Meet the founder of Happn – the dating app putting love on the map October 17, 2016 Nearly one in 10 Londoners use dating app Happn. A colleague who’s more in the know than I am tells me it’s “recently become enormous on Instagram” – users can upload pictures direct from one to the other, with 30 of your most recent appearing automatically on your Happn profile. And once you’ve liked someone, [...]
Can Toronto seriously become the North American city break of choice? October 14, 2016 As the cab from the airport inched forward in nose to tail traffic towards the distinctive skyline in the distance, I already knew I was going to be charmed by Toronto. While beaches and mountains are all very well, I’m a city girl at heart and the lure of late night shopping, museums and a [...]
Elegant Hotels announces second dividend but bookings hit over the summer by “political uncertainties” in the UK October 14, 2016 Caribbean tourism group Elegant Hotels has announced it will pay out another dividend in February despite its booking feeling the effects of a summer of "political uncertainty" in the UK. In addition to an interim divi for the period to 30 September of 3.5p per share, Elegant Hotels will also pay a second divi also [...]
Time Out to open first London market in Shoreditch next year following success of Lisbon venue October 12, 2016 Time Out will launch its first London market in Shoreditch next year, the magazine publisher-turned-entertainment group announced today. The London market will follow the same model as the group's flagship venue in Lisbon, Portugal, which opened in May 2014. The 19,250 square foot space on Commercial Street will hold restaurants, bars, shops, an art gallery [...]
New Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch says there’s nothing fishy about Brexit, is hungry for global tourists October 11, 2016 The team behind the upcoming Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch hope to capitalise on Britain’s tumbling pound by luring wealthy foreign visitors. The five-storey, 150-room hotel on Willow Street in Hackney – originally slated to launch in 2014 but delayed by “construction issues” – will finally open its doors in spring 2017, just in time for [...]
National living wage pushes tens of thousands of companies into financial distress October 11, 2016 Nearly 100,000 businesses have been pushed into financial distress due to the introduction of the national living wage six months ago. According to data from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, 97,342 firms impacted by the introduction of the national living wage are now struggling financially, an increase of 23 per cent since the legislation came into [...]
Lobster roll craze drives wholesale prices of the crustacean to an 11-year high October 11, 2016 Wholesale lobster prices have hit an 11-year high following a burst in popularity in lobster rolls and the now-affordable luxury gracing the menus of more and more casual dining chains. Lobster is now worth $6 (£4.80) a pound, according to US data group Urner Barry. Read more: Lobster and burgers folks… That's it Groups such as B.O.B [...]
Expert for select committee slams Bernard Matthews’ sale and takes aim at insolvency laws October 10, 2016 Evidence submitted to an influential committee of MPs has highlighted concerns over the fate of the Bernard Matthews' pension scheme which has been a casualty the turkey company's pre-pack administration. According evidence submitted by Professor Prem Sikka, Bernard Matthew's administrator Deloitte "carefully crafted" a strategy to "dump" the pension scheme. He has reported his findings to the Work [...]
Fast sell-off could be on the cards for 1950s-style casual restaurant chain Ed’s Easy Diner October 8, 2016 Casual dining chain Ed's Easy Diner could imminently be sold off in a quickie sale for as little as £15m, according to reports. The hard-and-fast sale will probably take the form of a pre-pack administration could be announced in the coming days after the group suffered a trading slump over the summer, sources told The [...]
Focus On Earl’s Court: Around 7,500 new homes and a brand new high street coming to west London by 2033 October 7, 2016 Best known for its (closed) Exhibition Centre, Earl’s Court is not the sort of place you’d expect to attract million-pound investment. But it’s currently undergoing its biggest upheaval in over a century and this west London outpost is set to be a very different place in a couple of decades. The last huge change in [...]