The One that Trot Away: My dream of a Peppa Pig restaurant empire December 8, 2021 As Pied à Terre celebrates its 30th anniversary, there are plenty of highs and lows I could look back upon. Winning a Michelin star just over a year after opening; regaining our second Michelin star with chef Shane Osborn; the fire that closed the restaurant for most of 2014 (at least my badminton game came [...]
Deliveroo shares sink to record lows amid fears of EU gig economy crackdown December 6, 2021 Shares in Deliveroo slumped as much as 9.6 per cent this morning following reports of the European Commission’s proposed labour rule changes that would influence rider remuneration. European rivals Just Eat and Delivery Hero also fell around 6 per cent on fears that the strict new rules could hamper their profitability. It comes just days [...]
Less tax, higher public services, Singapore-style December 3, 2021 IT’S possible to have your cake and eat it too: high quality and universal public services at a fraction of the cost to taxpayers along with a strong economy. This is not just some figment of my imagination. It’s the country where I grew up: Singapore. The Singapore government spends about £3,500 less per person [...]
Mind Gym appoints new finance chief as new digital offering helps wipe out losses December 3, 2021 Workplace training provider Mind Gym said it had wiped out the losses it incurred in the last year and a half, after its financials had a rocky ride due to Covid lockdowns impeding on its face-to-face offering. The group also announced the appointment of Dominic Neary – previously a finance chief at Just Eat and Moneysupermarket.com [...]
Soho’s revival was a boon for the capital – the al fresco revolution must continue November 29, 2021 Eating outdoors with the sun beating down may feel like a distant memory now the nights have drawn in and the mercury has dropped. But we must not forget the critical role al fresco has played safeguarding countless jobs during throughout the pandemic. And what a joy it has been to walk around the West [...]
William Wolfe’s Guide to Living Excellently in London – an extract from this amazing new book November 24, 2021 This new book by the fictional William Wolfe is a who’s who of the London luxury scene – here are some of his top tips: In the 1960s a gentleman couldn’t possibly exist without Sir Francis Chichester’s Guide to Good Living in London. It was a pocket-sized map of the West End and the City, [...]
Tory backbench rebellion grows as crucial vote on social care plan approaches November 22, 2021 Anger from MPs that the least well-off may still have to sell their homes to pay for their care under the latest government plans is fuelling a backbench rebellion. MPs will consider on Monday whether to accept changes to the Government’s proposed social care reforms. But Red Wall Tory Christian Wakeford had warned that it [...]
HMRC to recoup less than half of the £5.8bn lost from pandemic fraud and mistakes November 21, 2021 HM Revenue & Customs (HRMC) have admitted it will struggle to recoup the the estimated £5.8bn it paid out incorrectly during the pandemic, through fraudulent claims or departmental mistakes.
Just keep moving November 16, 2021 [Re: Uber’s model was rife with flaws but the gig economy deserves saving, yesterday] The piece in support of Uber is fair enough, but it ignores the fact that a lot of Uber traffic came from tempting people off of public transport. In doing so, it added to the problem of climate change and congestion, [...]
The high streets of the UK need to be able to woo global shoppers to stay competitive November 16, 2021 Alongside true love and compound interest, habit is one of the most powerful forces. The familiar click of the Christmas lights brought people back to London’s streets last week, with 2.5 per cent more people treading down the high street. But with the pandemic came new habits and the fairy lights will be switched off [...]