Monday 22/2/16

Peterboroughtoday.com: Crowdfunding bid to get EMBE restaurant back: You can never keep a good man down, so it would seem. Nick Rutta, who has been serving up food with a African and Caribbean twist in Peterborough for more than a decade was devastated when he was forced to close EMBE on Burghley Road last summer. It was a restaurant he had built up over the last five years at the former Glass Onion pub, having previously operated out of the City Club basement in the city centre and the Thorpe Lodge hotel on Thorpe Road. But dwindling numbers, which he partly blamed on the draw of the chain restaurants in the city centre, saw him close the doors in July. Since then he has operated as a pop-up in Cambridge and at the weekend popped up at Peterborough Market where he outlined his plans for a return to the city, with a crowdfunding venture. “Over the last 15 years I have developed and realised I am passionate about food, people, service and business. “I believe I can still develop and create a product and brand that is popular and loved by you, as you may have already seen with the last EMBE. “The market is huge for the Afro-Caribbean cuisine as we can see from the growth of the ‘Turtle Bay’ brand. “2016 is set to be the year of hard work in order to re-open EMBE Restaurant. The future of EMBE is huge, with a bit of support and hard work, the cook book will be written, the sauces will be developed, the cookery classes will be established. “Most importantly I will be looking for the right location/premises, this could be in Peterborough or around Cambridgeshire. So far I have located a suitable and affordable location.” Nick is looking to raise £45,000 through GoFundMe . Anyone pledging will be given special reservation rights, plus depending on the amount, various rewards and discounts. For more visit www.embepopup.co.uk and click on FundEMBE

Tuesday 23/2/16

Wednesday 24/2/16

Morning Advertiser: Operators threaten to de-list Charles Wells beers following price hike

By Emily Sutherland, 24-Feb-2016

Operators have threatened to de-list Charles Wells beers after the brewer and pub company announced yesterday it was raising prices of its own-brewed beers by 2%. Read More

Thursday 25/2/16

Golfclubmanagement.net: Second golf club converts entirely to FootGolf: Grimsby Golf Centre has become at least the second golf club in the last few months to secure its future by converting to FootGolf, the sport that is a hybrid of football and golf. The venue says that user numbers have increased threefold since the conversion, and it is now thought that more than 300 UK golf courses, more than 15 percent, will have a FootGolf course by this time next year. More than 200 golf clubs have set up FootGolf courses on their venues in the last three years, but two have now decided to close down the golf side altogether and focus exclusively on FootGolf. Grimsby, which is set in 44 acres, and featured a par 32, nine-hole course, was put up for sale last year, but its management team has decided to convert the golf course into a full-size 18-hole FootGolf course instead. The venue’s 26-bay floodlit driving range will remain in operation and the facility will be called ‘Grimsby FootGolf & Driving Range’. Read More http://www.golfclubmanagement.net/2016/02/second-golf-club-converts-entirely-to-footgolf/

Morning Advertiser: Immigration Bill: Fresh warnings about ‘Draconian’ new powers to close pubs

By Emily Sutherland, 24-Feb-2016

Barrister Gary Grant has warned licensees that police and local authorities “have real teeth” to tackle pubs who employ illegal workers. Read More

Propelinfonews.com: Purecraft to open second venue, in Nottingham city centre in March, as part of expansion: Purecraft Bar and Kitchen, which has a venue in Birmingham, will open its second site in Nottingham city centre on 21 March, creating more than 25 jobs. The company said it was looking to expand to six or seven venues across the UK. The Nottingham site is a former HSBC branch in St Peter’s Gate, which is undergoing a £500,000 refurbishment. Purecraft’s three directors are former Michelin-starred Dorchester chef Andreas Antona, Purity Brewing Co boss Paul Halsey and Martin Hilton, who told the Nottingham Post: “It’s a very simple concept. We do cask beer and keg beer – we believe in really high-quality beer and a great range. Our mission is to create new beer fans.” The venue will offer beers from Purity brewery – a sister company of Purecraft – as well as many others from around the world. Dishes will include braised lamb shoulder; lamb faggot with beer-braised onions, minted peas and potato puree; and Beedhaus streaky bacon with Purity beer ketchup. The venue will also serve local cheeses. The bar will feature a function room available for private hire and beer tastings. Hilton said Purecraft was eyeing sites in Leeds, Manchester and London.

Friday 26/2/16

Morning Advertiser: Drink-led venues hit hard by closures

By Oli Gross, 26-Feb-2016

Drink-led venues have been hit hard by closures, with the sector shrinking by 1.2% in 2015, according to the Market Growth Monitor from AlixPartners and CGA Peach. Read More

Propelinfonews.com: Multi-site brothers secure third Hertfordshire site, first with Charles Wells: Multi-site operators Bain and Bridges, run by brothers Tom and Jamie Bainbridge, has secured its third Hertfordshire site – The White Hart at Welwyn Garden City – after teaming up with Bedford-based brewer and retailer Charles Wells. The brothers are refurbishing the bar and restaurant, their first Charles Wells lease, prior to reopening in March. Further upgrades will be made to the 13 letting bedrooms on a phased basis to ensure the business can continue uninterrupted. The Bainbridges operate The Tilbury and The Old Post Office Tea Rooms in Datchworth. Tom Bainbridge will head up the food offer while his brother, who has three Michelin-starred experience, will lead the service delivery.

Propelinfonews.com: Tasty to open first Wildwood site in Lincolnshire: Tasty’s plans for its first Wildwood site in Lincolnshire have been approved. It plans to open a restaurant and 70-seater cinema at the former Mall Shopping Centre in High Street, Lincoln, in July. Diners at the prime city centre spot can enjoy pizza, pasta and grilled meals such as burgers and steaks, with a three-course set menu with a cinema ticket included for less than £20. The ground floor of the venue will house a bar and restaurant area, with stairs leading up through the centre and the cinema on the first floor. Wildwood has 31 restaurants in the UK, including venues in Peterborough and Ely in Cambridgeshire, which also has a cinema room.