Exclusive: The Crown has a new Queen Elizabeth – we meet Viola Prettejohn December 2, 2023 We interview the actor playing the Queen in the final part of The Crown
High street faces £1bn business rates increase next year October 20, 2021 Business rates are anticipated to rise £1bn in England next year, unwelcome news for high street firms attempting to recover from the pandemic. September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) signals the amount business rates will leap next April, according to analysis from the Altus Group, the country’s largest rating advisory body. The CPI measure determines business [...]
Wendy’s plots UK launch in 12,000-job burger boost May 9, 2021 American fast food chain Wendy’s is plotting a return to the UK in a move that will create more than 12,000 jobs. The burger chain is opening its first store in Reading next month and is eyeing as many as 400 sites. The company, which will compete with Burger King and McDonalds, pulled out of [...]
Pizza Express toasts ‘strong’ reopening as it seals £335m refinancing July 8, 2021 Pizza Express today hailed “strong” trading after reopening its restaurants following lockdown as it sealed a £335m refinancing deal. The pizza chain today confirmed it had concluded its long-term financing plan, consisting of five-year bonds, and was now a “fitter” company after emerging from Covid lockdowns. It comes after a challenging year for the restaurant [...]
The Square Mile and Me with Michael Barrington-Hibbert: ‘Headhunted’ at the market stall to a love for Leadenhall June 15, 2023 Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today, it’s Michael Barrington-Hibbert, founder and CEO of executive search firm Barrington-Hibbert Associates What was your first job? When I was 13 years old, I worked at a fruit and veg stall in Wembley after school which led to me being [...]
Wetherspoons blames ‘draconian’ Covid rules for poor financial performance October 1, 2021 J.D. Wetherspoon defended a poor financial performance saying pubs had faced an “impossible burden” during the pandemic Revenue from sales tumbled by -38.4 per cent to £772.6m, the lowest level since 2003, and the company made a record loss of £154.6m after tax. Investors were hit hard, with losses per share jumping by 256 per [...]
‘We’ve been thrown under the bus’: hospitality demands government support as the UK faces further restrictions December 20, 2021 Business owners have called for greater government support and stronger communication as the UK heads towards another lockdown.
Forget Jack Daniel’s: discovering the real whiskey history in Nashville Tennessee August 14, 2023 Forget Jack Daniel’s, the real whiskey pioneer is the African-American who taught him. Josh Barrie raised a dram to a Nashville legend He’s in a cowboy hat and has a gun at his hip and he’s giving out swigs of moonshine liquor. This is Dan Call Farm, Shelbyville, the birthplace of Tennessee whiskey. At least [...]
Callow Hall: Laid-back charm and rural beauty in the Peak District May 24, 2022 THE WEEKEND: Found on the southeastern edge of The Peak District, Callow Hall is the first hotel from the Wildhive hospitality brand. Placing nature at its core, the owners behind the launch are aiming to champion the UK’s lesser-known spots, by offering laid-back stays in restored historic houses. What’s more, by hopping on the train [...]
Lotus Emira V6 review: Driving the half-price supercar December 19, 2022 The new Emira is the last petrol-powered Lotus sports car. How does it measure up to the Porsche 718 Cayman and Alpine A110?