London pub scene ‘showing real resilience’ despite soaring costs August 7, 2025 The number of pubs in London has barely budged in the last decade despite heavy pressure on the capital’s hospitality scene. There are 3,523 pubs in the capital, only 10 fewer than in 2023 and just under the 3,530 venues recorded in 2017, according to data from the ONS. “The data shows it’s far from [...]
Borough Market: New chief takes the helm at London’s oldest food hall August 6, 2025 Borough Market has announced hospitality veteran Alistair Maddox as the iconic site’s new chief executive officer following Jane Swift’s resignation earlier this year. One of the capital’s best-loved and oldest food markets, Borough Market has grown into a thriving six-day-a-week market, attracting 20 million visitors a year. The market, which has been in the same [...]
Lotus Evija review: The fastest, most powerful car we’ve driven August 6, 2025 On 11 May 1994, Autocar & Motor magazine published its landmark road test of the McLaren F1. As a wide-eyed and car-obsessed 15-year-old, I spent £1.35 of my pocket money on a copy and devoured every word. ‘What you are about to read is not simply the fastest road test in history,’ trumpeted the opening [...]
Lunchtime tourism: All Hallows by the Tower in the City of London August 6, 2025 To get you in the mood for out Toast the City Awards celebrating everything that makes the Square Mile great, we asked a professional tour guide to recommend his favourite City spots. All Hallows By The Tower looks lonely. A dual carriageway cuts her off from the City, and behind her, the Tower of London [...]
London hit with a slowdown in mid-market deal activity August 6, 2025 Mid-market private equity investment in London suffered a fall in the first half of this year, as economic uncertainty and wider geopolitical issues affected investment activity. According to fresh analysis from professional services giant KPMG, the volume of mid-market private equity investment fell 14 per cent in the capital, with just 168 deals completed. KPMG’s [...]
AI-for-Excel firm Tracelight raises $3.6m to streamline finance work August 6, 2025 UK founded AI company, Tracelight, has raised over $3m in seed funding as it bids to hand laborious finance work over to AI tech. The London based company raised $3.6m (£2.7m) in seed funding from a series of venture capital firms, led by Chalfen Ventures with participation from Acequia Capital, Inovo and EF City AM [...]
BNY Investments team get game face on for City AM Triathlon Team Challenge August 6, 2025 The Square Mile has long upheld the “work hard, play hard” mantra and the BNY Investments trio taking on the City AM Triathlon Team Challenge this weekend are doing their bit to honour that tradition. Data analyst Matt Stearn, control and resiliency director Anthony Guinot and software engineer Ben Pudsey will be representing the global [...]
Shares in Cola-Cola’s European bottling arms slump despite strong results August 6, 2025 Coca-Cola’s European arm, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, and its bottling partner, Coca-Cola HBC, both slumped on the stock exchange this morning after the former downgraded its revenue guidance. The European business fell more than 11 per cent in early trades on the London Stock Exchange, while the bottling business dropped more than seven per cent. Coca-Cola [...]
Mortgage recovery hinges on a Bank of England interest rate cut August 6, 2025 Homeowners across the UK are catching a break as mortgage arrears fell for the first time since the cost-of-living crisis began – but a full recovery will hinge on the Bank of England’s decision on Thursday. Missed mortgage payments in the second quarter fell by 4.4 per cent across the UK, whilst direct debit rejections [...]
Call me converted, I’ve finally found a positive use for ChatGPT August 6, 2025 Anna Moloney was an AI Luddite. Then she discovered it could do her taxes. She tells us about (kinda) embracing ChatGPT in today's Notebook.