Argentinian Malbec is top tipple as Majestic toasts craft beer and fine wine sales November 17, 2014 Majestic chief executive Steve Lewis said yesterday that the group’s push into craft beers and spirits was helping to fend off competition from supermarkets after sales of brands, including top seller Curious Brew, soared in the first half. The wine specialist is stacking its shelves with a new range of 40 artisanal spirits such as [...]
Thinking bigger: My Voucher Codes founder Mark Pearson talks Fern Britton and young tech entrepreneurs November 16, 2014 While we’re talking, it suddenly dawns on Mark Pearson that it’s his company’s eighth birthday. “It’s definitely around now,” he laughs, raising his empty plastic water cup in the air. In June of this year, Pearson sold My Voucher Codes, as part of his parent company Markco Media, to global mobile money technology provider [...]
Park Hyatt New York: First major NYC hotel in over 10 years November 16, 2014 It takes big bucks to open a new luxury hotel in Manhattan – and even bigger cojones. Clearly, the idea has not been tempting for some time. New York’s last mega-launch was the Mandarin Oriental in 2003. Eleven years and one recession later, confidence has finally returned to the Big Apple – and, [...]
Center Parcs Woburn Forest: For a weekend getaway with the kids, you can’t beat this November 16, 2014 It is 9.30am on a Saturday and the whole family is wobbling through a woodland assault course 25ft feet above ground, hooked into harnesses in case our schoolyard adventure playground skills fail us. Unexpectedly, my husband, who thinks nothing of hopping on sky-high ski lifts, says he is scared of heights, and threatens [...]
MasterCard offers “Fare Free Friday” for London travellers as contactless journeys hit 12 million November 14, 2014 The number of journeys made on London transport using contactless payment has hit 12 million since it was first introduced on the capital’s network of tubes, trains and buses.. The new figures come as Londoners are being offered free travel by MasterCard across the capital to encourage even more people to use the technology. Contactless [...]
Corporate manslaughter fines could be raised to £20m: What’s the most dangerous job in the UK? November 14, 2014 Companies that commit corporate manslaughter should face fines of up to £20m, according to legal watchdog the Sentencing Council. Corporate health and safety nightmares such as pedestrians killed by falling scaffolding, gas leaks caused by an unregistered gas fitter or employees injured by falling machinery all fall under this type of crime and punishments should [...]
Focus on Chiswick: Why are families flocking to west London? November 13, 2014 Many people seem to think that, between oligarchs buying up prime central London and renters occupying the trendy suburbs, the capital is becoming a place of transition. But there’s one place that’s defying that trend: Chiswick. This ancient country retreat, which was once part of Middlesex, is every inch the traditional London village. [...]
Ex-Gaucho MD’s new place M is pukka for Chuka November 12, 2014 Some of the City’s best known names trotted down to Threadneedle Walk last night for the opening of Gaucho’s former MD Martin Williams’ new restaurant complex, M. Metro Bank chief Craig Donaldson was there, rubbing shoulders with designer Amanda Wakeley, chef Angela Hartnett and shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna, who was there with old uni [...]
Aviva Investors’ Euan Munro on why markets will see more Wobbly Wednesdays November 11, 2014 It’s lunchtime at Aviva Investors’ offices at No.1 Poultry, but the three platters of fish, meat and vegetable sandwiches supplied by catering lie untouched on the table. Euan Munro, chief executive of the fund management house, is sitting drinking full fat Coca-Cola from a glass, while the pungent aroma of the Coq d’Argent restaurant upstairs [...]
KPMG’s Matt Wood has the eye for ING’s art November 11, 2014 Director of operations for KPMG (Restaurant Associates), Matt Wood (right) enjoyed last night’s preview of the 2014 ING Discerning Eye exhibition – and thanks to City A.M.’s competition, he walked away with one of the pieces. Here he is with ING’s chief of commercial banking Gerald Walker and his new piece of art, Wet Morning [...]