Patisserie Valerie suspends finance boss as it warns investors of potential fraud October 10, 2018 Patisserie Valerie has warned shareholders of potential fraud this morning, suspending its shares from trading. The cake maker has also suspended finance boss Chris Marsh as it investigates the potential black hole in its accounts. Read more: Patisserie Valerie shares face suspension over '£20m accounting hole' The irregularity could be as high as £20m, according [...]
Insurer Beazley becomes second tenant in City skyscraper Twentytwo October 10, 2018 The City's tallest skyscraper has landed its second major tenant – specialist insurer Beazley – in a sign of the bumper year for insurance take-up in the Square Mile. City A.M. can reveal the FTSE 250 insurer is set to take 50,000 square feet (sq ft) over two floors at 22 Bishopsgate when construction is finished [...]
Last call: Uber drivers to stage 24hr strike in London today October 9, 2018 Hundreds of Uber drivers are set to stage a 24-hour walkout across London today, in addition to protests in Nottingham and Birmingham, over workers' rights and demands for increased wages. The strike is being organised by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), and is scheduled to begin at 1pm. A separate demonstration is also expected to be [...]
AccorHotels takes 50 per cent stake in US luxury hospitality firm SBE Entertainment October 9, 2018 AccorHotels today said it had acquired a 50 per cent stake in US hospitality company SBE Entertainment. The hotel chain said the deal will allow it to expand its business into the luxury lifestyle hospitality sector, as well as plant its footprint throughout North America. SBE specialises in high-end hospitality and manages and operates hotels, residences, restaurants, spas, and [...]
Uber revenue driven up but company warns over driver employments rights court battle October 7, 2018 Uber drove its revenue up by 61 per cent last year but warned an ongoing court battle over the employment status of its drivers could hurt its future finances. The private hire firm, which claims its drivers are self-employed, is fighting against an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision that drivers should be classed as workers with [...]
The Great Gig in the Sky: We hiked for two days to hear the world’s highest music festival October 5, 2018 The hills are alive with the sound of… my heavy breathing. I nervously inch my way along a slippery glacier while clinging onto a steel cable, the only lifeline preventing me from plunging hundreds of feet into the rocky abyss below. I am high up in the craggy and unyielding Dolomite Mountains in the Trentino [...]
Focus On St John’s Wood: Why the genteel life on offer in this north west London village has endured for over a hundred years October 5, 2018 The rapid gentrification of the grottier parts of London has dominated the capital’s housing chat over the last few years. Everyone loves a rags to riches story, but as boring as it sounds, there are some parts of London that have always been, well, lovely. St John’s Wood is one of those places, a north [...]
Toyota and Softbank team up on ride-sharing, driverless tech unit October 4, 2018 Toyota and Softbank have unveiled a partnership that will see the two companies collaborate on transport services that utilise self-driving technology. Named Monet, a play on the longer term Mobility Network, the new venture will be initially funded at ¥2bn (£13.5m), with Softbank taking a stake of just over half of the business. “SoftBank alone and automakers alone [...]
Great Portland Estates sells off £65m building home to Ottolenghi’s new restaurant October 3, 2018 A West End property block home to Yotam Ottolenghi’s new flagship restaurant was snapped up by an overseas investor for £65m today. Read more: Soho House boss says second City of London venue has not been ruled out Great Portland Estates (GPE), a FTSE property developer, sold off 55 Wells Street to an undisclosed foreign buyer [...]
Weekly Grill: Indian chef extraordinaire Vivek Singh tells us about his City restaurant turning 10 and memories of lamb cooked over cowpats October 2, 2018 Who are you? I’m the founding chef at Cinnamon Collection. Our group has been revolutionising Indian Dining since 2001, with The Cinnamon Club in Westminster, Cinnamon Kitchens in the City, Oxford and Battersea and the magical Cinnamon Bazaar in Covent Garden. What do you do? I dream up dishes. What’s new at Cinnamon Group? Lots! [...]