Opening up: How one entrepreneur kept his food hall dream alive July 3, 2020 The pandemic has been tough on everybody – but launching a food hall business in the middle of it is really going above and beyond. Sessions Market chief Dan Warne tells us how he kept going, and plans for the future It was early March and just like so many businesses, the news of the [...]
Super Saturday: 11 London pubs to visit as capital reopens July 3, 2020 We know Soho is opening up with pedestrianised streets, but what else is happening this weekend around the capital? Well, there’s plenty of London pubs and bars reopening, if you’re in need of a post-lockdown drink. If you’re looking for inspiration, City A.M. takes a very brief look at options – but for goodness’ sake, just [...]
The Friday interview: Gary Boom on wine, trading and virtual tastings July 3, 2020 Nothing has been immune from the disruption wrought by Covid-19 and the wine industry is no different. City A.M. talks to BI Fine Wine chief Gary Boom about Bordeaux tastings, the wine industry and the value of an alternative asset class. “Here’s your routine when you start: it’s nine o’clock first tasting, with seven wines. [...]
4 July reopening: Soho to sizzle as street festival kicks off this weekend July 2, 2020 The West End is set to be the epicentre of 4 July reopening revelry this weekend with newly pedestrianised streets heralding what some are calling “The Summer of Soho”. Westminster Council have now confirmed that a number of streets in the famous entertainment district will be closed to motor traffic. That will allow venues to [...]
Boisdale launches campaign to allow live music in restaurants July 1, 2020 London restaurant group Boisdale has launched a campaign urging the government to overturn a ban on live music in restaurants, as the hospitality sector prepares to reopen after months of lockdown. Boisdale, which owns restaurants in Mayfair, Bishopsgate, Canary Wharf and Belgravia, has said it will continue to host live music performances at one of [...]
Hospitality venues raise the bar as pubs’ re-opening app-roaches July 1, 2020 | City Talk ‘Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps’: no longer (for the time being, at least) a request delivered while waiting at the bar. Instead, a request delivered electronically by smartphone app from a safe, social distance. Technology’s reach knows no bounds as Britain’s public houses – stereotypically bastions of resistance to digital accoutrements [...]
Coronavirus has reshaped urban mobility but the biggest challenge remains Climate Change June 30, 2020 | Sponsored The argument for small, environment-friendly personal transport has been growing stronger for some time. This was true even before the Coronavirus pandemic required us to socially distance, and the government urged us all to “consider all other forms of transport before using public transport”; thus marking a reversal of the long-standing encouragement to use trains [...]
Exclusive: Joe Allen’s Theatreland brasserie to launch virtual cabaret fundraiser June 29, 2020 It’s the Theatreland institution that has provided late night refreshment to London’s thespians for more than four decades – but like every other restaurant in the capital, Joe Allen’s has been hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. But for those missing the theatre, the New York-style brasserie in Covent Garden will be hosting a series [...]
Boxpark chief: Rent crisis could be disastrous for London hospitality June 24, 2020 On a normal, pre-lockdown night just a short walk from Liverpool Street, Boxpark Shoreditch would usually be buzzing with small retailers and rooftop bars packed full. As anybody who has walked through the area recently will know, though, an eerie silence has fallen on that particular corner of Shoreditch – just as it has at [...]
Alex Cheatle: The trouble with staycations June 24, 2020 Alex Cheatle, founder and CEO of Ten Lifestyle Group, writes for City A.M. on why he thinks ‘staycations’ are for too many a risky business this summer Tempted to holiday in the UK this summer? There are two things you need to know about the ‘staycation’ to discover why much of the British travel industry [...]