Monday 22/8/16
Golfclubmanagement.net – 3 in 4 golfers pick their course based on online reviews: A survey of 4,000 golfers has found that a huge three in four of them will read online reviews before deciding which new course to play. The Golfshake research found 80 per cent read online feedback and almost all of them will make their decision based at least partly on that information. he research also found that the rate of golfers going online to read course reviews is doing up quickly, with use of the term ‘course reviews’ on search engines increasing by over 400 per cent in just two years. “The importance of online reviews and ratings is becoming ever more apparent,” said Golfshake digital strategist Owen Davies. “Research by two economists from the University of California discovered that when a restaurant improved its customer rating by just half a star, it was significantly more likely to be full at peak times of the week. “Our findings are reflected elsewhere, with a recent survey from Invesp Marketing discovering that 90 per cent of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.”
Morningadvertiser – Pubs targeted by advertising scam
By Nikkie Sutton, 22-Aug-2016
Licensees are urging other pubs to remain vigilant following reports that a scam artist is targeting pubs in the Bristol and Bath area. Read More
Boutiquehotelier.com – Congham Hall Hotel signs off on renovations following six-figure cash boost from Natwest: Congham Hall Hotel, a 26-bed hotel in Norfolk, has completed a series of renovations thanks to a six-figure funding boost from Natwest. The hotel began work in January on eight of its main house bedrooms plus all corridors and the Writing Room, which can be used for private events. The hotel, which is situated in King’s Lynn, first became a hotel in 1982 when it was transformed from a family home by the Forecast family. In 2002 the property was purchased by Nicholas Dickinson and a small group of private investors. Dickinson, whose experience operating country house hotels includes Oxford’s Belmond Le Manoiraux Quat’Saisons, met earlier this year with NatWest relationship manager Tom Smith for support with the refurbishments on site. “In an era when banks are often criticised for not supporting the small business sector, I can only say that this has not been our experience,” Dickinson said. Tom Smith added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Nicholas and his team these past years, and to see him work so hard to present Congham Hall to the public. We are delighted with our ongoing relationship and NatWest look forward to helping him in the future.”
Propelinfonews.com -Cambscuisine acquires Casual Dining Group site in Cambridge for seventh venue: Pub and restaurant operator Cambscuisine, led by Oliver Thain and Max Freeman, is to open a new brasserie concept in Cambridge after acquiring a site from Casual Dining Group. Cambscuisine secured the grade II-listed building, which was formerly operated as a Bella Italia restaurant, through agent Everard Cole. Cambscuisine said: “We’re delighted to announce the next Cambscuisine restaurant, MillWorks, opening in October at the old watermill on the Mill Pond in Cambridge (formerly Bella Italia and before that Sweeney Todd’s). We will be re-energising this historic Cambridge mill into an eclectic modern brasserie. Think vibrant, punchy flavours with elements of smoke from our charcoal oven ‘Mortimer’. The building (has) so much history and so much potential.” Cambscuisine has six other sites, including Smokeworks, The Cambridge Chop House and The Crown & Punchbowl. Agents AG&G acted for Casual Dining Group.
Propelinfonews.com – Five Guys given go-ahead to open Norwich site: Better burger brand Five Guys has been given the go-ahead to open a restaurant in Norwich city centre after it dropped plans to site tables and chairs outside. Norwich City Council has given permission for Five Guys to start conversion of the former Pizza Hut site into a 120-cover restaurant, spread over two floors in the Orford Place building, ready for an opening on Monday, 17 October. The city council’s transport officer Kieran Yates and civic watchdog The Norwich Society had objected to the plans, citing “unacceptable congestion” caused by the proposed street furniture. Founded in Arlington, Virginia, in 1986 by the Murrell family, and named after the five brothers who worked together to make the chain an international success, Five Guys has 46 restaurants in the UK, having opened its first in Covent Garden in 2013.
Eastern Dail Press – Gorleston ale house gets a revamped look as a wine bar: Landlady Suzy Fowler is turning her back on the traditional pub with a pool and darts team and looking to a more refined market. The Three Tuns, an ale house since 1835, is becoming a wine bar, hoping to attract the kind of customers already flocking to the range of eateries that have sprung up in Gorleston. With the seaside town gaining a reputation as a more discerning watering hole with vintage coffee shops and smart restaurants Mrs Fowler is aiming to join the scene. She said that while some had said it was a “brave and bold” step and had applauded her efforts others were critical preferring things to stay as they were. The 56-year-old said JD Wetherspoons’ decision to come to Gorleston had been a factor in her decision to make the changes after running the pub for 18 months and “throwing good money after bad.” Having closed for refurbishment in May the pub will re-open as a wine bar on August 27 at 7pm.Mrs Fowler who lives at the High Street venue with her mother, daughter and grandson said she was looking forward to serving new people as well as her regulars many of whom she imagined would stay with her. “It means that it is something completely different where you can have a bottle of wine, low lighting and personal service at your table,” she said. Bar snacks will be replaced with sharing treats like a cheese board, and it is out with the pool table and darts as part of the revamp. Mrs Fowler said having The Olive Garden in the High Street after it moved from across the river from Yarmouth was a boost she hoped would help her business. She is also keen to hear from people who have photographs or memories of how the pub was in days gone by with nostalgic pictures being a key part of the new decor.
Tuesday 23/8/16
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Outraged campaigners claim pubs code ‘still not ready’
By Oli Gross, 23-Aug-2016
Pubs code campaigners are outraged at the announced consultation into how the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) will investigate breaches of the code, claiming the legislation is still effectively ‘not ready’. Read More
Wednesday 24/8/16
Bighospitality.co.uk – The Chestnut Group secures another £2.5m funding for expansion
By Emma Eversham+, 23-Aug-2016
Suffolk-based hospitality business The Chestnut Group has raised £2.5m through the Government’s Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to help with its plans to expand to 10 sites by the end of 2018. Read More
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – 13 things you need to know about the plastic banknotes
By Liam Coleman, 23-Aug-2016
The year was 1995 and Radiohead were preoccupied with fake plastic trees. Well, 21 years later, we now need to turn our eyes to fake plastic notes.
Propelinfonews.com – Giggling Squid to open first Norfolk restaurant, in Norwich next month: Thai restaurant business Giggling Squid will open its first site in Norfolk, in Norwich next month. The 200-cover, 4,000 square foot restaurant will open in Tombland at a former Casual Dining Group-owned La Tasca venue on Friday, September 9. Earlier this month, Giggling Squid revealed plans to add ten further sites to its estate in the next 12 months. On the back of its recent £6.4m investment from the Business Growth Fund and the granting of a new £8m bank facility with Barclays, Giggling Squid said it would step up its growth plans. In addition to the Norwich restaurant, its 16th site, other venues in Berkhamsted, Warwick and Farnham are already in “fit out”. Giggling Squid co-founder Pranee Laurillard told the Eastern Daily Press: “We’ve had our eye on Norwich for a while. It’s clear there’s a vibrant, buzzing food scene and we think our fresh take on Thai cuisine will go down really well. We’ve just been waiting for the right location to come up. Now it has, we can’t wait to open!”
Golfclubmanagement.net – More than 1 in 2 non-golfers are put off the game by dress codes: More than 50 per cent of people who do not play golf would consider playing the game if they were subjected to a relaxed dress code. The PGA is showcasing the figure, from research by Syngenta, as a way golf clubs can be more professional. The organisation believes its members can address five of the six main issues that non-golfers have with the sport, but dress codes are typically beyond the jurisdiction of the club professional. Joe Kelly, the PGA’s lead business relationship officer, said: “Syngenta reported that the top six reasons for a non-golfer to consider trying the sport are free golf mornings (63 per cent), easy access to affordable golf lessons (61 per cent), relaxed dress codes (54 per cent), two-month trials (53 per cent), beginner-only mornings (52 per cent) and more friends and family participating in the game (48 per cent). “Other than a relaxed dress code the data provided supports coaching as a ‘golden thread’ running through a golf club business. “Due to the business environment in which golf clubs now have to operate, with competition from other industries in terms of our disposable income, changing family dynamics and the much reported pressure on our time, the product of old must of course be as good as ever, but I think we need to do more. Enhancing the product by uplifting the level of service, adding to the product to align to customer demands and then proactively marketing this should be the business objectives of golf clubs looking to drive revenues.” He added that professionals can even link how they teach the game with other perceived barriers to participation. “Coaching can be linked to food and beverage, social activity and shorter versions of the game,” he said. “Where possible it is important to include some level of coaching, as playing better golf is directly linked to an individual’s enjoyment of the game and therefore an increased probability of continuing to play. Data provided by Sports Coach UK stated that: ‘Both coached and non-coached participants face the same barriers to taking part (time, health, life-changes) but our research found those who are coached are more likely to overcome the barriers and continue playing. This is mainly because of the commitment to sport that coaching develops, but the quality of a coach, the personal relationship between participant and coach and the other positive impacts coaching brings (to enjoyment, time spent playing and reducing the likelihood of dropout) all contribute too’.”
Thursday 25/8/16
Propelinfonews.com – Top chefs ‘wage war’ on London’s polystyrene waste: Renowned names in the foodservice sector, including Michelin-starred chefs, have sent a letter to London mayor Sadiq Khan calling for a city-wide ban on non-biodegradable polystyrene packaging. The letter is penned by Ed Baines, who co-owns the Randall & Aubin seafood restaurant in Soho, and co-signed by Theo Randall, Mark Hix and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, alongside food critic William Sitwell. In the letter, they claim polystyrene packaging is contributing to London’s “abysmal” recycling performance, adding that the material should be outlawed in restaurants and cafes – as has been done in many US cities, Edie.net reports. “This white foamy material might seem harmless, but it’s not – it is the scourge of Soho,” Baines writes. With my fellow signatories, I feel an obligation to take the lead from more progressive cities of the world such as San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC and call on you as the mayor of London to introduce a ban on this unsightly and environmentally damaging method of packaging.” Baines said polystyrene was difficult to recycle, with millions of tonnes ending up in landfill every year and polluting oceans and waterways. He added that polystyrene can carry pollutants from the ocean that can be ingested by fish and, later, humans. In response to the letter, a spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said any ban on polystyrene packaging would require government legislation.
Leisuremanagement.co.uk – Sport England awards £1.5m grant towards Cambridgeshire leisure centre: Development of new leisure centre in East Cambridgeshire has received the go-ahead after Sport England awarded a £1.5m (US$2m, €1.7m) grant towards the £13.5m (US$17.7m, €15.7m) project.Confirmation of the lottery award means the project in Ely is now fully funded and can go ahead. The money will come from Sport England’s strategic facilities fund, which offers investment to local authorities looking to make large-scale improvements to their sports facilities. The Ely facility will include an eight-lane 25m swimming pool, a learner pool with moveable floor, a health and fitness suite with 120 stations, two activity studios, a four-court sports hall and a 3G artificial grass pitch. The preferred contractor to build the centre is Pellikaan.GLL will manage the East Cambridgeshire District Leisure Centre on the council’s behalf when it has been built. Charles Johnston, Sport England property director, said: “We are delighted to offer £1.5m of National Lottery funding to help people in East Cambridgeshire live more active lives. With plans for an impressive range of sporting facilities, this new centre will be huge asset for the region. I wish the council every success in delivering this first-class facility.” Councillor Richard Hobbs, chairman of commercial services at the council, said: “We are thrilled to receive support from Sport England, which as a result, means that we can deliver a top class leisure facility for East Cambridgeshire. This funding is pivotal for the progression of the centre and I look forward to the work commencing in due course.” Work is expected to start in September 2016, with the facility due to open in early 2018. An indoor sports facilities needs assessment, strategy and action plan in 2015 found that the district’s facilities were not big enough for the community and would not cope with the demand from a growing population. The local population is expected to increase by 19,500 to 103,700 by 2026.
Friday 26/8/16
Propelinfonews.com – Fledgling Leicestershire-based pub company Broood opens first site in Hinckley, secures Leicester bar for second venue: Fledgling Leicestershire-based pub company Broood has opened its first site, in Hinckley, and revealed it has secured its second venue, in Leicester. The company, which was founded in April by Steve and Jenny Thatcher, has taken over the lease of The Prince of Wales in Coventry Road, Hinckley. It will also open its second pub on the former Sloanes bar site in King Street, Leicester, in October. Broood specialises in spicy Portuguese chicken, real ales from “all corners of the UK” and coffee. The Hinckley pub, which is owned by Animal Pub Company, has been refurbished and renamed Broood At The Prince Of Wales. Steve Thatcher told the Leicester Mercury: “Broood is the marrying together of our three great passions – beer, chicken and coffee. We focus on high quality in all areas of the business and our chicken will be of the highest quality to match and complement our expertly selected beer range. Both Hinckley and Leicester have strong real ale communities and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into Broood in Hinckley, and then in another few weeks in Leicester.”
Propelinfonews.com – Middletons Steakhouse and Grill to open sixth site with £1.5m Leicester launch in October: Norfolk-based Middletons Steakhouse and Grill will open a £1.5m restaurant in Leicester this autumn, its sixth site. The 200-cover restaurant will open in a grade II-listed former NatWest bank in St Martins on Friday, 14 October. Middletons has taken a 20-year lease on the property and the opening will create 60 jobs. The building, designed in 1900 in the baroque revival style, had lain empty for 16 years and is undergoing a sympathetic renovation, with construction work well advanced. Middletons managing director Steve Hutton said the painstaking restoration includes refurbishing the original doors and panels, which are made from rare Brazilian mahogany. He told the Leicester Mercury: “As the work has progressed we’re increasingly aware of what a magnificent building this is. The huge former banking hall, based on ancient Roman architecture, is an amazing space and we can’t wait to throw open our doors and welcome the people of Leicester to our most ambitious project to date.” Hutton hopes to open further restaurants in the Midlands once Leicester is established and has plans for a seventh site in Peterborough, which he hopes to open early next year. Steve and Tracy Hutton opened their first Middletons Steakhouse and Grill in King’s Lynn in 2010. The company’s other sites are in Norwich, Milton Keynes, Colchester and Watford.
Propelinfonews.com – New British-style steakhouse concept MooMoo’s launches in King’s Lynn: New British-style steakhouse concept MooMoo’s Steakhouse Bar and Grill has launched in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. The independent business has opened in Chapel Street in the town centre, combining a coffee shop, main restaurant and cocktail bar. From 8am to 4pm, the coffee shop serves light bites, while the restaurant opens for evening meals. On Sundays, it offers a carvery serving lunches from midday to 5pm. The upstairs cocktail bar features table service, with more than 30 cocktails on the menu. General manager Jay Evans told Lynn News: “The steakhouse isn’t in the form of an American-style restaurant but will serve a traditional British menu. We believe MooMoo’s will bring something different to Lynn and our intention is to bring a city feel to a market town. We hope to open more in the future.”