Propel launches craft beer retail study tour: Propel is launching its first craft beer retail study tour, sponsored by CPL Training, on Thursday 29 January 2015 in London. The tour, led by Thinking Drinkers, the award-wining beer writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, will visit seven of London’s leading craft beer retailers in an eight-hour tour. McFarland and Sandham will provide the latest craft beer fact and figures and market segmentation analysis, and spot up-and-coming trends. Site visits will include Q&A sessions with London’s leading retailers, looking at concept evolution, staff training, direct sourcing, menus, disposable kegs, hybrid models, brewing on site and a host of other issues. The day includes lunch and breakfast and travel between venues by coach. Tickets are £345 for ALMR members and £395 for non-ALMR members. Email adam.dickinson@propelinfo.com to book. Delegates also receive free tickets to see McFarland and Sandham perform their Legends of Liquor show at the Soho Theatre that evening, starting at 7.30pm. Every audience member gets a "craft" beer and four boutique spirits.

Heineken UK boss – proposed market rents will end pub company investment: David Forde, managing director of Heineken, which owns the 1,200 strong Star Pubs and Bars estate, has argued that proposed market rents will end tenanted pubcos investing in their estates. Star Pubs and Bars plans to invest £75m in the estate over five years, and this year has seen an investment of £18m on capex. In the Daily Telegraph, Forde said: “In my view, removing the beer tie will cut off such investment. These is no viable investment model that stacks up if a lessee has the right simply to break the tie between renting from us and buying our beers and ciders. Furthermore, a 'market rent' would be higher and would load fixed costs on to the licensee. Indeed, if enacted, it would force the relationship to become one of a commercial property company and tenant. There would be no partnership approach, and one where the property-owning company has little incentive to help the lessee expand their business. We don’t want to operate in that world, and we have a vested interest in creating a successful, sustainable future for great British pubs. With certainty for the future, and a business model that works, we would continue investing to refresh our estate because we know it benefits us and our lessees. Quite simply, breaking the tie means less investment, more closures and a vicious cycle of deadline, not a virtuous circle of growth. I urge parliamentarians to think again before they rush to a decision we may all regret.”

The Grocer magazine – supermarkets have begun discounting alcohol early: The trade magazine The Grocer has reported that supermarkets have begun discounting early this year. The cost of the top-selling lager brands has been cut by up to 6% on last year's price, while Famous Grouse whisky recorded the steepest drop, of almost 18%, the latest research shows. In addition, analysis of featured space promotions showed alcohol already accounting for 21.5% of space up from 19.5% this time last year. The report says the increase has been driven by Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons in particular. Tesco is running almost a third more featured-space alcohol promotions than in 2013 with Sainsbury's 18% more and Morrisons 14% more. The Grocer said that on average across Britain's top five lager brands – Budweiser, Carling, Carlsberg, Foster's and Stella Artois – the price of a multi-pack was 4.5% cheaper this week than the year before. The steepest drop was Stella, down 6.1% year on year from an average of £2.17 a litre to £2.04 a litre, followed by Budweiser, which was down 5.8% to £2.32. The report says that one brand which bucked the trend was Fosters, which was promoted particularly heavily during the World Cup this summer, and has risen fractionally in price.
 
Hospital to close Burger King outlet after healthy eating complaints: Health chiefs are planning to close a Burger King inside a Southampton hospital after years of complaints that the fast-food restaurant does not live up to health standards. The branch in Southampton General Hospital will be closed next year after attracting criticism from politicians and health organisations. Hospital chiefs say it is no longer in keeping with the "healthcare environment" they wish to portray, and they will not renew the fast food restaurant's lease when it expires in 2016. Burger King has had an outlet in the hospital for almost 20 years. A spokesman for Southampton General Hospital said: “The trust is currently in the process of redeveloping its main entrance retail area.”

CGA – spirits present an opportunity for pubs and bars: Spirit-based drinks provide excellent sales opportunities for UK pubs and bars, but more can be done to convert consumers into the category. That is the key message from new research into the sector by the market consultancy CGA Strategy. It found that spirit drinkers are mainstays of out-of-home drinking, with 86% of them going out more than once a month, against 67% of non-spirit drinkers. CGA’s survey revealed that post-work spirits consumption is hampered, with only 19% of spirits drinkers say they drink spirits between 5pm and 7pm, against 60% who do so between 7pm and 9pm. It also found that restaurants are an area of growth and opportunity. Sales of spirits in the sector have grown by 2.8% in the last year, and in dry-led pubs by 0.7%. CGA Strategy said its findings suggest that operators could capitalise on the high frequency of visits of spirits drinkers by ensuring the category plays a central role in the proposition, diversifying in range to add a greater variety of premium drinks and mixers, and by refining the standard of their serve. There is also work to be done in conveying messages about the relative value and strength of spirits, with many people unaware that the ABV of a spirit and mixer is comparable to that of more popular post-work drinks such as beer and wine, it said. CGA Strategy's client services director, Rachel Perryman, said: “These new figures prove that spirits have the potential to become a far bigger part of the drinks mix for consumers and the outlets that serve them.”
 

Company News:

Tom Kerridge to open the Coach in Marlow on 1 December: Tom Kerridge, the two Michelin-starred chef and publican, and his wife Beth will open their new pub in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, the Coach, on 1 December. The Coach, an Enterprise Inns-owned outlet a short distance from Kerridge's Hand & Flowers gastro-pub, will be "flexible, sociable, affordable and a place to both eat and drink," Kerridge said. He said: “Enjoying a mixture of different dishes and flavours is a great way to eat and there is no reason why we can’t do that in a pub. I want the Coach to be a place for people to take pleasure in anything from a drink and a snack through to a full lunch or dinner – it offers something for everyone. It is flexible, a public house for all to enjoy.” Enterprise Inns' regional manager, Stephen Folbigg, said: “We’re very pleased to have Tom take on the Coach. His other Marlow pub has proved extremely popular, and we’re confident his second venture will be equally well received.” The Coach, which will be open all day from breakfast through to dinner, will offer "an evolving menu which reflects the time of day", according to Kerridge, from smoked haddock kedgeree and waffles with truffle honey in the morning to potted Cornish crab with cucumber chutney, moules mariniere with warm stout and brown bread and whole rotisserie-roasted stuffed quail for lunch and dinner. All dishes will be served "as and when they are ready, ensuring a flexible dining experience". The pub, which has a capacity for 40 people, has a no booking policy.

Fast food workers lobby UK staff to join global pay protest: The American fast-food workers who protested in New York and 100 other cities in the United States over the “poverty wages” paid by multinational fast food chains are preparing their British counterparts to launch a similar direct action campaign in the UK. Two months after a wave of US strikes and demonstrations that saw hundreds of arrests, Flavia Cabral, a McDonald’s worker from New York City who earns $8 (£5.10) an hour, said she had come to the UK to “teach workers here how to rise up and fight”. Cabral is part of a band of US fast-food workers travelling to the UK, France, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Denmark and the Philippines as part of plans to form a global alliance of fast-food workers and organise a day of coordinated international protest in April to demand that workers get paid a living wage. Nick Alle of the American trade union federation Change to Win, said the globally-coordinated version of the US fast-food protests, which included occupying restaurant outlets and blocking roads, would be the biggest ever protest against low pay. “It will be a massive strike, much bigger than last time,” he said. “And this time it will be global, not just the US.”
 
Wetherspoon buys Bexhill cinema: JD Wetherpoon has bought the cinema in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, (population: 41,000) with the company saying it was "delighted" with the purchase. The building has been empty since 2008, and a group attempting to buy it, the Bexhill Community Playhouse, managing to get the £500,000 asking price in place, but was then unable to find enough to cover the VAT required. Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Bexhill Observer: “We are delighted to have exchanged on the former cinema in Western Road. We have been keen to have a pub in Bexhill-on-Sea for a number of years and are delighted that we are now a step closer to this happening. Wetherspoon has developed a number of its pubs on the site of former cinemas." Completion is set for 1 December, and it is understood the company is also buying the building next door. Wetherspoon will still need planning and licensing permission but according to the Observer the news has been greeted with "some enthusiasm" by Bexhill residents who are glad to think of the derelict building, which was first opened in 1921, being used again.
 
Prezzo hits 250-restaurant mark: The restaurant group Prezzo is opening its 250th restaurant this Friday (28 November). The company is opening its new Prezzo Italian restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne city centre. It will have seating for 118 guests spread across the ground and first floor as well as an outside area. The restaurant’s design features include a nod to the art deco era with the use of oak panelling, diamond mirrors and metal detailing. Prezzo chief executive Jonathan Kaye said: “We are thrilled to have reached this milestone.”

Birmingham bar entrepreneur opens Peaky Blinders: A Birmingham bar entrepreneur has opened a bar called Peaky Blinders, after the television sow featuring Birmingham gangsters. All the bar staff in the Peaky Blinders in Dale End, in the city centre, wear the distinctive caps sported by Tommy Shelby and his gang. Landlord Thomas O’Rourke said the venue, which opened just two weeks ago, has already proved popular with revellers and has received more than 3,000 likes on Facebook. Its best-seller is the £2.70 Peaky Blinder cocktail, whisky and blackcurrant, based on drinking habits of the 1920s era in which the BBC drama is set. The blackcurrant energy drink is produced by Thomas, his mother Dee and a friend, Junior Smith, under the banner of JTD Drinks Distribution, and features a design by Birmingham graffiti artist Temper. O'Rouke said he was also hoping to sell wines produced by Peaky Blinders star Sam Neill, who plays the Belfast detective Chief Inspector Campbell in the show. O'Rourke, 30, also runs O’Rourke’s bar in Oxford Street, Digbeth. Future plans include opening up the downstairs section of the venue, formerly best known as The Hole in the Wall, to hold Peaky Blinder-themed evenings recreating the 1920s era with food, drink and music.

Taylor Street Baristas coffee bond hits one third of target: The nine-strong coffee shop chain Taylor Street Baristas, led by Richard Shaer, has raised £504,000 from 226 investors after launching a "coffee bean bond" aimed at raising a minimum of £1.5m. The bond pays 8% interest over a four-year term. This year, the company’s unaudited accounts show turnover of £3,337,000 from nine shops, with shop pre-central overhead ebida of £278,000 and actual ebitda of £110,000, producing an overall loss of £276,000. Like-for-like sales rose by 14% between April and September this year. The company forecasts that 30 sites in 2020 will produce turnover of £19,888,000 and shop ebitda of £5,284,000, central ebitda of £4,284,000 and pre-tax profit of £2,721,000. The Tolley siblings, Nick, Andrew and Laura, currently own around 60% of the Taylor Street business. The business raised £900,000 in equity from MTLS Ventures in 2013, and the investor holds a 9.91% stake in the business. It is expected that three unnamed existing investors will invest around £214,000 in new equity by 1 December, although there is “no formal commitment”. The fund-raising has 35 days left.

Customer loyalty firm passes crowd-funding target: Fidel, a UK-based platform that allows customer-facing businesses primarily within retail and food and beverage to set up and run a sophisticated customer loyalty system, has passed its equity crowd-funding target on Crowdcube. A total of 143 investors have offered £254,000, beating its £230,000 goal, in return for 10.31% of its equity. The pitch stated: “Corporates have been leveraging ‘big data’ to make better decisions and enhance profitability for years. Fidel makes these tools available to everyone by making consumer data simple, affordable and accessible.” The company has been financed by the directors since inception. Burn-rate was £85,000 in the year to May 2014. This is expected to increase to £205,000 for the year to May 2015, assuming a successful round of funding, reaching cash flow break-even by October 2015.
 
Pizza Hut delivery site fined over cockroach infestation: A Pizza Hut delivery was closed for a week after hygiene inspectors discovered a cockroach infestation. The discovery was found in the  ranch in South Road, Ealing, West London during a visit on 14 October after complaints made to Ealing Council by a customer. Food safety investigators witnessed live cockroaches scurrying through the kitchen and ordered the restaurant to close immediately until the kitchen was safe again. Atifa Wasim Enterprises, which is responsible for operating the Pizza Hut, was made to pay more than £890 in legal costs after a hearing at Ealing Magistrates’ Court.

Restaurant Group unbans Frankie & Benny’s customer who sends 90% of her meals back: The Restaurant Group has unbanned a customer who sends 90% of her meal back. The customer, Kelly Prior, was banned from the Aldershot branch after a chef refused to cook for her as she returned so many meals with complaints. She said: "The staff are generally really nice in there and if you send the food back it comes back completely fine. I know all the staff there and there is a pleasant atmosphere. I have a laugh with them about the food and when they get it right, it is great. Around 90% of the time I go in there I think I have had to send my meal back. I know I am fussy but I'm never rude and if I send it back it always comes back fine – the food should be of a certain standard. On one particular Sunday I went with seven friends and we all sent our breakfasts back. The food was burnt, it had cold bacon which tasted like it had just come from the fridge. I am allergic to tomatoes and they had put them on my plate with fried eggs when I had asked for poached. Another time I was served a frozen fish finger and frozen chips." She says the manager at the restaurant then gave her a voucher offering her and a friend two free dishes, on the proviso she would not use them at the Aldershot branch. A spokesman for the company said: "We apologise wholeheartedly for this unfortunate incident, our policy is always to cook food to the highest standard and to our guests' satisfaction. On this occasion, as a result of a number of similar experiences with this particular guest our chef acted outside of company policy, in a way Frankie & Benny's do not condone. Our intention is always to cook food for the customer's satisfaction and on this occasion the chef should have cooked the food the way she wanted it. A full investigation into the matter is under way. She has now been invited back into the restaurant."
 
Pret owner drops loan repricing plan: The Bridgepoint-backed sandwich retailer Pret A Manger has abandoned its plans to reduce the interest rates on part of its debt package, according to Financial News. The chain secured approval from its syndicate of lenders to lower the rates on its buyout loans by 50 basis points last month but decided against pursuing the plan. The decision was taken that such a move would not fit with Pret’s current strategy, according to Financial News. The development comes as debt investors are becoming increasingly cautious about terms on financing packages. Earlier this month Private Equity News reported that lenders on the Bridgepoint-backed fashion retailer Fat Face, the Carlyle Group-owned RAC and Advent International’s Corialis had all been forced to amend terms on financing packages in order to syndicate them to investors. Bridgepoint acquired Pret A Manger in 2008 in a €500m deal. The company aims to expand the number of stores it operates by about 15% each year, according to Bridgepoint’s website.

TCG reports success at cask ale festival: The managed pub and bar operator TCG has reported success at its fourth annual Proud of Our Ale festival, held in 40 of its pubs for seven weeks, which ended earlier this month. Over the four years since the first campaign in autumn 2011, TCG’s cask ale volumes during Proud of Our Ale have grown by more than 150%. This year’s festival saw a new focus on social media, combined with proven elements from previous campaigns including a "buy six ales, get one free" offer; a 20% discount for Campaign for Real Ale members. and a "taster pint" comprising three third-pints, which proved a popular way of sampling the beers. Pubs were also tasked with offering a greater variety of ales, with more than 100 different brands being served over the seven weeks, supported by regional brewers including Brains, Adnams and Shepherd Neame. Across the participating pubs, cask sales increased by an average of 9% on last year, with several sites achieving far higher uplifts and 20 pubs in double-digit growth over 2013. Chief operating officer Nigel Wright said: “Proud of Our Ale has delivered consistently impressive sales increases over four years. Just as importantly, it has changed perceptions of the participating pubs in their local markets, built relationships with local Camra members, and generated huge levels of enthusiasm and knowledge about cask ale within our pub management and teams."

Krispy Kreme invests in new delivery logistics: Krispy Kreme, which saw UK sales soar by 16% to hit £52.4m in the year to the end of February, has invested in a new store delivery system. It means the company will have a more informed idea of which stores need which products, in an attempt to increase sales revenues and demand forecasting. Krispy Kreme workers will be supplied with mobile devices that can record real-time delivery and collection information. This means on-shelf availability can be managed remotely for more than 650 locations. Unscheduled deliveries can also be managed, so that the company is able to deliver to its UK locations on a daily basis. The new system is powered by ZetesAres. Krispy Kreme is also putting 3G cameras on  its 50-strong fleet to improve safety and reduce the risk of fraudulent insurance claims. The forward-facing camera, from Intelligent Telematics, was chosen by Krispy Kreme, which is based in Camberley, Surrey, when it decided to use a vehicle camera to complement its existing telematics system. The 3G camera allows live alerts and access to footage. An online portal gives visible notification of any collisions and incidents, delivering an email, screen pop-up or SMS notification when an event occurs. Ben Povey, logistics manager at Krispy Kreme UK, said: "By selecting a 3G vehicle camera over an SD-card device, we can gain a live view of any incidents to ensure we are operating a safe and responsible fleet, while at the same time target insurance and fuel savings. The company announced that pre-tax profit was £3,166,000 in the most recent year, a turnaround from a loss of £2,797,000 the year before.
 
Veteran operator win lifetime contribution award: Keith Liddell, chief executive of the hospitality and leisure operator the Inn Collection Group, has won a lifetime award at the Northumberland Business Awards for his contribution to the tourism sector. Liddell, who has almost 35 years’ leisure sector management experience, having served on the boards of Imperial Inns and Taverns, Whitbread Inns and Wessex Taverns, founded the Inn Collection Group. The company is expanding, with a portfolio that includes the Hog’s Head Inn in Alnwick, the Bamburgh Castle Inn in Seahouses, the Lindisfarne Inn at Beal, Holy Island and the King's Head Inn at Newton under Roseberry ,and with further acquisitions shortly to be announced. The Inn Collection Group is one of the biggest pub accommodation operators in Northumberland with a business model of providing a good value bed and breakfast business in pubs that also serve an all-day food offering. Liddell said: "I am incredibly proud and delighted to have received this award. It is a great honour indeed, but I would like to stress it is not just for me, but for all of those people who have supported me over the years. Together with their dedication and hard working ethic we have taken the Inn Collection Group to where it is today, as a growing hospitality and leisure provider which provides our customers with the perfect place to eat, drink, sleep and explore."

Granary Estates owner re-opens Suffolk pub: Guy Taylor, who also owns and manages the award-winning Granary Estates conference and wedding venue, is re-opening The Three Blackbird pub in Wooditon, near Newmarket, Suffolk after an 18-month refurbishment. James Barber, the executive head chef, has worked for John Burton Race and Mitch Tonks. Taylor said: “As a farmer and business owner, I’m keen we retain what’s great about this gorgeous pub and build loyalty from all our customers. With James at the kitchen’s helm, I am confident that the Three Blackbirds will go from strength to strength and I look forward to being one of its most regular customers."

Veteran restaurateur says confidence is returning to Glasgow scene: The veteran Glasgow restaurateur Alan Tomkins, who has just launched his first new venues in five years, has declared that confidence is returning to the city's eating-out scene. Tomkins, whose company Our Venues owns Vroni's, Blue Dog and the Urban Bar and Brasserie in the city centre, launched two new outlets at the beginning of November, a fine dining restaurant in the Western Club on Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, and Ollie's, a neighbourhood bistro in what was formerly Mise En Place in the south side of the city. Tomkins told the Glasgow Herald that the restaurant industry was showing signs of moving on from the downturn. Pointing to the imminent moves by UK-wide restaurant chains such as Cote to Glasgow city centre, he said: "It has been quiet for a long time now. But from a city perspective it's starting to look good for Glasgow. Martin Wishart is opening at Malmaison and there are two or three openings in St Vincent Street, albeit by bigger players. Glasgow is attracting a lot of PLCs to the heart of the city centre." Tomkins described the mood among city operators as cautiously optimistic, although he said legacies from the downturn remained. Previous recessions through which he has traded in his 30 years in the business did not seem so protracted, Tomkins said, and restaurant operators have had to adapt to remain in business. One example has been the widening of the number of entry-level or house wines on drinks lists, a response to slower sales of premium wines.

Fuller’s opens new Kew Bridge pub: The London brewer and pub company Fuller Smith & Turner has opened a new pub, One Over the Ait, at Kew Bridge in West London. Building work on the site, on the banks of the Thames near Chiswick roundabout, at the north-west side of Kew Bridge, began more than three years ago. The two-storey pub, with plenty of outdoor space, has what Jonathon Swaine, managing director of Fuller’s Inns, called "one of the best views in London." He said: “One Over the Ait is a great addition to our portfolio. It’s always a challenge starting from scratch like this and the team has done a fantastic job.” An ait is the name given to an island in the Thames.

Michelin-stared restaurant earns zero-to-landfill award: The Masterchef winner and Michelin star holder Anton Piotrowski has had his restaurant, Treby Arms, in Sparkwell, near Plymouth, classified as "zero to landfill" by Devon Contract Waste, which means it now sends all its waste to be recycled, rather than to a dump. Piotrowski, who has just become the first Plymouth chef to gain a Michelin star in the past 40 years and who has also become a patron of the Devon and Cornwall Food Association, said: "In the food industry we are fully aware that food waste is something that needs to be addressed from an environmental point of view and that is why can't afford to be complacent about what we're putting in the bin. This is why our association with 'zero to landfill' and Devon Contract Waste is just the next step for us in a logical move towards not only helping the environment, but also demonstrating our passion for the Plymouth and Devon area in which we operate."

Wear Inns placed 19th in Investec list of the UK’s fastest-growing companies: The North East of England-based pub operator Wear Inns has been named in the Investec Mid-Market100 list of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies The list, compiled in conjunction with DueDil, the largest source of free private-company information in the UK and Ireland, ranks active, UK-registered companies according to their four year average compound annual growth rate, with a minimum annual turnover of £10m. John Weir, chief executive of Wear Inns said: “We are delighted to be ranked 19th on such a prestigious list and it is testament to our strategy for growth and the work of our staff to ensure our pubs provide great value, all day every day. This is the third national accolade for Wear Inns in the past 12 months having been highlighted as one of the 1,000 companies to inspire Britain by the London Stock Exchange and one of Real Deal’s top 100 growth companies. We are delighted to be recognised this way.”

McDonald's in Wrexham joins local pub-ban group to tackle late-night drunken disorder: The McDonald’s franchise on Regent Street in Wrexham has joined the Nightsafe group, a partnership which includes North Wales Police, Wrexham Council and town centre pubs and bar, and which operates a "banned from one, banned from all" policy for troublemakers. Wrexham town centre police inspector Paul Wycherley said: “I’ve reached an agreement with the manager of the McDonald’s franchise for them to join the Nightsafe group. This will enable them with the same powers as licensed premises to ban people who cause trouble and disorder. If you are banned from McDonald’s, you are banned from all licensed premises and vice-versa.
 
Starbucks names date for Crawley branch: Starbucks franchisee Cobra Restaurants is to open its first proper branch in Crawley, Sussex this Saturday, 29 November. The chain is opening in the former Stead and Simpson shoe shop in Queens Square. Starbucks has a concessions store inside the Cineworld Cinemas multiplex at Crawley Leisure Park, but the town's chain coffee shop offer is dominated by Costa, with one in Queens Square, one in Waterstones in The Martlets and one in County Mall, all just a few steps from one another. The new Starbucks store has outdoor seating with 20 tables and 80 chairs.
 
PizzaExpress, Nando's open in Walthamstow: PizzaExpress and Nando's have both opened new restaurants in Walthamstow, North East London. The pair are the first of five eateries to open at the new multi-million pound complex in the centre of the town, The Scene, in Cleveland Place. The 188-seat PizzaExpress restaurant art work on the walls celebrates the history of the town’s greyhound racing stadium, part of the chain's new emphasis on reflecting the area where each restaurant is based in the interior decor. The new Nando's restaurant in Walthamstow, meanwhile, found itself being picketed by animal rights activists just two days after it opened. Members of Waltham Forest Animal Protection Group demonstrated at the Scene as part of a national day of action against the chain, claiming chicken sold in its restaurants is sourced from suppliers using inhumane practices. A Nando's spokewoman said: “Chicken welfare is incredibly important to us, all of the chicken we serve is 100 per cent British and reared in accordance with the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Standard. All of our chickens are reared in deep littered, well-ventilated barns with constant access to food and water. Hay bales, perches and pecking objects are also used in the majority of our sheds to encourage natural behaviour.” The branch at the Scene development has indoor seating for 115 diners, with a further 38 outside. Edmund Hollevoet, Nando’s regional managing director, said: “We’re delighted to be opening our first restaurant in Walthamstow – a town that has been on our radar for some time.” Three more restaurants are due to open at the Scene in 2015.
 
McMullen completes £275,000 joint investment to add five boutique bedrooms: McMullen, the family brewer based in Hertford, has partnered with its tenants to complete a joint £275,000 investment in the Dog & Whistle in Hertford, formerly the Ram, with the opening of its renovated rooms. Yvette Wheeler and Ricky Harding took on the Dog & Whistle in November 2013, and have now opened five boutique rooms above the pub. Fergus McMullen, production and sales director of McMullen, said: “This uniquely styled pub is a fantastic asset to Hertford. The rooms now look incredibly stylish and I’m sure they will help bolster Yvette and Ricky’s trade in the town and make it even more of a destination pub for visitors to the area. We’ve loved working with them to create such an individual, eclectic venue. We’re always keen to invest in great tenants to maintain the competitive advantage our tenancies enjoy, and are sure The Dog & Whistle will be a real success.”
 
Two-month-old coffee bar tops TripAdvisor listings: A coffee bar and lounge that has only been open two months has soared to the top of TripAdvisor's listings in Liverpool. Barley & Beans in Hatton Garden, in the centre of the city, is now top out of 1,126 venues with a score of the maximum five stars, and 51 "excellents" from 59 reviews. The outlet sells breakfasts from 8am, and later sandwiches, burgers and pizzas, remaining open until 9.30pm Monday to Thursday and 11pm Friday and Saturday. Comments on TripAdvisor include: "The service has been fantastic and the food never disappoints"; " Absolutely love this place! Gorgeous food & drink"; and "Fabulous setting, great menu, amazing food and lovely staff". Owner Nick Strauss said: “We are over the moon to have been crowned number one on TripAdvisor. It really does mean a lot to us that our guests have taken the time to share their dining experiences on such a wide scale. It’s great to have received a fantastic public response in such a short period. We have many exciting times ahead of us, with the introduction of a selection of new food and drink offerings – therefore, we hope to maintain our prominent position. As a result of our business district location, we hope to become a prime go-to place for city businesspeople, students and the generic public alike.”