Monday 18/7/16
Propelinfonews.com – Greene King and Whitbread plan new-build Farmhouse Inn and Costa drive-thru in Hampton: Greene King and Whitbread are both looking to build venues at a planned development in Hampton, near Peterborough. Savills, on behalf of O&H Properties, has exchanged contracts on a freehold development site, off London Road, with Henry Davidson Developments. Greene King is seeking to develop a new venue under its Farmhouse Inns brand – and has already applied for a licence – while Henry Davidson will build an 1,800 square foot (167 square metre) Costa Coffee drive-thru on behalf of Whitbread. Retirement home specialist McCarthy and Stone will also build a 45-apartment complex on the site. Edward Gee, of Savills, told the Peterborough Telegraph: “Hampton continues to grow as a strong commercial location and we are excited to welcome these three occupiers to the area. The construction of a new Costa Coffee drive-thru and Greene King pub on the site will add to the local leisure offer and help to further build on this thriving community.” Last month, Greene King opened its 40th Farmhouse Inns site, in Stoke.
Propelinfonews.com – JD Wetherspoon confirms it will not rebuild fire-stricken Cambridge pub: JD Wetherspoon has confirmed it will not rebuild The Tivoli pub in Cambridge, which was closed by a major fire a year ago. The Chesterton Road pub has stood empty since March last year after it suffered devastating damage from a blaze that took firefighters more than 12 hours to extinguish. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “We can now confirm Wetherspoon will not be rebuilding The Tivoli pub in Cambridge. Since the fire at the pub more than a year ago, Wetherspoon has been keeping its options open. We have now decided that the pub will not be rebuilt. No jobs were lost as a result of the fire with staff relocated to other Wetherspoon pubs in the area.” Gershon added: “We appreciate that the pub’s customers will be disappointed with the decision. However, we would point to the fact that Wetherspoon operates The Regal in Cambridge and is opening its new pub and hotel, Sandford House, in Huntingdon on 19 July (Tuesday). The hotel opens on 4 October.”
Tuesday 19/7/16
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Operators warned to “wash all salads” following E.coli deaths
By Daniel Woolfson, 18-Jul-2016
Public health experts have urged operators to be vigilant and “wash all salads” when preparing and serving mixed salads after two people died of E. coli. Read More
MorningAdvertiser.co.uk – Four ways Pokemon Go can boost restaurant sales
By Sophie Witts, 19-Jul-2016
Pokemon Go has taken the UK by storm, and savvy bars and restaurants are already using the game to boost sales. Read More
Propelinfonews.com – Castle Rock Brewery acquires 22nd pub, eyes further growth: Castle Rock Brewery, the Nottingham-based brewer and pub company, has acquired the freehold of the Cricketers Rest in Kimberley for an undisclosed sum. The pub was bought through The Beer Consortium, the EIS company that bought Bingham’s Horse And Plough and The Embankment at Trent Bridge in Nottingham in 2015, which are also operated and managed by Castle Rock. The Cricketers is the company’s 22nd pub in total. Castle Rock chairman Geoff Newton said: “Kimberley has a long historical association with the brewing industry and the Cricketers Rest is a great community pub close to the former Hardys & Hansons brewery. We’re planning a major refurbishment and look forward to serving the needs of this bustling Nottinghamshire town. The Cricketers will bring great cask ales from Castle Rock, national and local brewers and the refurbishment will extend to the impressive rear garden, making it an ideal family-orientated and dog-friendly venue. We expect the site to be open for business towards the end of August. We continue to look for further suitable acquisitions across the East Midlands.”
Wednesday 20/7/16
MorningAdvertiser.co.uk – Iconic Lincoln pub closes due to ‘inflexibility’ of Co-op
By Oli Gross, 20-Jul-2016
A pub has been forced to close due to alleged ‘inflexibility’ of the building’s owner, Co-op.
Thursday 21/7/16
MorningAdvertiser.co.uk – “We don’t believe every pub should remain open.” – Interviewing CAMRA’s Tim Page
By James Evison, 21-Jul-2016
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is in the middle of one the biggest upheavals in its 45-year history, which could see it utterly transformed in scope and ambition. Chief executive Tim Page reveals all.
Propelinfonews.com – Papa John’s extends Planet Ice partnership to five sites with Peterborough opening: Papa John’s has extended its partnership with Planet Ice, the largest ice leisure brand in Europe, by introducing the pizza brand at a fifth venue, this time in Peterborough. The launch at the Peterborough ice rink follows openings in Planet Ice’s Milton Keynes, Uttoxeter, Coventry and Basingstoke sites. Anthony Round, Papa John’s business development manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring our top quality pizza to a wider audience and be associated with such a well-respected leisure brand – it’s a recipe for success.” Andreas Petrakas, Planet Ice brand business development manager, added: “Planet Ice now serves one million customers a year across all our ice rinks in the UK and we have ambitious plans to grow, both in the UK and overseas. We first introduced Papa John’s in 2015 and pizza has now been fully integrated into our proposition in five key venues. Customers can buy tickets to skate and eat, which goes down well at special pizza parties or a family evening out watching one of our ice hockey matches.” Papa John’s was founded in the US in 1984 and has more than 4,800 stores in 40 international markets and territories, including 300-plus in the UK
Propelinfonews.com – ‘Haunted’ Lincolnshire coach house inn up for auction at £1.5m asking price: Agent Christie & Co is bringing the freehold of the grade II-listed Exchange Coach House Inn at Brigg, Lincolnshire, to auction for an asking price of £1.5m. The 42-bedroom hotel with bar and restaurant comes with stories of ghosts, phantom footsteps, a headless monk and the ghost of a little girl reputed to have fallen from the roof. The venue was built in 1760 and bought by a group of wealthy farmers in 1895, who named it The Exchange Club. In the 1970s, the current owner, Joseph Mullen, restored the building as the Exchange Coach House Inn, which retains its ornate plasterwork ceiling, panelled walls and decorative fire surrounds. Mullen also added 22 en-suite bedrooms in grounds to the rear and a self-contained block with a further 20 bedrooms, bar, lounge and licensed cafe. Christie & Co director Mark Worley told the Lincolnshire Echo: “Over the past eight years, the hotel has been operating on minimal opening hours due to the current owner’s other business ventures. Pre-recession, the business was turning over in excess of £1m and generating profits of about £500,000. This was achieved with just 22 bedrooms. The hotel now stands ready to welcome a new owner to take full advantage of the investment our client, who is retiring, has put into the site.”
Propelinfonews.com – Loungers signs deal for Northampton site: Cafe bar brand Loungers has signed a deal to open a site in Northampton. The company has agreed a 15-year lease with Legal & General, which owns the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, for Welsh House, which sits at the Market Square entrance to the complex. Loungers said it promised a “new lounge offering a homely and relaxed cafe/bar atmosphere over two floors”. The site would also have external seating in Market Square. Loungers plans to open later this year, subject to planning permission to the borough council for change of use and after Legal & General undertakes a “comprehensive refurbishment” of Welsh House. James Whitehill, senior fund manager at Legal & General Property, told the Northants Herald & Post: “We are delighted to welcome Loungers to Northampton and in particular to the Grosvenor Centre. We are confident Loungers will provide a great addition to our shoppers and we are excited to not only bring an important and historic building back into economic use but also to improve the food and beverage offer within the centre.” Loungers, which also operates the Cosy Club brand, currently has 84 sites. Earlier this year, the company revealed it had a fully formed pipeline of openings for 2016.
Friday 22/7/16
BigHospitality.co.uk – Pubs codes introduction signals ‘end of period of uncertainty’
By Emma Eversham+, 21-Jul-2016
Three new voluntary codes of practice for pubs have been welcomed by industry bodies on the day new statutory regulation of the UK’s larger pub companies comes into force.
Propelinfonews.com – Buffet restaurant brand Mimosa opens Loughborough restaurant, sells Telford site: Buffet restaurant concept Mimosa has opened a venue at the new multimillion-pound cinema complex in Loughborough and has sold its site in Telford. The 180-cover Loughborough restaurant serves Chinese, Indian, Thai and Japanese food in a buffet-style setting. It joins a number of other brands that have opened at the site, including PizzaExpress, Nando’s, Loungers’ Centro Lounge, Casual Dining Group-owned Bella Italia, Starbucks, and an eight-screen Cineworld cinema. The restaurant has been decked in thatched bamboo-style roofing over wooden tables and chairs and is surrounded by oriental wall art created by Trafford Parsons. It has employed 20 people in full and part-time positions. A spokesman for the company told the Echo: “It is an all-you-can-eat buffet. It is a trendy restaurant with freshly cooked food. It has an open plan kitchen – we will also have dishes made to order such as Indian and Chinese dishes, and pizza. There is also a function room at the back for up to 70 people.” Meanwhile, Mimosa has sold the lease of its Telford restaurant for £400,000 to concentrate on its other venues. The site at the Southwater leisure complex has been bought by former Handmade Burger Company general manager Sham Uddin and his wife Laura, who are launching Four Corners World Buffet, reports Shropshire Live. It will close on Monday, 1 August before reopening towards the end of the month. The new restaurant will offer Chinese, Indian, Italian and Mexican food and all jobs have been secured as part of the buyout. The other Mimosa sites are in Aldershot and Camberley.
Propelinfonews.com – Newark-based cider and ale house The Vaults acquires second site, in Bingham: Newark-based cider and ale house The Vaults has acquired its second site, this time in Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The company, owned by David and Toni Birch, has secured the lease of The Bingham pub for £35,000 in a deal through agent Davey Co. The pub, which is owned by a private landlord and is currently closed, features a lounge bar, restaurant and private dining area as well as an outside terrace. David Birch has been involved in running pubs and clubs for many years, most recently as a director of UK Bar Services, which provides mobile bar facilities for a variety of events throughout the country and in recent years has provided bars at major country and game fairs at venues around the UK. David and Toni Birch launched The Vaults in cellars in Newark’s historic Northgate in 2014.