Better Capital boss Jon Moulton on Brexit, his firm’s exit and why he still hasn’t forgiven Liam Fox January 16, 2017 Bald, bold and bespectacled, private equity veteran Jon Moulton has had more than his fair share of knocks as well as high points during a long career. He was branded the Christmas Scrooge in December 2014 when City Link collapsed into administration leaving nearly 2,700 jobs at risk. “We made a very bad decision to [...]
Duff & Phelps hits out at BHS pensions lifeboat in letter to Labour MP Frank Field January 15, 2017 The firm originally appointed to handle the collapse of BHS has criticised the company's largest unsecured creditor for trying to control the process. BHS fell into administration in April last year after its former owner Sir Philip Green sold it to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for £1. Green brought in Duff & Phelps to handle [...]
Microwave meal maker Bakkavor set for London float January 15, 2017 Ready meal maker Bakkavor is considering a float on the London stock market, according to reports. The firm, founded in 1986, manufactures microwave meals for supermarkets including Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Marks and Spencer. The company also supplies fresh goods such as lettuce, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. According to the Sunday Times, Bakkavor has enlisted Rothschild to [...]
London’s iconic Goring Hotel hits record £14m in revenue January 15, 2017 The Goring Hotel in Belgravia reported its highest ever turnover in 2016, coming in at more than £14m with a profit of £1.6m. In a year which saw the Goring Dining Room receive its first Michelin star and the hotel awarded five stars in the Forbes Travel Guide, profit before tax almost quadrupled to £2m. [...]
Burberry leads another week of key retail updates January 15, 2017 British fashion house Burberry is widely expected to report an uplift in sales this week after the fall in the value of the pound made its products more attractive to foreign buyers. Burberry posts its third quarter trading update on Wednesday, and Barclays analysts have predicted the company will announce a like-for-like sales increase of two per [...]
City-based frozen yoghurt chain Sloane Brothers rolls out tasty plan to go global next year January 15, 2017 City-based frozen yoghurt startup Sloane Brothers will roll out to new stores across the UK early this year and is gearing up to go global in 2018. The group, which launched with a store on Brick Lane in June 2015, will open “a number of new locations” this year and is preparing to respond to requests [...]
Stock Spirits row continues as investor slams “disdainful” treatment of shareholders January 15, 2017 Stock Spirits, a London-listed producer of Polish vodka, has been criticised by a prominent shareholder for the board’s “disdainful” treatment of investors. Luis Amaral, who owns a 9.7 per cent stake in the company, said there had been a lack of transparency in dealings with shareholders. He cited the cancellation of a planned investor day [...]
London’s Burlington Arcade is for sale January 15, 2017 London's iconic covered shopping gallery the Burlington Arcade has gone on sale. The arcade, which was established in 1819, links Piccadilly and Bond Street and is home of high-end brands such as Manolo Blahnik and Chanel. Industry sources said it would sell for around £400m. Read more: Central London take ups surge on the back of [...]
Leading bookmaker hits out on government plans, warning of “consequences for the sector” January 14, 2017 One of Britain's largest bookmakers has criticised government plans to take 10 per cent of gambling firms horse racing profits to fund the sport. Ladbrokes Coral, which runs over 4,000 betting shops across the UK, said the proposals "will have consequences for the sector". The department of culture, media and sport today announced an amendment to laws dating [...]
Horse racing levy to be imposed on bookmakers, hitting profits from April January 14, 2017 Horse racing organisations rejoiced will bookmakers fumed after the government announced plans to slap a 10 per cent levy of gambling firms. And bookies won't have much time before get used to the new rules as sports minister Tracey Crouch plans to introduce the levy – which is on all profits greater than £500,000 made on [...]