Yo! Sushi owner sold to Japanese food giant in £500m deal June 13, 2023 The business behind restaurant chain Yo! Sushi has been bought by one of Japan’s biggest food companies in a deal worth almost half a billion pounds. Mayfair Equity Partners said it sold its stake in Snowfox Group to Zensho Holdings for $621m (£494m). The deal sees the Japanese giant gain a company which owns several [...]
Tuscany: Stunning Villa Lena is where you hang out with artists poolside June 11, 2023 PICTURE THE SCENE… In Tuscany, my bathroom window looks out onto what appears to be a cartoon approximation of a magical kingdom. Hillsides fold towards a horizon seemingly so far away it cannot be properly seen. The light splashes differently onto each copse of trees, tightly gathered like fistfuls of hair. The culmination of the [...]
The Notebook: Globalisation, vertical farming and indy cafes June 8, 2023 The Notebook is where interesting people say interesting things. Today it’s Edwin Morgan from vertical farmers Harvest London. Globalisation, as we once knew it, is dead”, the shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves boldly proclaimed to an audience in Washington last week. The speech was as much about keeping Labour in the news as it was a [...]
Exclusive: Tao Group to open its first UK venture at new Marylebone hotel June 6, 2023 Hakkasan owner Tao Group Hospitality will launch its first new UK restaurant at the new The BoTree hotel in Marylebone, which is set to open its doors this summer. The hospitality offering will include flagship restaurant Lavo, which will serve “coastal Italian fare” as well as a more casual dining option and bars. New York-based [...]
Blacklock founder Gordon Ker on the rise of Canary Wharf May 31, 2023 I’ve wanted to open a restaurant in Canary Wharf for a while. I love the rich history of the nearby Docklands and Billingsgate Market, the diverse demographic of office goers and local residents that live and work there. But going from an old basement brothel in Soho or a furniture factory in Shoreditch to a [...]
Ben Elton interview: Woke comedy and the scourge of individualism May 30, 2023 In a rundown rehearsal room opposite a housing estate in Oval, Ben Elton is spilling political truths in sharp, disarmingly blunt sentences. He’s been talking for almost fifteen minutes, nearly half the time I have with him, but I’ve barely asked him a question. Aged 63, Elton still fizzes with energy. He talks on three [...]
Rail strikes add to pain for hospitality as trade body warns of crisis point May 30, 2023 RAIL STRIKES this week are set to add to the woes of the hospitality industry, already bruised by an almost doubling of energy bills. Industrial action by the RMT and ASLEF unions will see walkouts on three separate days of what would have been a busy week for bars and pubs. Staff will walk out [...]
All of the London mayoral election candidates we deserve, but won’t get May 24, 2023 As candidates to be the new Mayor of London pile in, I have some non-political suggestions to make. They include Stormzy and Adele among others who deeply care about our capital, writes Michael Martins
Gaucho owner posts record-breaking results ahead of new Covent Garden opening May 23, 2023 The business behind leading Argentinian Steak Restaurant Gaucho has posted “record-breaking” earnings for the year as the group shrugged off inflationary pressures and strike action that disrupted business during the year. Rare Restaurants, which also owns the M and Crane Tap restaurants, posted turnover of £73.5m for the year, up 38 per cent from 2022, [...]
The Cape Crusaders: Meet the Munster fans travelling 6,200 miles for domestic URC final May 23, 2023 Every fan dreams of watching their team make a final and, hopefully, win a trophy. But imagine if the grand finale for your domestic league is 6,200 miles away from your home stadium. Well that’s exactly what faces fans of Irish province Munster, whose United Rugby Championship showdown on Saturday is a 17-hour plane journey [...]