The Restaurant Group reports increased revenue but reduced profit as it lays out issues with Frankie & Benny’s August 26, 2016 The Restaurant Group (TRG) has laid out the reasons behind the poor performance of its biggest brand, Frankie and Benny's, as it reported an uptick in revenue but a dip in profit in the first half of 2016 The figures Revenue grew to £358.7m in the 27 weeks to 3 July, up 3.4 per cent from [...]
Pizza Express revenues up but struggles to keep same slice of the UK casual dining market August 25, 2016 Pizza Express posted robust revenue growth today but the casual dining group struggled to maintain its slice of the UK eating-out market. The figures Turnover grew by 14 per cent to £488m in the year ended 26 June, up from £423m in 2015. In the UK and Ireland like-for-like sales were down by 1.3 per [...]
It’s #NationalBurgerDay – Here are the eight best burgers in London, from dirty to honest and everything in between August 25, 2016 1. DIRTY COP OUT DIRTY BURGER, 13 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA, £6 While our fickle burger culture might have reached a “dirty” nadir to make room for the rise of more modern “cheeky” food, the Dirty Cop Out deserves to live on in the annals of burger history. A mushroom burger to tempt even [...]
Cheers: Bellfield Brewery, the UK’s first dedicated gluten-free craft microbrewery, has secured distribution across the UK August 24, 2016 If you haven't already, you'll soon be able to raise a toast with free-from beer, as the UK's first dedicated gluten-free microbrewery has secured distribution with several country-wide operators. Edinburgh-based Bellfield Brewery's two brews, Lawless Village IPA and Bohemian Pilsner, have been taken on by several Scottish-based distributors and wholesalers including Craft Beer Clan Scotland, [...]
City deliveries get healthy with new rotisserie chicken takeaway service from private equity grandee Fraser Duncan’s Clockjack August 21, 2016 Soon, you'll have no excuse to order an unhealthy takeaway lunch as the seasoned private equity grandee Fraser Duncan has raised £1m to add a delivery wing to his rotisserie chicken business. Famished City workers will be able to order rotisserie chicken meals directly from the company and via Deliveroo from Clockjack's takeaway kitchen, set up with funding [...]
Uber is gearing up to launch UberEats in 12 more cities across Europe August 21, 2016 Uber is planning an ambitious expansion of its food delivery service UberEats across Europe just two months after it first arrived in London. The billion-dollar startup is already eyeing its second city in the UK and plans to expand beyond its existing patch of central London. Meanwhile it's planning to launch in a further 12 cities in 10 [...]
Property of the Week: Tour de France presenter’s studio flat in Soho is ingeniously designed August 18, 2016 Simple living in the messy heart of London – that’s what this extraordinarily modern studio flat offers in Soho for £699,000. Owned by ITV’s Tour de France presenter Gary Imlach, it’s a perfect pied-a-terre tucked away in a gated period building on Broadwick Street. To get to it, you need to climb a set of [...]
Sweet Mercy: Government drops all-out war on sugar but pushes ahead with its soft drinks levy August 17, 2016 The government has today scrapped the most draconian measures from its long-awaited childhood obesity strategy, but the Treasury will forge ahead with its levy on soft drinks dubbed the "sugar tax". The department of health has pledged to work towards a 20 per cent reduction of sugar in foods and drinks that are popular with [...]
Long Weekend: Chef Raymond Blanc’s favourite places to shop, dine and wine in Paris August 15, 2016 The weekend Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc has picked out his favourite foodie hotspots in one of the tastiest cities on earth. From bistros to profiteroles, there’s a lot to pack in, but if you’re up for the challenge, then here’s how to bloat yourself Blanc-style. How to get there The Eurostar e320 gets you there [...]
Appetite for expansion outside of London hammers profits at sushi and Asian-inspired food chain Itsu August 14, 2016 Profits at healthy eating chain Itsu dived 73 per cent last year as the company developed a taste for expansion outside of London. The sushi and Asian-inspired food group reported a 22 per cent increase in sales to £82.6m in the year ended 31 December 2015, according to accounts filed at Companies House. However, profits slid [...]