Monday 24/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: Tynemill returns to profit despite £550,000 increase in administrative expenses: Companies House accounts for award-winning East Midlands craft brewer and pub operator Tynemill, which trades as Castle Rock, show a return to profit in the year to 31 March 2015. The company, which saw turnover rise 25% to £9,881,761 reported a pre-tax profit of £231,212 compared to a loss of £398,828 in the year before. Managing director Colin Wilde stated in the accounts: “The accounts show a bright performance driven by site acquisition, continued brewery expansion and an exceptional performance at some key sites. This pushed revenues upwards by 25% from the previous year to approach £10m. Profits also moved in the right direction and an operating profit of £646,894 was reported (operating loss of £136,402 in the previous year).” The improve performance came despite administrative expenses increasing by circa £550,000 to £5,105,891, with staff numbers increasing to 181 from 158 the year before. Wilde said: “These additional overheads allow a much-improved foundation on which some scalability to the business can be built without the need for further central recruitment.” Founder Chris Holmes still owns the majority of the company’s issued share capital.
Lynn News: Hot rocks dining experience at new restaurant set to open in King’s Lynn town centre: A different kind of dining experience is about to become available for the first time in Lynn with the opening of a new town centre restaurant. Hot Rocks @ Mojitos, is due to open in Chapel Street in premises formerly occupied by The Thai Orchid, in September. Diners at the restaurant, which will seat up to 100 people and have a Latino theme, will be brought hot stones and food to the table, where they will be able cook their meal to their liking. One of the directors of the new business, is Gez Chetal, who has 33 years experience of the hotel and restaurant industry, with 16 of those being in Lynn. He was formerly director of operations of Surya Hotels, which took over the Duke’s Head Hotel and relaunched it with a new look in 2011. He said: “It’s going to be a dining concept which is completely new to Lynn and if this takes off, it will hopefully be the first of six in East Anglia to be run by me and my business partner, Roger Cash. Having had so much experience of working in Lynn, I am confident this going to be successful. “At the restaurant hot lava rocks will be brought to the table with meats and fish in foil for people to cook for themselves. “It’s a very healthy way of eating as the heat sears the meat, keeps in all the juices and the fat runs off. There will also be salads to accompany the meal. “We are having an open kitchen, so that people can see their food being prepared and the rocks coming out to the table with the dishes. “It’s going to be very competitive. There will be unlimited starters, with items such as bread, olives, prawns and hummus, and then there will be unlimited meats plus unlimited wine, for an all- inclusive price. “There will be Mexican music playing and the whole dining experience will be very sociable and laid back.” Between eight and ten new jobs are being created in a variety of roles, including a restaurant manager, kitchen manager, cocktail makers and assistants for serving food and drink and washing up.
Propelinfonews.com: Punch sells 158 non-core pubs to NewRiver Retail for £53.5m: Punch Taverns has sold 158 predominantly non-core pubs to NewRiver Retail, the real estate investment trust focused on the retail sector, for £53.5m – NewRiver Retail previously acquired 202 pubs from Marston’s in November 2013 with a plan to develop convenience stores. The deal is in line with Punch’s strategy to sell its non-core estate at a rate of circa 200 pubs a year – disposal pubs have been sold at an average of £340,000 per pub and proceeds will be used to reduce net debt. Within the disposal portfolio are 150 pubs from the non-core estate and eight pubs from the company’s core estate that no longer meet the company’s criteria.
Tuesday 25/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: Batemans opens first ‘manchise’ pub: Batemans, the family brewer based in Lincolnshire, has completed an extensive £150,000 refurbishment of Wainfleet pub The Woolpack. This pub is the first to reopen under Batemans’ new “manchise” agreement, a cross between a managed and tenanted pub that sees the operator take a percentage of turnover. The Woolpack has been given a complete new look, with £20,000 spent on a new kitchen and the remainder invested in dramatically improving the rest of the pub, including creating a new lounge and seating area, and freshening up the toilets and bar area. The finished result is an appealing and comfortable, quality community pub, with a focus on food and drink across all day parts. Batemans’ new “manchise” pubs are run under a hybrid agreement; half managed, half tenanted, and rewards operators for being entrepreneurial and growing the business. This agreement releases the operator from responsibility for the day-to-day expenses such as utilities, wet stock and insurance, leaving them free to focus on developing the food and accommodation aspect of the pub, where appropriate. There is a franchise fee based on turnover, which means the operator receives a percentage of wet turnover, and Batemans receives a percentage of accommodation and food turnover.
Wednesday 26/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: Company Watch – half of UK nightclubs in danger zone, dating apps blamed for decline in nightclub usage: More than half of nightclub businesses in the UK are financially vulnerable, according to the findings of a report by corporate health monitor Company Watch. About 930 nightclub businesses have sufficient data in the public domain for Company Watch to produce an H-Score, which is its unique measure of a firm’s financial health based on a score from zero to 100. Firms with the highest H-Scores are financially the most robust. However, firms with an H-Score of 25 or less fall into the Company Watch “warning area”, meaning they are at much greater risk of failing or needing refinancing. Of the 930 nightclub businesses allocated an H-Score, 502 (54%) are in the “warning area”. A total of 312 scored ten or lower. However, 176 nightclub businesses were ranked in the top quartile (H-Scores of 75 to 100). Denis Baker, managing director of Company Watch, said: “We were surprised to note that just over half of the nightclub firms in the UK are in our warning area, making it one of the country’s more vulnerable sectors.” Company Watch said one of the main reasons for the decline in nightclubs is the rise in dating apps such as Tinder, meaning fewer people are visiting clubs to seek romance.
Morningadvertiser: Pubs employing illegal immigrants face instant closure
By Emily Sutherland, 25-Aug-2015
Pubs who employ illegal immigrants could be stripped of their licences and face immediate closure for 48 hours under new powers outlined in the Immigration Bill.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Legal/Legislation/Pubs-employing-illegal-immigrants-face-instant-closure
Propelinfonews.com: Nando’s set to open in Huntingdon next month: Nando’s is to open a new site in Huntingdon’s Towerfields Leisure Park on Wednesday, 2 September, converting a former Blockbuster store. Planning permission was granted by Huntingdon District Council to allow Nando’s to change the shop front, put up signs and install an outside seating area, comprising of five tables and 20 chairs. Towerfields is already home to a number of restaurants, as well as a cinema and a gym. The restaurant will create 40 part-time and full-time jobs.
Bighospitality: Minimum wage and apprentice rate could rise in 2016
By Sophie Witts, 25-Aug-2015
The Government is seeking the views of hospitality businesses over the possibility of raising the National Minimum Wage for apprentices and under 25’s.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Minimum-wage-and-apprentice-rate-could-rise-in-2016
Golf Club Management: Spate of thefts rock golf clubs: At least three UK golf clubs have suffered robberies in the last few days. Foxhills Golf Club in Surrey, Ashby Decoy Golf Club in Lincolnshire and Southerndown Golf Club in Wales have all been the victims of attacks this August. At Foxhills Golf Club 40 sets of golf clubs were stolen following the incident during the early hours of Wednesday, August 19. The man was caught on CCTV at 2.45am, covering his face with a hooded top and scarf. He appears to have a tattoo or some marking on his left hand. Surrey Police tweeted the image and have appealed for information. Humberside Police are also appealing for information after the break-in at Ashby Decoy Golf Club, where £5,000 worth of equipment was stolen and £2,000 worth of damage was caused. The incident took place between 1.48am and 2.15am on Saturday, August 15. John Crellin, club manager, said: “It won’t affect the club in any way, but it has caused us a lot of inconvenience, expense and extra work. “The equipment was all brand new, but it can be replaced. “It was not owned by anyone – it was all the new stock for sale. “I would think around about £5,000 worth of equipment was taken in total and they did about £2,000 worth of damage to the roof. “It was all top of the range, tailor-made clubs. “I think one of the first things I said was ring around all the local golf clubs and inform them of what has happened.” Mr Crellin said the club are looking to tighten up security, but admitted “there is not a lot we can do”. “It is afterwards when the inconvenience comes and I have been ringing the insurance companies,” Mr Crellin added. A statement from Humberside Police said: “Among the items stolen were a set of eight Ping I series irons and a set of eight Ping G Max irons – both of which have been recently released and are still relatively rare.” Four Ping G30 woods, two sets of Ping G25 irons, two Ping golf bags, two Titleist drivers, seven Vokey wedges, four Aero Burner Wood drivers, eight Aero Burner Wood fairways, four Aero Burner hybrids, two R15 drivers and assorted golf balls were also taken. And at Southerndown Golf Club 1,000 golf balls were taken from a ball-dispensing machine at the club on a recent Sunday night. A spokesman for South Wales Police said officers wanted to speak to people who were in two vehicles seen in the area on the night of the theft. PC Jamie Williamson said: “Goodness knows what those responsible will do with the balls. They’d struggle to sell them on as each one has ‘stolen from Southerndown Golf Club’ printed on them. “So the balls are easy to spot – hopefully somebody who has seen them or who knows something about the incident can lead us to whoever was responsible.”
Hospitalityandcateringnews.com: Expanding East Anglian hotel group buys second Best Western: Christie + Co has announced the sale of the Best Western Priory Hotel in the popular town of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The 3AA country house style property has been acquired for an undisclosed sum off a £1.25m asking price by the Cameron Ventures Group. It is the second acquisition for the company, which already owns and operates the extended and upgraded 40 bedroom Best Western Brome Grange Hotel in Brome, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. The Priory is a Grade II listed property with parts dating back to the 16th century. Over the last few years, the period building has been skilfully restored and extended to offer extensive dining and function areas together with 36 en-suite letting rooms. Many of the letting rooms are Courtyard and Garden rooms overlooking the spectacular grounds which extend to over an acre and formerly occupied a friary in 1250 AD. Tim Gooding, Director at Christie + Co’s Ipswich Office handled the sale, and comments, “We are delighted to have sold the business and we are sure that the buyers, who have doubled their room capacity in the region with this purchase, will continue to grow further. We wish them all the best with this exciting new venture.”
Leicester Mercury: Two Mediterranean food eateries open up in Granby Street, Leicester: An Italian street food shop and a Mediterranean restaurant have opened up in Leicester. I-Buongustai and Diwan have been opened in Granby Street within weeks of each other. I-Buongustai has been opened up jointly by two Italian chefs and business partners, Silvia Migiliucci and Massimo Schiliro. Diwan has been opened by Tarek Mansouri, a Libyan businessman. I-Buongustai imports the majority of its supplies from Italy including some of its cheeses, flour and perishables. Two jobs have been created as a result of the opening. Silvia and Massimo came to Leicester having worked in the catering trade for several years at pizza restaurants in Italy and the chain Pizza Express before deciding to launch their business idea in January 2015. The business partners got funding from Nottingham-based business support organisation, First Enterprise. Silvia and Massimo took out a joint loan of £25,000 from one of First Enterprise’s funding pots as part of the Start-Up Loans Company UK initiative. Massimo said: “First Enterprise has been so supportive throughout the whole process of making our business a reality. The loan funding we received enabled us to buy the premises and fit it out. It has been hard work but we are so glad to finally be opening. We cannot wait to welcome people across Leicester to try a real taste of Italy, there is nothing like this elsewhere. “We chose this position as thought it would be a great location to capture foot traffic to and from the station. We think it will be ideal for people on the go who are looking for good quality Italian fresh food which can be prepared in minutes.” Diwan is the second branch of the restaurant that has been opened after Mr Mansouri opened his first restaurant in Manchester last year. Eight jobs have been created. The restaurant serves a variety of middle eastern food such as koftas, houmous, falafel and cous cous as well as Mediterranean dishes such as pasta and pizza. Matti Reda, head chef and co-manager of the business, said: “The owner decide to open up a restaurant here as this seemed like a good location for the restaurant to be. “It’s right near the train station and is in a good location for when the football fans come and watch the game. “We decided to open a Mediterranean restaurant as there are lots of Turkish places nearby. “We’ve only been open a month or two so far, and it hasn’t been that busy as lots of people are still on school holidays. “We’re hoping that it is going to get busier in the coming weeks.”
Thursday 27/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: All Our Bars co-invests £300,000 in St Albans site with Spirit Leased division of Greene King: South east pub and bar operator All Our Bars, led by Paul Wigham, is reopening The Crown in St Albans after a £300,000 co-investment with Spirit Leased, a sub-division of Greene King, creating 14 jobs. Wigham said. “The beer garden has been re-landscaped and extended, the kitchen has been upgraded, new toilets added and the entire pub has been re-floored and redecorated, it’s looking superb!” The more formal dining area will also be available for private functions and meetings. The Crown will be extending its existing cask ale range and introducing new craft beers and ciders. The offering will also include a wide selection of rare premium spirits and fine wines. Food will be served daily with emphasis on great quality, locally sourced and seasonal dishes. The pub will also be opening early for cake and coffee mornings, with a selection of freshly baked cakes and pastries. Wigham added: “We really look forward to providing St Albans with the highest quality suburban venue in the area offering great service and great food.”
Leisuremanagement.co.uk: Flexible gym contracts better for retaining members: Flexible gym contracts which don’t require members to commit to a fixed term are actually better for retention than traditional 12-month tie-ins, according to a new report. ukactive’s mid-year Business Performance Benchmarking Insight Report – based on data from more than 600 UK fitness and leisure sites – has found that enabling health club members to leave whenever they want is actually the best way to keep them. The report found gyms with a fixed-term minimum 12-month contract saw an average membership length of 11.2 months, whereas gyms not requiring a 12-month commitment and offering more flexible contract lengths saw an average stay of 17.2 months. The insight helps to neatly demonstrate one of the major shifts witnessed in the health club market over the past decade. Whereas the once dominant big box gyms were often synonymous with iron-clad, fixed term contracts, these operators have lost a significant share of the market to low-cost operators, who typically eschew contracts in favour of rolling monthly memberships. Jan Spaticchia, CEO of fitness chain énergie Group has been well place to observe this shift. “énergie is in the relatively unique position of having one of its brands in the low cost sector whilst its other two brands are very much mid-market,” he said. “There is no doubt that the low cost revolution has been a key driver for growth in the sector in recent times and we are seeing a democratisation of fitness where we are beginning to reach a broader cross section of society.” The new ukactive report – produced in partnership with audit and accountancy firm Mazars – revealed several other findings. It showed that the sector is continuing to grow, with membership numbers up by nearly 1 per cent on this time last year and public trusts performing best – reaping the rewards of a renewed focus on widening their offerings. Despite this, the report also found that the gap between the public and private areas of the sector still remains, with the average length of membership at 23.5 months for private gyms and 13.2 months at public sites. “Business Performance Benchmarking is the lifeblood of many developed sectors,” said ukactive executive director Steven Ward. “We must ensure we continue to analyse our industry data and assess the key trends if we are to keep ahead of the curve.”
Propelinfonews.com: Leicestershire-based Steamin’ Billy Brewing acquires Star Pubs & Bars site, plans artisan pizza offer: Leicestershire-based The Steamin’ Billy Brewing Co, led by Billy Allingham, has exchanged on a new pub in Alvaston, Derby and will complete the sale from Star Pubs & Bars in early September, taking the estate to 11. A full refurbishment is planned of this large community local with a wood fired artisan pizza offering being the focus behind the bar along with the usual real ales. Allingham told Propel: “Opening in mid-October, the business will be run under the ‘Manchisee’ scheme as we do with our other pubs. We have had great success in Hinckley converting a run down community local purchased from Marston’s, putting in a quality food offering and seeing turnover increase ten-fold. It has been funded from capital reserves and Handelsbanken – the purchase price was £215,000 and the refurbishment will cost £100,000.”
Morningadvertiser: Call for review of pubs code after Punch sell-off raises suspicions
By Oli Gross, 27-Aug-2015
The Pubs Advisory Service has called on the Government to review the pubs code in reaction to Punch Taverns’ sale of 158 pubs to New River Retail.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Punch-Taverns/The-Pubs-Advisory-calls-for-a-review-of-the-pubs-code-after-Punch-sale
Propelinfonews.com: Derby-based restaurant and cafe bar Seven eyes expansion: Derby-based restaurant and cafe bar Seven is eyeing expansion as its owner targets other sites in the Midlands. Helen Salloway, who launched the concept in Pride Park in October 2013, is searching for possible locations as she looks to open “three or four” more restaurants. She told the Derby Telegraph: “It’s always been my ambition to open more than one Seven. It’s about building a brand and rolling it out. I’m not talking about lots and lots – maybe three or four in the Midlands. My husband, Steve, is looking at sites for me. I’ve got a lot of customers from Nottingham who ask me why I don’t open one there. If I could find the right site, I would, and Steve’s working on that. The ones we’ve looked at so far haven’t been quite right. We’ve looked at Nottingham, Coventry and I’d love to open one in Birmingham. I wouldn’t rule out doing another in Derby either. We’ll possibly look at Infinity Park as that develops.”
Golf Club Management: Timpson CEO offers free book to clubs to end slow play: The chief executive of retailer Timpson has said he will supply a book he has written on how golf clubs can reduce slow play free of charge to any golf club manager who requests it, while stocks last. John Timpson, the former captain of Delamere Forest Golf Club in Cheshire, said that golf, especially corporate events, “takes up too much time” and blames this on why participation in the game and memberships at clubs have dropped in the UK for more than a decade. His comments come as leading golf journalist Ewen Murray has said there should be more punishment for professional golfers who play the game too slowly. “Today a corporate golf invitation may be less welcome than you hope,” said Timpson. “Many people now feel golf takes up too much time and find a corporate day particularly tedious. Once you’ve driven from the first tee you are committed to spending the next five hours, perhaps in driving rain, with three people you may not have met before. After taking two and a half hours to play eight holes you will be praying for a big bird to swoop down onto the fairway, pick you up, and fly you away from your misery. “But there is no escape – back in the clubhouse you may wait two hours before the last four finish and dinner can commence, and another two hours before speeches and prize-giving. Only then are you free to go, arriving home 12 hours after you left, with your husband or wife wondering how you can play golf in the dark.” Timpson said that this scenario is financially damaging golf clubs. “Fewer people now play the game, membership is down by more than 20 percent since 2004 and lots of clubs are desperately trying to recruit new members,” he said. “I’ve no doubt a big factor is slow play. Golf, in my view, should take up a morning or an afternoon, but, at clubs where a four-and-a-half hour round is par, golf blocks out a whole day. “I tried to help when I was captain at Delamere Forest by writing a book How to Play Golf Quickly. It worked, I offered a Timpson trophy to anyone who completed a competition round in less than three hours during the month of May and handed a cup to 54 different members. “I printed sufficient books to make them available to a generation of junior golfers but my plan was thwarted by officialdom. One of the quick techniques I quote is to carry your bag – but custodians of the junior game said that bag-carrying can cause mild back problems and banned my book on health and safety grounds. “As a result I still hold a substantial stock which, while stocks last, I now offer free to golf club secretaries or professionals and anyone with a golfing friend who needs speeding up. To order a free book just send an email to askjohn@telegraph.co.uk with your mailing address.” Meanwhile, Ewen Murray has said that slow play by professional golfers is having a knock-on effect on participation. “Why there are not more severe penalties for slow play, I don’t know,” he said. “At a time when the number of golfers are dwindling, it’s high time to enforce stronger penalties on those who quite simply take too long. Some caddies have a ‘board meeting’ with their bosses before a decision is made. It’s not the caddies’ fault, it’s what the player wants, but my opinion is that this is not the way forward and the powers that be need to address this problem sooner rather than later. “The game has to become more attractive and the speeding up of play I’m sure would help.”
Friday 28/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: Stonegate Pub Company to open 15th Popworld in Derby tonight: Stonegate Pub Company is reopening its Scream venue in Derby under its Popworld brand tonight (Friday, 28 August) – its 15th site for the concept. The company has refurbished the venue in Friar Gate within the grade II-listed Friary pub, which has also received a revamp as part of the £300,000 investment. The club’s general manager Vince Brown told the Derby Telegraph: “Popworld will be a fantastic addition to Derby’s nightlife. It is a vibrant city and I believe the high-energy nights out Popworld has to offer will go down a storm. With back-to-back music featuring the nations favourite tunes, we will be offering our customers a fun night out within a safe environment, where they can enjoy something a bit different.” The club, which serves popcorn, candy floss and cocktails, known as Poptails, will be open from 11.30pm-3am Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Stonegate operates 14 other Popworld clubs across the country including Birmingham, Sheffield, York, Newcastle, Liverpool and Bristol.
BoutiqueHotelnews.com: Independent Hotel Show announces awards shortlists: UK: The Independent Hotel Show has announced the shortlist for its 2015 Outstanding New Hotel and Independent Hotelier Awards. The Outstanding New Hotel Award, now in its third year, is designed to improve the scope of recognition of all independent, luxury and boutique hotels that have been opened or relaunched within the last three years. The winning hotel will showcase the pinnacle of innovation and inventiveness within the sector, demonstrating the significant impact they have made to the industry by challenging expectations and consistently delivering excellence.
The shortlist for Outstanding New Hotel is:
• Artist Residence London
• Dormy House Hotel and Spa, Broadway
• Great Northern Hotel, London
• Hotel Gotham, Manchester
• The Beaumont, London
• The Coach House at Middleton Lodge, Richmond, North Yorkshire
The Independent Hotelier Award gives recognition to an individual who has consistently helped change the landscape of the independent, luxury and boutique hotel sector, a pioneer with a reputation for pushing boundaries and having the confidence to evolve and do things differently. Above all, the winner will be someone committed to the development of their team, the success of their establishment and the industry at large.
The shortlist for the Independent Hotelier Award is:
• Robin Hutson, Chairman and CEO for Lime Wood Group and Home Grown Hotels
• Tim Hart, Owner, Hambleton Hall
• Neil Kedward & Zoe Agar, Owners, The Grove, Narberth Hotel
• Robert Nadler, CEO, Nadler Hotels
• Danny Pecorelli, Managing Director, Exclusive Hotels
• Olga Polizzi, Director of Design, Rocco Forte Hotels and Owner, Hotel Tresanton and Hotel Endsleigh
Changes to this year’s nomination process saw industry figures and show partners, including Fiona Duncan at The Telegraph, Conde Nast Johansens and The AA, invited to nominate candidates for both Independent Hotelier and Outstanding New Hotel. From this, a shortlist was created. Registrants of the show will now get the opportunity to vote and select the winners. Voting for the awards is now live and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony immediately following the first day of the show on 20th October 2015. Last year’s Independent Hotelier Award went to Kit and Tim Kemp of Firmdale Hotels, while The Pig on the Beach in Studlands, Dorset won Outstanding New Hotel.
Propelinfonews.com: Northamptonshire-based multi-site operators to open third site in Corby: Northamptonshire-based multi-site operators Philippos and Lisa Filaitis are to open their third site in Corby next month. The couple is launching fine-dining Mediterranean restaurant Olive on the site of the former One Stop Shop on the ground floor of Grosvenor House in George Street. The 120-seat restaurant will employ about ten staff, serving food from 11am-10pm. Olive’s interior draws its inspiration from the stylish coffee bars and restaurants of Aegina, Greece. Upholstered booths, sofas and classic tables and chairs break up the large ground floor into different dining areas. Philippos Filaitis told the Northamptonshire Telegraph: “We get a lot of Corby clients in Rothwell and we have also been looking for a bigger town to set up in. We have looked at Market Harborough, Kettering and Corby, but Corby was ticking most of the boxes.” The Filaitis’ also own The Old Bakehouse restaurant and Olive Lounge wine bar in Rothwell.