Marston’s sells over 200 pubs as profits rise November 28, 2013 Marston's brewery has sold 202 pubs to NewRiver Retail for £90m.158 pubs will come from Marston's Taverns estate while 44 are leased pubs. The world's largest brewer of cask ale made the announcement in its preliminary results for 2013. For the year ended 5 October, pre-tax profits for the company rose by one per cent [...]
Trafalgar and Parliament squares smoking ban to cost £6.5m October 15, 2014 London's 1.2m smokers could face new restrictions on where they can light up if the mayor Boris Johnson decides to implement a report from London's Health Commission (LHC). Smoking could be banned in London's parks, Trafalgar and Parliament squares. The proposals will certainly be controversial in a city where 18 per cent of the population [...]
Amlin’s Formula-E race car partnership puts pedal to the metal June 30, 2014 Lloyd’s-based reinsurance company Amlin gave lunching City-ites something to gawk at yesterday with the unveiling of its new sponsorship target, a Formula-E race car and British race-driver Katherine Legge. What the bejeezus is Formula-E? It’s like your bog standard Formula One except the cars are electric rather than gas guzzling. They also race internationally, [...]
Wetherspoons ups target to open new pubs November 6, 2013 PUB OPERATOR JD Wetherspoons yesterday raised its target for new pub openings in 2014 and said like-for-like sales were up 3.7 per cent during the first quarter to 27 October. Wetherspoons plans to open between 40 and 50 new pubs this year, it said in an interim management statement yesterday, up from its earlier target of [...]
Punch pockets £6.7m on sales May 19, 2014 PUNCH Taverns, the indebted pub chain currently restructuring a £2.3bn bond mountain with noteholders, yesterday said it has sold four of its London pubs for £6.7m. Morgana Limited will take ownership of the pubs by the end of June when the deal will close. Punch said the cash raised from the sale would be used [...]
Pub chain M&B gets boost from better margins November 26, 2013 SHARES in British pubs group Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) soared yesterday after it announced better-than-forecast sales and operating margins. Analysts said the company’s operating margins were stronger than expected, rising to 16.5 per cent from 16 per cent, helped by Mitchells & Butlers’ restructuring programme. The company, whose brands include Harvester and All Bar One, [...]
London Report: Retailer data to reveal strength of UK recovery September 7, 2014 THE NEWLY-MERGED Dixons Carphone will report its maiden quarterly results tomorrow in a week containing a flurry of updates for retailers. Figures for the company, whose merger only completed a month ago, will be keenly watched by investors, who will be hoping the firm’s planned synergies are starting to take effect. Other retailers due to [...]
Why a fireplace could add serious value to your home October 20, 2014 It's universally acknowledged that art not only beautifies the home but is generally a good investment. And Owen Pacey, owner of Shoreditch’s Renaissance antique furniture specialist and restorer, thinks there’s no better way to keep your bank balance warm than buying a fireplace. “Look,” he starts matter-of-factly, “If I went to view two Georgian [...]
Christmas in London: Start planning your festive season November 20, 2014 As usual, London will be buzzing over the Christmas period. Here’s our selection of the best seasonal activities Swedish Christmas at Fika Head to Brick Lane for a Christmas dinner with a Scandinavian difference. Swedish bar and kitchen Fika is offering a traditional Scandi Christmas dinner from 1-23 December. The small, independent restaurant [...]
Marston’s sells off 200 pubs to New River Retail as profits grow November 28, 2013 PUB AND and brewing company Marston’s said yesterday it will sell 202 pubs to property group New River Retail for £90m as part of efforts to reduce debt and help pay for its new pub-restaurants. Marston’s, which has 2,100 pubs in the UK, said it was trying to shift from pubs focused on drinking to pubs [...]