Smokehouses will be hot item in Britain next year, says BDO December 14, 2014 A BOOM in smokehouses and barbecues are among the restaurant predictions for 2015, according to advisory firm BDO. In its annual forecast, released today, BDO said this year saw “the continuing rise of the burger, [and] in 2015 we expect new concepts and roll outs in the smoke and barbecue world to have a great [...]
UN states have inked deal on climate change December 14, 2014 UNITED Nations member states yesterday agreed on how to tackle climate change, after slow negotiations at the Lima Call for Climate Action ran almost two days over time. For the first time every country will be committed to drawing up a national pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, environmental groups said the deal had [...]
Union slams Ofwat decision on pricing and calls for more action December 14, 2014 Private water companies and the industry regulator Ofwat should be scrapped, according to union GMB. Ofwat’s price determination, published late last week, revealed that water bills in the UK would be reduced by five per cent over the next five years. Jonson Cox, Ofwat chairman, said: “We are bringing down bills so customers can expect [...]
Big six market share declines December 14, 2014 INDEPENDENT energy firms in the UK now account for 10 per cent of the residential dual-fuel energy market, according to new research from consultancy firm Cornwall Energy. The data shows that the big six firms accounted for 99 per cent of the market in 2011. By September 2014, this had dropped to 92 per cent, [...]
Spending on delivery grows December 14, 2014 INVESTMENT in commercial vehicles grew by 22 per cent in the last year, according to UK finance provider LDF. The firm said the value of asset finance used by businesses to fund fleets of trucks, vans and other commercial vehicles rose from £4.9bn to £5.9bn in the year to 31 October as companies realised that [...]
The John Lewis Monty effect strikes again: Penguin confectionery flies off the shelves at Choc on Choc December 14, 2014 Bath-based, artisan chocolate brand, Choc on Choc has sold £260,000 worth of penguin confectionery in what the brand is calling the “Monty effect” following consumer hype around this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. Since the debut of the Monty the Penguin advert, Choc On Choc has seen a huge surge in sales of its penguin [...]
Christmas jumper day turned out to be something of a cracker December 14, 2014 We asked… you delivered. Friday was probably the only day of the year when the brighter, the sillier, the most garish, the more glittery jumper imaginable was allowed in even the most staid of City offices. It was, of course, Christmas Jumper Day and it was all in a good cause, too – Save [...]
Cold weather fails to deter warm hearts as Canary Wharf runners raise money for Kids City charity December 14, 2014 Some very brave (and badly dressed) runners sprinted around Canary Wharf on Friday to raise money for the Kids City charity. The theme was the 12 days of Christmas, so there were nine ladies dancing and 10 lords a leaping. The ladies and lords were provided by Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management. Joint winners were two [...]
British dealmakers considerably increase their activity overseas December 14, 2014 WHILE deal making in Britain has seen a small increase in activity this year, domestic dealmakers acquiring assets overseas have increased considerably, according to data analysis by EY released today. The acquisitions have been driven by corporates across a few sectors keen to reposition their business models in a low-growth world. The volume [...]
Success of tech hubs sparks ICT firm dash for investment funds December 14, 2014 The success of UK tech hubs such as Silicon Roundabout has driven a 26 per cent rise in ICT (Information Communication and Technology) companies seeking to raise funds to fuel their growth through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). The EIS, a government initiative, is designed to encourage private investment in small companies through generous tax [...]