Wolseley owner Corbin & King goes into administration amid icy tensions with shareholder January 26, 2022 The firm behind high-end London restaurants including the Wolseley and the Delaunay has fallen victim to the pandemic and entered into administration. Administrators from FRP have been appointed for Corbin & King, it was reported last night. Daily operations will not be impacted and restaurants will continue trading. Hospitality venues in the capital have struggled [...]
Much-talked about £6m lawsuit by The Wolseley owner against insurance giant AXA starts in court January 26, 2022 A much-talked about lawsuit by the owner of The Wolseley and a range of other upmarket restaurants around London against insurance giant AXA has started in London’s High Court. Corbin & King is brining the £6m lawsuit to AXA Insurance over Covid-related losses, in a trial that could have wider ramifications for other UK businesses [...]
Covid-19 curbs decimate London’s retail economy January 24, 2022 Onerous restrictions on daily life during the pandemic has decimated London’s retail economy, reveals a fresh study released today. The capital’s retailers lost nearly a year’s worth of sales during the pandemic, underlining the severe blow curbs on economic activity has delivered to London’s shops, pubs and restaurants, research carried out by the Centre for [...]
Four day working week reaches UK hospitality as iconic Landmark London hotel puts chefs on more pay for less time January 22, 2022 The Landmark London hotel has become the first major hospitality company in the UK to embrace the four day working week trend, telling City A.M. that its chefs will shave off one day a week from February without losing any of their pay. In fact, the five star Grand Dame hotel said its chefs will [...]
Wagamama owner TRG hikes profit forecast as it warns of slow battle to recover consumer confidence January 21, 2022 Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group has upgraded its profit expectations after strong trade at the end of last year despite Covid uncertainty. The group was affected by Omicron concerns and restrictions, such as guidance to work from home, but said it continued to trade ahead of the market. In a trading update on Friday, the [...]
French champagne houses sparkle as 2021 sees record sales January 20, 2022 French champagne houses have toasted to record sales worth £4.6bn after demand climbed last year. According to preliminary estimates from the Comité Champagne trade association, sales hit $5.5bn, even though the hospitality sector continued to face lockdown restrictions last year. Some 322m champagne bottles were sold last year, an increase of 32 per cent on [...]
Battle of the City skyscrapers heats up as shiny new 22 Bishopsgate lures law firm McDermott away from Heron Tower January 20, 2022 City law firm McDemott Will & Emery is moving out of the Salesforce Tower, commonly known by its former name as the Heron Tower, to move to the 46th floor of the brand new 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper. The Salesforce Tower, minutes from Liverpool Street, housed the Chicago-based law firm for more than a decade. However, [...]
Furlough fraud exposes the shortcomings of doling out endless amounts of cash January 20, 2022 Outrage has erupted over the news that £5.8bn has been “criminally siphoned off” the emergency Covid-19 schemes that propped up millions of workers and paid for us to eat on the cheap. The very same folk who complained ministers weren’t acting fast enough to provide support, rejecting warnings that furlough was excessively generous, are now [...]
Omicron onslaught: Wave of bankruptcies as insolvencies climb with voluntary liquidations up by 73 per cent January 18, 2022 The latest monthly insolvency statistics, published this morning by The Insolvency Service for the month of December 2021, show that the number of registered company insolvencies in England and Wales is 33 per cent higher than the number registered than two years ago, just before the pandemic. These rises were particularly influenced by the higher [...]
City of London launches grant scheme for Omicron-hit Square Mile businesses January 18, 2022 Retailers and hospitality businesses that have been hit by a collapse in footfall due to work from home guidance will be able to apply for a grant from the City of London Corporation, it was confirmed last night. The Corporation, the Square Mile’s governing body, has put in the majority of the money behind the [...]