Ladies who don’t lunch: Lady Barbara Judge talks first impressions and why moderation is boring November 19, 2015 Ping! A reply from Lady Barbara Judge drops in my inbox, exactly 15 minutes after I sent over an email asking her whether she would be available for a “ladies lunch”. “Dear Maike I would be glad to do it. The problem is to find a date. With best regards, Barbara.” Surprised and pleased at [...]
French private equity firm Ardian raises €1.1bn for co-investment fund November 18, 2015 French private equity firm Ardian has completed a €1.1bn (£769m) fundraising for its fourth co-investment fund. The fund's strategy is to co-invest a minority stake in larger private equity transactions, with two pools, so investors can choose their exposure to the US and European markets. Ardian, which until 2013 was AXA Private Equity and is [...]
Londoners’ favourite spots to eat and drink in the City: These are the best restaurants, pubs and cafes in the square mile – The Fat Bear, Lamb Tavern, and Beany Green November 18, 2015 Ever wondered where's best to head for a drink or a bite to eat after a long day in the office? There's dizzying array of bars, pubs, restaurants and coffee shops within the square mile, but now Londoners' have given several of them their seal of approval, naming their favourite haunts in the City. Place The Fat Bear, Lamb Tavern, [...]
London house prices: TfL files planning applications for its first residential developments at Nine Elms, Northwood and Parsons Green November 18, 2015 Transport for London (TfL) may be best known for signal failures, but London's transport authority also has recently announced plans to branch out into property development. Today it announced where its first developments will be, after it submitted planning applications in Nine Elms, Northwood and Parsons Green. Between them, the three sites will yield more [...]
Where can I use Apple Pay in the UK? The A-Z of shops, restaurants and apps which will accept mobile payment with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus November 17, 2015 Apple launched its mobile payment service, Apple Pay, in the UK in its first mobile payment move beyond the US, capitalising on the boom in mobile and contactless payments among consumers. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can now pay with just the tap of a smartphone, or Apple Watch, across the high street and [...]
London’s newest skyscraper – Pinnacle replacement 22 Bishopsgate – given go-ahead by City of London planners November 17, 2015 London's saddest skyscraper may yet be set for a happy ending, after a City of London planning committee gave it the thumbs up. The building formerly known as the Pinnacle – aka the "Helter Skelter", thanks to its complex, curly design – has stood half-built since 2008, after the sheer cost of the project brought it [...]
Vote with your wallet: It’s time to turn shoppers into investors November 16, 2015 It frustrates me that consumers are so valued as shoppers, yet so underserved when it comes to putting money to work in other ways. From the moment we are born, we are marketed to thousands of times a day, “trained” as consumers through hundreds of billions of pounds in advertising, yet are left to our [...]
Travel caterer SSP wins £500m deal to open 29 outlets at Oslo airport November 16, 2015 Travel catering giant SSP has won a £500m contract to run 29 shops, cafes and restaurants at Oslo Airport Gardermoen in Norway. The FTSE 250 franchise operator, which made its £1bn stock market debut last year, said it has secured a contract spanning five years for retail and seven years for the food and beverage, with [...]
The fine art of Nordic cooking November 13, 2015 Chef Magnus Nilsson has compiled the definitive guide to the subtle art of Nordic cooking. The Nordic Cook Book combines a series of stunning photographs of his epic culinary journey through Scandinavia – from the grandiosity of the frozen fjords to simple strips of mutton hanging to age in a Faroese warehouse – with recipes [...]
Derwent sells Covent Garden’s Davidson Building for £66m as third quarter lettings soar November 12, 2015 Derwent London's Davidson Building in Covent Garden has been snapped up by US real estate firm Cornerstone for £66.2m, the developer said yesterday, as it reported a surge in third quarter lettings. The company bought the office building and redeveloped it in 2003, keeping the Edwardian façade on Southampton Street. It was named the Davidson [...]