Why Horizon 22 Events by Searcys is a City icon Toast the City We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of our nominees – this week, Amber Holdforth, sales and marketing manager at Horizon 22 Events by Searcys tells us all the things she loves about the Square Mile. What makes Horizon 22 Events by Searcys stand [...]
Exclusive: Richard Caring in talks to buy City icon 1 Lombard Street Life&Style Richard Caring is in advanced talks to buy iconic City restaurant 1 Lombard Street, marking his first foray back into the restaurant business since the £1.4bn sale of his empire. A deal for the Lombard St restaurant, located in a stunning former banking hall, is understood to be in the final stages of negotiations following [...]
House of the Dragon’s Abubakar Salim dreams of Kenyan kebabs for his last supper Life&Style House of the Dragon star Abubakar Salim tells us what he’d eat for his last meal on earth, from Kenyan kebabs to a warm bowl of ramen My mum has always been the cook in our family. My memories of being young are just my mum being in the kitchen cooking all the time – [...]
Gousto puts 290 jobs at risk in warehouse closure June 24, 2026 Recipe box maker Gousto has put 290 jobs at risk as part of its plans to close a warehouse in Lincolnshire. The company, which delivers food boxes for people to cook meals at home, said it is closing its Lincolnshire base in a bid to keep prices down in a competitive market. Gousto, a rival [...]
Whitbread food sales slump after revealing exit from restaurant arm June 18, 2026 Whitbread has seen food and drink sales slump after it revealed its divisive decision to sell its restaurants and pivot to a hotels-only business. The Premier Inn owner said food and drink sales fell by five per cent to £148m in the three months to the end of May, compared to a three per cent [...]
Industry warns Iran war spike to come as food inflation falls June 17, 2026 The surprise drop in food and drink inflation seen in May is likely to be short-lived, as the impacts of the war in Iran are due to take hold, leading industry figures to warn. The rate of inflation of food and non-alcoholic drinks fell from three per cent in April to 2.2 per cent in [...]
Bancone is a pasta restaurant – just don’t call it Italian June 11, 2026 A new restaurant below the imposing walls of the Bank of England is serving pasta – just don’t call this Italian food. I’m told the rare breed beef and marrowbone pasta is a British dish. Is a restaurant Italian because they serve pasta? As any City worker will know, Bancone’s silken threads are kneaded in the [...]
Pret A Manger dumps US franchise agreement after just two years June 9, 2026 Pret A Manger has dumped the franchise agreement which it had launched to expand in the US after just two years, its latest accounts revealed. The coffee chain formed a joint venture, known as Empire JointStar, with its franchise operator Dallas Holdings in October 2023, in a bid to accelerate its expansion in the US. [...]
Heinz sandwich ‘automat’ to flog sarnies in Soho for just 57p June 8, 2026 Heinz will next week launch a pop-up “sandwich automat” in Soho, where it will sell 800 sarnies for just 57p a pop – making it quite possibly the cheapest lunch in London. The two-day takeover of 15 Bateman Street is timed to coincide with the start of National Picnic Week, giving Londoners a snack to [...]
Government warned ‘unworkable’ new healthy food rules will backfire June 8, 2026 The food and drink industry has warned Labour its new healthy food red tape will backfire, as manufacturers insist they are already investing millions in making products healthier. Food and drink manufacturers are racing to prove to the government that they are cutting salt, sugar and calories from their products – as Labour plans to [...]