Inside the Farringdon restaurant serving crocodile goujons and excellent steak November 7, 2024 Vivat Bacchus in Farringdon is now serving customisable braai boards, but City AM popped in for crocodile and sirloin steak WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH VIVAT BACCHUS? Translated from Latin, Vivat Bacchus means ‘glory to the wine god!’, which, as sayings go, feels like a fitting starting pistol to a City lunch. Vivat Bacchus has a [...]
Debts revealed at Michelin-starred restaurant backed by Gary Neville November 7, 2024 The company behind a Michelin-starred restaurant backed by Gary Neville that closed last year owed almost £1m as it entered liquidation, it has been revealed. The restaurant, called The Man Behind The Curtain, was located in Leeds and run by chef Michael O’Hare. It was awarded a Michelin star in October 2015, three AA Rosettes in 2016, and attracted investment [...]
London steak fantasies: Carnivorous desires are sated at Fazenda Bishopsgate November 2, 2024 We dine at London steak restaurant Fazenda Bishopsgate FAZENDA IS ALL ABOUT… Meat! As far as the eye can see. But not how you’d normally order it. Disembodied limbs from (insert any legally edible animal) are unceremoniously carted around the restaurant on skewers and taken to tables, where if you have a certain sign facing [...]
This amazing London restaurant is celebrating 60 years of history November 2, 2024 We review Grumbles, a London restaurant that’s more like an institution The capital is overrun with restaurants that look the same. They have emerald green and pink coloured furniture and there is probably a palm tree in the corner. Horrifically, some of these plants are plastic. Stats show that half of these restaurants close within [...]
Hawksmoor: Sales and profits sizzle as steak chain hunts for a buyer October 29, 2024 Sales and profit both surged at Hawksmoor during its latest financial year ahead of a potential sale which could value the steakhouse chain at £100m. The London-headquartered business has reported a turnover of £89.7m for 2023, up from the £73.9m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House have also revealed that the firm’s [...]
The Square Mile and Me: M Restaurants founder Martin Williams on backpack etiquette and mandatory two hour lunches October 17, 2024 Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today it’s Martin Williams, CEO of Groucho and founder of M Restaurants on the City staple’s 10th birthday What was your first job? I started working in hospitality when I was sixteen, as a dishwasher in a grotty hotel in North Yorkshire. I [...]
Employer National Insurance hike could risk jobs amid 95,0000 vacancies October 15, 2024 Increasing employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) could pose a risk to jobs amid some 95,000 vacancies across pubs and restaurants, a hospitality lobby group has warned. Data released from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today revealed there are a “stubbornly high” 95,000 openings across the sector, including in venues, cafes and eateries. Hospitality UK [...]
Loss widens at Papa Johns in UK ahead of major closure plans October 14, 2024 The UK arm of pizza chain Papa Johns lost almost £20m in the year before it decided to close more than 40 underperforming restaurants. The Milton Keynes-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax loss of £19.9m for 2023, having also lost £4.1m in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its turnover nudged up from [...]
Giggling Squid laughs all the way to the bank as Thai restaurant chain returns to profit October 14, 2024 Thai restaurant chain Giggling Squid returned to profit during its latest financial year as it sales hit another record. The Guildford-headquartered company has reported a pre-tax profit of £1.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. The new total comes after the business fell to a pre-tax loss of £1.9m in the prior year. [...]
Taco Bell returns to profit ahead of administration woe October 11, 2024 The UK and European arm of Taco Bell returned to profit in 2023 ahead of one of its franchise partners entering administration. The Surrey-headquartered division has reported a pre-tax profit of $2.2m (£1.6m) for 2023. The total comes after Tac Bell reported a pre-tax loss of $1.8m (£1.3m) for 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House [...]