This trip to Languedoc turned me into a wine snob October 17, 2024 I’m not a wine guy. The oenophile subjects alcohol to a level of scrutiny that, to me, feels antithetical to the loosening joys of boozing. I enjoy wine. I prefer wine that tastes nice. But to theorise about it, to intellectualise it, to hold it to the light and inspect its colour, to soliliquise about [...]
The Square Mile and Me: M Restaurants founder Martin Williams on backpack etiquette and mandatory two hour lunches October 17, 2024 Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today it’s Martin Williams, CEO of Groucho and founder of M Restaurants on the City staple’s 10th birthday What was your first job? I started working in hospitality when I was sixteen, as a dishwasher in a grotty hotel in North Yorkshire. I [...]
Concern for British high street as sector set for four-fold tax rise in April October 16, 2024 The double effect of inflation-linked tax bumps, as well as the end of business rate relief for consumer-facing firms, will lead to a four-fold tax increase for high street businesses next April, industry bodies have warned. Industry leaders across the board have been increasingly vocal about the need for reform to business rate taxes, and have [...]
Self-care upgrade: The future of travel is about feeling good October 16, 2024 Instead of the usual indulgences of food and drink, travellers are gravitating towards experiences that nourish their well-being.
Just Eat: UK sales growth fails to offset falling orders October 16, 2024 Food delivery company Just Eat has posted a drop in sales as order numbers fell across all regions, but has reiterated its full year guidance. In a third quarter trading update, the London-listed company revealed its total gross transaction value (GTV) fell three per cent to €6.34bn (£5.3bn), down from 6.53bn (£5.46bn) in the year-ago [...]
Let them tax cake! Top accountant gives alternatives to business-bashing tax hikes October 14, 2024 While rumours swirl of potential hikes to Capital Gains Tax and the employer National Insurance rate, one top tax accountant has said the government should look elsewhere instead of targeted business-related taxes. His suggestion: Cake.
Why Panama is an undiscovered wonder for nature lovers October 9, 2024 I spot a cayman a couple of metres away on the umber riverbank. It is as still as a park bench, its jaws wide open. I’m not describing a Porsche Cayman with its bonnet up awaiting a recovery truck, I’m talking about a crocodile with a hungry look in its eyes. It surveys me with [...]
Pasta Evangelists: From ‘pasta le disaster’ to £40m turnover October 9, 2024 After conquering London's pasta takeaway scene, Pasta Evangelists has set its sights on the restaurant industry.
Vertical Aerospace: Battersea to Heathrow in 10 minutes? October 9, 2024 Imagine a future where a taxi from Central London to Heathrow took little more than 10 minutes? That's the goal of Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace.
Why Uber chief thinks electric cars are ‘just plain better’ October 8, 2024 Electric vehicles (EVs) are “just plain better”, the chief executive of Uber has claimed, as the ride-hailing app giant detailed plans to doubling down on accelerating to be fully electric in the UK. Dara Khosrowshahi made the comments as he spoke at Uber’s annual green event at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday. The [...]