Health-conscious Brits lead Dash Water to record-breaking summer September 18, 2025 Health-conscious Brits are expected to have helped sales surge by almost half at soft drink brand Dash Water thanks to a record summer. The business, which is based in London, has revealed its revenue is forecast to jump by 45 per cent in 2025 to £42m. The business, which is based in London and was [...]
John Lewis blames higher taxes as it swings into the red September 11, 2025 A rise in national insurance contributions and a packaging levy has ‘significantly’ impacted John Lewis, with the retailer reporting a half-year loss despite an increase in revenue. The company, which also owns Waitrose, reported a loss before tax and exceptional items of £33m for the 26 weeks ended 26 July. It has been “significantly impacted [...]
Kia EV9 review: electric SUV is a Range Rover rival September 8, 2025 Kia has traditionally been the automotive equivalent of Aldi: a brand that majors on no-nonsense value for money. The new EV9, however, is the size of a Range Rover and costs from £65,985. It pushes Kia into conflict with upmarket SUVs from Solihull and Stuttgart – not to mention Hyundai-Kia’s own premium marque, Genesis. Can [...]
Why you’re drinking Port all wrong August 19, 2025 It turns out I have been drinking port entirely wrong. For me, this heavy fortified wine has always been something for the winter. A small glass served at room temperature to pair with the Christmas stilton. If anywhere is going to school me on the “how tos” of port then Kopke, the world’s oldest port [...]
John Lewis: Losses triple at retail giant’s property start-up August 11, 2025 Losses tripled at the property start-up owned by retail giant John Lewis during its latest financial year despite its income shooting up, it has been revealed. BTR (Operating) Limited has posted a pre-tax loss of £406,000 for the 12 months to 25 January, 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The latest figure comes [...]
Libby in Paris: How to drink wine like the French August 2, 2025 There’s something so effortlessly chic about Parisians. The French way of life is tightly woven with centuries of excellent wine-making, and they seem to drink it beautifully. I popped over for Bastille Day to see if I could learn to sip with similar sophistication. It began as soon as I arrived. I had booked a [...]
The best places to drink Portuguese wine in London right now July 15, 2025 Portuguese wine has flown relatively under the radar when compared to its neighbours France, Italy and Spain. “I’m bewildered when I visit a restaurant and there’s nothing from Portugal,” says Max Graham, founder of Bar Douro. “It offers such diversity – from mountains to the Atlantic coast and volcanic islands, there are over 250 native [...]
Forget Dry January – now it’s time for Dry July July 7, 2025 Not content with one month of sobriety in the form of Dry January, I have been made aware Dry July is now a thing too. At least this time of year makes a little more sense to me. January is a bitter, joyless month where the comforts of a glass of good red wine by [...]
Build-to-rent: UK boom in purpose-built properties June 2, 2025 The number of build-to-rent completions in the last year has shot up in another sign the sector is here to stay in the UK. Completions of built to rent properties – which refers to purpose built, institutionally owned and professionally managed residential blocks of flats – have risen by 16 per cent year on year, [...]
John Lewis gets green light to build hundreds of homes in West Ealing May 28, 2025 Plans by the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) to redevelop Waitrose West Ealing have been given the go-ahead by Ealing Council after a successful appeal by the retail giant. The application, which has been in the planning system for nearly two years, is part of JLP’s long-term strategy to diversify its income streams via build-to-rent. The [...]