Janine Hirt: Brits network differently to Americans December 11, 2025 Each week, we dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Janine Hirt, CEO of Innovate Finance takes us through her career in Square Mile and Me What was your first job? I held down several odd jobs while working my way through university, including being a librarian, legal assistant, and a [...]
Leon to close sites and cut jobs as it enters administration December 10, 2025 Fast-food chain Leon is set to enter administration, close a number of locations and cut jobs as part of a bid by its new owner to turn around the struggling chain. The company was bought back by co-founder John Vincent last month from Asda in a deal reported to be between £30m and £50m, well [...]
Covent Garden welcomes Guinness brewery December 10, 2025 Guinness has opened its fifth brand home in the heart of London as it hopes to capitalise on the growing popularity of the ubiquitous Irish stout. The mammoth £73m project in the middle of Covent Garden, which has taken six years to go from inception to completion, will see brewing return to the area for [...]
UK property tax burden is fourth heaviest in OECD December 9, 2025 The UK’s property tax burden is the fourth heaviest in the OECD’s list of 38 countries and it is more than double the average across the list of advanced economies. In a report on government revenue levels across most of the world’s largest economies, the OECD said the UK’s taxes on property as a percentage [...]
Pubs outraged as Selfridges and Harrods see business rates slashed December 8, 2025 Rachel Reeves is facing a backlash for a cut to business rates for the likes of Selfridges and Harrods while many pubs and restaurants see a huge hike. Analysis has found that a new shake-up of business rates will cause the tax bill of luxury stores to fall, while smaller venues face double-digit increases. Harrods’ [...]
Center Parcs: New £450m UK site approved December 8, 2025 A new £450m Center Parcs holiday village is to be constructed in Scotland after the proposals were given the green light. A total of 700 lodges are to be built at the site approximately three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh, as well as newly created lochs, nature trails and a [...]
Deutsche Bank moves into Revolut-branded Canary Wharf tower December 6, 2025 Deutsche Bank is set to take roughly 250,000 sq ft of office space in Canary Wharf’s YY building, the Financial Times has reported. The German bank will move into one of the Docklands’ biggest lettings of the year, providing the latest sign that the financial district’s fortunes are swinging back into recovery. People familiar with [...]
No selfies please: Croatia has a quiet luxury island that’s more Succession than Kardashian December 5, 2025 Adam Hay-Nicholls finds this island in Croatia is rather more ‘Succession’ than ‘Kardashian. This piece is published in City AM The Magazine, Winter edition, distributed at major Tube stations and available to pick up from The Royal Exchange Towards the northern end of Croatia’s coast, where the Kvarner Gulf melts into ribbons of silver and turquoise, lies [...]
Jamie Oliver to bring back Jamie’s Italian in the UK next year December 5, 2025 Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is to relaunch his restaurant chain in the UK in 2026, seven years after its dramatic collapse. Jamie’s Italian is to be relaunched after a deal was reached between Oliver and Cain International-backed Brava Hospitality Group, which owns Prezzo. The chain operated around 40 sites across the UK at its height [...]
What’s on London in December 2025 December 4, 2025 London is gearing up for a spectacular December, and the city is brimming with seasonal excitement. Plan your festive days around a truly diverse selection of activities, featuring everything from captivating exhibitions and brand-new store openings to amazing seasonal offers and must-see Christmas celebrations. It’s a fun, festive month with something for everyone, and your [...]