Premier Inn owner Whitbread hits out at ‘destructive’ activist investor October 13, 2026 Premier Inn owner Whitbread has hit out at the activist investor seeking a seat on its board, claiming its proposals would be a “complete waste” of time and money. The FTSE 100 hospitality firm wrote to shareholders on Tuesday urging them to reject the plans put forward by Corvex Asset Management, one of the group’s [...]
One pub shuts every day as Burnham tax cuts ‘not enough’ October 12, 2026 A pub is set to have closed its doors every day this year, as hospitality leaders say Andy Burnham’s tax cuts for hospitality have not gone far enough. About 360 pubs are expected to have called last orders in the whole of 2026, with 295 watering holes having shut for good so far this year, [...]
Britain’s biggest bingo chain explores sale despite tax raid threat October 11, 2026 The owner of the UK’s biggest bingo hall operator is exploring a sale of the company, even as gambling bosses warn a huge tax raid could threaten the industry. Asset manager ICG has appointed bankers to advise on discussions with potential buyers for Buzz Bingo, it is understood. The Nottingham-based chain is looking for a [...]
Bagatelle: Is exclusive Chelsea offering future of Premier League hospitality? October 10, 2026 Bagatelle has opened inside Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. Matt Hardy went down to see if it lives up to its reputation. It feels like every week a top football club opens a new hospitality offering that claims to reinvent what has, in reality, long been the status quo: a good bit of food and a free [...]
Britain’s array of top-class live sport isn’t celebrated nearly enough October 9, 2026 We must cherish the live sport offering in Britain and celebrate what it gives us, writes Pitch Experiences chief Neil Bailey. Many of the days at next year’s Ashes are already sold out, tickets to Ally Pally’s World Darts Championships are like gold dust and yet, here we all are, desperate for a day out. [...]
WatchHouse CEO: Before I did coffee, I designed aquariums for billionaires October 8, 2026 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City's great and good. Today, WatchHouse CEO Roland Horne takes us through his eclectic career.
Hollywood Bowl calls on dynamic pricing as heatwaves hit sales October 7, 2026 Hollywood Bowl called on its dynamic pricing system to endure falling ten-pin demand during the summer’s record heatwaves, prompting a share price boost. Britain’s biggest ten-pin bowling operator said the summer’s “exceptionally prolonged, dry weather” had “heavily impacted” its trading, as UK like-for-like revenue fell 5.6 per cent in the second half of this year. [...]
Former Whitbread bosses mastermind takeover of Beefeater restaurants October 7, 2026 Former senior managers at Whitbread have advised on a deal to buy back nearly 60 restaurants from the group, after it wound up its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains last month. Common Table Group, a British hospitality firm, has agreed to buy 57 restaurant sites and one Premier Inn hotel from the FTSE 100 hotels [...]
Wetherspoon boss blasts Soho’s ‘barmy’ vertical drinking crackdown October 4, 2026 JD Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin has blasted Westminster Council’s “barmy” curbs on vertical drinking, which he said are “inhibiting business”. Martin, the chairman of Britain’s best-known pub chain, has waded into a row over the Council’s restrictions on so-called “vertical drinking” in Soho and an effective ban on new pubs and bars in the [...]
Is Soho nightlife really dead? We went partying to find out October 3, 2026 “I’m trying to prove you can still have a great night out in Soho,” I say. “You can. But not a late one,” replies Lesley Lewis over a glass of white wine at her beloved pub the French House. “I’ve always loved Soho,” says the legendary proprietor, who has run the French House for 37 [...]