of Carousel, the restaurant that hosts rotating chef residencies in London’s Fitzrovia, is to launch a new venture in the capital. Templeton has teamed up with actor Theo James to launch Lupa, a neighbourhood restaurant dedicated to Roman comfort food, in Highbury. Opening next month, the kitchen at the 28-cover venue in Highbury Park will be led by Naz Hassan, with the menu influenced by his Italian upbringing, with an emphasis on regional specialities from Rome and the surrounding Lazio region. The drinks list will focus on aperitivo-style cocktails and spritzes, and “keenly priced, approachable” Italian wine from independent winemakers. A considered range of Amaros will also be available. Templeton said: “Theo and I are both Highbury locals and share an ambition to open an enduring neighbourhood classic. It’s taken 18 months to make it happen, but we knew it was a special corner of Highbury from the start. Lupa is the kind of place we’ve always wanted to have on our doorstep. There are certain Roman dishes that people know but much is still largely to be discovered.”

 

Tokyo-born mixologist launches debut bar venture: Tokyo-born mixologist Gento Torigata has launched his debut venture. Torigata, who was bar manager at Kwãnt in London’s Mayfair for the past two years, has launched Waltz in Scrutton Street in Shoreditch. The bar and its drinks list take inspiration from both jazz and nature, reports Hot Dinners. There's a general menu of drinks available along with a special cocktail list that’s only served to those at the 12-seat bar. Meanwhile, the food menu includes a Marmite pinwheel and house-pickled turnips.

 

Bristol coffee shop and event space concept shuts one of its city centre sites: Bristol coffee shop and event space concept Dareshack has shut one of its city centre sites. The company launched in Wine Street in October 2020 before adding an outlet in a former Chinese restaurant in Christmas Steps in July last year. But the company has announced the Christmas Steps location has shut. Taking to Instagram, the team at Dareshack wrote: “Although this decision wasn’t made lightly, we all feel that it’s one that will benefit Dareshack in the long run. Over the last few months, as a team, we have come up with lots of really fun and exciting ideas, and now with the closure of ‘DS2’, we can put our full focus into making these ideas into a reality. Although we are sad to see it go, we’re looking to the future to see what other endeavours we as a shop can venture toward. Watch this space!” The 290 square-foot unit at 4 Christmas Steps is on the market via estate agents Burston Cook.

Newcastle brewery appoints liquidators: Newcastle brewery Northern Alchemy has appointed liquidators after grappling with soaring costs. Established 11 years ago within a refurbished shipping container, the brewery expanded in 2017 and moved to The Old Coal Yard in Byker. But market pressures and persistent cost increases have compelled the Northern Alchemy directors to halt trading. Connect Insolvency, based in Westerhope, has been appointed as the liquidator for the brewery, reports Chronicle Live. In a statement, Northern Alchemy’s management said: “As with many others in our industry, we are no longer able to continue creating the innovative and popular beers that we have made over the last decade. As our margins are squeezed harder and harder by price increases across the board, we recognise that we cannot continue. As such, the company has entered the voluntary insolvency process. We have worked hard over the last 12 months to try and wrap things up in the best way. Despite our efforts, and our directors working pretty much without recompense during this time, we are unable to navigate a route through these hardships.”