Why Reports of Soho’s death have been greatly exaggerated, despite spiralling rents, modern developments and fierce competition March 28, 2019 When Casanova arrived in London in 1763, Soho was his first port of call. It was a place riddled with opium dens and brothels and coffee houses and restaurants, the place you went for cheap rent, good food, great drugs and the best parties. It’s been the go-to place for hedonists and sybarites ever since, [...]
Din Tai Fung Covent Garden review: Precision-engineering these Taiwanese dumplings comes at the cost of soul March 28, 2019 Eight years of writing restaurant reviews has not yet propelled me to culinary stardom. Nobody has asked me to be a judge on Celebrity Bake Off. Masterchef has never called. But I do have one claim to fame: I star in the staff training video for Taiwanese dumpling sensation Din Tai Fung. It happened in [...]
Ex-Uber boss Travis Kalanick’s new venture snaps up UK ‘dark kitchens’ business March 26, 2019 The food delivery company run by Travis Kalanick snapped up London ‘dark kitchens’ firm Foodstars last year, as the former Uber boss looks to expand his new venture in the UK. City Storage Systems, which trades as Cloud Kitchens in the US, quietly bought the startup up last year, according to documents filed to Companies House. [...]
Focus On Bow: Young professionals are changing the landscape of Bow, but upsizing proves costly March 22, 2019 Few areas in London have seen demographic change like east London, but even within the East End, Bow has changed a lot in recent years. “There is a definite shift taking place, highlighted by the arrival of a number of independent coffee shops, wine bars and restaurants over the past 18 months or so,” said [...]
Creditors approve Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner CVA March 21, 2019 The operator of Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner has been given the green light for store closures today, as creditors voted through a major restructuring plan that puts hundreds of jobs at risk. Giraffe Concepts Limited, which gained the 75 per cent approval it needed from creditors in a vote this afternoon, is now set to [...]
Wildwood restaurant owner Tasty shares plunge as it warns further site closures on the way March 20, 2019 Shares in Wildwood restaurant owner Tasty plunged this morning as the company warned that it may be forced to make further closures this year after shuttering eight underperforming sites. The figures Shares plummeted more than 17 per cent as the restaurant group posted dismal full-year results for 2018, blaming challenges in the casual dining sector as [...]
Thin Cats launches £100m funding programme for private equity backed SMEs March 18, 2019 Fintech lender Thin Cats has launched a £100m funding programme for private equity backed small and medium businesses in the UK. The loan provider is aiming to help private equity backed companies fund larger sized deals up to £15m. Read more: Oneweb lands $1.25bn in funding after successful satellite launch Recently the firm has provided [...]
Patisserie Valerie overstated financial position by £94m, auditors say March 16, 2019 The amount of money missing from Patissserie Valerie's consolidated accounts has grown to more than double a previous estimate to a total of £94m, according to a new report by its administrators, KPMG. The company fell into administration in January and was found to have overstated its financial position by £30m while also failing to disclose £10m of overdrafts. Read [...]
Focus On Clapham: Commons, good schools and cosy gastropubs means families stay put in SW4 March 15, 2019 The appeal of living in Clapham is clear for all to see. It has great transport connections along the Northern Line and Clapham Junction – one of the most well-connected stations in the UK – , particularly for south London. It’s better value for money than its north-of-the-river counterparts. The 220-acre Clapham Common is all [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend March 15, 2019 New developments on the market this week Boat Race House, Barnes From £485,000 Enjoy a prime view of the finishing line of the Boat Race in the comfort of your own home at this new riverside development. As well as a view of the Thames, buyers of these new homes will be guaranteed private outdoor [...]