By: Felix Armstrong

Retail Reporter Felix Armstrong is City AM's retail reporter, covering retail, hospitality and property news. He has previously written for The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The i Paper. Email Felix at Felix.Armstrong@cityam.com

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Black Sheep Coffee founder: ‘The Square Mile is a magical place’

May 19, 2026

Black Sheep Coffee was founded in the Square Mile but has now expanded across the world. Its co-founder tells Felix Armstrong about his roots in the City Gabriel Shohet is a company man. The Black Sheep Coffee founder enters the meeting room at the coffee chain’s Southwark offices clad in a branded hoodie, with a [...]
Cranswick: Pig farmer pivots to bite-sized falafels as Brits embrace weight loss trend

May 19, 2026

A food conglomerate founded by pig farmers has been rewarded by its expansion into share-sized Mediterranean foods as weight-loss jabs and health kicks surge in popularity. Cranswick was established by a group of Yorkshire pig farmers in 1972, but has since expanded into falafel and houmous with its acquisitions of Mediterranean food brands like Ramona’s [...]
‘Downright offensive’: Southwark council slammed for blocking 900 homes

May 19, 2026

Southwark council has been blasted for celebrating the blocking of an 867-home development on the site of a Peckham shopping centre. The local authority hailed a “great day for Peckham” after housebuilder Berkeley failed to overturn a ruling against the development, which would have delivered retail, leisure and commercial space alongside the hundreds of homes. [...]
Old Spanish Hen? Estrella snaps up Greene King beer brand in UK expansion

May 19, 2026

The British arm of Spanish beer giant Estrella is set to snap up Greene King’s iconic Old Speckled Hen beer as it continues to expand in the UK. Damm UK, the British arm of Barcelona based brewer S.A. Damm – which owns Estrella – will take on the entire line of Old Speckled Hen beers, [...]
Magners owner hits out at Reeves as hospitality crisis hits sales

May 19, 2026

The maker of Magners and Bulmers cider missed its profit and revenue targets this year, blaming Rachel Reeves’ Budget and the “financial stress” it caused pubs and bars. C&C Group, which also owns the Orchard Pig and Jubel brands, said it is seeing resilient demand for cider and beer but plummeting sales of high-alcohol drinks [...]
Sign of the Dimes: Harry Styles Wembley run to drive £1bn spending frenzy

May 19, 2026

Harry Styles’ 12-night Wembley residency is set to rake in more than £1bn in spending in the capital, smashing previous records set by Taylor Swift concertgoers. The Mancunian popstar is expected to attract £88.3m in spending per night, far higher than the £66.5m recorded during Taylor Swift’s UK Eras Tour dates in 2024, according to [...]
Tube strikes called off in last-minute U-turn

May 18, 2026

This week’s round of London tube strikes have been called off in a last-ditch reversal by the drivers’ union. The strikes were due to cover two 24-hour periods later this Week, from 12pm on Tuesday and 12pm on Thursday. The industrial action was called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union over Transport for [...]
Councils turn to AI to boost housebuilding

May 18, 2026

Local councils across the country are turning to artificial intelligence to speed up the planning process, as Labour’s 1.5m housebuilding target clashes with a slowing construction sector. A number of local authorities – including several in the capital – have either piloted or implemented AI planning tools, but housing leaders have warned that the government [...]
Innocent smoothie boss bananas for EU red tape reset

May 18, 2026

The boss of smoothie giant Innocent has backed closer ties between the government and the European Union, in the same week Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting threw his weight behind a return to the bloc. Nick Canney, chief executive of Coca-Cola-owned Innocent Drinks, told City AM that closer ties with the EU would be “helpful” [...]
Whitbread: Activist investor pushes for sale of FTSE 100 Premier Inn owner

May 18, 2026

An activist investor with a major stake in Premier Inn’s owner Whitbread has called for the FTSE 100 firm to put itself up for sale, attacking its “chronic misallocation of capital”. Corvex Management, which owns 11.8m shares – around seven per cent – in Whitbread, has issued a scathing rejection of the firm’s latest cost-saving [...]

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Where to eat Greek food in central London

By: Felix Armstrong

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