A Merry Christmas and thanks for your support during 2013 December 19, 2013 AFTER months of speculation about how the markets would react to the gradual phasing out of monetary stimulus in the US, we got part of our answer over the last 36 hours. And, it has to be said, it’s so far so good. Some assumed that even a hint of a tightening of monetary policy [...]
Mitie wins £38m pub contract October 1, 2013 Outsourcing group Mitie has secured a £38m contract with Mitchells & Butlers to handle the pub chain’s waste management and cleaning for three years. Mitie will provide recycling and waste management at all 1,600 pubs and restaurants operated by Mitchells & Butlers, while also cleaning 650 locations across the firm’s estate. Mitchells & Butlers brands [...]
Cafe Royal: The life and times of a London institution | City A.M. December 1, 2013 FEW INSITUTIONS can boast a history as rich as this one. Such a louche and libidinous past, with so many stories playing out as some of the greatest figures of modern times drank and (occasionally) dined – scandal, intrigue and ruin just a breath away. And rarely has a place been so studied, conceptualised, remodelled, [...]
You don’t need snow to have fun in Haute Savoie October 6, 2013 Savoie Mont Blanc in France is famous for its winter sports but it’s worth checking out all year FOR winter skiing in Haute Savoie, it always pays to put in a little training. Off-season trips, it turns out, require some preparation too: increase wine consumption in the weeks preceding; swap to elasticated trousers to allow [...]
Fast food sales growth slows at McDonald’s October 21, 2013 MCDONALD’S missed forecasts with its quarterly revenue figures yesterday, and warned that global sales in October are likely to be flat on last year. Sales at stores opened for at least 12 months rose 0.9 per cent in the third quarter, missing analysts’ expectations of a one per cent rise, according to Consensus Metrix. A [...]
JD Wetherspoon slams government’s tax policy as pub chain’s profits suffer October 16, 2013 THE chairman of pub chain JD Wetherspoon yesterday hit out at what he called excessive and unfair government taxes on pubs yesterday. “We believe that pubs are taxed excessively and that the government would create more jobs and receive higher levels of overall revenue, if it were to create tax parity among supermarkets, pubs and [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 18 December 2013 December 17, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES French seek EU defence fund Plunged into its second African military mission in under a year, France is showing increasing frustration at what it sees as a lack of spine among European partners on defence issues. In an effort to put its allies on the spot, President François Hollande is poised to demand, [...]
A gourmet Tuscan break with a splash of luxury January 19, 2014 From fine olive oil and rolling vineyards to hunting for truffles in the forests surrounding San Gimignano, the heart of Italy is the perfect place for a foodie winter getaway ON MY second day at Castello di Casole, the concierge told me that an American tech supremo recently booked out the entire villa complex for [...]
Wetherspoons hit by rising tax bill as it expects “reasonable outcome” this year September 13, 2013 Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin has slammed the "far higher taxes" imposed on pubs than on supermarkets in a comment on the chain's results today. Already, 10,000 pubs have closed and many others are suffering, through insufficient investment. In particular, there should be VAT equality for pubs, restaurants and supermarkets. Wetherspoon, along with many other pub [...]
Five best spots in the City for a clandestine meeting October 14, 2013 Security experts Blackstone Consultancy have analysed the City of London's top venues to find the best spots for those wanting to host clandestine meetings with potential employers, recruitment consultants, or with other parties that value discretion. The research was conducted by recruitment platform jobandtalent.com and saw security experts scrutinise some of the City's most popular [...]