Wine sector reeling as price of a bottle set to be taxed 20 per cent more come August July 4, 2023 Wine lovers will be taxed 20 per cent more on their favourite bottle of red or white in a month’s time, as the government steams ahead with its alcohol duty tax hikes, spelling further pain for customers and businesses. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the measures as part of the Spring Budget back in March, which [...]
Barclays, Shell and BP feel the heat as activist investors launch record green campaigns July 4, 2023 Shell, BP and Barclays have felt the wrath of activist investors this year as corporate pressure campaigns are launched in record numbers across Europe, new research shows. The number of activist campaigns in Europe has climbed each month this year to a total of 25 campaigns by May, fuelled by a spike in environmental campaigns [...]
Heartwood Collection secures £100m cash injection as it steams ahead with ‘pubs with room’ expansion July 2, 2023 Hospitality chain Heartwood Collection, formally known as Brasserie Bar Co, has secured £100m of additional funding as it steams ahead with its growth plans. In June, the pub and restaurant chain revealed a major revamp which saw the hospitality group expand into the pubs with rooms market. Last year, Brasserie Bar Co was snapped up [...]
Yes, we should be building more tall buildings in London June 30, 2023 There’s no point opposing tall buildings for a place like London if we want people to move here and grow the city, writes Akhila Jayaram
Budget Britain: Inflation forces families to trade down and opt for staycations June 28, 2023 Britons are trading down to cheaper products and are opting to holiday at home in response to rampant inflation and higher interest rates squeezing their budgets, new research out today shows. Some 40 per cent of families have been buying more value or own brand products in 2023, according to analysis from consultancy KPMG. The [...]
Why the man who brought New York living to London thinks the capital is set for success June 27, 2023 Property impressario Jon Hitchcox, the brains behind The Lakes by Yoo, remains optimistic about Lomdon's immediate future
Learning Lisbon’s foodie secrets with the Jamie Oliver of Portugal June 26, 2023 As new Portuguese restaurant Joia opens in London, Adam Bloodworth visits Lisbon to taste its inspiration Unless you’ve spent the last decade hiding underneath a yellow tram, you will have noticed that Portugal’s capital Lisbon has become the European city du jour lately. Everyone in your office has a tip for the best pastel de nata, the smartest [...]
Whitbread: Premier Inn owner thanks London travel boom for hike in hotel sales June 22, 2023 Tourists flocking to London for the King’s coronation helped bolster Premier Inn owner Whitbread’s trading in the first leg of the year, as the hotel group revealed an 18 per cent hike in sales. As Brits embraced travel and leisure after the pandemic, the chain of affordable hotels said sales across its 800 strong portfolio [...]
McDonald’s UK expansion plans hamstrung by beefy bureaucracy, says boss June 18, 2023 McDonald's' UK boss has warned that it can take up to three years to achieve planning permission for a restaurant - slowing down expansion plans
The Notebook: Andy Silvester on the Tory Mayoral race, a new must-read and a tremendous lunch spot June 15, 2023 The Tories appear to have done a real botch-job of selecting their candidate for next year’s mayoral election. Most who were paying attention expected the final three or four to be a combination of Paul Scully, the minister for London and Sutton MP, social media star and former adviser Samuel Kasumu, techie and diplomat Daniel [...]