Spirit basks in warm summer September 5, 2013 SPIRIT Pub Company, the firm behind brands such as Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill and Fayre & Square, has enjoyed a sales boost from the warm summer weather, it said yesterday. The company’s managed pubs have experienced a growth in like-for-like food and like-for-like drink sales of 4.7 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively [...]
Focus on Islington: Arts and Arsenal in idyllic Islington January 30, 2014 ISLINGTON, specifically the area stretching from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, is alive with activity, drawing in the hustle and bustle of The Angel and the independent bars and restaurants of Upper Street. Famed as one of the longest high streets in London, Upper Street’s boutique shops, theatres and cinemas have made central Islington [...]
London Report: Under pressure Tesco to reveal crunch results December 1, 2013 TESCO’S quarterly results on Wednesday form the centrepiece of a full calendar of corporate results dominated by high street names. The supermarket, which recently saw its market share fall under 30 per cent for the first time over the last 18 months, is set to deliver disappointing numbers, according to analysts, who predict a like-for-like [...]
Meander through London on the trail of great Italian food October 8, 2013 London Restaurant Festival’s Ciccheti Trail is a foodie’s dream THE PUB crawl, once a concept that filled my youthful soul with an inordinate degree of excitement, nowadays seems somewhat antiquated. Is this my fault – is it simply that I have grown into a dour 30-something severely lacking any kind of alacrity? Or is the [...]
Get-fit Diary: Learning to cook well proves an unexpected pleasure in week six November 27, 2013 I’m six weeks through an intensive get-fit programme, which involves not only hitting the gym four times a week, but completely overhauling the way I eat. It’s the latter aspect of the challenge that has proven most interesting, especially given my prior fondness for fast food and aversion to home cooking. For some reason the [...]
Walking home for Christmas November 10, 2013 Help the thousands of ex-military personnel who struggle to get back into work by ditching London’s public transport, and making the final journey home before Christmas on foot TODAY, on Remembrance Day, we commemorate the servicemen and women who have given their lives in the line of duty. It’s also a time to remember those [...]
Stonegate buys The Living Room August 13, 2013 Stonegate, Britain’s largest private managed pub group, swallowed up the Living Room brand from Premium Bars & Restaurants on Monday for around £10m. Stonegate was created in 2010 when its private equity owner TDR Capital bought 330 managed pubs from Mitchells & Butlers. In 2011 it merged with Town & City Pub Company and now [...]
Beer shortage threatened by union walkout September 5, 2013 DRINKERS could be left without their post-work pint next Wednesday, after union barons yesterday announced plans to disrupt beer deliveries in a dispute over pay and conditions. Unite, Britain’s biggest trade union, said supplies to 30,000 drinking establishments would be affected when employees of distributors KNDL walk out for 24 hours. Draymen and warehouse workers believe that [...]
British Rail hits end of the line September 29, 2013 PUB QUIZ question: which Prime Minister abolished British Rail and when? John Major in 1994? Nope, the real answer is David Cameron and, er, today. The former nationalised railway service will cease to exist as a legal entity when the clock strikes 12 tonight, bringing an end to 65 years of existence. Although commuters have [...]
Focus on Canary Wharf: Riding on the wave of Canary Wharf November 7, 2013 Steeped in history, Canary Wharf was once part of the world’s largest port. Now the capital’s second most vibrant business district – after the ancient City of London – it is still a gleaming hub of international trade and commerce. The banks, law firms and media organisations that have joined its ranks have brought a [...]