WHISKY, JAZZ, AND BETTING ON THE EURO February 16, 2011 WITH whisky tasting, a jazz band and the chance to win a sports car for the weekend on offer, WorldSpreads winter party (definitely not just a late Christmas do) was the place to be in the City on Tuesday night. Held in a candlelit crypt underneath St Etheldreda’s church near Chancery Lane, the night saw [...]
Punch bondholders seek advice December 19, 2010 BONDHOLDERS of pub chain Punch Taverns have met with financial advisers in order to prepare for possible restructuring talks with the heavily-indebted firm. Bondholders met on Friday to discuss with several advisers – including Houlihan Lokey, Rothschild and Ernst & Young – how to handle talks should the company look to renegotiate its debts. Amongst [...]
Punch Taverns on target for full year December 17, 2010 Britain’s biggest pubs group Punch Taverns said it was on track to meet full-year targets after an investment programme and support for tenants helped its recently-noted improved trading to continue. Punch, which has over 7,100 pubs across Britain, said the improved trading momentum recorded in the fourth quarter had continued in the 16 weeks to [...]
Punch Taverns on target for full year December 17, 2010 Britain’s biggest pubs group Punch Taverns said it was on track to meet full-year targets after an investment programme and support for tenants helped its recently-noted improved trading to continue. Punch, which has over 7,100 pubs across Britain, said the improved trading momentum recorded in the fourth quarter had continued in the 16 weeks to [...]
Geronimo pair pocket £8m December 16, 2010 A COUPLE who opened their first London gastropub 15 years ago have sold their Geronimo Inns chain to Young’s for £60m. Rupert and Jo Clevely are expected to pocket around £8m in cash as part of the deal. Rupert Clevely will also join the Young’s board. Geronimo manages 22 pubs in central London, three at [...]
Mayfair tycoons: We will clear our name March 9, 2011 ENFORCEMENT THE Tchenguiz brothers were held for questioning for over 12 hours by the Serious Fraud Office yesterday after being arrested in connection with the collapse of Icelandic bank Kaupthing. Vincent and Robert Tchenguiz were among seven men arrested in a series of dawn raids across London. The brothers were both released without charge last [...]
Why filling in the census improves your life March 9, 2011 SO, how old are you? Have you ever been married? Who do you live with? Do you have a mortgage? How many bedrooms do you have? What religion are you? Yes, it might feel like Big Brother plopped on our doormats this week. The 2011 census asks questions that probably many of us would find [...]
Cheshire joins Whitbread to replace Tesco bound Clarke January 27, 2011 WHITBREAD has appointed Ian Cheshire, pictured left, as a non-executive director to replace Philip Clarke. The pub group said yesterday Clarke, pictured right, will be stepping down from the board when he takes up the chief executive role at Tesco in March, replacing Sir Terry Leahy at the supermarket giant. Cheshire, who will start his [...]
Wetherspoon’s Down to be Go-Ahead’s finance head January 24, 2011 THE FORMER JD Wetherspoon finance chief who shocked the pubs sector by quitting in October was yesterday unveiled as transport group Go-Ahead’s new finance director. Go-Ahead, which runs a fifth of London’s buses as well as the Southern and South Eastern rail franchises, is listed in the FTSE 250. He will replace Go-Ahead’s Nick Swift [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS January 24, 2011 LAST-MINUTE BURNS NIGHT Dust down your kilts: even if you haven’t booked a Burns Supper for tonight, there are still possibilities. Gordon Ramsay’s Limehouse pub, the Narrow (www.gordon ramsay.com), is having its own tartan knees up, with West End theatre actor Cameron Jack reading the poetry while fine whiskies are served with broth, mutton and [...]