Former Whitbread bosses mastermind takeover of Beefeater restaurants October 7, 2026 Former senior managers at Whitbread have advised on a deal to buy back nearly 60 restaurants from the group, after it wound up its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains last month. Common Table Group, a British hospitality firm, has agreed to buy 57 restaurant sites and one Premier Inn hotel from the FTSE 100 hotels [...]
Volkswagen takes £725m hit from motor finance scandal October 7, 2026 The finance arm of Volkswagen has taken a mammoth hit from the motor finance scandal plunging it to a loss for the year. Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) set aside £725m for expected expenses under the City watchdog’s industry-wide car finance redress scheme, according to new account filings. The provision swung the firm to a [...]
Shell eyes profit windfall from surging fuel prices October 7, 2026 Shell is poised to reap major gains from its refining operations after the global surge in fuel prices dramatically ramped up the group’s profit margins. The blue-chip energy giant said on Wednesday it expects its indicative refining margin – the difference between the cost of crude oil and the market value of finished fuels like [...]
As it happened: FTSE 100 slide as oil price jumps; Global bond yields higher October 7, 2026 Welcome back to City AM‘s FTSE 100 liveblog. Global markets are swimming in the red as the price of oil trends higher following tensions in the Middle East offsetting a rise in supply. Brent crude – the international benchmark for oil prices – tipped over $101 per barrel on Wednesday following intensified attacks on tankers in the [...]
Dutch consulting disruptor takes aim at City’s ‘five-to-one’ markup October 7, 2026 Sweav, a Dutch-founded freelance consulting platform, is launching in the UK to challenge the traditional professional services sector on pricing. Speaking to City AM, Joeri Schouten, co-founder of Sweav, said: “The UK is the biggest professional services market in Europe [but] the culture is still much more traditional, very hierarchical, and has an even more [...]
The Lakes Distillery: Profit slumps at Nyetimber’s whisky brand October 7, 2026 Nyetimber, the English sparkling wine producer, paid £71m to acquire The Lakes Distillery in 2024 as part of its goal to create a UK-based luxury drinks brand. But just two years on, and it’s starting to look as if Nyetimber, led by CEO Eric Heerema, may be suffering buyer’s remorse. Paul Carrie (who previously co-founded [...]
Austrian whisky makes its mark October 7, 2026 This month’s issue of Whisky Business, City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky, takes a look at the whisky coming out of Austria. Austria’s spirits market is worth around €360m a year, with whisky exports accounting for about 10 per cent of that, according to figures published in 2024. That makes the company a minnow [...]
Watch collecting and the search for the white whale October 7, 2026 In the world of watch collecting, time does not stand still. That’s the joy of it: you never know what might be the prize of tomorrow, says Andy Blackmore In the 1996 Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses, lovable Cockney Derek Trotter was still dreaming of getting rich. “This time next year, Rodney, we’ll [...]
Nottingham Forest facing backlash as City Ground expansion set to hit residents in pocket October 7, 2026 Nottingham Forest are facing a backlash from local residents who could be left out of pocket by the club’s £790m expansion of the City Ground. As part of the planning permission granted to increase the capacity of their 31,000-seater stadium to 52,000, Forest have agreed to contribute £4.17m towards improving surrounding travel and transport infrastructure. [...]
The Debate: Should London offices reduce bike parking? October 7, 2026 Provisions for office cycle parking could be reduced under new London plans. But is throwing out bike racks too hasty?