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Fri 17th Apr 2026 - Update: MeatLiquor enters administration |
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MeatLiquor enters administration: MeatLiquor, the burger business that traded from 13 sites at its height, has entered administration. Propel revealed last month that MeatLiquor had hired advisors at BPI Asset Advisory to help it assess its options, which it said could include a sale of the business and sister sports bar, Bloodsports. The company subsequently closed its MeatLiquor sites in Islington and Northcote Road in London, along with Brighton, as well as The Dartmouth Arms in Forest Hill. It retained three London venues – MeatLiquor in Oxford Circus and East Dulwich and the Bloodsports site in Covent Garden. However, The Daily Mail reports that the business, operated by Meatailer, has now officially appointed administrators. MeatLiquor was first launched in 2009 by Yianni Papoutsis alongside business partner Scott Collins. Beginning as a mobile burger van, known as the Meatwagon, it evolved into a series of restaurants, opening its first permanent location near Oxford Street in 2011. At its peak, the business operated 13 restaurants, with 12 in the UK and one in Singapore. In February 2025, Collins opened Bloodsports, in London’s Endell Street, but admitted if he could turn back the clock, he wouldn’t have done it. In an interview with The Telegraph last year, Collins said: “I can’t see us making any money in the next financial year, and that’s with opening a new site, so the coffers are empty. We did our calculations in November 2024, and just with the national insurance rise and the living wage rise we needed to find, as of 1 April 2025, an extra £300,000 per year.” Latest available accounts show parent company Meatailer returned to profit in the year to 30 June 2024. The company turned a pre-tax loss of £65,000 in 2023 into a profit of £118,000. Meatailer’s turnover of £15,247,000 for the year was up from £13,615,000 in 2023. Propel understands that turnover for the year to January 2025 for Meatailer stood at £10,803,903, dropping to £8,014,866 in the year ended January 2026. Propel also understands Bloodsports reported turnover of just over £2m in the year ended January 2026.
Premium Club subscribers to receive next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality today: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club subscribers today (Friday, 17 April), at midday. Another 46 companies have been added to the database, which now features 1,536 companies. This month’s edition also includes 197 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent developments reported as well as broader information around EBITDA, plans and trading style available. The database merges Companies House information, interviews and other public information to provide an easy to reference and exhaustive guide to the sector. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five other databases: the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the Multi-Site Database, the New Openings Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database and the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database. 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 chief operating officer – editorial, 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 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. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel’s paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.
Puccino’s hires Bill Painter as its new COO: Travel hub coffee brand Puccino’s has hired Bill Painter as its new chief operating officer. Painter joins the 38-strong brand from franchise consultancy PartnerWise, where he had a nine-month stint starting last summer, and was previously head of global franchise for VR experience The Park Playground. Other previous roles include director of development EMEA for Lift Brands and UK sales manager for Addison Lee Group. Painter said: “Delighted to announce that I have joined Puccino’s Coffee as chief operating officer. Puccino’s is a brand that I have admired for a long time – I’m really excited to join at such a pivotal moment for the business. Thank you to the team at Puccin’s for such a warm welcome, it's a pleasure to join the team!” Painter’s arrival strengthens the Puccino’s leadership team following the recent departure of commercial director Adrian Ayers. Ayers, who Propel revealed in December was stepping down from his role, officially left the business earlier this month to start up his own sector consultancy. Ayers started out as a general manager at Puccino’s branch at London Euston station in 2001 – a position he held for six years before being promoted to operations manager. After almost eight years in that role, Ayers spent two years as senior operations and purchasing manager and six years as operations director before becoming commercial director in 2023. In January, Puccino’s opened its latest site, at Lewisham station in south east London. Robert Parker Collection turns a loss following £3m loss on disposal and exceptional impairments: Robert Parker Collection, which owns two luxury hotels and spas in Northumberland and Scotland, turned a loss in the year to 31 March 2025 following a £3m loss on disposal and exceptional impairments. The company, which at the time owned four properties, said in May 2023 that it was selling up following owners Robert and Gina Parker’s decision to retire. It has since sold Dalhousie Castle hotel in Edinburgh and Eshott Hall Hotel in Northumberland – with a portion of the £6.3m proceeds used to pay off bank loans. The sales left the company with Doxford Hall in Alnwick and Ednam House Hotel in Kelso. Robert Parker Collection reported turnover of £6,077,553 for the year (including £948,670 from discontinued operations), compared to £8,490,947 in 2024 (including £3,638,214 from discontinued operations). A pre-tax profit of £219,810 in 2024 (including £1,904,867 from discontinued operations) turned into a loss of £4,237,815 (including a loss of £1,455,640 from discontinued operations). The exceptional items totalled a loss of £3,053,726 (2024: profit of £1,672,048). The group had net assets at the year-end of £2,346,793 (2024: £8,284,608) after net current liabilities of £1,603,651 (2024: £282,324). No dividends were paid (2024: nil).
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