CMA puts brakes on Amazon’s Deliveroo investment July 5, 2019 The UK’s competitions watchdog will examine Amazon’s investment in Deliveroo, it said this morning, putting the brakes on the multi-million pound deal. The internet retail giant took a stake in Deliveroo in May, leading a $575m (£450m) funding round. It did not reveal the exact size of the stake. Read more: Amazon leads £450m Deliveroo [...]
Greene King posts robust sales growth despite fall in profit after summer washout June 27, 2019 Pub chain operator Greene King has posted a robust rise in sales for the full year, despite a slump in profit and the impact of unseasonable weather in the first eight weeks. The figures Group revenue rose 1.8 per cent to £2.2bn in the 52 weeks to the end of April. Pre-tax profit dropped 12.5 [...]
Pizza Express losses widen amid strain on casual dining sector June 26, 2019 Pizza Express has reported hefty losses for the full year as it battles with increased competition in the casual dining sector. The restaurant chain posted a loss of £55.8m in 2018, an increase of more than 40 per cent from £31.6m the previous year. Read more: China expansion and UK troubles take slice out of [...]
MPs warn against UK neglecting ties with India in favour of China June 24, 2019 The UK is failing to build an economic and security relationship with India as it grows in wealth and influence, the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) has today warned. Read more: New UK-India tech hub to be opened in confidence boost for the City In a new report the FAC cautioned that Britain’s focus on building [...]
The Weekly Grill: Federico Casali talks dogs and the worst thing he’s ever put in his mouth June 18, 2019 Who are you? I’m a 33-year-old easy-going Italian, born with a passion for food and cooking. I could never imagine being anything other than a chef. My style of cooking is fairly experimental but I still make sure that tradition and culture are respected through my dishes. I like to bring back forgotten ingredients and [...]
Ramen chain Tonkotsu eyes expansion with YFM backing June 11, 2019 Ramen restaurant Tonkotsu has received £5m of funding from investment firm YFM Equity Partners as it eyes expansion. YFM will take a minority stake in the Japanese-inspired restaurant chain as it expands its presence in London. Read more: Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant empire returns to profit The group will open restaurants in Peckham and Shoreditch this [...]
Bob Bob Ricard City review: This bonkers restaurant is the Square Mile’s new best place to eat June 6, 2019 There are many laudable things about Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard: the fancy Titanic-meets-Orient-Express interiors, the no-nonsense Franco-Anglo-Russian menu that turns a fish pie or a chicken kiev into a minor culinary event. But the thing everybody remembers is the “Press for Champagne” button on every table, a gimmick that perfectly encapsulates the personality of the [...]
Fevertree Drinks: Does 20% slump offer rare chance to buy? June 5, 2019 By Edmond Jackson from interactive investor. It’s one of the great stock market success stories but is vulnerable to shifts in sentiment. Our companies analyst shares his thoughts after a savage sell-off in May. Following my recent review of soft drinks firm Britvic (LSE:BVIC), it is pertinent to compare the risk/reward profile of AIM-listed Fevertree (LSE:FEVR) – both as a potential [...]
Weekly Grill: Double Michelin starred chef Hélène Darroze talks about her new restaurant in Paris, the joy of boiled eggs and cooking for Jacques Chirac June 3, 2019 Who are you and what do you do? My name is Hélène Darroze, I am a cuisinière and mother. Most Londoners will know me from my eponymous restaurant, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, which holds two Michelin stars. What’s new? I’m opening a new restaurant, Marsan in Paris. It’s in the same location as my [...]
Uber loses $1bn in first quarterly results since stock market float May 30, 2019 Uber has reported a $1bn (£790m) loss in its first quarterly financial report as a public company, despite revenue rising by one-fifth. Read more: Uber partners with insurtech start-up to offer digital insurance The loss will not come as a surprise to investors in the ride-hailing giant, after it already predicted the figure in a [...]