Jamie Oliver Restaurants – it feels like there’s lots of opportunity for us in the US, set to enter luxury hotel market: Ed Loftus, global restaurant group director at Jamie Oliver Restaurants, has told Propel that the business is set to focus on opportunities to launch in the US, and on entering the luxury hotel market over the coming 12 months. The business currently operates circa 70 sites across 22 countries, with six or seven sites set to open this quarter and launches in two new markets – Greece and Montenegro. Loftus said: “By the end of this year, we’ll have 87 locations, and then within the next 18 months, it will be above 100. We have a pretty strong pipeline at the moment, and in terms of international, it’s an exciting time. We continue to grow pretty strongly. We’ll open eight new Jamie's Italians this year. It’s still a very popular brand. Jamie’s Kitchen will be into double-digit numbers by the end of this year. We’re going into Jeddah airport with that brand, and Athens. I spent all of last week in the US, for the launch of Netflix’s Chef’s Table series, which Jamie will be part of. The appetite for him, the awareness and the reaction that he got, was unbelievable. We’ve got the ambition to go to the US. We’re really focused on what that looks like for us. We’ve had so many opportunities there, and for whatever reason, they haven’t materialised. But from a media and publishing point of view, it’s always been a focus of Jamie’s. It feels like there’s lots of opportunity for us in the US.” Loftus said the business also hoped to make a return to Australia after coming out of the country during covid. He said: “There are gaps that exist within our European portfolio, but that’s going to be pretty well covered off in terms of either sites opening this year or the pipeline over the next few years. There’s a couple that we want to be in, like Switzerland, then it’s over to Australia and the US. They’re our two core focuses. And then we’ll get to south east Asia.” Loftus said the company will be announcing some new projects in the hotel space in the coming weeks that will “see us go into five-star luxury hotel settings that we’re not really in”. He said: “We’ve done a little bit of that before, but there’s definitely a more strategic focus in that space now, and that will see us diversify the portfolio further with new brands coming on. It allows Jamie to flex different creative muscles.” Jamie Oliver Restaurants features in the Propel UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, which is an exhaustive guide to the companies offering a food and beverage franchise in the UK and is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. The next edition will be sent on Wednesday, 14 May and feature a total of 350 companies. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Sponsored message – Toggle launches new greetings gift card to create new revenue for operators: Toggle has soft-launched its new greetings gift card, a customisable product designed to capture emotional gifting moments like birthdays, thank-yous and anniversaries, while supporting those big tickets days. With a personal message section and an embedded, perforated gift card, it brings a tactile heartfelt element to Toggle’s portfolio. Following a record £4.5m in gift card sales this March, including a £283,000 surge on “Mother’s Day Eve”, the company said the greetings gift card “offers Togglers a powerful new way to drive revenue and guest engagement”. As the first UK platform in hospitality to combine card and gift in one, Toggle said it continues to lead innovation in hospitality-driven gifting. To find out more, email: giftcards@usetoggle.com. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Laine Pub Company founder Gavin George to speak at Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference, open for bookings with 20% discount on tickets for Premium Club subscribers: Gavin George, founder and former chief executive of Laine Pub Company, will be among the speakers at the Excellence in Pub & Bar Retailing Conference. The all-day conference takes place on Wednesday, 14 May at One Moorgate Place in London and is open for bookings. George looks back on his near 30 years in the sector, what he learnt, his achievements and mistakes, and how he hopes to see the industry evolve. Propel is also launching “parallel sessions” at this year’s conference, which offer the chance to deep-dive into specialist subjects. There will be a chance for teams attending the conference to break away and absorb the parallel sessions. There will be ten parallel sessions in total, which will run alongside the main conference. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Tickets are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive next Turnover & Profits Blue Book on Friday featuring 67 updated accounts and 14 new companies: Premium Club subscribers will receive the next Turnover & Profits Blue Book on Friday (9 May), at noon. The database will feature 67 updated accounts and 14 new companies, taking the total to 1,109. A total of 704 companies are making a profit while 405 are making a loss. The Blue Book is updated each month and ranks companies by turnover, profit and profit conversion, listing directors’ earnings for the past five years. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Multi-Site Database, the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events including Excellence in Pub Retail this month and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

AJ Bell – we’re now in the phase where only the strongest food delivery companies will survive: On the back of Deliveroo reaching an agreement for a £2.9bn sale to DoorDash, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, has argued that “we’re now in the phase where only the strongest food delivery companies will survive”. He said: “The food delivery market has found it hard to grow at a rapid clip in recent years, leading to widespread consolidation. Arguably, there were too many companies chasing the same opportunity, and that’s unsustainable. We’re now in the phase where only the strongest will survive, and they’re the ones picking up smaller rivals who realise their future is best part of a bigger entity, not going it alone.” The deal is expected to complete between October and December this year but will need to be approved by Deliveroo’s shareholders. The two firms said they will merge to cater to about 40 countries around the world, with a combined population of one billion people. They said the tie-up will bring new countries to DoorDash’s network, while Deliveroo will benefit from the US firm’s size and scale, allowing it to invest more in products, technology and customer experience.

Indian chefs able to apply for UK skilled worker visas as part of UK-India trade deal: Indian chefs will be able to apply for UK skilled worker visas as part of the new UK-India trade deal. The two countries have agreed a trade deal that will make it easier for UK firms to export several products to India and cut taxes on Indian exports. The Telegraph reports that “Indian yogis, musicians and chefs will be able to apply for UK skilled worker visas as a result of the trade deal”. Eir Nolsøe, the newspaper’s senior economics reporter wrote: “Whereas people in these professions previously had no route into the UK job market, they will now be able to apply for jobs sponsored by British employers. The concession was a specific ask from India in the trade negotiations, the Telegraph understands, which will allow a capped number of workers in these professions to apply for visas. People from India wishing to immigrate to the UK must still meet requirements set out by Britain’s points-based immigration system like other nationalities, however.”

 

UK-wide deposit return scheme a step closer after operator confirmed: A deposit return scheme (DRS) is a step closer to being rolled out across the UK after an operator was confirmed. The scheme will see consumers pay a higher upfront cost for single-use bottles and then refunded money when they return the bottle. The DRS was originally scheduled to launch in Scotland in April 2023 ahead of a wider UK rollout before being put back to March 2024 and then October 2025. The UK-wide go-live date for the scheme is now October 2027. UK Deposit Management Organisation has now been announced as the operator of the scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

 

UKHospitality welcomes red light for ‘latte levy’ plans: UKHospitality has welcomed the Scottish government’s announcement that it will not be proceeding with plans for a ‘latte levy’ this year. Holyood said last year it wanted to bring in a charge of at least 25p when drinks such as tea and coffee are sold in disposable cups, in a bid to encourage more people to opt for reusable alternatives. But Scottish first minister John Swinney, in announcing his programme for government for 2025 and 2026, said this will no longer be the case. Leon Thompson, executive director of UKHospitality Scotland, said: “We’re pleased to receive news that the Scottish government will not be proceeding with its ‘latte levy’ this year. It’s clear they have listened to representations from UKHospitality Scotland that the charge would be unfair and disproportionately hit low-income consumers. It’s also positive that the Scottish government has acted on our calls not to impose further costly regulation onto hospitality businesses. We continue to urge the Government not to progress other regulation currently under consideration this side of the election. This is critical at a time when our sector is already grappling with £100m in additional employment taxes imposed by the UK government. We have also long called for reform of the broken business rates system and a review into the valuation used to calculate rates is encouraging. However, we note that the review only references licensed hospitality, and we believe it’s imperative that this review encompasses the entirety of the sector.  There are a number of other positive measures included in this programme for government, including investment in the planning system to help speed up the process, scrapping peak rail fares, and increased focus on skills and promoting brand Scotland.”

 

Sector cycling charity initiative Pedalling To Pubs sees fundraising exceed £50,000: Pedalling To Pubs, one half of the industry-coordinated bike trek raising money for Only A Pavement Away and the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC), has seen fundraising exceed £50,000 – a month before riders set off on the 220km sponsored ride across the Lake District. Now at rider capacity, this year’s challenge will see 60 hospitality professionals ride from Penrith to Carlisle and back between 5–7 June. Currently in its third year, Pedalling To Pubs 2025 is striving to exceed last year’s fundraising achievement of more than £85,000 for the LTC and Only A Pavement Away. The funds raised enable both charities to carry out their vital work providing assistance and opportunities to individuals in need of support within the hospitality community. Alongside its sister event, Hospitality Rides, Pedalling To Pubs has established itself as the flagship fundraising event for the LTC and Only A Pavement Away, with the two events exceeding £1m in fundraising since their creation. Hospitality Rides will see 29 industry professionals cycle 400km across Taiwan – covering Hsinchu, Taipei, Keelung and Jiaoxi – between 14-20 May.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a group that operates a small portfolio of event venues in London that is seeking a head of sales. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will support in leading a dynamic sales team to exceed targets. The head of sales will be a real people person, full of new and innovative ideas and always thinking outside the box. They will be an integral part of the business, driving revenue growth and business expansion.” The salary is up to £60,000 with a commission scheme, annual bonus, free meals, gym membership and health and wellness perks. For more information, email marlene@corecruitment.com.

 

Patisserie Valerie expects to continue making a loss into next year, in refinancing talks: Patisserie Valerie, which is backed by Irish private equity firm Causeway Capital, has said it expects to continue making a loss into next year and is in refinancing talks. New documents published at Companies House show the company made a loss of £3,594,694 ahead of starting its store reopening programme in 2023. Patisserie Valerie shut the majority of its once 200-strong estate of stores after collapsing into administration in 2019 but started reopening some shops in September 2023. Director Matthew Scaife, in the “going concern” section of the company’s accounts for the year to 2 April 2023, said: “Post year end, the results of the group show losses of £3,302,000 with Ebitda of £502,000 to 31 March 2025. The group’s forecasts show in the following 12 months to 31 March 2026, it will generate losses and Ebitda of £2,107,000 and £452,000 respectively. Outstanding amounts owed to the group’s senior lender, totalling £1.15m, are due for repayment on 10 August 2025. The group is actively engaged in discussions with its lenders to refinance this facility and the directors expect the debt to be refinanced over a further five years.” The accounts show the pre-tax loss of £3,594,694 for the year to 2 April 2023 included a £4,173,054 loss from continuing operations and a £578,360 from discontinued operations. In the previous year, the company made a pre-tax profit of £614,222, including a £348,043 loss from continuing operations and a £962,265 profit from continuing operations. The company’s turnover for the year was £25,286,614. This included a £22,953,308 from continuing operations and £2,333,306 from discontinued operations. In the previous year, it reported turnover of £25,369,380. This included £17,791,675 from continuing operations and £7,577,705 from discontinued operations. Of the 2023 figure, £15,886,396 came from retail sales (2022: £17,098,958), £5,325,038 from online sales (2022: £5,073,533) and £4,075,179 from wholesale (2022: £3,196,889). The company received £12,881 in government grants (2022: £1,234,069) and no business interruption proceeds (2022: £1,006,872). The group reported £1,432,522 in exceptional income, including £1,293,768 relating to the liquidation of Patisserie Valerie Retail during the year. Exceptional expenditure included £101,784 in restructuring costs (2022: £77,820), £103,267 through store closures (2022: £74,323), £66,099 in covid employer costs (2022: £335,245) and £139,197 in financing costs (2022: £10,147). Average monthly employee numbers dropped from 707 in 2022 to 139. The company made a £1,292,768 profit on disposal after winding down the operations of Patisserie Valerie Retail, part of a “wider strategic restructuring plan to streamline operations, reduce costs and focus on core business segments with stronger long-term growth potential”. In October 2024, Propel revealed Patisserie Valerie had turned to franchising to rebuild its estate and had partnered with consultants 2X Group to help find potential partners. Patisserie Valerie currently has circa 30 shops as well as concessions inside around 400 Sainsbury’s stores.

 

Lucky B’s co-founder planning to expand his fish ‘n’ chip shop business to the Middle East: Giancarlo Celino, co-founder of Glasgow hot chicken concept Lucky B’s, is planning to expand his fish ‘n’ chip shop business to the Middle East. Celino, who founded Lucky B’s with Tony Dobrenko in 2022, operates three Catch Fish and Chips stores in Glasgow – in Giffnock, Wetherlee and the West End. He has now partnered with Hesham Mourad, director for Qatar and special projects at Gulf Franchise Group, to take Catch Fish and Chips into the UAE. Celino said: “Following an incredibly successful two weeks at the Qatar International Food Festival, where we served fresh Scottish haddock, it’s clear there’s a real appetite for fish and chips in the UAE.” A spokesman for Gulf Franchise Group, which specialises in franchising in the GCC, Middle East and CIS (former Soviet) markets, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Catch Fish and Chips to the Gulf Franchise Group portfolio. Catch Fish and Chips is a modern-day neighbourhood chippy serving up British classics with a contemporary twist. From light and crispy haddock and chips to lobster, tacos, burgers, loaded fries and a full plant-based selection, Catch redefines what fish and chips can be. With sustainability at the core and every dish made fresh to order, Catch is a standout concept built for global appeal. Now expanding across the Middle East.” Lucky B’s currently has three stores in Glasgow, with a third on the way, and is also preparing to open its first store in England, in Blackpool. That opening will be in partnership with Subway franchisee Ross Fairbairn, who last year signed as a master franchisee for Lucky B’s, for a 15-store deal across Lancashire. Celio also operates the Lucali wine bar in Glasgow.

 

Black Sheep Coffee secures 11-store franchise deal for Lancashire: Speciality coffee shop operator Black Sheep Coffee has secured an 11-store franchise deal for Lancashire. The franchisee, who wishes to remain anonymous, will start rolling out stores across the region later this year. It comes a fortnight after fellow Black Sheep Coffee franchisees Satar Wahid and Mgdad Alim signed a nine-site deal to expand the brand further across London. The duo were last month awarded the rights to open Black Sheep Coffee stores in five London boroughs – in the west, south and south west of the capital. At the end of last year, Suhail Rehman and Tariq Din signed a development agreement to significantly expand the brand’s presence in the west of Scotland. The franchisees, who at the time operated three Black Sheep Coffee locations, committed to opening a total of 14 stores within the region over the next five years.

 

Stonegate to continue to invest in Slug & Lettuce as brand celebrates 40th anniversary: Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pub company, has said it will continue to invest in Slug & Lettuce as the brand celebrates its 40th anniversary. It said recent investments in key sites including a six-figure injection into Slug & Lettuce's new Glasgow location, at the former Missoula site, as well as York Riverside. Overall, Stonegate said it has invested more than £5m in the last 18 months, with other key sites transformed including Slug & Lettuce Deansgate, Birmingham Brindley Place, Solihull, Albert Square, County Hall, Hanover Street and Oxford Circus. The company said more upgrades are on the way, with further six-figure investments planned for sites including Slug & Lettuce Lincoln and Newcastle Central. Stonegate Group chief executive David McDowall, said: “Slug & Lettuce has evolved into a true staple of the British high street, beloved by generations of guests. From its humble beginnings in 1985 to its continued reinvention today, Slug & Lettuce has worked hard to continue offering modern, vibrant spaces for guests to come together and enjoy great food, drinks and experiences. As we celebrate 40 years of success, we’re more committed than ever to Slug’s development, and we look forward to building on its legacy in the years to come.”

 

TRG Concessions to open Sanfords bar and restaurant at Glasgow airport: The Restaurant Group (TRG) Concessions is to open a second site under its new American-style dining destination concept, Sanfords, at Glasgow airport. The venue will replace the Frankie & Benny’s site in the departure lounge. Earlier this year, the business opened its largest site to date with the launch of Sanfords, at London Luton airport. The 480-cover site, encompassing 12,810 square feet, stands as both TRG Concessions’ largest concession and the most extensive restaurant within any UK airport. Strategically positioned across two floors in the airport’s departures lounge, the ground floor houses the American diner concept, while the mezzanine level features the Loft Bar. Following the largest single investment in any TRG project to date, the company said the launch demonstrated TRG Concessions’ dedication to “creating distinctive, ambitious concepts that resonate with contemporary travellers”. 

 

Punch Pubs & Co further bolsters leased and tenanted estate with Bedfordshire acquisition: Punch Pubs & Co, the Fortress-backed group, has further added to its leased and tenanted estate with the acquisition of The Engineers Arms in the village of Henlow, Bedfordshire. The pub, which publicans Kevin and Sharon Machin have run for 36 years, has been welcomed into Punch's leased and tenanted estate. Punch Pubs & Co head of acquisitions, Andrew Cannons, said: “This is an exciting acquisition, and we are thrilled that Kevin and Sharon will be joining the Punch family. As we continue with the transition, we look forward to getting to know the local community and upholding the stellar reputation that Kevin, Sharon and the team have created locally.” In recent weeks, Punch has added the Duke of Wellington in Wareham, Dorset; The Crown in Market Drayton, Shropshire; and The Swan in the Rushes, in Loughborough, to its leased and tenanted estate. Last month, Punch also acquired four pubs from Leicestershire brewer and retailer Everards. The pubs – The Old Kings Head in Long Buckby, The Paget in Loughborough, The Cricketers in Leicester and the Dog & Gun in Whetstone – have also been placed into Punch’s leased and tenanted estate. Warren Drake, of Drake & Company, acted on the Henlow deal. 

 

Slim Chickens to open trio of sites this month: Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the owner of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Carluccio’s and Giraffe brands, is to open a trio of new sites for its Slim Chickens brand this month. The first will be at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands on Thursday, 15 May. Slim Chickens has taken a prominent location at one of the food court entrances. The two-floor, 5,229 square-foot unit, will have seating for 175 covers. This will be followed by two openings on Thursday, 22 May – in Chichester in West Sussex and Staines in Surrey. The Chichester outlet will launch in the former Carluccio’s in Eastgate Square ,while the Staines restaurant is another conversion – this time of the ex-Gourmet Burger Kitchen premises in Norris Road. The openings will take the number of Slim Chickens in the UK to 67, with BRG first introducing the brand here in 2018.

 

Pizza Pilgrims to open site in London’s Brick Lane: Pizza Pilgrims, the pizzeria brand, is to add to its presence in London with an opening in Brick Lane. The 26-strong company has acquired the ex-DF Mexico site at the Old Truman Brewery. Opening on Monday, 19 May, the corner site in the heart of the Old Truman Brewery scheme will feature wrap-around windows and double height ceilings, offering a 2,500 square-foot space and 108 covers. Founders Thom and James Elliot said: “We’re thrilled to open in Brick Lane. It’s such an exciting part of London, and The Truman Brewery was actually the first place we built a pizza oven and served guests up on the roof back in the early supper club days of Forza Win in 2013.” Last month, Pizza Pilgrims made its debut in Scotland, in Edinburgh’s Rose Street. Propel revealed last October that Pizza Pilgrims had appointed PwC as it looks to embark on its next stage of growth, which will include further expansion in the UK, exploring international opportunities, and the relaunch of a quick service restaurant format.

 

Discovery Group acquires North Yorkshire pub: Discovery Group, the Scottish multiple operator led by Alan Bowes, who previously ran the London and Edinburgh Swallow Group (LESG) managed and tenanted pubs and hotels business, has secured its second site in England, in North Yorkshire. The nine-strong business has acquired the Old Swan pub in Skipton, which it said was one of six properties it is looking to add in the next three months. The company, which operates eight sites in Scotland including the Barologist in Leith, also operates the Exchange bar at Eldon Square in Newcastle. LESG ran 671 pubs and hotels on a managed and tenanted basis at its height, employing 7,300 people. The group generated around £150m by selling pub freeholds at auction with a lease to itself at higher than market rents, generating profits on the freeholds it had previously acquired. The company went into administration in September 2006, and a month later, fellow auction-focused Provence Pub Company went into administration after its banks tightened lending in the wake of LESG’s demise. 

 

Apartment Group reports full-year sales uplift after investments: North east operator Apartment Group, led by Duncan Fisher, has seen its full-year sales increase across both its pubs and bars and hotels and events businesses. The company, which operates the likes of As You Like It and Howlers in Newcastle, saw turnover across its bar and nightclub operations increase 25.5% to £2,491,098 for the year to 31 July 2024 compared with £1,984,473 the previous year. Ebitda increased from £161,861 to £1,593,439. The group turned a pre-tax loss of £593,427 in 2023 to a pre-tax profit of £827,013. Fisher said: “Venues performed in line with expectations with the repositioning of Social Bar and Social Club last year continuing to contribute strongly to trading, resulting in the venue remaining as the premier offer on the Newcastle night-time scene. The venues enhanced its offer across all day parts appealing to a wider audience with the student population remaining strong supporters of the offerings available. 2024-25 is already showing significant growth on 2023-24 as the venues increase the number of the events offered to customers.” Meanwhile separate accounts for its Northumberland venues, Newton Hall and Le Petit Chateau, and its bars and restaurants, caravan sites and holiday cottages, showed revenue rose 7% to £14.5m during the 12 months to 31 July 2024, while pre-tax profit stood at £1,039,987 (2023: £1,698,484). The company said: “A strong focus on a consistent pipeline through wedding sales coupled with management’s ability to manage costs across the estate enabled the business to show growth in a competitive market. Strategically concentrating on wedding quality, offering, spend and volumes resulted in a strong performance from our core business offering. Continual investment in the assets to improve the hospitality offering resulted in an increased profit.”

Padel operator run by former Swansea FC players eyes first city centre venue amid expansion plans: A Swansea padel court venture has submitted plans for its first city centre venue as it aims to grow to five sites by the end of next year. Pure Swansea Padel has lodged a planning application to Swansea Council for two new courts at Foresters Yard, on the former Pilkington Glass site. Pure Swansea Pade is owned by a property and investment group alongside former Swansea City FC footballers Leon Britton, Lee Trundle and Kurtis March. The group’s existing five padel courts, along with football pitches, are located at its sports complex in the Clase area of the city. Group managing director Jacob Hughes told Business Live the two new courts and facilities will require a capital investment of around £150,000, taking the firm’s total investment since 2021 to £1m. “This exciting location would look incredible at night and be a real landmark for Swansea,” he added. “With this expansion, Pure Swansea Padel would grow to seven courts, something we’re hugely proud of, having brought the first padel courts to Swansea in 2023. We have seen an increase of 600% on our existing padel courts this year alone, and we aren’t yet into the summer period. We currently have 500 different players playing across the courts we have per month, so we hope to reach 1,000 a month. We are actively looking at multiple sites, with the aim of getting to five by the end of 2026.”

 

Global hotel operator Oyo adds Warwickshire and Devon properties to portfolio: Global hotel operator Oyo has added to its portfolio with sites in Devon and Warwickshire. The company’s parent, Oravel Stays, has signed a lease to operate Mercure Walton Hall in Warwick and the Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel in Exeter within its Sunday brand, with the properties due to undergo a comprehensive refurbishment. This forms part of a wider strategy by Oyo to grow its luxury offering across the UK, adding a total of six new hotels to the Sunday portfolio. Puneet Yadav, head of Oravel’s UK business, said: “We have focused on diversifying our premium offerings in the UK market, with the West Midlands and the south west remaining a major priority for the business.” Oyo launched its first Sunday hotel in the UK – Sunday Lansbury Heritage in London’s Canary Wharf. Beyond the UK, the company operates additional Sunday hotels across Asia and the Middle East, with sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Cubitt House co-founder to rebrand original Boxcar site: Cubitt House co-founder Barry Hirst is set to rebrand the original site for his Boxcar concept. Hirst and co-founder Ankur Wishart launched Boxcar in New Quebec Street in London’s Marylebone in 2017. They added Boxcar Baker & Deli, on the corner of Crawford Street and Wyndham Place in Marble Arch, the following year, and last year opened Boxcar Bread & Wine in Connaught Village, in Westminster. The Marylebone site will now relaunch as Boxcar Fire & Wine on Tuesday, 3 June – billed as “a new concept where produce-led, flame-cooked dishes meet a curated list of low-intervention wine”. A menu of southern European-inspired seasonal dishes will be led by new head chef Zisis Gkalmpenis (ex-Pied à Terre and Cord by Le Cordon Bleu), while the wine list, curated by group bar manager Aleksandrs Borovko, will champion sustainable producers, with a wide selection available by 125ml glasses. Dishes will include Iberico pork presa with Morello cherries, Galician blonde beef rib, brill with asparagus and wild garlic, and brie tortelloni with chard and black pepper. “This new chapter is about creating an ingredient-led destination in a warm neighbourhood setting – great food, open fire, a curated wine list and a space that feels like home.” Wishart said. “We’re pouring wine with real personality, from skin-contact wine to organic favourites, and cooking food that lets the fire speak for itself.”

 

The Curling Club to expand to Manchester this winter: The Curling Club, the London alpine-themed curling concept, is set to expand to Manchester this winter. Launching in the city’s New Jackson neighborhood, The Curling Club at New Jackson will open from 24 November 2025 to 28 February 2026, offering curling, live DJs and festive food and drink. The Curling Club will also return for a second year to Vinegar Yard in London, from 17 October 2025 until 28 February 2026. Both venues will feature The Curling Club’s custom-built lanes, using granite stones for enhanced precision and control, while on-site coaches will help guests perfect their technique. Returning ambassador, Olympic gold medallist Eve Muirhead, will once again host select events across both cities. Trevor Bowers, chairman of The Curling Club, said: “Our expansion to Manchester marks a major step in The Curling Club’s growth as we build on four strong years in London. This move allows us to reach new audiences while continuing our presence in London with a highly anticipated return to Vinegar Yard, which is hugely exciting. With this expansion and other plans, we’re accelerating our national rollout.” Last summer, The Curling Club, which also has a site at London’s Southbank Centre, said it is targeting seven locations by the 2026 Winter Olympics, including a permanent venue.

Immersive experience based on BBC show The Traitors to open in London in July: An immersive experience based on BBC show The Traitors is set to launch in London’s Covent Garden in July. The Traitors: Live Experience will allow players to dive into the world of the TV series as they take a seat at “The Round Table”, participate in missions and work together to uncover the “traitors” under the guide of a live host. Each day, the top players will secure a coveted place on the leader board, celebrating the evening’s sharpest strategists and schemers. The experience is being produced by Immersive Everywhere – which is behind projects such as Doctor Who: Time Fracture in London, with BBC Studios, and Peaky Blinders: The Rise in London and Riyadh – along with live music and event promoters Cuffe & Taylor and Global Creative under licence from All3Media International. Due to demand, a new batch of tickets for general sale will go on sale on Friday (9 May) following a 48-hour pre-sale for those who sign up via the event’s website.