Private equity firms dine out on restaurant chains January 19, 2016 The restaurants and bar sector was a veritable feeding frenzy of deals last year, with more choice of companies to buy than an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Robust trading conditions thanks to improved consumer spending provided an opportune time for private equity companies to sell long-term investments to rival buyout firms with cash to spend. CBPE’s sale of [...]
Food trends 2016: black food, Persian food and cherry bakewell tarts January 6, 2016 Black to snack Bamboo blackened brioche buns, dark ribbons of squid ink pasta and even charcoal-infused water will herald the arrival of what might be this year’s least appetising food trend. In 2016 expect to eat black food, very black food, darker than the howling souls of the damned. Burger King Japan kicked off the [...]
It’s Hillary v Rubio: The race for the White House has finally become clear February 8, 2016 Iowa, as ever, was full of surprises. On the surface, the most amazing thing about the state’s 2016 caucus was how easily conservative senator Ted Cruz beat his fellow Republicans, and what a nail-biter Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders engaged in. But beyond these surface atmospherics, Iowa did its traditional job: it winnowed out [...]
City Moves for 01 June 2015 | Who’s switching jobs May 31, 2015 Aviva Investors The asset management firm has appointed James Tothill as head of third party sales. He joins from Aria Capital Management, where he was head of strategic partnerships. Tothill has also previously worked as head of global partnerships at Henderson Global Investors. State Street Effie Datson has been appointed global head of product for [...]
Not a sausage: Sales of processed meat including sausages and bacon fall in wake of WHO report November 23, 2015 British consumers appear to have been scared away from buying processed meats on the back of the World Health Organisation's report, claiming it was a major cause of cancer. Supermarkets across the country have reported a £3m drop in sales of sausages and bacon in the two weeks following the report's publication as shoppers consider the health [...]
Fed rate hike: “I’ll eat The Economist if US interest rates rise,” wagers Radio DJ Ed Mitchell September 17, 2015 Share Radio broadcaster and former BBC business journo Ed Mitchell was big news last year when he successfully returned from the brink of an addiction to drink and gambling. Despite being a new man now, he has just made another wager – he’s promising to eat a copy of The Economist, page by page, live [...]
London Technology Week will showcase the UK as a global tech powerhouse June 14, 2015 This week, tens of thousands of tech experts from all over the world will descend on the capital for London Technology Week. It presents an opportunity to celebrate our city’s position as the tech capital of Europe. Inventors and innovators will parade the very latest in pioneering tech and digital thinking. And hundreds of workshops [...]
Morrisons supermarket takes a bite out of £3bn sandwich market November 2, 2015 Morrisons is going head-to-head high street chains such as Pret a Manger and EAT by launching its own range freshly made sandwiches, as the embattled chain looks to revive sales at its stores. Britain’s food-to-go market is expanding rapidly along with changing consumer habits and is now worth around £6bn, with the sandwich market worth around [...]
A tale of two grills: Bukowski Charcoal Grill and Boyds Grill & Wine Bar March 1, 2016 BUKOWSKI CHARCOAL GRILL 10-11 D'Arblay Street, W1f 8DT Tel: 020 3857 4756 FOOD ★★☆☆☆ | VALUE ★★★★☆ | ATMOSPHERE ★★☆☆☆ Cost for two with beer and cocktails: £70 – – – – – – – – – – – BOYDS GRILL & WINEBAR 8 Northumberland Ave, WC2N 5BY Tel: 020 7808 3344 FOOD ★★★★☆ | VALUE [...]
Zanzibar for adventurers: Stay in Dr Livingstone’s palace off the East African coast February 4, 2016 I wandered into Dr Livingstone’s old quarters in Zanzibar, overlooking the indigo Indian Ocean, where he planned his journey into the dangerous heart of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. It was an ill-fated trip, and within weeks his assistants had begun to desert him; some even returned to Zanzibar and reported [...]