Lidl promotes Ryan McDonnell to UK CEO November 26, 2021 Supermarket Lidl has announced current UK CEO Christian Härtnagel will become chief executive at Lidl Germany, while Ryan McDonnell will be promoted to lead the group’s UK operations. McDonnell, who left a family business in construction for Lidl’s graduate scheme in 2000, set up the company’s buying and marketing divisions. The supermarket business, which [...]
US chain Wendy’s beefs up UK presence with 50 new branches November 25, 2021 Fast food chain Wendy’s plans to open 50 new locations across the country, marking the third attempt by the popular US burger chain to break the UK market, according to reports. The bold move was prompted by strong sales at five UK restaurant sites, including in Croydon and Stratford, according to the Financial Times, which [...]
We swing by The Ned’s new jazz and cabaret lounge The Parlour November 25, 2021 The City’s vast eating and drinking destination The Ned has opened a new jazz and cabaret lounge called The Parlour. One of six restaurants housed in the former banking hall (the others being The Nickel Bar, Electric Bar & Diner, Malibu Kitchen, Kaia, and Lutyens Grill), The Parlour is an intimate venue located in the [...]
Collectivino: The ethical wine company making it easy to drink good wine November 24, 2021 Sustainability is the current watch word in wine. As bottle weights and recyclability are increasingly discussed, companies must at least nod in an environmentally friendly direction or risk falling behind competitors. People are increasingly aware of the impact their choices make on the planet but buying ethical wine sustainably can be a tricky thing to [...]
Why it’s time to end the scourge of the service charge November 24, 2021 Ask five people about service charge – that innocent looking ‘discretionary’ or ‘optional’ 12.5 per cent right at the bottom of your bill – and you’ll get five different answers. It’s an archaic, often clandestine system and I’m glad to have scraped it at our restaurant Oklava. Here’s why. Service charge never sat right with [...]
William Wolfe’s Guide to Living Excellently in London – an extract from this amazing new book November 24, 2021 This new book by the fictional William Wolfe is a who’s who of the London luxury scene – here are some of his top tips: In the 1960s a gentleman couldn’t possibly exist without Sir Francis Chichester’s Guide to Good Living in London. It was a pocket-sized map of the West End and the City, [...]
Last Orders: Restaurant insolvencies jump 31 per cent amid rising expenses November 22, 2021 Restaurant insolvencies rise by 31 per cent as costs rise ahead of customer demand in a post-lockdown economy.
Everything you need to get your morning coffee fix, from bean to cup November 18, 2021 From subscription coffee delivey to grinding your beans and transporting your precious liquid, we have everything you need to stay alert and caffeinated. Pact coffee subscriptionFROM £6.95 A BAG, PACTCOFFEE.COMNever settle for stale, pre-ground supermarket coffee, which could have been sitting on a shelf or warehouse for weeks or months. A Pact subscription will deliver freshly [...]
Coffee and me: For the best black stuff, go back to basics November 18, 2021 Recently I mused to a friend that if pubs didn’t expand their non-alcoholic offerings, they ran the risk of losing a generation of potential consumers who don’t drink much and for whom the more natural social setting is the coffee shop. It’s not hard to see how this could happen: the bean temples of Starbucks, [...]
Wine diary: My lunch with the Tom Selleck of the wine world November 17, 2021 Celebration was in the air at the first Winemakers Lunch in over two years. Hosted by Top Selection director Akos Forczek, it took place at the oenophile haven that is 67 Pall Mall’s private dining room. The guest of honour was Peter Mondavi Jr who, baring some resemblance to an even-more-twinkly Tom Selleck, took us [...]