UK distilleries on the rise as craft spirit craze continues November 12, 2018 The number of distillery businesses in the UK soared 30 per cent in a single year as demand for craft spirits grows, according to figures published today. Distilleries rose in number from 131 in 2016 to 170 in 2017, reflecting an increased appetite for unusual flavours and local spirits produced by boutique distilleries. Accountancy firm [...]
Weapon of choice: How nutrition brand Grenade has exploded into the market November 12, 2018 Grenade is the kind of brand that just appears out of nowhere – you blink and suddenly the products are a staple stock in shops around the country. For those who have somehow missed the craze, Grenade is a food company specialising in healthy snacks – and now you’ve heard the name, you’ll probably start [...]
Zizzi’s Salisbury Novichok attack restaurant doubles customers on re-opening November 12, 2018 The restaurant which was caught in the middle of the Salisbury Novichok poisoning has doubled its customers since re-opening last week. The Salisbury branch of Zizzi was closed after traces of the Novichok nerve agent used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal were reported to have been discovered at the Italian restaurant. “The last two [...]
Shake up at Dirty Martini as owners appoint advisers for possible sale November 11, 2018 The group that runs the Dirty Martini chain of cocktail bars confirmed today it had appointed advisers to examine a sale. CG Restaurants said it had “received a number of unsolicited approaches, which are being considered in the context of delivering best value to our shareholders.” It also said: “This may or not result in [...]
Analysts express doubt over The Restaurant Group’s takeover of Wagamama’s November 11, 2018 Analysts have expressed doubt over Frankie and Benny’s owner The Restaurant Group’s (TRG) £600m acquisition of Asian fusion chain Wagamama’s. TRG is the preferred bidder in the sales process which was sparked in June by Goldman Sachs on behalf of private equity backers Duke Street and Hutton Collins, it was announced last month. However analysts [...]
All Saints profits hit by retail storm November 11, 2018 Fashion brand All Saints has seen its profits plummet as online shopping continues to take its toll on high-street fashion retailers. The company’s underlying profits fell by more than half to £10.6m because of property losses and a drop in in-store sales. Sales rose eight per cent to £327m in the year to February. But [...]
Alibaba’s record-breaking Singles Day sales hit $10bn in first hour November 11, 2018 Online retail giant Alibaba today smashed records for the largest shopping day on the planet, making sales of over $1bn (£770.5m) in just 85 seconds. The sales came during Singles Day, the world’s largest online retail festival. Alibaba’s total sales hit $10bn after one hour and had reached over $24bn after 16 hours. The festival's sales eclipse the estimated [...]
Netflix boss Reed Hastings excited by new rivals Disney Plus as they continue expansion November 10, 2018 Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings has claimed he is looking forward to the challenge prosed by Disney, who are launching their own online streaming service. The new service, Disney Plus, will go head to head with Netflix and Amazon Prime when it launches late next year. Hastings has admitted that Disney are a "formidable" company in the [...]
Essex fizz could give French winemakers a run for their money November 10, 2018 Wine from Essex could rival the Champagne region of France, scientists have found. A study from the University of East Anglia showed that some of the UK’s best land for wine production was in areas like Essex and Suffolk. The researchers found nearly 35,000 hectares of prime land for cultivating grapes across England and Wales, [...]
Golden quarter could bring Christmas cheer to struggling British retailers November 9, 2018 Retailers might find seasonal cheer in an early Christmas present as experts predict a strong final quarter to the year. Sales in the sector are expected to tick up by two per cent year-on-year, according to analytics company Global Data. The increase will be driven by food and groceries, which are expected to grow 2.5 [...]