Monday 3/8/15
Morningadvertiser.co.uk: Punch in talks to sell £50m-worth of pubs to retail specialist
By M&C Report , 03-Aug-2015
Punch Taverns is in talks to sell the 150-strong package of pubs it placed on the market earlier this year to NewRiver Retail, which specialises in the food and value sector according to the Sunday Times.
www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Operators/Punch-Taverns/NewRiver-lines-up-50m-Punch-package
Propelinfonews.com: Expanding coaching inn specialist rebrands as Coaching Inn Group: Market town coaching inns specialist the Bulldog Hotel Group is setting the seal on its sector leadership ambitions by rebranding as The Coaching Inn Group. The Lincolnshire-headquartered company, which has grown from two to eight sites since launching in 2007, is investing £20 million on expansion over the next five years, changed its name officially on 1 August. Founder and managing director of The Coaching Inn Group Kevin Charity said: “Our aim is to be the number one operator of regional inns in the country and the name change is the natural next step for us, giving the market a very clear signal as to our sector leadership ambitions. We have a very clear strategy for acquiring high quality coaching inns in busy market towns and revitalising them in order to compete against a backdrop of ever-improving food, drink and accommodation offers across the UK.
Northampton Chronicle: A new bar has opened at a historic Brewery in Northampton.: Phipps NBC have opened the new venture in the Albion Brewery in Bridge Street with a VIP party. Described as “the town’s newest, oldest brewery tap” (because the site was first used for making beer in the 1880s), it features eight hand pumps of cask ale, Phipps, Hoggleys and a revolving guest ale, lagers, craft ales, wines and spirits, including Phipps Kingswell Gin. Food will be served from noon and there will be gigs and events on Sunday and Monday nights later in the year. A spokesman for Phipps said: “We will be keeping the space true to its origins as a working brewhouse where you can drink ale with the smallest carbon footprint in the county but the biggest taste and the longest history.” Phipps NBC’s brewery shop will also reopen once work has finished, selling Phipps and Hoggleys bottled beers as well as its gin, vodka and mineral water and also Friars Farm pickles and chutneys will also be available. After that, work will continue on the first-floor Albion Brewery Venue, a 200-capacity concert venue indie, jazz, folk and world music acts as well as DJ sets and parties. -The Albion Brewery and its bar is open for private bookings and brewery tours.
Propelinfonews.com: Turtle Bay applies to open restaurant in Oxford on site of former pub: Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay has lodged plans to open in Oxford on a site of a former pub. The company has applied to Oxford City Council to convert the independent Far From the Madding Crowd pub in Friars Entry into a restaurant along with an outdoor seating area and new shop front. The pub, which had been in the city centre for 13 years, was closed in January by landlord Charles Eld because the “business could no longer support the rent being charged”. Turtle Bay founder Ajith Jaya-Wickrema told the Oxford Mail: “We’re really excited to open in Oxford and bring with us our rum, reggae and jerk. It’s a fantastic city and we’re really looking forward to opening there and bringing a little piece of the Caribbean into town.” The company has about 20 restaurants across the country and opened its latest venue in Derby on Friday.
Tuesday 4/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: Fleurets relocates East Anglia office to Cambridge: Agent Fleurets is relocating its East Anglia office from Sudbury, where it has traded for 36 years, to Cambridge. “The Fleurets board recognises the need to expand our company’s presence in East Anglia as it is one of the fastest growing regions in the country,” said director Bob Whittle. “To support this growth we need to have modern offices and easy access to a good road network in order to best serve our clients. Being based in Cambridge is a strong strategic location for us.”
Morningadvertiser.co.uk: 92 year old Lincs barmaid calls time on pub career
By Oli Gross, 03-Aug-2015
One of the oldest barmaids in the country has called time on a 62-year career pulling pints – but she loved every minute working in the industry.
Propelinfonews.com: Oxfordshire inn wins Good Food Guide readers’ award: An Oxfordshire inn that opened just over a year ago has beaten eateries across the UK to be crowned the overall winner of the Waitrose Good Food Guide Reader’s Restaurant of the Year Award. The Miller of Mansfield in Goring had been nominated as regional winner for the south east and also crowned overall winner by the editors of the guide. The establishment, run by husband and wife team Mary and Nick Galer, was recognised for its “intricate” food and “brilliantly priced menu”. The Galers previously worked at Heston Blumenthal’s The Crown and The Hinds Head, but opened their own restaurant just over a year ago. Mary Galer said: “Our approach to dining is very straightforward. We serve traditional British food cooked with the best ingredients we can find, in a professional but friendly setting. There are thousands of other restaurants out there, but we hope this sets us apart from the rest. Winning the award’s been a huge morale boost for our staff, and it reflects all the hard work they’ve poured into the business since it started 15 months ago.” Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide editor, added: “Our overall winner shows that top quality food doesn’t have to come with a top priced bill.”
Propelinfonews.com: JD Wetherspoon closes Brigg pub for three days in horse fair week: JD Wetherspoon is closing its White Horse pub in Brigg, Lincolnshire, which opened in January this year, for three days – two days last weekend and also tomorrow (Wednesday) – because it doesn’t have the staff numbers required to cope with customer numbers in horse fair week. Before the weekend, White Horse manager Gavin Ellis said: “We didn’t have enough staff to cope with how busy it is going to be. Everybody has been made aware and we will be open again on Monday morning at 8am.” JD Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said it had assessed the situation and felt it could not run the pub in the manner its customers expected with the number of staff working there and with the expected influx of people from the event itself. He added: “The pub licensee was advised of the date of the event by the council. The licensee contacted a number of other businesses in the area and was told that they would be closed for the weekend. Wetherspoon felt that it would be difficult to run its pub with the number of staff employed there and decided to close Saturday and Sunday. The pub will be open as normal Monday and Tuesday. The pub will also close for one day on Wednesday and reopen Thursday morning.”
Wednesday 5/8/15
Bighospitality.co.uk: The Ritz London achieves gold certification from Green Tourism
By Liam Garrahan, 04-Aug-2015
The Ritz London has been awarded gold certification by Green Tourism for its sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach to its day-to-day operations.
Propelinfonews.com: JD Wetherspoon begins £2.8m investment in Grimsby to create company’s third largest hotel: JD Wetherspoon has begun work on a £2.8m investment at its Yarborough Hotel, in Bethlehem Street, Grimsby, a pub that it has operated for the past 18 years, to create a 36-bedroom hotel on the upper floors of the building. Once completed in March 2016, the building will become JD Wetherspoon’s third largest hotel. A total of 15 new jobs for local people will be created in the hotel, while an additional ten jobs are expected to be created in the pub downstairs to meet an anticipated surge in custom. Joe Sanderson, area manager of JD Wetherspoon, said the hotel will become a “fantastic addition to the town”. “We got the go-ahead about a month back and work has officially started this week,” he said. “The £2.8m has come from the central reinvestment pot at JD Wetherspoon. The company has been making massive moves in our plans for more hotels. What we are finding is that a lot of our pubs have empty spaces above them. We get a good return on these hotels so the investment is definitely worth putting in.”
Morningadvertiser.co.uk: Norwich pub names new beer after slain lion Cecil
By Emily Sutherland, 04-Aug-2015
A Norwich pub has commemorated Cecil the lion, whose death attracted international outcry last week, by naming their new beer after him.
http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/Norwich-pub-the-Fat-Cat-names-beer-after-Cecil-the-lion
Thursday 6/8/15
Propelinfonews.com: McMullens unveils new joint managing director: McMullens, the independent Hertfordshire brewer and pub operator, has announced the appointment of Tom McMullen as joint managing director with effect from today. He joins Peter Furness-Smith who has been managing director since 1998. McMullens has brewed beer in Hertford since 1827 and owns 130 pubs across London and the south east.
Londonlovesbusiness.com: Tipping point – As protests over restaurants’ tips policies grow, here’s which chains tax staff for tips: Which restaurants tax their staff for tips left by card? Tipping culture in Britain is a bit of a grey area. Should you only tip for outstanding service, or should you always leave a tip for the person serving you? In the US, tipping is a vital source of income for some employees, who will otherwise not earn a decent wage. But in Britain, tipping is still often seen as an optional reward. However, a scandal is brewing as it has emerged that when tips are paid by card, employees at some restaurants are not then given 100% of the money, with companies creaming off up to 10% to “cover administration costs”. This has angered employees, and is also frustrating for customers. Pizza Express is the restaurant currently squirming in the spotlight over operating such a policy. Staff may keep 100% of tips left for them in cash, but if customers choose to leave a tip by card payment, the restaurant takes 8% for “administrative costs”. Unite has organised a series of demonstrations outside Pizza Express branches. The company issued a statement which said: “We choose to operate a ‘tronc’ system, which is used by many in the industry. One of the big benefits of this system is that tips made by electronic card payment and discretionary service charges are paid without the deduction of national insurance contributions. “Therefore, our restaurant teams are charged an administrative fee of just 8%, compared to national insurance contributions of 12.8%, which they would otherwise be required to pay. The independent has examined which high street chain restaurants operate similar policies, and which don’t. Here are which restaurants tax their employees for tips, and by how much:
Ask Italian: 8% Café Rouge: 10% Bella Italia: 10% Belugo: 10% Prezzo: 10% Strada: 10% Giraffe: 10% Zizzi: 8% Wagamama: None Carluccios: None Source: Independent
Propelinfonews.com: Family-run Picture Cafe starts expanding by opening second site in Grantham: Family-run Picture Cafe has started expanding after opening a second site in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The company, owned by Julia and Paul Williams, has opened the cafe in a grade II-listed building in Wide Westgate, creating more than 25 jobs. It sources ingredients locally and everything is prepared and cooked fresh in the kitchen. The menu includes everything from all-day breakfasts, pancakes and gourmet burgers to paninis, sandwiches and homemade soups. Paul Williams told the Grantham Journal: “Grantham was our main choice as we saw the potential in its economic growth and new housing development, its reputation for good schools and it also has a wide catchment area of surrounding villages.” Picture Cafe opened its first site in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, four years ago.
Friday 7/8/15
Bighospitality.co.uk: Incentives and ease help hospitality operators in fight for customer feedback
By Emma Eversham+, 06-Aug-2015
Giving incentives to staff and customers for gathering and giving feedback and making it a quick and easy process for all involved are the best ways to capture worthwhile data from customers, according to pub, restaurant and hotel operators.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Incentives-and-ease-help-hospitality-operators-in-fight-for-customer-feedback
Propelinfonews.com: Nottingham burger restaurant owner to launch new deli-cafe concept in city: The owner of Annie’s Burger Shack in Nottingham is launching a new deli-cafe in the city. Anmarie Spaziano is the co-founder of Pico, which is opening in the Hockley area of the city on the site of the former prosecco bar Pilot in Carlton Street. The 60-seat venue, which is due to open on 1 September, will serve pizzas, open sandwiches and grazing boards and offer a takeaway service. It will also sell freshly baked bread, cheese, deli meats, chutneys, sweet tarts and locally roasted coffee. Pico will sell bread from fledging West Bridgford business Tartisan Bakery, cheese, meat and pate from The Cheese Shop in Flying Horse Walk, locally roasted coffee from 200 Degrees, locally made wares from Notts Nosh as well as Spaziano’s own chutneys and sauces. Spaziano told the Nottingham Post: “It’s been a great challenge to do something completely different and unique to the street. I think of this as a picnic basket. You can come in grab some bread, cheese and chutney. It’s almost a co-operative – all local businesses.”
Propelinfonews.com: Prezzo set to open restaurant at £60m development in Hinckley: Italian restaurant brand Prezzo is set to open a restaurant at the £60m Crescent development in Hinckley, Leicestershire. The company has signed up to a 2,637 sq ft unit, which will cost £600,000 and create up to 20 jobs. It will join companies including Sainsbury’s, Cineworld and traditional ale and cider house Elbow Room at the complex being developed by Tin Hat Partnership. Prezzo spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Hinckley Times: “We are looking forward to opening in Hinckley and are confident that our restaurant will be a great addition to the town’s dining scene. Prezzo has an excellent reputation for the quality and choice of its food and believe the restaurant will prove popular with a wide range of people in the town.” Sainsbury’s and Cineworld are set to open at the half-moon shaped complex in the autumn along with a new 540-space underground car park, with the rest of the scheme set to be launched in 2016.
West End Extra ‘Empty shops and quiet restaurants’ – cabbies’ boss says Ride London event hit business as major roads were shut down. THE massive cycling event last weekend damaged business and brought chaos to the roads, according to the head of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association. The two-day Ride London event – a festival that attracted tens of thousands of cyclists – has been criticised after it shut down several major roads in central London and Thames bridges into Westminster. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA, told the West End Extra: “The shops were empty, the restaurants were quiet, the roads were packed, and people couldn’t get about.” Mr McNamara questioned why roads had to be closed for so long. “If you are going to close the roads, do it an hour before, and as soon as they pass by you can open it up again. “Don’t close roads 10 or 12 hours before the bikes come along.” In a statement Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The event is rapidly turning into the London Marathon on wheels and I hope it will be a firm fixture in London’s sporting calendar for many more years to come.”