Sorry social media – British parents are not buying into avocados and kale – they’d rather to stick to tradition October 12, 2016 Instagram (and Pret a Manger) may suggest the UK has gone bananas for avocados – but when it comes to feeding our kids, it seems us Britons would much rather stick with tradition than delve into something new. Research commissioned by Mash Direct, which surveyed 1,000 parents across the UK, revealed 24 per cent of [...]
Greggs sausage rolls up the leaderboard in hospital food poll October 22, 2016 A ranking of the healthiest providers of hospital food revealed that one of the nation's favourite bakeries was narrowly pipped to the top spot. The "Healthy Hospital Food: 2016 Brand League Table" compared the performance of how well companies meet NHS England targets on healthy checkouts, food advertising and price promotions in hospitals. Although the Royal Voluntary Service and [...]
Appetite for expansion outside of London hammers profits at sushi and Asian-inspired food chain Itsu August 14, 2016 Profits at healthy eating chain Itsu dived 73 per cent last year as the company developed a taste for expansion outside of London. The sushi and Asian-inspired food group reported a 22 per cent increase in sales to £82.6m in the year ended 31 December 2015, according to accounts filed at Companies House. However, profits slid [...]
Ikea is letting you launch a pop-up DIY restaurant on Shoreditch High Street with 20 of your friends – for free August 29, 2016 Forget furniture, Swedish DIY titan Ikea is about to offer Londoners a very different type of do-it-yourself experience. Next month Ikea is set to open a fully immersive DIY restaurant space in the heart of Shoreditch, where you and 20 of your friends can take over a pre-prepared diner space to choose your own menu, cook and [...]
End of an era for British journalism as “sanitised” Fleet Street loses its last newspaper journalists August 5, 2016 Today marks the end of an era for British journalism, with the last two Fleet Street-based reporters working their last day in what was once the home of the industry. Gavin Sherriff and Darryl Smith are to leave Fleet Street today as the Dundee-based Sunday Post closes its London bureau. This is the building the [...]
Pret a Manger float? No IPO appetite from owners Bridgepoint August 9, 2015 Bridgepoint, the private equity owner of Pret a Manger, has poured cold water on a report that it could potentially float the lunchtime favourite of City workers. The sandwich chain already has interest from potential bidders, Reuters reports, and is considering a market listing for 2016, maybe in the US, citing unnamed sources. A Bridgepoint [...]
Starbucks, Costa, Caffe Nero, Wild Bean Cafe and Pret A Manger compared: Where does your morning coffee cost the most? October 12, 2015 The United Kingdom adores coffee: a cup of java can now be sought out on almost every street in London, and there is no shortage of punters. That's why coffee enthusiasts can choose from (wait for it): Starbucks, Costa, Caffe Nero, Wild Bean Cafe, Pret A Manger, and a range of smaller independent coffee shops. Read more: Starbucks lets [...]
Coffee nation: The UK’s caffeine addiction revealed as coffee chains take over May 19, 2016 Over-caffeinated Brits are fuelling a boom in coffee shops, according to new data from CBRE. Over the past 17 years, there has been a massive 20-fold increase in coffee chain outlets, from just 215 in 1998 to 4,234 in 2015. And the coffee shop trend shows no sign of abating, with an increase of six per [...]
Five Guys is the UK’s favourite fast food joint (sorry Nandos) March 21, 2016 Sorry, Nando's. Once we clasped your chickeny goodness close to our cholesterol-enlarged heart, but now you've been edged out by another fast food joint. We're a fickle – and also extremely hungry – bunch. Five Guys, the US burger chain that launched in the UK less than three years ago, has edged out its South African competitor [...]
Pret A Manger thriving on a macaroni diet April 21, 2015 Quinoa and coffee are the order of the day, Clive Schlee tells Jenny Forsyth PRET A Manger boss Clive Schlee is talking quickly and excitedly. Perhaps he’s just feeling upbeat about the British cafe chain’s record yearly figures – showing a total sales rise of 16 per cent to £594m. Or maybe he’s had a [...]