Japan – with kids? Believe it or not, it works December 18, 2019 The looks of incomprehension became commonplace, from colleagues, friends, neighbours and, most severely, my mother-in-law. “You’re taking her… to Japan?” they asked, through a variety of similar rhetorical questions. A trip to Japan should surprise no one, these days. The island state is undergoing an eye-watering boom in tourism, with visitor numbers soaring from 13m [...]
String of London restaurants go paperless with City fintech startup Flux December 18, 2019 A number of London hot spots have taken a step towards going paperless, in a tie-up with digital receipts startup Flux. Flux has today signed partnership agreements with Japan Centre, Sakagura and Boparan Restaurant Group, which owns Giraffe, Ed’s Easy Diner and Slim Chickens. The deal means visitors who bank with Monzo or Starling, as [...]
Franco Manca expansion slices owner’s profits in half December 16, 2019 Franco Manca owner Fulham Shore today revealed that profits halved in the six months ending in September despite higher revenue as it continues to expand. The restaurant chain owner saw profit before tax sliced in half from £1.5m last year to just £743,000 in its latest half-year as it poured money into opening six new [...]
Which wines to drink with Christmas lunch December 16, 2019 City A.M.’s wine expert spends a fantasy Christmas budget And so, dear reader, the season of goodwill and merriment is upon us once again. Offices are full of elves distributing secret Santa details to colleagues, and restaurants are rammed with office workers guzzling warm chardonnay and leaden reds from obscure parts of the planet. The [...]
Restaurants can serve up lessons on why we should hire ex-offenders December 16, 2019 The hospitality sector is serving up more than Christmas parties this month. In the face of intense staffing challenges, employers in the industry can also serve up a lesson in how to effectively hire alternative talent. Restaurants, bars, and hotels are in the midst of the biggest skills shortage in decades — almost 80 per [...]
Have yourself a very modern Christmas: How to keep things woke on the big day, from vegan-friendly to zero-carbon December 13, 2019 The cards may read “peace to all men” but Christmas is a time for bitter fights, tantrums and physical conflict, especially when it comes to lunch (or should that be “dinner”?). Most of all, it’s a day when people come together to vehemently disagree about food. Siblings will fly thousands of miles, cross land and [...]
Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall restaurant to close ‘with immediate effect’ December 12, 2019 Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall restaurant is to close with immediate effect, putting up to 100 jobs at risk. The restaurant is run by charity the Cornwall Food Foundation, which said both the restaurant and charity will cease trading today after “an independent financial review.” Read more: Jamie Oliver bags £5.2m payday despite restaurant chain collapse [...]
Game on at smoky Barrels virtual shooting experience December 12, 2019 Enjoy the City’s first ‘virtual hunting experience’ alongside a slap-up Scottish meal at Smoky Barrels. Not often do you stumble upon a shooting range in the middle of the Square Mile, but with the arrival of Smoky Barrels to Devonshire Square, it’s now possible to go great guns on post-work drinks. Smoky Barrels is the [...]
Inside ‘co-living’: the flats where millennials trade living space for free craft workshops and yoga December 12, 2019 My alarm goes off at 6.30am, which means it’s time for yoga. As I wipe the sleep from my eyes, I glance around the unfamiliar apartment I’ve just spent the night in, which doesn’t take long because it’s barely bigger than a walk-in wardrobe. I get dressed and stumble out the door, traipsing down the [...]
Has-beans? What Chilango’s CVA tells us about the struggling casual dining sector December 11, 2019 Mexican chain Chilango offers its customers a choice between three different types of salsa: mild, medium, or hot. Faced with those options, who chooses the middle one? This is – in a way – the conundrum facing the increasingly polarised casual dining sector. Nowadays, customers either want fast, cheap fuel, or they want a quality [...]