Increased employment costs forcing Greggs to raise prices again: Food-to-go operator Greggs is to increase its prices from today (Thursday, 2 October) as it looks to combat increased employment costs, as its chief executive Roisin Currie asked the government for “no surprises” in next month’s autumn Budget. The brand’s two-part breakfast deal, which includes a roll and drink, will rise from £2.95 to £3.15 as part of the changes, while the price of the three-part breakfast deal, which includes a side such as yoghurt or hash browns, will also rise to £4.15, up from £3.95. Some individual items will also be increasing in price such as the Star Biscuit, which will increase by 5p up to £1.40. However, the price of a sausage roll will stay the same. Speaking after Greggs reported a 1.5% increase in like-for-like sales over its third quarter, Currie said the company tried to keep prices as low as possible but was navigating an inflationary environment and had not raised prices since May. Currie said Greggs’ wage bill increased due to minimum wage rises and “surprise” higher employers’ national insurance contributions, which cost the business £20m. The outlook for further cost pressures on the company was uncertain as Currie said Greggs was “still doing some work” on inflation projections and didn’t know about potential further national living wage rises. She added: “Without those (upped staffing cost) factors, the outlook improves.” Looking ahead to the upcoming November Budget, Currie said she hoped for a “balanced Budget”.  She said: “I guess what’s not helpful is when it’s something that comes out that surprises us, and that’s what happened with the national insurance last year – we weren’t expecting that, and it came in very quickly. It’s quite hard to plan and manage a business when you have a £20m hit that you hadn’t predicted or weren’t aware was coming.” Currie said she was hoping for changes as part of the Budget that will put “money in the pocket of the consumer”, with businesses being given “reasonable notice” over any changes affecting businesses. Currie added consumer confidence was still fragile, with many people saving their disposable income rather than spending, adding when consumers do spend, they are “spending wisely”. She said: “With us being a great value proposition, hopefully that means some of those customers will be swapping into Greggs to take advantage of that great value.”

 

Sponsored message – Level 3 food safety with Sideways providing essential training that’s changing lives in more ways than one: Level 3 food safety training costs hospitality operators millions of pounds. It’s a requirement, not an option, and choosing how to deliver it is where it can make a massive difference. A Sideways spokesperson said: “Traditional training can take two full days away from the business. It’s tiresome and costs £500-plus per person. At Sideways, we wanted to make a change. Our new online Level 3 food safety course takes just seven hours, comprising 70 engaging videos in ten easy-to-follow modules, along with one simple exam. It’s easier to do and learn from, and is now available on both our platform and yours. It’s why brands like Pizza Pilgrims, Blacklock, Public House, Lina Stores and Dishoom trust it to deliver better learning to more team members.  But here’s where it becomes a true no-brainer. When you use this course, 15% of your spend goes directly to Only a Pavement Away, the charity helping people facing homelessness and vulnerability build new lives through hospitality careers. On top of that, you’ll receive our ‘Inspection Ready’ course free. Both were created with environmental health officer Natalie Stanton and have been endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality. We train your people better, save you half the time and money,and we both give to charity. Why? Because it feels like the right thing to do.” To find out more, click here. If you have a sponsored story you would like to see featured in this newsletter position, email paul.charity@propelinfo.com.

 

Bubala founder Marc Summers to speak at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, open for bookings: Bubala founder Marc Summers will be among the speakers at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025. Summers will talk about the creation of the Middle Eastern vegetarian concept, its launch into the competitive London market and the future for the business and the vegetarian restaurant category. The all-day conference takes place on Wednesday, 5 November, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive new searchable and segmented New Openings Database tomorrow: The next Propel New Openings Database will be sent to Premium Club subscribers tomorrow (Friday, 3 October). The database will show the details of 152 site openings, including which company has opened a site or its plans to open one in the future. The database will have details on what type of site it is and its location, and there will also be a website link to the businesses. The database is published on a monthly basis and Premium Club subscribers will also receive a 10,029-word report on the 152 new additions to the database. It is segmented into seven categories – cafe bakery, casual dining, experiential leisure, fine dining, hotels, pubs and bars, and quick service restaurants – making it even easier for users to search. The database includes new London openings in the cafe bakery sector such as The Salad Project in Notting Hill, Chaiiwala in Hayes and Donny’s Deli in London Fields. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site 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 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 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.

Deliveries up but takeaways down as new openings lift at-home sales in August: Top restaurant groups achieved like-for-like delivery and takeaway sales growth of 1.4% in August 2025, according to CGA by NIQ’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker. The performance extends a long run of modest year-on-year comparisons for the at-home channel, with growth remaining below the rate of inflation throughout 2025. However, August’s performance was slightly ahead of trends in eat-in sales, with the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker – based on a separate cohort of operators – showing restaurants’ like-for-like sales dropped 1.6%. That suggests with spending under pressure, some consumers switched from eating out to ordering in over the summer. The Hospitality at Home Tracker shows deliveries significantly outpaced the at-home market as a whole in August. Like-for-like delivery sales were up by 5.6% from August 2024, while takeaway and click-and-collect sales dropped 8.4%. This extends a long-term shift from picking up food from restaurants to the convenience of delivery to the door from third-party providers. While like-for-like sales have been broadly flat, rollouts of more delivery options have helped to generate strong growth on a total basis. Adding in restaurants that have been opened by groups in the last 12 months, or where deliveries and takeaways were introduced for the first time, total sales rose by 11.4% – a sign of the capacity for further growth in deliveries and takeaways. Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “Restaurants have found it hard to sustain real-terms growth in delivery and takeaway sales this year, and August’s numbers show many consumers remain hesitant about spending. Any modest increases have largely been driven by higher menu prices or new openings, while rising costs are sapping operators’ profit margins.”

 

Many restaurant staff receiving fewer tips since tipping legislation became law last year, a quarter of employers have made no changes: Many restaurant staff are receiving fewer tips since tipping legislation became law last year, while a quarter of employers have made no changes. New research from digital tipping platform URocked shows 25% of employers admit to making no changes since the Allocation of Tips Act 2023 came into effect in October 2024, while 24% of restaurant staff report seeing no changes in how their employers handle tips. Only 20% said they have received more tips since the legislation was introduced, while 23% report receiving fewer, a year after the law came into effect. Almost half (45%) of employees still believe deductions or exemptions are permitted, or that they are free to distribute as they see fit, while 14% of staff don't think their employer is complying with the law. Furthermore, 54% of UK consumers said they don't trust that restaurants are passing on 100% of tips to staff, while 60% of staff believe customers would tip more if they better understood the legal requirements. “While nearly nine out of ten respondents said the new law has made things fairer for staff, our research shows there’s still work to be done in building consumer trust and ensuring universal employer compliance,” said URocked chief executive, David Dillon. “Too many businesses in the sector are either unclear on the rules or have failed to make the changes required, and that leaves both staff and customers questioning whether tips are being handled fairly.” The research was conducted in September 2025 among 250 sector employees and 150 decision makers working in UK full-service hospitality venues that take tips or add a service charge, while consumer research was conducted among 1,000 UK consumers.

 

‘Buy one get one free’ junk food deals and fizzy drink refills now banned: “Buy one get one free” offers on unhealthy food in supermarkets and fizzy drink refills in restaurants are as of today (Wednesday, 1 October) banned in England. The restrictions on multi-buy and price promotions, which will apply to supermarkets, high street shops and online retailers, aims to make it easier for families to make healthier choices. Free refill promotions of certain drinks in restaurants and cafes also come under the ban. Ministers said restricting these promotions are an important step to tackling obesity. The measure, which has been under consideration for years but was initially put off due to the cost-of-living-crisis, will also be followed by a ban on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm from January. To help define what food and drink are classified as unhealthy, the government has developed a system. Fizzy drinks that contain sugar, such as full-fat cola and food that’s high in fat or sugar, such as crisps, chocolate, ice creams, cakes, fish fingers and even some pizzas all fall under the ban.

 

Pubs and bars near Oasis reunion gig venues saw average sales uplift £2,642 on concert days: Pubs, bars and nightclubs located within 2km of Oasis reunion gig venues saw an average sales uplift £2,642 on concert days, new data has revealed. The findings, from payment technology provider Dojo, showed a surge in spending at hospitality venues around the shows and indicated a clear “stadium effect”. The most dramatic spikes came near Wembley Stadium (up 593 pints of beer per venue compared with city averages) and Manchester’s Heaton Park (up 552 pints per venue). On a city-wide basis, Edinburgh saw the biggest uplift (up 286 pints of beer per location), followed by Cardiff (up 247). Across all UK cities, the average uplift was 106 pints per venue per day. Spending patterns showed two distinct peaks – one in the afternoon as fans gathered before the shows, and another immediately post-gig. Charlie Ashworth, head of insights at Dojo, said: “Our data confirms that big gigs drive big nights. Oasis fans have turned up in force, and local pubs and bars are feeling the benefit. With surges before and after the concerts, it’s a reminder of the critical role hospitality plays in making live music events unforgettable.” Dojo’s spending data compared Oasis concert days to days when no major gigs were held at the same venues. Its analysis covered Dojo merchants in pubs, bars and nightclubs near Wembley Stadium, Heaton Park, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a venue operator that is looking for a head of operations to oversee its multi-outlet food and beverage operations. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The head of operations will lead all aspects of food and beverage delivery, from restaurants and bars to cafés, ensuring profitability, operational efficiency and exceptional guest experiences. They will have proven experience in leading multi-site food and beverage operations, with a background in high-end venues and hospitality, strong leadership, commercial acumen and strategic thinking, skilled in budgeting, forecasting and driving profitability, and passionate about delivering outstanding guest experiences.” The salary is up to £75,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email marlene@corecruitment.com

 

Owner of Gail’s and PizzaExpress bids for Costa: An investor that has backed Gail’s and PizzaExpress has made a bid for Costa Coffee, which is being put up for sale with a circa £2bn price tag by owner Coca-Cola. The FT reports that Bain Capital’s Special Situations unit is among the groups to have submitted a first-round bid for the UK’s largest coffee chain, according to people familiar with the matter. Initial bids were due in late September. Costa Coffee has also attracted interest from the private equity owner of Asda, TDR Capital. Apollo, another prospective suitor for Costa, declined to submit a bid, according to people familiar with the matter. Costa, which was started in London more than 50 years ago, is the world’s second-largest coffee chain after Starbucks, with more than 2,700 branches in the UK and Ireland. Coca-Cola is working with investment bankers at Lazard on a potential sale of Costa after buying the business for £3.9bn in 2018. The acquisition, made as part of an effort to diversify beyond fizzy drinks, has failed to deliver. Costa has struggled to deal with rising costs and subdued consumer spending since the covid-19 pandemic. Coca-Cola chief executive James Quincey acknowledged to analysts in July that Costa had “not quite delivered” and was “not where we wanted it to be from an investment hypothesis point of view”. In 2023, Costa reported an annual loss of £13.8m on revenues of £1.2bn, according to the most recently available set of accounts at UK Companies House. Coca-Cola took a dividend of £85m. Bain’s Special Situations was set up in 2018 by the US private capital group to provide “liquidity for complex assets”, according to its website. It now manages $21.6bn of assets. The unit became the controlling shareholder in Bread Holdings, the parent company of upmarket UK bakery and café chain Gail’s, in 2021. It was also part of a group of investors that took control of PizzaExpress during the pandemic and pumped an additional £20m of equity into the restaurant chain this year.

 

Shepherd Neame CEO – ‘trade shifting more to peak occasions’, seeing volume as well as sales growth in London pubs: Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame has told Propel that trade has “shifted more to the peak occasions” while the business is seeing volume as well as sales growth in its London pubs. Speaking following the company’s full-year results, where Shepherd Neame reported a 4.6% drop in revenue to £172.3m for the year to 28 June 2025, Neame said: “Consumer demand is generally robust but it’s shifted more to the peak occasions – so weekends, bank holidays and Christmas. We are getting both sales growth and volume growth in London, and that’s encouraging. Young people appear to be drinking less, but I think that’s more an economic factor rather than a trend.” Neame said he believed it will take the business another year to absorb the additional above-inflation costs of £2.6m it faces. “We will absorb these through a combination of price increases and efficiencies,” he said. “We are looking at everything to see where we might be able to make savings. The challenges are still significant, but at some stage, the economic pressures will ease. Pubs have had to adapt and change, but consumer appetite has not been tempered by these short-term pressures.” Neame was particularly pleased about the performance of its 217-strong tenanted estate, where like-for-like pub income for the nine weeks to 30 August 2025 was up 2.4% He said: “I think we have some particularly good tenanted pubs. We’ve done a lot with the estate – selling four or five pubs a year and reinvested the proceeds – and coupled with some high-quality operators, that’s a winning formula. We’ve also reduced the turnover rate of our publicans. A lot of the pubs are also in what I call ‘timeless locations’, or the only pub in the community. We’re looking to increase the level of investment in our tenanted pubs by an additional £500,000-£1m.” Neame said the short-term focus remains on its current 286-strong pub estate rather than acquisitions. He added: “I think the market is generally quiet at the moment because operators are focusing on inward investment. We’ve still got quite an overhang from the past two years. Our primary focus is on maximising the opportunity of our Central London sites, where demand is strongest.” Neame said he believed next month’s Budget will be “less painful” than last year, but said when it comes to business rates, the maximum possible discount for all hospitality properties under £500,000 rateable value must be applied. However, he added that wouldn’t be enough to offset the increases in employers’ national insurance contributions. “I just can’t believe the government will make the same mistakes as last year,” he said. “Whatever happens though, the sector will remain overtaxed and over-regulated.”

 

Sides planning growth in UAE and Australasia: Sides, the food business from YouTube collective Sidemen, which made its international debut earlier this year, is looking to expand into the UAE, Australia and New Zealand. The brand, which earlier this summer opened in Singapore, is looking to open up to 15 sites across the UAE but has yet to put a figure on its expansion plans for Australasia. The company is working with Charlie Mander at franchise consultants Presman & Colard on its growth plans. Mander said: “With a combined 150 million-plus followers, The Sidemen have built one of the most powerful social media communities on the planet – and Sides is its food brand that’s already winning huge love in the UK and Singapore. Now it’s time to scale up internationally.” The brand’s debut international site opened in Bugis+, a ten-storey shopping centre in the Bugis district of Singapore, with the Sides site spanning 114 square metres, offering around 50 covers. The site was the sixth Sides store in total. This spring, Sides revealed its target locations as it looks to double its estate by next year and deliver £200m in revenue. The business posted to social media: “By next year, Sides projects: 12 restaurant locations, more than £2m in weekly revenue and our first £200m revenue milestone. Building on our successful performance in Manchester, we’re expanding into prime student markets across the UK, including Bristol, Newcastle, Leicester, Liverpool and Edinburgh.”

 

Dave’s Hot Chicken planning to have 15 UK sites by next June: Dave’s Hot Chicken, which is being rolled out here by Azzurri Group – the ASK Italian, Coco di Mama, Boojum and Zizzi owner – plans to have 15 sites in the UK by the end of next June, including its first site in Ireland. Propel revealed last July that the US brand had signed a franchise agreement with Azzurri Group to open 60 locations across the UK and Ireland. Dave’s Hot Chicken made its UK debut in late 2024 with a flagship site in Shaftesbury Avenue, in London’s West End. The brand subsequently also launched in both Birmingham New Street and Printworks Manchester, with both “already performing exceptionally”. Azzurri is preparing to further scale the brand, with openings planned in Stevenage tomorrow (Friday, 3 October) and Westfield White City later this month, on the former Spaghetti House site. Azzurri has also secured another site, in Resorts World Birmingham, which will open in November, and the former Pret in Leicester town centre, which will open in January. Propel understands that Azzurri is also in advanced talks on a debut site in Ireland, in Dublin, which it hopes to open next March. Neil Remedios, formerly of Gondola Group and Byron, who is operations lead for Dave’s Hot Chicken in the UK and Ireland, said the business had taken a lot of confidence from the performance of Shaftesbury Avenue, which at one point was the best performing site in the world for the brand, and trading at the subsequent openings in Manchester and Birmingham. He said the business was “hitting every KPI we set for it”, and now the challenge was getting a team in place to oversee the pace of openings, which will be around “a new site every four/five weeks”. Last month, Azzurri signed an exclusive agreement to roll out Dave’s Hot Chicken across Europe. As part of the new agreement, Azzurri will develop a minimum of 180 restaurants across ten European countries.

 

Paul UK – 2024 a year of stabilisation, signs second franchisee, closes debut UK site: French artisan bakery and patisserie brand Paul has said 2024 was a year of stabilisation for the circa 30-strong business, which saw its full-year turnover decrease and pre-tax losses narrow. Total turnover in the year to 31 December 2024 decreased by 5.2% to £34,000,000 (2023: £35,900,000), while Ebitda was £1,100,000 (2023: £600,000). Pre-tax loss stood at £418,261 (2023: loss of £863,294). The company said: “The year under review has been one of stabilisation for the business after the challenges it has faced during the previous few years. 2024 saw utility costs start to decline to a more sustainable level, although labour costs continued to increase with the raise in minimum wage and costs of goods further increased – particularly evident in coffee and chocolate as well as flour and butter all, of which had a significant impact, and while a percentage of these increases can be passed on to the consumer, the majority were absorbed by the business. Following the successful rebranding of Three Quays in 2023, the company transformed the stores at St Pancras and Tottenham Court Road in London into the second and third Paul Le Cafes in the UK. The UK now operates the Paul and Paul Le Cafe brand. With the ever-increasing costs, maximising the sales opportunity is critical, and engaging with customers to encourage repeat visits and higher average ticket values is of growing importance. This supports the development of an eat-in brunch range that initially was introduced into four stores but is now being rolled out more widely. The success of this has encouraged the company to undertake further work on its eat-in offer, which will be seen in 2025.” Last year, the business closed its Covent Garden store – the first Paul store to open in the UK 25 years ago. The store closed as a result of not being able to secure a “sensible negotiation with the landlord to renew the lease”. Paul has also since exited its site in Tower 42 in the City. The company also said it has signed its second UK franchise partner, which will look to open ten stores over the next five years “in a territory south east of London”. In addition, the company's first franchise partner successfully opened its first store, in Reading, Berkshire.

 

Suffolk and Norfolk McDonald’s franchisee reports turnover approaching £100m after growing estate but makes a loss: Suffolk and Norfolk McDonald’s franchisee Direct Dialog Visual has reported turnover approaching £100m after growing its estate but made a loss last year. The company, which is led by Carol Rogerson, who began franchising with McDonald’s in 2014 after 11 years with French consulting business CCA International, saw turnover grow to £93,107,175 in the year to 31 December 2024, from £78,146,590 in 2023. Direct Dialog Visual saw a pre-tax profit of £1,836,554 in 2023 turn into a loss of £263,4653, as costs rose by almost £5m and administration expenses increased by more than £12m. Dividends of £566,773 were paid (2023: £458,551). Rogerson said: “The directors are pleased to report that despite challenging market conditions, the company increased revenue by £15m. This increase was due to a full year of trading in 2024 on ten new stores acquired in 2023 and another three stores in 2024. The company now has 21 stores in its portfolio. Gross profit margin also improved as food cost inflation stabilised and selling prices were adjusted. The net assets of the company were £3.6m (2023: £4.3m) at the balance sheet date, reflecting the solid position of the company from an overall solvency point of view, and this strong balance sheet is the foundation on which the company can continue to grow and prosper.” In 2021, Rogerson set up the McDonald’s Women in Franchising Group, and in 2023, she appeared as a witness in a Business & Trade Committee hearing at the House of Commons into allegations of widespread sexual harassment among McDonald’s crew members.

 

Barons Pub Company – 2024 a year of ‘solid’ trading, completes refinancing, exploring selective expansion opportunities: Barons Pub Company, the 11-strong Surrey-based operator, has said the year to September 2024 was one of “solid trading and careful financial management”. Turnover was £19,590,000 (2023: £19,960,000), broadly in line with the prior year, with a slight dip “reflecting industry-wide consumer pressures and adverse weather conditions in parts of the summer”. Due to this, gross profit decreased to £6,570,000 (2023: £6,670,000), but margins strengthened to 33.6% (2023: 33.4%), demonstrating effective supplier management, menu pricing and cost control. Operating profit decreased to £630,000 (2023: £695,000), “due to the inflationary cost environment”, while pre-tax profit stood at £236,594 (2023: £308,870. Net assets decreased to £757,000 (2023: £886,000), underlining a resilient balance sheet position. The company acquired its latest site, the Curious Pig in The Parlour in the village of Copthorne, near Crawley, from Marstons, last December. Last November, the company completed a refinancing exercise, consolidating all exiting bank loans – totalling £2,852,094 – into a new single facility. With an additional funding of £2,647,906 for the aforementioned acquisition, the new loan amounted to £5.5m. The company said: “The business continues to benefit from strong customer loyalty, premium locations with excellent gardens, and diversification of revenue through our pizza trailers, which support growth and broaden our offer. Despite the challenging external environment, Barons Pub Company remains in a strong position to trade profitably and grow. Our focus in 2025 is on: leveraging our pub gardens, pizza trailers and outside trading space to drive sales. Continuing investment in sites to maintain high standards; improving productivity and adopting technology to offset rising wage costs; and exploring selective expansion opportunities, supported by the new consolidated loan facility.”

 

Flat Iron lines up Liverpool opening for 2026: Flat Iron, the affordable steak concept that is backed by McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan, is to open in Liverpool next year, Propel has learned. The 18-strong Flat Iron, which is led by Tom Byng, is understood to have secured the former Point Blank site in the city’s Castle Street. Last month, the company confirmed it will open a site in Newcastle next year and said its opening in Bristol has been brought forward to December. Propel revealed in September that Flat Iron had secured the former Co-op bank site at 84 Grey Street, in Newcastle. As previously revealed by Propel, Flat Iron has also secured the former Brown’s site in Brighton’s Ship Street for an opening later this month. This will be followed by an opening on the Four Wise Monkeys restaurant site in Bristol’s Clare Street before the end of the year. This site had previously been earmarked for an opening in early 2026. Earlier this month, the company secured a new senior debt facility to support its expansion, provided by OakNorth. Propel revealed last month that McWin and TriSpan had acquired Flat Iron, and it is understood the deal is set to value the business at circa £70m.

 

European hospitality brand and members’ club Aethos makes UK debut, hires new CEO: Aethos, the European hospitality brand and members’ club, has made its UK debut and hired a new chief executive. Aethos, which operates seven destinations across Europe and is also opening in Madrid, acquired the Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch earlier this year. The 164-room hotel, at 10-50 Willow Street, has now reopened after being “fully reimagined to reflect Aethos’ core values” to become the brand’s largest destination and new UK flagship. It comes as Aethos announces the appointment of Lily Wecker, former development director EMEA & North America for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, as its new chief executive. Wecker’s appointment comes at a pivotal time, as she will spearhead Aethos’ global expansion across Europe, Americas and Asia. Benjamin Habbel, co-founder and chairman of Aethos, said: “Lily brings deep expertise in luxury hospitality, growth and development, and a true passion for building meaningful connections, all perfectly aligned with our vision for Aethos. With her leadership, I am confident Aethos will continue to deliver to this goal and deliver across our core pillars of authentic experiences, meaningful community and culinary excellence.” Aethos also currently operates destinations and members’ clubs in Lisbon, Ericeira, Mallorca, Milan, Monterosa, Saragano, Sardinia and Corsica.

 

Brasserie Blanc launches new reward scheme Le Club: Brasserie Blanc, the French restaurant group founded by Raymond Blanc that is part of Heartwood Collection, has launched Le Club, its new reward scheme, across its 14-strong estate. The company said: “We believe our most loyal guests deserve something truly special. Le Club isn’t just a programme, it’s an invitation to join the Brasserie Blanc family, and for our guests to be generously rewarded for every time they dine with us: a complimentary drink just for signing up (up to eight people when dining); and rewards with every visit. Dine with us frequently and guests will unlock VIP Status, which comes with the best of Le Club perks, including:15% off food for up to six people for a full 12 months; exclusive invitations to VIP events, including special dinners with Raymond Blanc; complimentary birthday Champagne; early access to new menus and special offers; business lunch discounts and refer a friend rewards.” Caz Taylor, head of digital and activations at Heartwood Collection, said: “Using the learnings from our previous loyalty scheme that was retired a few years ago, we have created a dynamic and generous scheme that rewards guests in a way we know they love and appreciate. Our Le Club rewards scheme gives us a new and exciting way to deliver personalised rewards and messaging to our guests in a way we haven't had before for our loyal Brasserie Blanc guests.” The new rewards scheme follows the company’s new autumn menu launch and its brand refresh last week and the launch of Heartwood Inns reward scheme, Treats, last month.

 

Pure Padel to open Birmingham’s first indoor padel court: Padel operator Pure Padel is set to open Birmingham’s first indoor padel court. Opening in January, Pure Padel Birmingham will be located in New Summer Street and will also be the company’s first club in the Birmingham area, with its Solihull venue due to open in March. The state-of-the-art venue will repurpose an old Land Rover Jaguar engineering plant into a padel club featuring five doubles courts and two singles courts, along with a food and beverage space, social areas and fully equipped changing rooms. Sammy Arora, founder and managing director at Pure Padel, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing Pure Padel to Birmingham, and we’re excited to contribute to its regeneration by converting this former car plant into a premium indoor padel facility. The indoor courts will allow year-round play, and with Birmingham’s growing business community, we see huge potential to build a new padel community and provide a central hub for both leisure and corporate players.” Pure Padel opened its first club, in Alderley Park, in October 2023, and this has been followed by sites in Manchester city centre, Darlington, Stockport and Leeds. Construction is also in advanced stages for venues in Nottingham and Lightwater in Surrey. Further to this, planning is approved for additional clubs in Solihull, Gosforth, York and Glasgow, with all four locations expected to open by June 2026. With no member fees, matches will be on a “pay to play” basis. The business has previously stated plans to build another 30 padel clubs in the UK over the next five years, with the Midlands, the north east and the south west of London among its target regions, as well as further expansion across its home county of Cheshire.

 

Richard Caring to open fifth Harry’s in London next month: Serial sector investor Richard Caring will open the fifth London site under his Harry’s bar and restaurant brand, in Covent Garden, next month. Propel revealed in June that Caring had acquired the former Tuttons British Brasserie site with a view to converting that and the neighbouring Dirty Martini unit into his Harry’s brand. The 3,100 square-foot site will open at 11-12 Russell Street, including a large terrace on the piazza. Harry’s operates sites in London’s Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Victoria and King’s Cross as well as in Qatar. Caring is reportedly in advanced talks to sell a significant portion of his UK hospitality empire to an entity controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. According to the Financial Times, the deal between Caring and Sheikh Tahnoon’s holding company, IHC, could exceed £1bn.

 

Former Burhill Group CEO joins French golf resort business as non-executive director: Colin Mayes, former chief executive of golf and leisure operator Burhill Group, has joined French golf resort business Resonance Golf Collection as a non-executive director. Mayes stepped down from his position at the parent company of Adventure Leisure last summer and was replaced by Simon Thompson. Under Mayes’ leadership, Burhill Group, which operates 22 golf courses across ten clubs in England, achieved record sales at the end of 2023, rising 11.3% to £60.9m, driven by a 10% uplift in the group’s golf division. This trend continued into 2024, when Burhill Group’s golf division achieved an 11% increase in overall sales year-on-year. Mayes also spearheaded the expansion of Burhill Group’s experiential leisure portfolio under the Adventure Leisure brand, growing the number of trading venues to 19 by the end of 2023, which secured an overall sales increase of 16% that year. Resonance Golf Collection operates 12 golf clubs across France and Belgum. Laurent Boissonnas, chairman of Le Touquet Syndicate, which owns Resonance Golf Collection, said: “Colin’s knowledge of multi-venue operations, developing strategy, focus on customer feedback and passion for developing new business opportunities and further revenue streams are all things that we’re looking forward to him bringing to Resonance Golf as we look to the future.” Mayes added: “I am delighted to be joining the board of Resonance Golf. I look forward to helping the board identify opportunities for growth and further development in Europe as the business continues its exciting journey.”

 

Liberation Brewing to leave Jersey as operations move to Somerset: Liberation Brewing Co has confirmed it will close its Jersey brewery later this month, with all future production relocating to Somerset. The move will bring an end to brewing at Tregear House, a site long associated with the company’s award-winning ale. The Butcombe Group, which owns Liberation Brewing Co, said the decision was the result of rising costs and the difficulty of maintaining a viable brewing operation on the island. After reviewing the sustainability of local production, the group concluded that relocating was the only way to safeguard the brand’s future. Head brewer Pat Dean will transfer to Somerset, where he will work alongside Butcombe Group head brewer Mike Jordan. The company said that Dean will continue to oversee the production of Liberation Ales, ensuring that recipes and methods remain consistent. Some of the small batch brewing equipment will also be moved across to the UK. 

 

Young’s reopens Central London venue Daly’s on The Strand as Daly’s Wine Bar & Beer Hall following makeover: Young’s has reopened its wine bar opposite the Courts of Justice in Central London, Daly’s on The Strand, as Daly’s Wine Bar & Beer Hall following a complete makeover. Daly’s now offers two distinct experiences across two floors. The Wine Bar serves up a list curated by Berkmann Wine Cellar and features a vast array of vintages by the glass, bottle and magnum. Sparkling options are also on offer, while an extensive list of liqueurs, cocktails and non-alcoholic options are also available. Head chef Tahreem Hossain’s menu offers elevated British comfort favourites that pairs with the wine, such as prawn and duck fat rillettes, Cobble Lane charcuterie boards, artisanal British cheese boards and prime cut Oxfordshire steaks. There is also a private room that can accommodate up to 30 seated guests or 50 standing. The downstairs Beer Hall, meanwhile, offers 16 beers on draft alongside snacks and comfort dishes such as giant pretzels, sausage swirls with honey and mustard, loaded short rib nachos, pulled lamb croquettes, Cheddar rarebit and grilled chorizo with guindilla chilli. There is also two interactive and pre-bookable electric dart boards plus sports fixtures shown. General manager Bartek Koltunski said: “Daly’s has always been a special place, and we are excited to share its new identity with the public. The refurbishment allows us to celebrate both the tradition of a classic wine bar and the modern demand for a dynamic beer hall. We’ve created a space where you can enjoy a glass of Champagne one day and catch a sports game with a pint the next.”