London City Airport expansion plans stay grounded following Mayor Boris Johnson’s U-turn August 20, 2015 The battle for London City Airport is heating up. Less than a month has passed since its owners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Oaktree Capital put the site to the east of the capital up for sale with a price tag of around £2bn. But already two heavyweight bidders have emerged, including one of the [...]
Mix it up: The best brunch spots in London August 18, 2015 Brunch, as we all know, is the most important meal of the week. So if you haven’t already, lay down that greasy spoon and brunch like the British invented it (which, in fact, we did in the 1800s). For those chasing the hair of the dog that bit off as much as it could chew, [...]
Sardinia: an ancient, strangely empty idyll August 17, 2015 Elle McPherson was being photographed wearing a tiny white string bikini as she waterskied off the coast of Sardinia when I arrived. There was also breaking news that Silvio Berlusconi, currently hosting Vladimir Putin, had just sold his 68 room Bunga-Bunga palace – where he once entertained Tony Blair – to the Saudi Royal Family [...]
Wasabi returns to a profit after adding heat to expansion plans August 16, 2015 TAKEAWAY sushi and bento chain Wasabi hailed a return to profit last year after expanding its presence in the UK and launching its first outlet in New York. Accounts filed at Companies House show Wasabi Sushi Bento made a pre-tax profit of £4.26m in the year to 27 December compared with a loss of £1.15m [...]
Kentucky is more than just fried chicken: Hit the bourbon trail for a spirited, unbridled discovery August 14, 2015 All bourbons are whiskies, but not all whiskies are bourbons. This is the first commandment drilled into visitors at the distilleries that pepper the state of Kentucky, USA. Now, I’m a walking Wikipedia entry, espousing facts about bourbon to anyone who will listen; for instance, did you know that bourbon has to be made [...]
What to give top talent when pay rises won’t cut it August 13, 2015 Younger workers enjoy public plaudits more than alcohol The signs are unmissable: covert phone calls, new suits, a flurry of doctors appointments. But by the time your brightest employees are interviewing, there’s little any manager can offer to persuade them to stay. Salaries, bonuses and room for promotion have always been the surest ways to [...]
Looks like meat’s back on the menu, boys! August 13, 2015 Chefs from restaurant company ETM Group were shipped out to the Yorkshire moors at dawn yesterday to bag the first grouse of the season. And the team at Clerkenwell eatery the Jugged Hare promised to have their bird on the table within 12 hours of reaching the estate. Once the brace was shot at 10:30am, [...]
The Botanist Broadgate Circle has much to offer, day or night August 12, 2015 Broadgate is getting a makeover with new offices that meet the demands of today's businesses and, at the hub of the development, its open spaces are being revitalised too. The Broadgate Circle, already famous as the City's winter ice skating hub, has been reshaped with more space and more room for bars, restaurants and shops. [...]
Car review: New Bentley Mulsanne Speed is silent but speedy August 11, 2015 We’ve all been there. You’ve booked to go to the theatre or a restaurant with friends and the day before, they cry off. This time it was down to a rugby tackle from a small child to the side of my friend’s knee. The result was strapping, crutches and a level of pain that rendered [...]
Making a splash: Orlebar Brown founder talks bagginess, Stateside growth and being laughed at August 9, 2015 Spending two years building a business on your tod can’t be easy. But for Adam Brown, founder of swimwear and fashion brand Orlebar Brown, it turned out pretty well. Back in 2007, Brown decided to set up the company. The story of how, while at a friend’s birthday pool party in Rajasthan, which was [...]