Where not to eat in London: The worst places in London for food hygiene standards February 13, 2015 If you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day date location, this might be a handy guide for where to avoid taking your significant other for that special dinner date. Six of the worst local authorities in the UK when it comes to food hygiene standards are located in London, with Enfield taking the title for [...]
The free trade deals that could turbo-charge the UK economy by £10bn February 11, 2015 Few know it, but you are all paying a secret tax. Trade tariffs and other protectionist barriers are a hidden part of the price you pay for almost everything you buy. Consider this: if we could do a trade deal between America and the EU, at one stroke we could create up to 2m jobs, [...]
Tesco is winning at Valentine’s Day. Here’s why February 11, 2015 Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what says love more than multinational retailers pushing their pink heart-shaped products you neither want nor need? Absolutely nothing. That's why between now and Saturday we will all be bombarded with adverts for all the chocolates you can eat (before the cocoa runs out) recipes for two, [...]
Aena IPO: Spanish market set for takeoff with Luton airport owner’s float February 10, 2015 Luton airport's Spanish owner Aena priced its looming stock market blockbuster at the top of the range yesterday – underscoring a burgeoning confidence among investors and dealmakers about Spain’s rejuvenated capital markets and economy. Aena, which will sell shares for €58 a piece to value the group at €8.7bn, has covered its books five times [...]
Xmas hangover causes retailers January blues February 10, 2015 SHOPPERS held back on their spending in January after splashing out over Christmas and Black Friday, according to accountancy firm BDO. Figures from BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker show that sales from stores open at least a year at mid-sized high street chains grew just two per cent last month. Like-for-like sales jumped 10.3 per [...]
Oxo Tower Restaurant has great food but the lighting left us a little blue February 10, 2015 The Oxo Tower Restaurant has been chugging along forever, minding its own business. Harvey Nicks has run the eighth-floor dining room for 19 years. Its head chef Jeremy Bloor has been there for 12, while the restaurant manager is a relative rookie, with only nine years under his belt. Located on the South Bank, in [...]
King Digital investor and Index Ventures partner Ben Holmes is hunting for tech unicorns February 8, 2015 Ben Holmes first heard about King Digital Entertainment, the company behind three of the global top-grossing iPhone apps, including Candy Crush Saga, over a decade ago. At that time in 2004 Holmes, a partner at the new London offices of Index Ventures, represented one of the few venture capital firms still investing in consumer-facing internet [...]
From banking to barista: Meet Notes director Edward Halfon February 8, 2015 Mass-produced coffee is out: new, hip speciality cafes are in. Former financier Edward Halfon tells Annabel Denham how the founders of food and wine “destination” Notes plan to indulge our ever-evolving taste buds. Recent research from the small business website Startups.co.uk found that “cult cafes” will become the hottest business opportunity over the next 12 [...]
A weekend of gourmet indulgence with Heston Blumenthal on the Mont Blanc slopes February 5, 2015 You know a Heston Blumenthal meal is going to be something special. The same, it turns out, goes for a Heston Blumenthal holiday. The concept is a foodie’s wet dream: four days of crisp slopes, fine Italian wine and haute cuisine cooked by some of the world’s top chefs. Here’s how it came about: “Heston [...]
Penta-graphene: Scientists simulate what could be the strongest super-material yet February 4, 2015 It is incredibly strong, mechanically stable and capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures. Penta-graphene is the latest super-material to be simulated by scientists, and it could prove to be even more useful than graphene – the carbon-based super-conductor whose strength and flexibility have caused a stir ever since it was discovered in 2004. [...]