I’m dreaming of a blue and green Christmas November 24, 2011 The colour of TV commercial Christmas is snowy-white, accented by the waxy green and red of bows of holly. The Christmas of real life tends to be a slushy brown, accented by car-fumes and accompanied by a complete breakdown of the transport system. While most of us will just slog through it as usual, for [...]
Whitbread beats target and hikes dividend October 18, 2011 Britain’s biggest hotel and coffee shop operator Whitbread reported higher-than-expected first-half pre-tax profits and ramped up its interim dividend by over 50 per cent. Whitbread, which operates the Premier Inn and Costa Coffee chains, said underlying pre-tax profits rose by 15.2 per cent to £174.9m in the six months to 1 September against a consensus [...]
Whitbread beats target and hikes dividend October 18, 2011 Britain’s biggest hotel and coffee shop operator Whitbread reported higher-than-expected first-half pre-tax profits and ramped up its interim dividend by over 50 per cent. Whitbread, which operates the Premier Inn and Costa Coffee chains, said underlying pre-tax profits rose by 15.2 per cent to £174.9m in the six months to 1 September against a consensus [...]
SNOW POLO AND PIGLET RACING FOR SUPER-RICH January 24, 2012 THERE’S MORE than one top-level summit for bankers in Switzerland this week. At the ski resort of Klosters, The Capitalist hears several members of the business elite have been taxing their champagne-addled brains by betting on racing piglets. At least they would have done if fog hadn’t scuppered the trotters’ Derby. Instead, guests at the [...]
Private equity takes stake in Be At One bars to drive growth October 30, 2011 PRIVATE equity firm Piper has taken a significant minority stake in Be At One, the cocktail chain that runs 12 bars across London. Piper, which founded the Pitcher & Piano bars and invested in the expansion of Mexican restaurant Las Iguanas, has paid £8m for its stake in Be At One, with the cash destined [...]
Private equity takes stake in Be At One bars to drive growth October 30, 2011 PRIVATE equity firm Piper has taken a significant minority stake in Be At One, the cocktail chain that runs 12 bars across London. Piper, which founded the Pitcher & Piano bars and invested in the expansion of Mexican restaurant Las Iguanas, has paid £8m for its stake in Be At One, with the cash destined [...]
Stuck for wine this Xmas? Try a Madeira my dear December 12, 2011 HEAD SOMMELIER AND MANAGER OF LUTYENS RESTAURANT In the great age of exploration, Portuguese sailors would fill the holds of their ships with the wines of Madeira and sail to the New World. Like many wines of the era, destined for export, they were fortified – grape spirit was added to improve their stability and [...]
The sherry bar that’s rocking South London’s food scene October 12, 2011 TONIGHT, José Pizarro is a rock star in his own restaurant. He’s shaking everyone’s hand, or rather, everyone’s shaking his hand. Hardeep Singh Kohli, the Scottish Sikh presenter, and his chums are settling in round a pillar to order and are giving him the pats on the back. It could be because today the Bermondsey [...]
SEASICK IN THE CITY AS BROADGATE HOLDS SWAY January 5, 2012 CITY WORKERS in the Broadgate Tower dropped everything on Tuesday to look up the meaning of “deflection”, after strong winds made the building sway so dramatically that staff complained of seasickness. The building may have been designed by award-winning architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill – but when you are stuck in a 165m tower that [...]
SEASICK IN THE CITY AS BROADGATE HOLDS SWAY January 5, 2012 CITY WORKERS in the Broadgate Tower dropped everything on Tuesday to look up the meaning of “deflection”, after strong winds made the building sway so dramatically that staff complained of seasickness. The building may have been designed by award-winning architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill – but when you are stuck in a 165m tower that [...]