JD Wetherspoon set to make its international debut in 2026, further franchise deals lined up: JD Wetherspoon chair Sir Tim Martin has told Propel the company is set to make its international debut in 2026 and has further franchise deals lined up. Earlier this year, Sir Tim said he was considering franchising overseas following a number of partnerships in the UK and it appears such a move is imminent, although an exact location has not been confirmed. Speaking following the company’s full-year results where the business reported revenue of £2.13bn for the year ended 27 July 2025, Sir Tim said of a planned first international site: “Yes, we’re close – watch this space. 2026 looks like it will happen.” Wetherspoon has pubs under franchise with holiday park company Haven, as well as franchise agreements with Newcastle and Hull universities, with a pub operating at each university. Wetherspoon also has a franchise agreement with Thompson Holdings, which operates a pub in the Isle of Man, and Levy, which is running a Wetherspoon pub at the NEC in Birmingham that was previously company owned. Last month, Wetherspoon signed a new franchise agreement with The Papas Group, with the multi-unit agreement to result in 15 new pubs, and Sir Tim said further deals were in the pipeline. He added: “The franchise sites are performing very well indeed. Some of the former university bars, for example, now converted to a Wetherspoon, have doubled sales. Operational standards have also been excellent.” In terms of performance, Sir Tim said sales of real ale, cocktails, Pinot Grigio and Merlot wine, and Guinness had been the big drivers. When it comes to how difficult is it to keep up with changing consumer trends, he said: “It’s not too hard as you get out and about and observe. Then there’s the most important word in the language: ‘listen’.” In terms of his hopes for next month’s Budget, Sir Tim said: “Tax equality with supermarkets.” But he fears “the Treasury’s view is that people will always go out for a pint”. He added: “There’s been 50% less pints sold in pubs since the millennium, and they’ve been consumed at home instead.” Sir Tim also warned chancellor Rachel Reeves that her tax rises will fuel inflation amid growing fears she will target businesses once again in the Budget. He said Wetherspoon would “endeavour to keep price increases to a minimum” but added higher taxes would “always result in price increases for consumers”. Wetherspoon has previously said it has seen a £60m yearly hit from the minimum wage rise and national insurance changes in April, as well as a £2.4m hit from the new recycling levy.

 

Former England cricket captain and Sixes investor Sir Andrew Strauss joins speaker line-up for final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, open for bookings: Sir Andrew Strauss, former England cricket captain and England director of cricket, has joined the speaker line-up for the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, which is open for bookings. Sir Andrew will talk about building teamwork, mental resilience, strategies for success, managing mavericks, investing in experiential cricket concept Sixes, and the forthcoming Ashes. 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 updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book on Friday: Premium Club subscribers will receive the updated Turnover & Profits Blue Book on Friday (10 October), at noon. The database will feature 17 new companies, taking the total to 1,177. Of those, 743 are in profit and 434 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 New Openings Database, 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.

Outrage as firms brace for £3.7bn energy bill shock: Electricity standing charges for British businesses are to almost double as companies large and small “pick up the tab” for state-mandated discounts to energy-intensive companies. The Sunday Times reports that bosses have been shocked by the rise, which will help fund upgrades to the electricity network. Set to come into force in April, the increase would see standing charges will go up by £3.7bn, an increase of 94%. The rise will not apply to about 500 of the UK’s biggest electricity users, which currently benefit from a 60% discount on network charges – rising to 90% next year. The effect of this will be to foist the cost of discounts onto businesses such as pubs, restaurants and retailers. “It’s unacceptable to force cash-strapped hospitality businesses to pick up the tab for discounts for large, energy-intensive manufacturers,” said Kate Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality. “It is the clearest sign yet that the energy market is broken and enormously frustrating that it is community pubs and neighbourhood restaurants that will bear the brunt once again.” The government said it understood concern over transmission costs “but our energy infrastructure is outdated and has suffered years of underinvestment”. It said the hospitality sector “received tailored support via business rate relief, cutting licensing costs and providing advice to reduce energy bills”.

VAT cut to be introduced for Irish hospitality industry: Ireland’s hospitality industry will be one of the big winners in the budget on Tuesday (7 October) with a long-proposed VAT cut to be introduced. The Irish Mirror reports that the measure has been agreed as part of Budget 2026, but the reduction will not come in until July of next year. It’s been agreed that VAT will reduce from 13.5% to 9% for eligible businesses, which government ministers believe will help to protect the 190,000 jobs in the Irish hospitality industry. It’s believed that hotels will be excluded from the measure, but restaurants will be covered.

Barons Pub Company scoops double at Licensed Trade Charity Awards: Barons Pub Company, the 11-strong Surrey-based operator, scooped a double at the Licensed Trade Charity Awards. The company was awarded the LTC Excellence in Workplace Well-being (operators under 250 sites) prize, while Katherine Panayi won the LTC Well-being Champion Award. The LTC Excellence in Workplace Well-being (suppliers) prize went to Bidfood, while Star Pubs landed the LTC Excellence in Workplace Well-being (operators over 251 sites) award. Finally, LTC Fundraiser of the Year was Amanda Thomson of Avani Solutions. Chief executive Chris Welham also launched the charity’s latest impact report, which showed that in 2024, it assisted more than 40,000 people, received in excess of 4,000 calls to its free 24/7 helpline and awarded almost £1.5m in grants and services. Welham said: “This year has been one of both challenge and progress for our sector. I want to congratulate all our incredible award winners, who continually drive our industry forward by investing in people and well-being.”

Hospitality Innovation Lab launches to connect leading sector businesses with start-up talent: The Hospitality Sector Council, in partnership with corporate innovation business L Marks and the Department for Business and Trade, has announced the launch of the first sector-wide Hospitality Innovation Lab. The initiative is designed to accelerate innovations that “support workforce excellence and strengthen the sector’s future”. It will connect major operators, including Burger King UK, Punch Pubs, Bill’s Restaurants, Prezzo Italian, Azzurri Group, Beckford Group and Lincoln Green, with global startups, scaleups and innovators at the forefront of technology. Kate Dearden, minister for employment rights and consumer protection, said: “The hospitality sector employs over two million people and plays a vital role at the heart of our high streets, supporting our economy and communities. That’s why we are partnering with industry to drive innovation, strengthen resilience, create good jobs and help Britain’s pubs, restaurants and cafes thrive.” Jane O’Riordan, chair of the Hospitality Sector Council’s Innovation Working Group, added: “The challenges of labour productivity facing hospitality won’t be solved by the old ways of thinking. The Hospitality Innovation Lab is about uncovering fresh, practical solutions that can overcome the many legacy barriers to innovation. By bringing together businesses and innovators to work collaboratively, we aim to improve productivity for the broader sector and build a stronger, more connected future for hospitality.”

Wine drinkers leaning toward more towards quality options when drinking out: Wine drinkers are leaning towards more quality options when drinking out, according to research from Coravin, the wine-by-glass systems business. It showed consumers are willing to spend big when it comes to wine by the glass, with one in four saying they’d be happy to spend more than £20 on a glass, and more than a third admitting to regularly spending £16-20 on a single glass. The data, compiled as part of the release of The Coravin Guide, also shows that half of consumers surveyed are drinking more wine by the glass than they were two years ago. For younger generations, this is to allow them to explore different wines, while for older generations, it is for health and lifestyle reasons. Furthermore, it is red wine that consumers are most likely overall to drink by the glass (69%) compared to sparkling (40%), whereas sparkling (40%) and rosé (45%) are proving more popular with younger drinkers.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a specialist procurement business that delivers across multiple sectors that is  looking for a senior new business manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be responsible for winning new business, maximising sustainable short and long-term sales, boosting profitability and increasing brand awareness within the hospitality sector, with a predominant focus on hotels.” The salary is up to £75,000 and the position is based in London. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com

 

Exclusive: Wells & Co CEO – we could comfortably double the size of our French estate: Peter Wells, chief executive of brewer and retailer Wells & Co, has told Propel the company could “easily” double the size of its French estate. The business is this week celebrating 30 years since opening its first pub in France – the Bombardier in Paris. Since then, it has grown to an estate of 19 traditional English pubs across Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Lyon, Lille, La Rochelle, Strasbourg and Reims. “I think we could comfortably get to 40 through the development of more pubs in the cities we have, and then by starting to roll out elsewhere,” Wells told Propel. “That will take time because we have become very choosy about the sites we want. We’re very specific about being in towns of no less than 100,000 people, which have a university and which are relatively affluent. This does limit where we can go, but we know what works and what gives us the confidence to invest half a million into a site. There’s room for another in Toulouse and another couple in Lyon. There are a number of cities we can operate in we don’t currently, but at the moment we’re going through a process of investing in our existing sites. Then, in the spring, we’ll start looking to find sites again. I’d like us to be in a position where we’re buying and reopening two a year, with is completely doable with our knowledge and set up.” The company’s biggest success so far has been in Bordeaux, where seven of its 19 French pubs are located. “What we’ve seen is in the south, we have a greater point of difference because the culture of those southern cities is mostly about wine, whereas in the northern cities, there’s already a cultural acceptance for beer, which means the environment is much more competitive,” Wells said. “The young demographic want something different – they don’t want to go to the same wine bars their parents did – so that’s why we’re more predominant in the south. And those cities are all big enough to enable us to have a number of pubs in the area and not be competing against ourselves.” In terms of whether he thinks the company’s success in France could translate further afield into other countries, Wells added: “It’s something we’ve often asked ourselves, but the benefit of France is it doesn’t have a long term beer drinking culture, so we have that point of difference. In Spain and Germany, which would be two other fairly obvious places, Germany is awash with really great breweries that sell their beer pretty cheaply, and Spain again has a lot of high-quality beer sold pretty cheaply in those cities you might want to operate in. So, we’ve got to the point where we’re very comfortable with what we do in France, and we still think there’s a lot of opportunity to go for here.”

Wendy’s UK reports £2m turnover boost after adding to its company-owned estate: Wendy’s UK has reported a £2m turnover boost in the year to 31 December 2024 after adding to its company-owned estate. The company’s turnover increased from £31,916,991 in 2023 to £33,962,708. Of this, £21,102,739 came from restaurant sales (2023: £19,582,543), £11,428,903 from management fees for UK restaurants (2023: £11,418,726) and £1,237,945 from advertising income (2023: £830,187). The company’s pre-tax profit dropped from £1,255,708 to £1,179,203. At the year end, the company operated 13 company-owned restaurants (2023: 12) and 24 franchised (2023: 24). Average employee numbers fell from 423 to 436. Director Ken Cook said: “Turnover increased primarily due to an increase in the number of company-operated restaurants in operation compared to the prior year. Gross profit increased primarily due to improved margins at company-operated restaurants and higher advertising income. As of 31 December 2024, the company had net assets of £21,835,675 (2023: £21,197,286). An impairment charge of £920,000 was recognised in the first quarter of FY2025 relating to the Stratford restaurant, due to deteriorating operating performance. In addition, a decision was made to temporarily close the Sutton restaurant following a fire in an upstairs apartment, which resulted in significant damage to the restaurant premises.” No dividends were paid (2023: nil). In March 2025, Wendy’s said it plans to add more than 150 new restaurants across the UK and Europe by 2028. The brand, which made its return to these shores in 2021, currently operates 47 restaurants across the UK and is on track to open its 50th UK restaurant this year.

Bill’s using ‘invaluable’ AI to help shape its menus and make them ‘much more dynamic’: Tom James, managing director of the Richard Caring-backed Bill’s Restaurants, has said that AI has been “invaluable” in helping the business shape its menus in a new way. Last year, the business did its first AI emotional heat map of a menu, which it ran through “thousands and thousands” of Google and TripAdvisor reviews rather than more “traditional” measures to find which dishes “create the most emotional resonance with a guest, and therefore increase the return rate”. James said: “Through that, we found that people you come to Bill’s and have a fish pie, we are likely to see them again in three months. If you have a burger, we’re likely to see you again in seven to eight months. We have now built this new way of looking at the menu, which pulls out not only the traditional measure of sales, but also impact on social media and emotional resonance. Those AI insights have been invaluable with shaping the menu, which will launch next week. As much as the food development chef hates me for saying it, this is the first menu that’s really, I think, 80%-90% insight based. The menu is the most useful tool you have in a restaurant, so we have invested a significant amount of time over the last two years into it, and this has been a key driver of success. Our average visit from a guest is still 1.3 times a year. How do we get that to 1.5, which would be a financial game changer? The data is all there. There is a way of finding that, and it should shape how we create our dishes, write our menus and present them.” James said that the business also needs to react to people becoming trend loyal and not necessarily brand loyal. He said: “My kids are obsessed with trends. How do we stay on top of that? How does our menu reflect that? How do we make sure we are staying ahead of the trends and effect that on each seasonal menu change? We change our menus every six months, and I don’t think that’s enough at the moment. We’re going to have to have a much more dynamic menu, because trends change, and the markets that we’re interested in expect that change and expect you to stay up with them.”

Amber Taverns acquires central Nottingham site from RedCat: Wet-led, community pub operator Amber Taverns, which is backed by Epiris, has acquired Copper City, an established all-day bar in Nottingham city centre, from RedCat Hospitality for an undisclosed sum. Located opposite Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall, Copper City, which is well-known for serving brunch, lunch and dinner alongside a wide range of drinks, was previously owned by Great British Inns – a business acquired by RedCat during the pandemic. Founded in 2015 and housed within a former bank building, Copper City is a multi-level bar which seats around 150 patrons. It was placed on the market through Christie & Co earlier this year with a £900,000 price tag. Amber Taverns said: “Nottingham has been a target city for us for some time. We operate over 180 pubs across the country and are delighted to add Copper to our group. We have great plans for Copper and will be undertaking some renovations before re-opening in the near future.” Jonty Green at Christie & Co, added: “We are delighted to have completed the sale to Amber Taverns and look forward to seeing the next iteration of this great hospitality venue.” Last month, Amber Taverns opened its most southerly site, in the Hampshire town of Gosport. Amber, which operates freehold, wet-led pubs – predominantly in the north of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales – opened the Erasmus Wolfe on the former Conservative Club site at 2 Walpole Road in the centre of the town.

Columbo Group in legals on two new sites as it reports record turnover of £47.6m: The Columbo Group, led by Steve Ball and Riz Shaikh, has told Propel the company is in legals for two new sites. It comes as the 11-strong group reported record turnover of £47,636,219 for the year ending 31 December 2024 compared with £44,430,258 the previous year. Of the 2024 revenue, £29,963,721 came from drink sales (2023: £26,662,794), £8,292,643 from food sales (2023: £7,468,299), £6,771,202 from door sales (2023: £6,732,059) and £2,608,653 in sundry sales (2023: £3,567,106). Pre-tax profit stood at £4,289,521 (2023: £4,437,850). A dividend of £1,561,055 was paid (2023: £1,334,000). Ball, who before partnering with Shaikh was behind iconic London nightclub Fabric, told Propel: “We are in legals for two new sites, which we hope to get over the line by the end of the year.” The group, which employs circa 600 staff, has ten trading sites – seven of which are freehold and three leasehold. The company also owns the freehold of The Salisbury Hotel in London’s Green Lanes, which is leased by Remarkable Pubs. The Columbo Group also promotes and produces music shows and some music festivals.

Five Guys lines up three further openings, to add to drive thru estate: Better burger brand Five Guys, which earlier this summer completed the refinancing of its debt facility, securing £185m to support its ambitious growth plans across the UK and its European territories, has added three further sites to its opening pipeline. The brand, which operates circa 175 sites across the UK, has secured new sites in The Oracle scheme in Reading (former All Bar One site), at the Festival Retail Park in Stoke-on-Trent (former Frankie & Benny’s site), and at the Arena Shopping Park in Coventry. The latter will be a drive-thru site. The company will open its latest site today (Monday, 6 October), when it launches a new drive-thru unit in Leamington Spa. The company recently opened a drive-thru site in Liverpool Shopping Park, and a site at the Cotswolds Designer Outlet. It also recently relocated to a larger site at Westfield London, on the scheme’s Loft Mezzanine Level. The new site is now able to serve up to 162 people in a 6,641 square-foot space. In May, the brand revealed it will make its UK transport hub debut after agreeing a deal to open a restaurant at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 5 later this year.

Oodles Wok set to launch in Qatar for its fourth international market: Indo-Chinese brand Oodles Wok is set to launch in Qatar for its fourth international market. The company’s previous overseas launches include Dubai, in 2024, and Canada, earlier this year. It has now partnered with The Oryx Group, which is a franchisee for Nando’s in Qatar, to roll out there too. Ismail Umar, chief operating officer at Oodles Wok, said: “I’m thrilled to share that Oodles Wok is officially entering Qatar – our fourth international market! We have joined hands with The Oryx Group as our master franchise partners. A highly respected F&B group, operating multiple successful brands including all of the Nando’s restaurants in Qatar. This milestone is more than just an expansion; it’s a reflection of the hard work, passion, and dedication of our incredible team who make every step forward possible.” Fahim Khan, head of growth at Oodles Wok, added: “Behind every successful expansion lies the strength of the right partnership. That’s exactly what we have found with our master franchise partner in Qatar, Oryx Group. Their expertise, dedication, and proven track record in the food business make them an ideal partner as we bring Oodles Wok to this exciting market.” The circa 50-strong business, founded in Leicester in 2010 by Mohammed and Ismail Umar, has a long-term target of 100 UK stores.

Former BrewDog ops director Andy Simmons joins Greene King: Andy Simmons, who left Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog earlier this summer, has joined Greene King to head up operations across the company’s Metropolitan Pub Co and Crafted Pubs division. Simmons joined BrewDog at the start of last summer as the new operations director for its bars business across the UK and Europe. Simmons was previously at brewer and retailer Greene King for three and a half years, including most recently as operations manager for its Urban Pubs in the south of England. He also spent three and a half years at TGI Fridays, including a stint as head of transformation and change, and more than six years at Mitchells & Butlers, where he was a regional business manager across its Castle Pubs division. Back at Greene King, as head of operations, he will lead the operations teams across Metropolitan Pub Co and Crafted Pubs, which comprise circa 70 premium pubs across London, Greater London and UK major cities.

Former Popeyes UK operations manager joins team behind Afrikana as director of operations: Hashim Hussain, former operations manager at Popeyes UK, has joined the team behind African restaurant concept Afrikana as director of operations. Hussain will head up the team at City Restaurant Group (CRG), which is also behind bubble tea brand Mowchi and Detroit pizza concept Crave, and is the UK franchisee for Dubai fried chicken brand BonBird and French taco brand Tacosmash. Hussain spent almost two years with Popeyes UK, and before that, four years with Handmade Burger Co in various roles, including UK operations director. Previous to that, he also spent four years with Amigos Burgers & Shakes, as a general manager and area manager. “I’m pleased to officially welcome Hashim Hussain as the new director of operations at City Restaurants Group,” said CRG founder Omair Ali. “Beyond his impressive track record, what stood out was Hash’s passion for building strong cultures and systems that empower people to succeed, values that align closely with who we are at City Restaurants Group. Excited to have him on board as we continue to grow, evolve, and raise the bar for excellence in hospitality.” Afrikana currently has 20 locations across the UK alongside a healthy pipeline of openings and is lining up its first international location, while Mowchi has five sites, with Wembley and Camden in the pipeline. CRG signed a franchise agreement with Dubai multi-brand operator Yolk Brands in March to open 50 BonBird locations across the UK over the next five years, introducing the brand to Europe for the first time. This came a month after the company acquired two-strong London-based Detroit pizza concept Crave, which it intends to grow through franchising.

Windmill Taverns hires Greta Kachkouche as new ops director: Family-owned Windmill Taverns has hired Greta Kachkouche, formerly of Simmons Bars, Stonegate Group and Revolution Bars Group, as its new operations director, Propel has learned. Kachkouche joins Windmill Taverns after 18 months with Simmons Bars as the company’s operations director. Prior to that, she spent three years at Stonegate, most recently as an operations manager. She spent two years at Revolution Bars Group as an area manager and three years at Novus as an operations manager. She has also had stints at brewer and retailer Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers. Earlier this year, Windmill Taverns launched a new singing pub concept, with Molly Mc’s opening at 96 Isabella Street in London’s Vauxhall. Brothers John and Ryan McElhinney, who founded the company with their father, Jack, in 1998, named Molly Mc’s after one of their grandmothers. Windmill Taverns also operates two Mc & Sons pubs – in Borough and Vauxhall – as well as The Kings Arms in Waterloo and The Ring in Southwark.

Rhubarb secures contract for Nottingham venue: Rhubarb Hospitality Collection (RHC), the premium international hospitality group, has secured a contract to be the new catering and events partner for Nottingham’s 36-acre mixed use development, The Island Quarter. RHC will be responsible for modern British restaurant Cleaver & Wake; the venue’s dedicated events space; and Binks Yard, which hosts a full programme of live events on the city’s largest outdoor terrace. RHC chief executive P.B Jacobse said: “We are looking forward to evolving and developing the hospitality offering at Island Quarter, reaffirming it as Nottingham’s premier destination for dining, entertainment and events.” Last week, Propel reported Rhubarb will launch two new quick service restaurant concepts at a London Bridge student accommodation development. It has partnered with rental business Greystar to open coffee shop Journal and salad and sandwich outlet The Chop at Chapter London Bridge, a new 950-bed purpose-built development beside The Shard. Opening later this month, the scalable concepts will be open to the public as well as the student community.

Emma King steps down as Hawksmoor CMO: Emma King, the co-founder of Gail’s Bakery and ex-managing director of Radio Alice Pizzeria, has stepped down as chief marketing officer at Hawksmoor. King joined the Will Beckett and Huw Gott-founded business in March 2023 after more than two years overseeing her marketing agency Red Suit. Previous to that, she spent four years as managing director of Radio Alice, the joint venture with Azzurri Group and Berberè. She spent nearly a decade at Gail’s, which she co-founded and was its marketing director. King is currently fractional chief marketing officer of Origin Coffee, the B Corp speciality coffee roaster founded by Tom Sobey, which operates six sites, including three in London, and one in Edinburgh.

Lancashire bakery owners – we’re having to raise prices as we’re busier than ever but unable to make a profit due to rising costs: Lancashire bakery owners Rachel and Lauren Finch have said they’re having to raise prices as they’re busier than ever but unable to make a profit due to rising costs. The twin sisters opened the first Finch Bakery, in Great Harwood, nearly ten years ago, and this has been followed by further locations in Blackburn, Birmingham and a pop-up Manchester’s Selfridges store. The pair took to Instagram to explain that they will be increasing the price of their products by a small margin. They said that while the business had a £1.8m turnover last year, they had still been unable to make a profit due to increasing costs like wages, business rates and the cost of supplies and ingredients. “Over the last four years, figures that once made us dizzy now don’t cover the costs,” they said. “The turnover we were once so proud of just about makes a dint in what we have to pay out every month. And that's not because sales are low – we've never been busier.”

Manchester operators to open independent drinks-led bar next month: Manchester operators Ben Gretton, Sophie Robson and Joe White will next month open a new independent drinks-led bar in the city. The trio, who are behind the 10 Tib Lane restaurant of the same address, will open Bar Posie in the former Philpotts unit in Bruntwood SciTech’s Bloc building on Tuesday, 4 November. Alongside crafted signature cocktails will be a menu of small plates and bar snacks including confit chicken and wild mushroom croquettes with tarragon emulsion, pork belly skewers served with garlic honey and red pepper, and bitter leaf salad with fennel, buttermilk dressing, pistachio and cherry. There will be a mix of booth seating, bar seats, tables and al-fresco dining space across two levels, with the cocktail bar sitting at the heart of the venue. Robson said: “This menu is the culmination of decades of passion and experience and we’re really proud of it. The cocktail collection is full of exciting drinks and flavours that are unique to Posie.” Robson and White are also behind independent cocktail bar Henry C in Chorlton, while Gretton previously owned ramen restaurant and bar CBRB in the Northern Quarter. Robson and Gretton took over the former Bock Biere site at 10 Tib Lane in the summer of 2021 to open their restaurant of the same name.

 

Hertfordshire operator acquires hotel and pub out of administration for in excess of £2.2m guide price: Hertfordshire operator the Williams family has acquired the Hertford House Hotel and The Quiet Man pub in Hertford out of administration. Exceeding the guide price of £2.2m, the properties have been acquired by the family, whose riverside farm Tewinbury in Welwyn, where it also operates a four-star hotel, has been home since 1931. Comprising two interconnected converted Georgian townhouses, Hertford House Hotel has 28 en-suite bedrooms across the upper floors of both properties, and a restaurant and bar at ground level. The adjoining Quiet Man at 2-4 Parliament Square has capacity for around 40 covers and extensive external seating. Jack, Tom and Sam Williams, who are the third generation to look after the farm after their father Vaughan and uncle Ivor, said they intend to bring Tewinbury’s spirit into Hertford “by blending rural charm with town-centre energy”. The Williams family said: “Our family grew up in and around Hertford and has fond memories of spending time at Hertford House. The property is stunning and has so much potential, so to now bring it into the Tewinbury family feels incredibly special. Our vision is to bring the farm to Hertford, offering delicious, seasonal food made with local produce from our land.” The property was brought to market following the administration of the previous operating company, with FRP Advisory appointed as the adviser. As part of the sale, which was brokered by Fleurets, all existing staff roles have been safeguarded, with all employees now joining Tewinbury.

Buckinghamshire pub owners launch chef-led catering franchise: Buckinghamshire pub owners Shane and Aaron Clarke have launched a chef-led catering franchise. The brothers, who own The Shoulder of Mutton pub in Calverton, have a background in running award winning restaurants and personalised catering for private diners, and have used their experience to set up The Brothers Supper, a catering business delivering weddings, private dining and corporate events across the UK. They have now launched a franchise programme that will allow existing pub owners and food operators to take high quality catering out to a wide range of events in their exclusive territory. Aaron Clarke said: “Our experience in catering, gained from gastropubs to two-star Michelin restaurants, has helped us to deliver memorable and bespoke dining experiences to over 300 events a year. When we first took on The Shoulder of Mutton, our vision was to create a pub known for great food, warm service and a welcoming atmosphere. Very quickly, demand grew for us to bring that same chef-led experience beyond the pub walls, and what began with a few private dining requests soon became something much bigger. Today, The Brothers Supper regularly caters weddings, parties, and corporate events across the wider region – with some weekends seeing six events running at the same time. Franchising is the natural next step in our journey; we’ve had constant enquiries from people outside our core area. By franchising, we can take the reputation we’ve built in Buckinghamshire and give others the tools, training and brand power to replicate it across the country.”