Monday 27/6/16
Propelinfonews.com – Anglian Country Inns acquires seventh site: Anglian Country Inns, the award-winning operator of gastro-pubs and restaurants led by James Nye, has acquired its seventh site. The company has added The King’s Head in Letheringsett, Norfolk, to its portfolio. The pub, situated in a parkland setting near to the market town of Holt, features casual dining areas alongside a traditional bar, four guest bedrooms and a garden. Nye said: “The King’s Head is a very welcome addition to our growing hospitality estate. We pride ourselves on the fact that each of our establishments are run independently and have their own charm and individual style, this will remain the case with The King’s Head. We look forward to taking the pub’s sterling reputation to the next level, building on its success with our company values and knowhow. There is a great team at The King’s Head already and we are very excited to be working with Emma Darby and her staff. Having recently received three stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association we will be strengthening our local ethos by bringing lots more locally sourced produce on to the menu as well as a great variety of local and regional ales. With bustling Holt on our doorstep as well as beautiful countryside, there is plenty for our guests to explore before returning to our comfy guest rooms. It truly is an idyllic place for people to experience all that is on offer in stunning north Norfolk and is a great addition to our family group.”
Propelinfonews.com – Coaching Inn Group reopens Kings Head in Richmond following £1m refurbishment: Independent coaching inns operator The Coaching Inn Group has reopened the Kings Head in Richmond, North Yorkshire, following a £1m refurbishment. Coaching Inn acquired the venue in February, secured off an asking price of £2m, as part of the group’s £20m expansion plan, which will see it acquire five more sites this year alone. Previously owned by Ashdale Hotels, the 26-bedroom Kings Head was built in 1717 as a gentleman’s townhouse. The eight-week refurbishment includes a sympathetic renovation of its restaurant, bar and accommodation. The hotel also debuts the company’s new Eatery and Coffee House concept, which includes an all-day menu featuring sharing plates, locally sourced produce and a new hot and cold drinks offering. Coaching Inn Group founder and managing director Kevin Charity said: “The Kings Head is a great example of what we do and the locations we are looking to expand into. Based in the heart of North Yorkshire, the Kings Head is a key venue in the town offering relaxed and comfortable surroundings for visitors and local residents alike.” The Coaching Inn Group operates ten well-known hotels across Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Wales and has built a strong reputation in the industry for transforming high quality coaching inns and revitalising their offer across food, drink and accommodation.
Propelinfonews.com – Delilah begins expansion with deli and restaurant opening in Leicester city centre: Delilah, which operates a deli and restaurant in Nottingham, has started expansion by opening its second venue, this time in Leicester city centre. A £200,000 Leicester City Council heritage grant helped fund the restoration of the grade II-listed building, formerly a bank that had lain empty for nine years. Key architectural features, decorative stonework and a lantern-style roof light have all been restored, with 16 jobs created. The venue in St Martin’s features a deli offering food and wine from around the world to take away or enjoy in the bar or mezzanine restaurant. Owners, husband and wife Sangita and Richard Tryner, opened their debut Delilah site in Nottingham ten years ago. Richard Tryner told the Leicester Mercury: “It’s incredibly exciting to see the site restored to its former glory. The building is simply beautiful, and the perfect setting for our new delicatessen.”
Tuesday 28/6/16
Wednesday 29/6/16
MorningAdvertiser.co.uk – Pubs code: ‘Hundreds missing out on MRO’ as delay continues
By James Evison, 29-Jun-2016
Save the Pub and British Pub Confederation chair Greg Mulholland has called on business minister Anna Soubry to provide an implementation date for the pubs code – and make it retrospective. Read More
Thursday 30/6/16
Morningadvertiser.co.uk – Pub labelled ‘law-breakers’ for £1.20 water charge on TripAdvisor
By Oli Gross, 30-Jun-2016
A licensee has defended her pub after an angry cyclist labelled staff ‘law-breakers’ for charging £1.20 for tap water.
Propelinfonews.com – Taco Bell to open first UK drive-thru site next month, in Cleethorpes: Mexican restaurant brand Taco Bell will open its first UK drive-thru site next month – in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. The company is launching its tenth UK site – and first opening of 2016 – at Meridian Point on Tuesday, 19 July, creating 30 jobs. As well as the drive-thru, the 50-seat venue will feature an open kitchen and mobile phone charging points. Franchisee Arjun Patel, of Northgate Fast Food, told the Grimsby Telegraph: “We have had such a great response from each of our Taco Bell restaurant openings and are really excited to be able to bring that enthusiasm to Cleethorpes.” Nick Dawson, Taco Bell Europe general manager, added: “This is the sixth Taco Bell restaurant that our franchisee Northgate Fast Food has opened in the UK. We are proud to have such a great local partner, with a strong synergy to the brand and a vision to continue to bring Taco Bell to the people of the UK.”
Propelinfonews.com – Hull-based hotel owner acquires second site in city: Hull-based hotel owner Paul Green has acquired his second site in the city. Green, who owns the Nightel Humber at Humberside Airport, has acquired The Embassy Hotel in east Hull from Lee and Sarah Chester. The site, opposite Alexandra Dock where the £310m Siemens manufacturing hub is located, has 23 rooms as well as a revamped cafe and bar, Gingers. Green told The Business Desk: “The Embassy has always been popular with locals and visitors alike and is well known in the city. But as the renewables revolution gathers pace, its location has become its greatest asset.” Green also owns several serviced apartments in the city centre that cater to executives and his company is also building the region’s first Hampton by Hilton hotel, also at the airport.
Friday 1/7/16
MorningAdvertiser.co.uk – Renowned con artist at large again in pub trade
By Oli Gross, 01-Jul-2016
A conman is at large in the pub trade, systematically targeting licensees in the north-west with a “proficient scam”, which has plagued the industry for a decade. Read More
Propelinfonews.com – Meat-free hotdog concept Not Dogs to launch in Birmingham city centre: Vegetarian hotdog concept Not Dogs is set to launch in Birmingham city centre. The company has been operating a food truck at festivals but has signed a three-year lease on a site in Link Street, between Grand Central station and the Bullring, which will open at the end of the summer. Not Dogs was founded by Jane Whitehead and Katie McDermott and was runner-up in the tastiest startup category of the Virgin Food Festival 2014. Hotdogs include Original Frank (quorn bratwurst with ketchup, French mustard, American cheese sauce and caramelised beer-fried onions), while the 30-cover restaurant will also offer meat-free burgers, waffle fries, coffee, healthy fizzy drinks and breakfast options. Whitehead told the Birmingham Mail: “We hope one day to be in every city in the country. As well as being a fun and innovative brand, we want to appeal to meat-eaters and vegetarians – a third of our customers so far have been meat-eaters. Link Street is in a great position as it’s not as expensive as the main Bullring, where one day we’d hope to be.”