‘Are you crazy?’: London restaurateur on opening two eateries during the pandemic June 23, 2021 When the pandemic hit, London-based restauranteur Sanjay Anand, owner of catering and restaurant business Madhu’s, found himself feeling restless, with more time on his hands than he had had in decades. Pre-pandemic Madhu’s, which specialises in luxury Indian food, was predominantly a catering business, and when Covid restrictions were put in place last March around [...]
Tory central London MP calls for fresh package to support the West End June 22, 2021 A Conservative central London Tory MP is today calling for a fresh package of economic support to help the capital’s post-Covid economic recovery, with specific measures for the West End. Cities of London and Westminster MP Nickie Aiken today used a 30-minute parliamentary debate today to call for a removal of the £2m business rates [...]
There are staycations – and then there’s the Savoy June 21, 2021 Tribal rivalries run strong in London, as we all know. Proper south Londoners don’t go north of the river unless under duress; east Londoners think west London is just the bit you have to fight through to get to Heathrow. But if lockdown has taught us one thing, it’s that no matter how buzzing, lively [...]
Michelin starred Pied à Terre in Fitzrovia stops lunch due to ‘Brexit and Covid’ June 21, 2021 In another sign of the post-Covid recruitment crisis, one of London’s oldest Michelin-starred restaurants has closed its lunch service until further notice. Fitzrovia’s Pied à Terre says Brexit and Covid have impacted recruitment so badly it is no longer able to open for the whole day. The restaurant said it could not “protect the welfare [...]
Tesco bags over £10bn in sales as customers still favour home cooking June 18, 2021 Supermarket giant Tesco has taken in over £10bn in UK sales over the last quarter, with customers still in the habit of home cooking over restaurant dining as restrictions gradually lift. The UK, the chain’s main market, brought in a slight 0.5 per cent lift to sales in the 13 weeks to 29 May, in [...]
Les Bordes: The ultimate European golf retreat just got better June 17, 2021 With mere hours to go until the start of the US open, the City A.M. team is beginning to lust for the perfectly manicured surrounds of the golf course. Thankfully, the perfect solution is just a short plane-ride away. One of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world, Les Bordes in France’s famed Loire [...]
‘We keep getting crushed’ – hospitality reacts to Covid news June 16, 2021 News this week that Covid restrictions will not fully end on 21 June as previously planned has come as a fresh blow to the embattled hospitality industry. While bar and restaurant owners were hoping to capitalise on the combination of the good weather and Euros, they are now they are back in survival mode. We [...]
Visit the world’s biggest open-air bar, Sweden’s Drinkable Country June 15, 2021 Sweden yesterday celebrated the stoic defensive performance that earned them a Euros draw against highly fancied Spain almost as if it were a victory in the latter stages. Today any Swedes still in the party mood can let loose at Drinkable Country, which has been dubbed “the world’s largest open-air bar”. Comprised of pop-ups hosted [...]
Freedom day pushed back to 19 July as Johnson asks for ‘a little more time’ for jab programme June 14, 2021 England’s “Freedom Day” has been pushed back nearly six weeks until 19 July, Boris Johnson has confirmed tonight, as cases of the so-called Delta variant of Covid-19 continue to rise. The decision will be reviewed every day, and after two weeks the government will decide whether to go ahead with reopening sooner than now anticipated. [...]
Meal kits firm Dishpatch rustles up £10m in funding round June 13, 2021 A meal kits provider that offers dishes from top London restaurants including Ottolenghi has raised £10m in a fresh funding round. Dishpatch, which was founded during lockdown last year, secured the backing from Andreessen Horowitz and Local Globe. Entrepreneurs including Bloom & Wild boss Aron Gelbard, Trouva’s Mandeep Singh and Songkick co-founder Ian Hogarth also [...]