Now pubs and bars call for visa help as staff shortage bites September 28, 2021 Restaurant and pub bosses have pleaded for ‘easy visas’ to help fill vacancies as they desperately try to recruit enough staff to keep the doors open. Patrick Dardis, CEO of London-based pub group Young’s told City A.M. yesterday that the UK needed to open up the job market to the EU to increase the labour [...]
Exclusive: Waterloo and City line set to fully reopen “very, very soon” September 27, 2021 Transport for London’s (TfL) Commissioner has said that crucial commuter artery the Waterloo & City line could fully reopen by the end of the year. “The fact that the City is now getting busier means we are actively looking at when we can increase to full service on the Waterloo & City line so I [...]
Paris’ Gare du Nord station transformation scrapped ahead of Rugby World Cup September 25, 2021 A project to transform Paris’ Gare du Nord railway station in the run up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup has been shelved. France’s national rail operator SNCF decided to scrap the plan after it was revealed the large project was behind schedule and would not be finished in time for the World Cup in [...]
This is what it’s like to party on the new Virgin cruise ship Scarlet Lady September 25, 2021 At the London launch of Richard Branson’s new cruise line, Virgin Voyages, the British DJ and producer Mark Ronson played a raucous set. It was all very cool and glamorous, and promised a new hip addition to this most buoyant travel sector, with more than 100 cruise ships on the order books. So when the [...]
Restaurants banned from taking staff tips under new legislation September 24, 2021 Pub and restaurant workers will be entitled to all of their tips under fresh government plans, impacting 2m employees. The government set out new legislation that would overhaul tipping practices on Friday, in a show of support for workers after their sector was hit hard by the pandemic. Employers will be banned from withholding tips [...]
Top chef Richard Corrigan on his great love of native oysters September 23, 2021 Native oysters would definitely be on the menu for my last meal. When I was growing up in the west of Ireland, we’d often have a plate of native oysters, with some soda bread and butter. The flavour is so distinctive it immediately takes me back to those days, so it’s something very special to [...]
Working Lunch: LPM is an excellent Mayfair dining destination September 23, 2021 We sampled the Niçoise delights of Mayfair’s LPM Restaurant and Bar and found an excellent, ingredient-led kitchen that’s perfect for entertaining clients. What is it? Formerly known as La Petite Maison, the recently rebranded LPM is the hip new iteration of the lauded restaurant that opened its doors in 2007. Serving traditional Niçoise dishes, it’s [...]
Exclusive: Startups and finserv firms push for more rules to keep bots under control September 21, 2021 Bots are changing the way we work, saving businesses thousands of hours and significant sums per year as they increasingly play a key role in automating key corporate functions, including customer service and data collections. Despite this, due to the actions of a small number of irresponsible bot users, myths and misconceptions, many business leaders [...]
City hiring spree: Financial services sector’s recruitment plans to break records this autumn September 16, 2021 Employers in London have ambitious plans to increase their headcount as they enter the fourth quarter, according to new research shared with City A.M. this morning. Even though London’ outlook was the lowest of all regions in the fourth quarter of last year, at minus 13 per cent, businesses in the capital now have one [...]
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group reports mediocre interim results September 15, 2021 The Restaurant Group has reported lacklustre results for the first half of the year with a statutory loss before tax of £58.8m. Total sales stood at £216.8m, a 4.5 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2020. The company made a modest recovery when it came to EBITDA which jumped from a loss [...]