M&A to dine out next year December 11, 2011 BRITAIN’S restaurants and bars sector is expected to enjoy a resurgence in mergers and acquisitions next year, thanks to a pick-up in private equity demand, a report by the accountancy firm BDO has revealed. While sales across the industry are predicted to remain subdued, top high street chains such as Yo! Sushi, Pizza Express and [...]
PIPPA MIDDLETON JOINS BANKERS AT MAHIKI DUO’S LOW-KEY LAUNCH December 8, 2011 PIPPA Middleton is out and about again after splitting from her boyfriend Alex Loudon, an analyst at brewing giant SAB Miller. And one of the first places Middleton has patronised in her newly single life is the Markham Inn on Elystan Street, the latest restaurant venture from Mahiki owners Nick House and Piers Adam that [...]
SPITALFIELDS December 8, 2011 QUAKER STREET, E1 Price: £930,000 Moments from Brick Lane and Spitalfields, this two bedroomed penthouse flat sits within a secure, gated residential development with secure off-street parking. Furnishings are state-of-the-art and super sleek. www.foxtons.com WOODSEER STREET, E1 Price: £550,000 A one-bedroom ground floor flat with lovely original features including a mezzanine level and amazing original [...]
ALL BETS ARE OFF FOR DEL BONO’S CASINO PLOT December 6, 2011 IT WAS like the Marie Celeste when Luca Del Bono first looked round 50 St James’s: the tables in the restaurant were still laid for dinner and the staff uniforms were still hanging on their hooks in the hall. That’s what happens when you abandon ship so abruptly – as the site’s previous owner, the [...]
X FACTOR JUDGE IS THE LAST MAN AT THE BAR AT IRELAND FUND BALL December 4, 2011 CITIGROUP managing director Basil Geoghegan proved his stamina when he became the eighteenth Irishman to successfully scale Mount Everest earlier this year. But even he is no match for X Factor judge Louis Walsh, who was the last man standing at the Ireland Fund of Great Britain’s tenth winter ball at The Savoy on Saturday [...]
Doing the Wild West in style December 4, 2011 IT’S with a spirit of rebellion that three girlfriends and I sip G&Ts, descending over Las Vegas, the first leg of what we planned to be a mammoth 30th birthday blowout road trip to the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, and the Big Sur. The trip is as much about commemorating a key cornerstone in our [...]
TRAVEL NOTES December 4, 2011 Anantara opens luxe resort in Koh Phangan North of Koh Samui, you’ll find Koh Phangan tucked away at the base of a lush mountain. Set amid towering coconut palms and steps from idyllic Thong Nai Pan Noi beach, the resort has 44 private pool suites and villas and an open-air spa. Snorkeling, archery, elephant trekking, [...]
Greene King enjoys strong profits boost December 1, 2011 GREENE King, the pub owner and brewer, yesterday reported higher half-year profits, after benefiting from an upturn in trading as consumers continued to eat out in their local pubs. The 212-year-old firm, which runs 2,410 pubs and restaurants including the Loch Fyne seafood chain, said the consumer environment remained tough, with cost inflation rising ahead [...]
Greene King toasts profits rise December 1, 2011 British pubs and brewery group Greene King reported a higher first-half pre-tax profits, benefiting from an upturn in trading as consumers struggling to cope with economic pressures sought solace in their local pub. The 212-year-old Suffolk based firm, which has 2,410 pubs, said the consumer environment remained challenging with cost inflation rising ahead of wage [...]
Shaftesbury gets boost from booming West End November 30, 2011 THE WEST END property company Shaftesbury has hailed it most “prosperous” era despite the economic gloom, as it posted a 12 per cent rise in full year net asset value. Shaftesbury owns a prized portfolio of 500 properties in London’s popular tourist spots including Carnaby Street, China Town and Covent Garden. Brian Bickell, Shaftesbury’s former [...]