Bumper pay day for ‘Chicken King’ Boparan October 2, 2024 Ranjit Singh Boparan, the so-called ‘Chicken King’, received a bumper pay day after profit at his private office jumped to almost £125m. Boparan’s private office includes high street restaurant brands like Carluccio’s and Gourmet Burger Kitchen as well as Bernard Matthews, Banham Poultry and Elkes Biscuits. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House have revealed that the [...]
New tips law welcomed but it could cause a headache for hospitality bosses October 1, 2024 A new tipping law, which has made it illegal for companies to withhold tips from employees, has been welcomed by workers and industry bodies but could lead to a headache for employers. Until today, firms were able to choose whether to keep tips made on card, or whether to pass the earnings on to employees. [...]
Abba star Bjorn invested in my start-up – now I give artists the royalties they deserve October 1, 2024 The music tech start-up that managed to secure backing from some of the biggest names in the music industry
Subscriptions success for Opentable September 30, 2024 A rise in subscriptions helped the international arm of restaurant booking service Opentable, which is controlled by Booking.com’s owner, increase its turnover and pre-tax profit during its latest financial year. The London-headquartered division has reported a turnover of £31.7m for 2023, up from the £29.4m it posted for 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also [...]
Leon: Restaurant chain’s loss-making streak continues amid Asda takeover September 30, 2024 Restaurant chain Leon lost almost £20m in the year it was sold by the billionaire Issa brothers to Asda, it has been revealed. The company had been purchased by the brothers’ Lancashire-based EG Group in 2021 before most of the group’s UK operations were sold to the supermarket giant for £2bn in October 2023. At [...]
Dishoom creates hundreds of jobs and serves up record sales September 30, 2024 Dishoom created almost 300 jobs as its sales surged past the £100m mark during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered restaurant chain has posted a turnover of £116.8m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The latest figure comes after Dishoom reported a turnover of £94.9m for the previous [...]
Gofundme: Brits open wallets to bankroll small businesses September 30, 2024 If there’s one thing Britain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has figured out, it’s how to leverage the power of community.
Hard Rock Cafe nears return to profit as UK sales rise September 27, 2024 Hard Rock Cafe took a huge step towards returning to the black in 2023 as it continued its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The themed restaurant chain’s London-headquartered division reported a pre-tax loss of £1m for the 12 months, after having posted a loss of £9.4m for 2022. The last time the company reported a [...]
Groucho Club: Sales rise fails to stop owner sinking further into the red September 27, 2024 A jump in sales at the hospitality group behind London’s Groucho Club failed to stop its sinking further into the red during its latest financial year. Somerset-based Artfarm, which is owned by the Swiss art gallery investors Iwan and Manuela Wirth, has reported a turnover of £42.2m for 2023, up from the £28.6m it achieved [...]
Adnams: Ghost Ship is ‘star performer’ as low alcohol trend continues September 26, 2024 British brewer Adnams has reported a growth in sales as its low-alcohol beers continue to gain popularity, especially in the off-trade market. In the six months ended 30 June, the beer, spirits and hospitality group posted a turnover of £31.9m, up from almost £30m in the first half of last year. It narrowed operating losses from [...]