Christmas sales grow at St Pancras International despite retail gloom January 15, 2019 Commuters choosing to do their Christmas shopping at St Pancras International station grew 6.3 per cent in 2018 compared to the year before, according to figures released by the station's operator today. The rise was driven by growing passenger numbers and strong growth in non-food sales, the company said. St Pancras has welcomed a number of [...]
Da Terra at Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel review: Three’s the dream for this storied dining room July 23, 2019 Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel has been home to two of my favourite restaurants. When I moved to London in 2010, Nuno Mendes had just opened Viajante, his Portuguese-minded take on world cuisine. It was his first proper restaurant – and his first Michelin star – after running lauded supper clubs and gastro pubs. It was [...]
A barrel of laughs at the Beer & Cider Marketing Awards September 24, 2018 Last Thursday night, the fourth annual Beer & Cider Marketing Awards took place, appropriately, in the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch – the hip part of London. The event wasn’t to award the best-tasting brews or the most successful company, but to recognise the art, creativity, and innovation that goes into advertising alcohol. This [...]
Interiors: Allow us to introduce you to ‘lagom’, the latest Swedish interior design trend you’ve never heard of March 15, 2019 The more-is-more, maximalist approach to home interiors is everywhere at the moment, but it’s not for everyone. Do you crave a little calm? Are you not the type to pimp your place in a rainbow of colours? Perhaps you like balance. You like blond woods, clean lines and sculptural shapes. You’re partial to some ‘hygge’ [...]
Consumer spending growth falls as festive shopping fails to boost high street December 4, 2018 Consumer spending growth fell year-on-year in November to its lowest level since March as falling confidence continues to impact struggling retailers. Growth in consumer spending was just 3.3 per cent, dragged down by poor sales in the retail sector, according to new figures from Barclaycard. The figure is the lowest since March this year, when [...]
DEBATE: Will our growing enthusiasm for low-alcohol drinking change the very culture of the City? October 22, 2018 Will our growing enthusiasm for low-alcohol drinking change the very culture of the City? Christi Tronetti, marketing director at creative agency isobel, says YES. If New York is the city that never sleeps, London has always been the city that never stops drinking. When I first moved here from NYC, I thought I could drink – [...]
Retail estate landlord New River Reit posts drop in asset value as high street woes worsen November 21, 2018 Real estate giant New River Reit saw the value of its assets dip in the six months to September, in a further sign of the tough challenges facing landlords on the high street. Net assets totalled £864m in September this year, marking more than a three per cent drop from March, while funds from operations [...]
Marston’s appoints Lazard’s UK CEO as its new chairman September 6, 2018 The UK boss of financial adviser Lazard is headed to the pub with a new job as chairman of Marston's. William Rucker will take on the position from the beginning of next month, taking over from interim chair and Tesco veteran Carolyn Bradley. He has been chief executive of Lazard in the UK since 2004. He has previously [...]
Crime in the Square Mile hits a three-year high January 22, 2019 Reported crimes in the Square Mile hit the highest level in three years during November, as the City of London police grapples with budget cuts against a worsening national backdrop. There were 799 crimes reported to the City of London police during November according to official statistics, well above the monthly average of 620 since [...]
This series of UK politics feels suspiciously like daytime TV May 7, 2019 Last week’s local elections were a democratic amuse bouche. A mere mouthful of popular sentiment, sending a message to the political elite that an offering meant to delight the taste buds has fallen as flat as a soggy souffle. Like a daytime TV rerun of MasterChef, it involved lots of familiar names and tried but [...]