Dealing in happiness: Chris Gardner talks Wall Street, Miles Davis and subway revelations October 19, 2014 If you love London, you’ll get on with Chris Gardner like a house on fire. “I absolutely love it. It’s a clean New York. London is cool.” But then you can’t help but feel that Gardner is one of those people who would get on with everybody. You might already know some of his [...]
How to make Blanchette’s perfect beef fillet October 15, 2014 Tom Storrar, head chef at Soho's Blanchette, on his beef fillet with courgettes, sarladaise potatoes and green peppercorn sauce I’ve been at Blanchette since the restaurant opened late last year. The beef in this recipe is a new dish on the menu; a restaurant version of steak and chips. I chose it because many [...]
Car review: The Lexus NX 300h is an eco-friendly drive that doesn’t skimp on gadgets October 13, 2014 Pulling away in a car on a wave of silence still doesn’t make sense in my brain. I’ve driven plenty of electric and hybrid cars, but every time I gently move off from a standstill on a peacefully eerie surge of current-fed calm, it still gets me. I’m experiencing this soothing yet unsettling [...]
48 Hours in… Budapest October 13, 2014 Where to stay Brody House is a great reflection of the new, young Budapest. You don’t just get a room – you get an “inspiring space”, and it’s as well known for its parties as its suites. The rooms are beautiful in their own right, though, with a cool, shabby-chic vibe. brodyhouse.com Where [...]
Fintech kings talk starting from scratch, old clients and handing businesses a lifeline October 12, 2014 In Holborn last week, a three year-old London-based company held a party to celebrate reaching £250m of business since its inception. If that doesn’t sound impressive, by the time the event was held, MarketInvoice was already nearing £270m. “We seriously underestimated repeat usage,” says co-founder and chief executive Anil Stocker. “Companies see how the platform [...]
Martin Wheatley undermined China effort – Editor’s Letter October 8, 2014 As the advisers to the Jimmy Choo flotation announce they have enough support to proceed, there is much to be delighted with in the way the new issues market has gone this year. Up to the August break and then pausing until the uncertainty over the Scottish referendum lifted, there has been a constant stream [...]
London’s tech firms raise record $1bn of venture capital investment October 5, 2014 London tech firms attracted a record $1bn (£626m) of venture capital investment in just the first nine months of 2014. The mammoth figure is more than 10 times what tech groups raised from venture capital firms (VCs) in the whole of 2010. Fundraising in London’s tech sector is currently up over 30 per cent on [...]
Behind a silver screen: Lionsgate’s Zygi Kamasa talks pensioners, big tellies and Colin Firth October 5, 2014 The movie business is known for taking no prisoners. And for those that do try their hand at it, success is often fleeting. But Zygi Kamasa, the UK chief executive of entertainment company Lionsgate, has proved that, by playing your cards right, passion can lead to success. Over the past two decades, he’s been involved [...]
Cream of the crop: Gu founder James Averdieck talks Australia and rural fantasy September 28, 2014 It's the kind of story you wouldn’t necessarily believe: someone cooked up the idea of a chocolatey pudding company while sitting in a coffee shop in Belgium, eating brioche. But for James Averdieck, founder of Gu, that’s exactly what happened. Back in 2003, he was a marketer for dairy company St Ivel, working in Belgium [...]
Indulge in Pippa Middleton’s favourite pastime in Oslo September 26, 2014 What do you think Pippa Middleton’s secret is? Cross-fit? Pilates, maybe? Wrong: cross country skiing. The Duchess of Cambridge’s sporty sister took on the infamous nordic skiing marathon at Vasaloppet in 2012, taking seven hours and thirteen minutes to complete the 90km course. Anyone who does that is going to be in the best shape [...]