Majestic Wine finds reason to celebrate with record profits June 18, 2012 THE BOSS of Majestic Wine said the UK public was as much in love with food and wine as ever, after consumers spending on special occasions helped to drive record full-year profits. The wine retailer posted pre-tax profits of £23.2m, up 14.5 per cent in the year to 2 April, helped in part by growing [...]
Luke Johnson sinks his teeth into new deal June 17, 2012 LUKE Johnson, the entrepreneur behind Italian restaurants Strada and Pizza Express, is set to buy struggling dental care chain James Hull. A source close to the deal told City A.M. that Johnson, chair of private equity firm Risk Capital Partners, is in advanced talks with the high-end dentistry firm over a takeover. The recession has [...]
The ace of clubs: Building an innovative legacy at Home House June 17, 2012 WHEN the offer went up by yet another £1m I had to say yes. My heart was heavy though because I was proud of what we had created from scratch, against the odds. I’d also had a lot of fun. The business was the now famous London club, Home House. Eight years earlier, Brian Clivaz [...]
Recipe for success is a special blend June 17, 2012 Q Three years in the City – how has it been? A Considering we opened High Timber just as the recession kicked in, overall it has been fabulous. There are so many big characters in the City; the restaurant always seems to have a buzzing and fun atmosphere. Q What’s been great and what’s been [...]
Shopping in style at the City’s 10 best June 17, 2012 Paul A Young, Bank 1 London’s most delectable chocolatier has shops in Islington and Soho, but our favourite is the outpost on Threadneedle Street. Just a stone’s throw from Bank, the store is a beacon of temptation, with its opulent display window and signature purple exterior. Paul, who has flame-red hair, oversees an operation in [...]
Good marketing can be as impossible as trying to read minds June 10, 2012 THE blond haired, middle-aged PR guru slouched back in his armchair and confidently announced his “stunning” idea to me. The little girl, Madeleine, had recently disappeared in Portugal and there was massive public sympathy and frenzied press coverage. To my sensitive agent, struggling to justify his hefty monthly fees, this represented a fantastic opportunity. “A [...]
Jubilee attracts two million to West End June 6, 2012 SOME two million visitors flocked to the West End over the bank holiday weekend, as the capital went into full swing celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Theatres, hotels, restaurants and retailers are together expected to have made more than £120m over the four-day weekend, according to the New West End company, which represents 600 firms [...]
£140m deal for Makro UK will boost Booker May 30, 2012 FOOD wholesaler Booker aims to turn around the loss-making cash and carry firm Makro UK after taking it off the hands of German retailer Metro in a £140m deal. It will hand Metro £15.8m and a 9.99 per cent stake in Booker as the two firms agree to work together on improving their supply chains [...]
Jubilee weekend highlight: the ultimate Royal pageant May 29, 2012 Without doubt, the focus of the weekend is the Jubilee Pageant flotilla on Sunday 3 June, running from Putney past Tower Bridge. The procession will be led by the Gloriana, a £1m barge built for the occasion, with 18 oarsman including Olympic athletes Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent. The flotilla is so grand [...]
Get on the starting grid for charity night May 28, 2012 City A.M.is offering readers the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to a fundraising dinner at Boisdale restaurant in Canary Wharf. The event takes place on Monday week, 11 June, and marks the opening of Motorexpo, the UK’s largest free to enter motor show. All you have to do to enter the draw [...]