Tech whizz who knew online video was more than a fad October 27, 2013 Blinkx founder Suranga Chandratillake talks to Annabel Palmer about his success in Silicon Valley THE MAN behind video media company Blinkx, Suranga Chandratillake has strong views about why Britain lacks its own Facebook. Negative perceptions of tech engineers and software developers are holding people back. Whether this would mean all eight-year old schoolboys, when given [...]
The charitable venture that grew into a thriving firm October 6, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks to the founders of Hire Space – London’s online venue rental business THE PUBLIC has grown increasingly comfortable with the notion of sharing assets – homes, cars, hairdressing skills – and buying second hand products through websites like eBay. Airbnb, the San Francisco-based holiday rental website and sharing pioneer, for example, was [...]
The range of premium mixers produced to raise gin’s spirits October 21, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks luck, liquor and a lightbulb moment with Charles Rolls, co-founder of drinks label Fever-Tree WHILE gin may not be the most popular global spirit (that prestigious title goes to Korean rice wine brand Jinro), the world consumes 440m litres of it each year. But back in 2000, Charles Rolls, co-founder of the [...]
A tropical triathlon paradise August 11, 2013 Tempted to give it a tri? Laura Williams discovers you could do a whole lot worse than St Lucia I USUALLY associate triathlons with unflattering wetsuits and cold, murky water, so it was welcome news that the Caribbean island of St Lucia will be hosting its first ever triathlon in November. Forget shivering changeovers – [...]
Foodie who hit the ground running September 29, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks to David Moore, the restauranteur behind London’s Pied a Terre THE GLOBAL restaurant industry is forecast to increase in size by 7.2 per cent over the next three years, rising from total revenues of $2.45 trillion (£1.53 trillion) in 2011 to $3.48 trillion by the end of 2016. And in the UK, [...]
Currie to head antitrust body … July 17, 2012 FORMER Ofcom boss Lord Currie has been chosen as the first chair of the Competition and Markets Authority – the UK’s new antitrust regulator. Currie will earn £185,000 a year for the three-day a week commitment, serving as chair of the body for a four-year term beginning this summer. The CMA is part of the government’s [...]
La Casa Negra Shoreditch restaurant review: achingly hip Mexican food with added attitude July 17, 2013 Street food. That’s a thing. Street food! Isn’t it great? It reminds me of that time I was travelling in Guatemala, and some indigenous people were just, you know, making food in the street, and it was all, like, totally authentic. Except that never happened. I’ve forced down slimy noodles in Tokyo; binned inedible grey [...]
How a red tie curries favour at Santander June 21, 2012 The men in red ties appeared to have taken over the Ladies’ Smoking Room at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel the other evening as Santander UK hosted its very pleasant summer drinks party. All the Santander men present wore red ties, although a spokesman yesterday said there had been no order to do so. The [...]
Brothers who took a punt on a new market | City A.M. June 13, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks tobacco with Taz and Umer Sheikh: salesmen, business partners, and self-professed pioneers of the growing electronic cigarette industry SIX years ago, the smoking ban came into force in England, making it illegal to smoke in enclosed workplaces. So when I meet Umer Sheikh – the younger of the two Sheikh brothers behind [...]
Brothers who took a punt on a new market June 13, 2013 Annabel Palmer talks tobacco with Taz and Umer Sheikh: salesmen, business partners, and self-professed pioneers of the growing electronic cigarette industry SIX years ago, the smoking ban came into force in England, making it illegal to smoke in enclosed workplaces. So when I meet Umer Sheikh – the younger of the two Sheikh brothers behind [...]