Social animals: Marston’s boss insists Brits’ thirst for the pub will not dry up despite historic inflation PUB DEMAND Brits will continue to be “social animals” at the pub, despite inflation hitting a 40-year high, the boss of Marston’s has said. “Having been locked up for two-three years, we are even more social animals,” Andrew Andrea insisted. The pub boss was optimistic that, despite increasing cost of living concerns, punters would continue to knock [...]
Katy Perry is the new face of Just Eat Takeaway TEENAGE DREAM Popstar Katy Perry has been revealed as the new face of Just Eat Takeaway, stepping into Snoop Dogg’s shoes. In a new advert for the food delivery firm, the US singer has remixed the company’s ‘Did Somebody Say… Just Eat’ jingle. “Working with Just Eat was a really fun and natural experience. Coincidentally most of [...]
High street bosses plead for crisis cash to help with dramatic energy bill hikes ENERGY BILLS High street businesses have called for emergency help over skyrocketing energy bills, as bosses warn a cocktail of cost pressures threaten to subdue their pandemic recovery. Without government action, historic levels of inflation and dramatic energy bill rises pose a risk to the beauty sector’s recovery, the British Beauty Council has said. The industry group [...]
Morrisons rescue deal for McColl’s totalled £182m May 18, 2022 Grocer Morrisons coughed up some £182m to snap up beleaguered convenience store operator McColl’s, defeating a rival bid from Asda owners the Issa brothers. The newsagent chain’s equity value was worth around £3m earlier this month while senior creditors were owed some £160m, documents from administrators PwC revealed. While the Issa’s EG Group had offered [...]
Petrol firms defend ‘nauseating prices’ as business minister implores retailers to pass on fuel duty cut May 17, 2022 Retailers have defended forecourt prices as politicians call for costs to be slashed after a fuel duty cut earlier this year. Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng has written to businesses to implore them to pass on the savings from a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty introduced in March. It comes after motoring group the [...]
Tory MP arrested for rape and asked to stay away from Parliament May 17, 2022 A Conservative MP has been arrested on suspicion of rape and asked to stay away from the parliamentary estate. The Metropolitan Police said the alleged sexual offences were committed between 2002 and 2009 in the capital. A statement from Scotland Yard stated: “A man was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse [...]
Pubs and restaurants battle to keep prices competitive amid ‘intense pressure’ on margins May 17, 2022 The hospitality sector has warned of “intense pressure” on margins while shoppers have been told food prices could surge as much as 10 per cent. Marks & Spencer chairman Archie Norman cautioned that shoppers could see an even pricey weekly shop amid historic levels of inflation. Speaking to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on [...]
Tennent’s Lager maker sells minority stake in Admiral Taverns pubco May 17, 2022 Bulmers maker C&C group intends to sell its entire minority interest in pub operator Admiral Taverns to Proprium Capital Partners for £55m. The drinks firm invested in the community pub chain in a joint venture with Proporium in September 2017. In C&C’s full year results published on Tuesday, it revealed the sale of the shares [...]
Back in the black: London landlord Landsec posts record office leasing in capital May 17, 2022 Property giant Landsec has delivered record office leasing in London as the company returned to profit after five years. Pre-tax profit rose to £875m in the year to the end of March, a turnaround from a £1.39bn loss the previous year. Landsec, which is the landlord for big names in the capital including Deutsche Bank, [...]
Morrisons owner CD&R eyes £2.5bn takeovers of facilities management titans May 17, 2022 Morrison private equity owner is reportedly planning to snap up and merge two facilities management firms. Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is in discussions to buy significant stakes in Atalian Servest and OCS, Sky News reported. Last year, the New York-based private equity firm clinched a £7bn deal to takeover the grocer Morrisons. The deals [...]
