Oak Taverns acquires ownership of Ridgeway Pub Company sites: Oak Taverns, the multi-site operator owned by the Collinson family, has successfully re-financed the Ridgeway Pub Company, which comprised of two award-winning brewpubs. A spokesman said: “This was an investment where Downing’s funding enabled the acquisition of The Swan and Cross Keys sites and as a supportive investment partner they contributed positively throughout the term of their investment.” Tom Phillips, investment manager at Downing, added: “We built a strong working relationship with Simon and Dave Collinson and the rest of the Oak Taverns’ team, and were delighted for all parties that, at the end of our investment period, they were able to raise the necessary funding on the back of the business’s performance to refinance and acquire full ownership of the company. Downing’s strategy is to back outstanding management teams to accelerate the growth of their trading estates – and this is a good example of where our funding has served as an effective stepping stone to support the expansion of the Oak Taverns business.” The new deal was put together with the Metro Bank and Funding Circle, the peer-to-peer lending company. The Oak Taverns spokesman added: “Working with both of these organisations was a very different experience than working with the traditional high street banks. We are looking forward to building on these relationships and working with them on developing our company in the future.”

Electrical fault caused Carluccio’s Bicester fire: Last week’s large fire at the flagship Carluccio’s in the Bicester shopping village in Oxfordshire started accidentally, according to investigators. At its height, about 35 firefighters were tackling the fire. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was caused by an electrical fault, but scientific investigations are still taking place. Carluccio's will remain closed for some time but all other stores reopened in time for the Bank Holiday weekend over Easter. Bicester Village confirmed a number of temporary caterers have been brought into support Carluccio's during its closure. A spokesperson for Carluccio's said last week: “The emergency services were on-site within minutes and the fire was contained to our restaurant. All guests and staff were evacuated safely and we would like to thank both the police and fire services for their swift response and efficient handling of the incident.” Meanwhile, Carluccio’s is due to open in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff on 1 May.
 
Iconic Balham pub freehold sold: The property agent Savills has sold the freehold of the Bedford pub in Balham, South London to Henderson UK Property on behalf of Harwood Real Estate. The property is currently let to Enterprise Inns on a 35-year lease expiring in 2046. Nick Lyell, associate director in leisure and trading at Savills, said: “This was a rare opportunity to invest in a very well-established pub in an affluent area. We are seeing an increased number of investors looking to acquire successful pubs in the UK, particularly in London, where the market remains strong and assets can prove very lucrative.” The pub was sold by Enterprise originally in a sale and leaseback. TIAA Henderson Real Estate was represented by CBRE.
 
Loungers founder – ‘the West Country is at the heart of what we do’: Loungers' founder and current executive chairman Alex Reilley has stressed the importance of the company’s Bristol and West Country origins as it expands around the UK. He told South West Business: “When we go to other locations we are very different, perhaps because we are from Bristol – Bristol does drum to its own beat, so when we export that to other cities we are different to anything else already there. We had lots of West Country suppliers in the early days and we’ve been able to take them with us. They’ve grown with us, the likes of Bristol Beer Factory, Orchard Pig, Weston Cider, Clifton Coffee. We still use Bristol and Gloucester-based build contractors. We believe partnerships in business are important at every level. We’ve been able to maintain a real West Country-ness about what we do. We’ll get people in Lincolnshire moan why our products aren’t from Lincolnshire, but the West Country is at the heart of what we do.”

Greene King plans £3m Farmhouse Inn site for Hessle: Greene King is set to submit a planning application to open a £3m Farmhouse Inn new-build site near the Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Farmhouse Inn is the current name for the former Cloverleaf business. Richard Lewis, managing director for Farmhouse Inns, said: "We are excited to be bringing forward plans for a new Farmhouse Inn at this location. We think this new restaurant could provide real benefits for Bridgehead Business Park, offering a new facility for staff and visitors, and making it more attractive to businesses looking to locate there. This isn't just an amenity for the business park; we hope the local community will welcome a new restaurant in Hessle with open arms. With a reputation for serving much-loved carveries, cask ales and homemade cakes, a new Farmhouse Inn would provide residents with a greater choice of where to dine." Greene King is running a public consultation prior to the submission of a planning application. " Bridgehead has been designed and developed by the Hull firm Wykeland Group.

McManus opens pub number 18: McManus Pub Company has opened its 18th venue, the Wharf Inn by the canal in Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire, which closed just before Christmas. Paul McManus, co-owner of the Northampton-based McManus chain, said the company had fitted new furniture, lighting and wallpaper as part of a £50,000 refurbishment. He said: “We are really happy with the pub and we are there for the long term." The venue is a low-level modern brick-built pub and restaurant dating from the 1970s. All of McManus's pubs are in Northamptonshire apart from two in Leigh on Sea, Essex and one, the Case is Altered, in Pinner, Middlesex.
 
Pret A Manger – social media requires 'open all hours approach': Customers require an "open all hours" approach from brands on social media and expect "speedy, honest, human responses", Julia Monro, head of social media and PR at Pret A Manger, has argued. Talking at this month's Retail Business Technology Expo at Olympia in West London, Monro said that Pret A Manger views social media as its primary marketing channel outside of its store estate. "You'll never see a [Pret A Manger] print ad or outdoor advertising," she said. Monro argued that it was more important to respond to queries from customers on social media than it was to market products to them, adding: "If you don't respond to people, they are not going to like you very much." Pret A Manger has been able to gauge the success of its campaigns because it does not have other conflicting marketing channels that might otherwise blur the boundaries she said. Monro reported that one campaign promoted socially, which encouraged customers to visit stores and say the word "fruity" in order to receive a free product, resulted in a 32% increase in sales of that particular menu option over the subsequent 30-day period. As Pret expands in international markets, Monro said she was aiming to create individual social media campaigns that are "globally governed and locally managed". "There hasn't been a day or night when I haven't looked at our Twitter feed last thing at night and first thing in the morning," she said. "[Running a successful social media strategy] is about having the right tools, right people and a dose of paranoia."

C&C Brands unifies business under umbrella name: C&C Group has unified its three separate trading businesses in England and Wales, Magners GB, the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill and International Wine Services, as C&C Brands. C&C Brands’ managing director, Andrea Pozzi, said: “We have a strong portfolio in England and Wales and we are delighted to be announcing the creation of C&C Brands. It is a logical step to create a single team when we are promoting all of our brands to a broadly common customer base. We can also benefit from a more efficient operational structure, principally by amalgamating sales and marketing personnel. We have some exciting developments to come in 2015 which, under the new structure, we will be better placed to promote. The launch of C&C Brands is part of a wider strategy by C&C Group to build long-term sustainable growth for the Magners brand, our English cider brands and our wider beer, wines and spirits portfolio in English and Welsh markets. Quite simply, having sales and marketing execution all under one roof will enhance our brand focus and free up additional capital for further investment in our brands.”

Jamie Oliver’s Drinks You Tube channel eyes other media platforms: Jamie Oliver’s Drinks Tube YouTube channel is setting its sights on other video channels to host its content as it looks to maintain the momentum that has seen it attract more than 100,000 subscribers in a year, The Drum has reported. Facebook has been earmarked as the plan’s initial focus, with Drinks Tube’s producers looking to exploit a video platform that saw a 75% rise in usage in 2014. Tapping the growing link between video and social media is vital to extending the reach of its videos, according to Drinks Tube. Jonathan Almond, channel manager of Drinks Tube, said: “In 2015 we’re making sure that we have all our key cocktails covered off and that our best content is focused on those. We’ve got some new products that we’re developing and we’re also looking at how we can integrate more closely with Jamie’s restaurants and bars.”

Wagamama confirms July opening in Winchester: Wagamama has confirmed it is planning to open in Winchester on 20 July, occupying the newly converted Century House in Jewry Street. The chain was given the green light by Winchester Council last April after months of planning disputes. The site will be renovated into a large restaurant across the lower and ground floors with two apartments above, after approval of a revised plan in December. The opening is expected to create around 40 jobs.

Police object to Turtle Bay licence application in Cardiff: South Wales Police have put in an objection to an application by the Turtle Bay Caribbean restaurant chain for a licence for premises in St Mary Street, Cardiff. The chain, which is now up to 15 outlets from Southampton to Manchester, wants to open the venue, formerly the Charlie Browns bar and nightclub, between 10am and 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and until 1.30am on Friday and Saturdays. Alcohol, entertainment and late-night refreshment would all be permitted until 30 minutes before closing if the licence was granted. However, Chief Inspector Howe from South Wales Police has written to Cardiff Council’s licensing committee, which meets on Friday, 10 April 10, objecting to the application on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder and nuisance. Howe said there was a “disproportionate level of alcohol related crime, disorder and public nuisance in the area late at night”. If the committee decided to grant the proposal, the police want to see conditions imposed including all drinks being served in plastic glasses on major event days and food being served during all the hours alcohol is served, while the premises would have to operate a radio system.

Dylan’s to expand operation next month: Dylan’s restaurant, based in Menai Bridge on Anglesey, will open a new outlet in Criccieth, North Wales on Friday, 15 May. In November the restaurant's owners secured the lease of the Grade II listed Morannedd, a waterfront building in Criccieth originally built in 1952. Since then, they have carried out a refurbishment costing £500,000, but have retained the building’s distinctive features as laid out by the original architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. David Evans of Dylan’s Restaurant said: “We have always aimed for a May opening, and are delighted that we will be in a position to achieve that.”
 
Westside Drinks creates new roles and third party sales force as it evolves: Westside Drinks, the premium brand sales operation supported by Fuller Smith & Turner, the London-based brewery and pub operator, has strengthened its management structure and hired a third-party sales force as it expands out of its London heartland. The move comes after a successful year that included securing the UK distribution for the leading US craft brewer Sierra Nevada. George MacNicol, who has led Westside since its inception in November 2013, has taken on a new role of marketing manager with specific responsibility for delivering marketing plans for the agency brands Sierra Nevada, Chimay and Veltins. As a result, Jordan Mace has been promoted to sales manager and will head the sales operation, including responsibility for a team of external field sales executives who will promote Frontier craft lager and the other brands in the Westside portfolio in the South West, Midlands, North West England, North East England and Scotland. In addition, Matt Bassant has been brought in as events co-ordinator to oversee the provision of Westside’s brands and bars at high-profile external events. Mace said: “Westside’s portfolio includes some fantastic beers and ciders and we are now in a position to extend our reach and take brands like Frontier, Cornish Orchards Gold and Sierra Nevada to a much wider audience. To that end, we have refocused the way our sales operation works and increased the marketing support we provide to our agency partners. As a result of this activity we do also now have a vacancy in our sales team and are looking for someone with a great knowledge of the London bar scene and a genuine passion for beer.”
 
McDonald’s rolls out bigger premium burgers in the US: McDonald’s is launching a time-limited range of “bigger burgers”. The company is introducing a trio of "Sirloin Third Pound" burgers in the United States for a limited time starting later this month. The sirloin burgers would have the biggest beef patties on the chain's menu. Their introduction comes two years after McDonald's dropped its Angus Third Pounders in 2013. At the time, some analysts said the Angus burgers were too pricey for McDonald's customers. McDonald's said the sirloin burgers will cost around $4.99, although franchisees can determine their own prices.
 
First Stable opens in Devon: The first Stable Bar & Restaurants has opened in Devon, in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth. It is the eighth location for the Stable and created 20 new jobs. The Stable, which is 51% owned by the London brewer Fuller Smith & Turner, is the brainchild of Richard and Nikki Cooper and Richard’s brother Andy Briggs. The concept started life when Richard and Nikki bought the Bull Hotel in Bridport, Dorset and decided to convert an old stable next to the property into a pizza and cider restaurant. There are now outlets in Bath, Bristol, Newquay, Falmouth, Weymouth and Poole
 
Starbucks retrenches further in Hull: Starbucks is closing its store in King Edward Street, Hull city centre, its second site in the city to close in recent years. The branch is due to finish trading on 26 April. The closure will leave the company with a single site in the city, at St Stephen's Shopping Centre. Starbucks' district manager, Jo Leverton ,said: "Our King Edward Street store’s final trading day will be on 26 April. We regularly review our stores to ensure they’re contributing to a sustainable business for the future. We took the difficult decision to close this store after being a part of the local community for ten years." The King Edward Street branch first opened in 2005. Starbucks closed its branch at The Pod, St Andrew's Quay, in 2013. That site has now been taken over by an independent coffee shop.
 
Cote opens in Fulham: The French brasserie chain Cote has opened a new site in Fulham, West London. It already has a venue in nearby Parson's Green. The new venue is in Jerdan Place, occupying the former Rodizio Lebanon site. It has around 120 seats inside as well as outdoor seating with a further 36 seats places and a spacious bar area. The restaurant is expected to create approximately 40 jobs for people in the local area.

Columbo Group eyes Brixton for third Blues Kitchen site: London-based bar company The Columbo Group is to expand its Blues Kitchen concept to south London with the opening of a new site in Brixton, South London. The group has bought the Electric Social in Brixton, and will develop the site with a view to opening the Blues Kitchen in autumn 2015. This latest acquisition brings the group’s portfolio of restaurants, bars, clubs and live music venues in the capital to eight. It will be the third Blues Kitchen venue in London after the launch of the Shoreditch site in 2014, and the original Blues Kitchen in Camden which opened in 2009. Columbo Group founder Steve Ball said: “Brixton is currently one of the most exciting areas of London for restaurants, bars and clubs, so we’re thrilled to be opening our third Blues Kitchen site here. The lively mix of late night music and authentic BBQ has been a great success in both Camden and Shoreditch and I look forward to bringing the party down south to Brixton.”

 
Stonegate invests £500,000 in three Blackpool venues: The managed pub operator Stonegate Pub Company has invested £500,000 in three Blackpool venues, the Dutton Arms, Yates South Shore and a new Popworld. Stonegate's chairman, Ian Payne, who visited the venues just before the weekend, said: “We operate ten sites in Blackpool, employ nearly 200 full time staff and many more during the peak period, so needless to say the success of our venues and our investments are paramount. This was not only an investment in our venues, but our staff. It’s a close knit and loyal team who work in our Blackpool sites, they work incredibly hard and I was pleased to see it pay off for everyone involved during an exciting start to the summer season.”
 
Southend Airport opens own restaurant: London Southend Airport, which is owned by Stobart Group, has opened its own 180-cover restaurant and bar, Lakers, in the departure lounge. The restaurant is named after Sir Freddie Laker, who based his Skytrain service at the airport in the 1960s. The £1m restaurant has taken just under four months to develop. London Southend Airport's managing director, Jon Horne, said: "We've been named 'Which? Best Airport in Britain' over the past two years, and in both surveys customers identified our catering offer as something that we needed to develop and expand. Having listened, we have made a significant investment in creating the new Lakers Restaurant & Bar, which will bring a whole new enjoyable experience to our passengers." The airport's head of catering, Darren Cook, said: "We have worked really hard designing the layout and the menu of Lakers to ensure there really is something for all of our passengers, from those who want to sit and relax with a good-quality meal before jetting off on holiday to business people who just want to stand at the bar and enjoy a quick drink." The 5,000 sq ft restaurant will be open daily from 4.30am until the departure of the final flight of the day. The other catering outlets at the airport are a Searcy's-run Arnold & Forbes cafe and the Coffee Pod.
 
Restaurant supplier collapses: A wholesale food supplier that sold products such as frying oil, batter mixes, cutlery, fish, pies, chicken and drinks to hundreds of customers in the takeaway, restaurant and hotel sectors is now in the hands of administrators. Caterway, of Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, which primarily supplied the fish and chip shop industry, had 600 customers in the UK and Europe. It had been trading in its current form for more than 30 years and was formerly known as Suntex Catering Products. It was founded and run by the Humphreys family for 70 years before being purchased by Ray and Rob Atkinson in 2007. The company also operated a depot in Leeds and launched a depot outside Alicante, Spain, in 2012 to serve clients in Benidorm, Murcia, Torrevieja and the surrounding areas. Chris Stirland, a partner at FRP Advisory, said: "It is deeply regrettable that a company with over 30 years of trading and a large regional and international customer footprint has had to shut up shop. Caterway had come under increased financial pressure in recent years and worked hard to find a viable solution for the business. Attempts to seek investment and buyers for the business failed to materialise leaving the directors with no choice but to seek the protection of administration." Stirland said that a reduction in cash flow after a short period of trading had forced the joint administrators to make the company's workforce of 22 redundant. He said: "We will continue to market the assets of the businesses to realise all that is possible in the interests of creditors."
 
More than a dozen brands sign up as Deliveroo expand into Reading: A total of 13 brands have already signed up to the London-based food delivery service Deliveroo after it expanded operations into Reading. They include: Tampopo, Handmade Burger Company, Bella Italia, Crepe Affaire, Carluccio's and Mission Burrito. The company delivers to within 2.2 kilometres of brand locations for £2.50 a time. Other cities now covered include Manchester and Brighton.
 
Hooters waitress awarded $250,000 over racial discrimination: A former Hooters waitress in the United States has been awarded more than $250,000 after an arbitrator found that racial discrimination contributed to her getting fired. Farryn Johnson, who is African-American, was fired from her Baltimore restaurant job in August 2013 because "Hooters prohibits African-American Hooters Girls from wearing blond highlights in their hair". While other women were allowed to highlight their hair, the restaurant manager told Johnson she could not be at work with blond streaks because it did not look "natural" on African-Americans, the suit said. "The manager at the time literally said, 'You can't have blond because black people don't have blond hair'," Johnson, who had worked at the restaurant for about a year, told WBAL-TV in Baltimore. Johnson told the station her shifts were slashed and she received written warnings about her hair, and then ultimately, she was fired. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," she said.