6 of 1 Hospitality Group co-founder – ‘we’ve got international ambitions but taking it one step at a time’: Abhinav Malde, co-founder of 6 of 1 Hospitality Group, the team behind Mr Bao, Master Bao, Daddy Bao and Wonton Charlie's, has told Propel the business has international ambitions but is taking it “one step at a time”. The company is making final preparations for the launch of Cafe Kowloon – a modern Cantonese kitchen-style restaurant – in east London. The site will open behind the group’s Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup bar – Wonton Charlie’s – in London Fields, which launched in November. Malde said the immediate focus will be on making Cafe Kowloon “the best it can be”. He added: “Because it’s just [fellow co-founder] Frank [Yeung] and I, it means we can move at our own pace, but we have built a team that allows us to grow in a sustainable way. We’ll continue opening individual concepts – that’s the way we work. We believe there’s room to grow outside of London and even internationally, but we’re taking it one step at a time.” Malde said 2025 had been positive for the group, particularly for its Master Bao site at Westfield Stratford, but has seen labour as a percentage of turnover increase from 30% to 35% as it sees an additional £140,000 of costs being added to the bottom line. “It’s very challenging”, said Malde. “We’ve worked hard to get our cost of goods down because you can’t just put up prices by 5%. We employ 130 people and that is what our business is about – people. We want them to be paid well but we feel the government is penalising us. A VAT cut for the industry would help. It’s still possible to open a restaurant in London and do well, but it’s certainly getting harder.” 6 of 1 Hospitality Group also operates cocktail bar Good Measure in Tooting.

 

Premium Club subscribers to receive next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality on Friday featuring more than 332,000 words of content: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will feature more than 332,000 words of content when it is released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (23 January) at midday. The database now features 1,387 companies, and this month’s edition includes 105 new additions and 375 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 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.

More than 130 of UK’s biggest hotel and holiday park operators urge government to implement hospitality-wide business rates solution: More than 130 of the UK’s biggest hotel and holiday park operators have urged the government to implement a hospitality-wide business rates solution. In a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, companies including Butlin’s, Haven, Hilton, Whitbread and Parkdean Resorts warned that business rates hikes will present the most significant challenge to ongoing viability, as well as impact decisions on employment and investment. The group of signatories said the increases are “not something businesses will be able to easily absorb”, and that passing costs on to guests would further add to cost-of-living pressures. The average hotels business rates bills will increase by 115% over the next three years, totalling £205,200, according to analysis of Valuation Office Agency data by UKHospitality. The letter said: “Accommodation businesses in the UK – many of which are small and medium-sized businesses – will see significant increases in their business rates bills over the next three years. While additional support for the hospitality sector is welcome, it’s critical it should not only extend to pubs, but should be a whole-sector solution. This issue will grow in severity over the coming years, as transitional relief tapers off – this is not something businesses will be able to easily absorb, while passing costs on to guests would further add to the cost-of-living pressures already greatly affecting the British public. As you know, there is already immense pressure on the investment case for hotel development in the UK, given heightened build costs and concerns about new tourism taxes. We therefore urge you to consider the accommodation sector when considering any support measures to address these crippling changes.” Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “As this coalition so clearly sets out – this will only have adverse impacts on employment, investment and, in some cases, business viability. The chancellor has recognised hospitality needs further business rates support – it’s crucial the entire sector receives that much-needed support.”

 

UK foodservice market forecast to grow only 1.6% in 2026 as industry grapples with ‘new normal’: The UK foodservice market is forecast to grow only 1.6% in 2026 as the industry grapples with a “new normal” state where it becomes harder to achieve growth, according to the new Future Foodservice forecast report. The “Reinventing Hospitality” report showed since covid, and then with inflationary economic challenges, consumers have found it easier to not spend hard-earned money in the foodservice environment unless it is on frequent, habitual, lower-cost transactions. The growth figure, which takes into account inflation, takes the eating and drinking out of home market (excluding accommodation) to a total valuation of £106bn, a £1.6bn increase on the size of the market at the end of 2025, but lower than previous forecasts. The report said this low growth, and the “new normal”, calls for the reinvention of hospitality, recognising consumers need to be given more reasons to increase their participation and frequency of eating and drinking out of home. Through reinvention, innovation, creativity and a renewed focus on service and delivery of experiences and memories, success is achievable, it said. Growth will come from those sectors and brands that can best adopt to changing consumer tastes, demands and expectations, taking into account the continuing polarisation of the market. In 2026, the sectors that will see higher rates of growth will be fast food, retail high street leisure, and contract catering, while pubs and restaurants will face difficulties in gaining overall growth, the report added. However, expansion is forecast for the branded restaurant segment as some of the closed Pizza Hut restaurants are brought back to life by emerging brands such as Maki & Ramen. Future Foodservice founder Simon Stenning said: “We have to be cautious with our forecasts, as the economic landscape and consumer confidence is so fragile, especially with global friction casting negative shadows on consumer and business sentiment. We also recognise not all businesses will survive the challenging conditions. Our forecasts are for the market to grow in 2026 and 2027, despite the minimal economic growth, but that growth relies on increasing the focus on delivering excellence and excitement to consumers.”

 

Reeves’s ‘tax timebomb’ threatens to crush Britain’s high streets: Britain’s high streets risk being crushed by a “tax timebomb” that has left shops and cafés facing a 52% increase in business rates. The Telegraph reports that the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that millions of small firms in the retail and hospitality sectors faced “years of misery”. Rachel Reeves has said she is working on a relief package to support pubs, which will be hit hard when new rates come into effect in April. However, business groups have warned that pubs represent just one in seven jobs in hospitality and have called on the government to widen its business rates support package. FSB chair Tina McKenzie warned that thousands of small high street businesses were already “on the brink” of closure, while others would have to cut jobs to survive. She warned the need for further relief was urgent, saying: “Striving small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure – from bakeries and coffee shops to garden centres, gyms and dry cleaners – are on the brink unless the Chancellor makes a decisive intervention now.” She said that the cycle for business rates, which will involve property taxes increases over three years, is a “tax timebomb that’s currently ticking”. Without further rates relief, McKenzie said “the burden will become too much to bear for some, who will either shrink or close down altogether.”

 

Grind chair – government policy continues to ignore both the fragile economics and the vital social role of pubs: John Ayton MBE – investor, chairman of Grind and owner of the Horse & Groom near Chichester – has said that the government needs to understand the “real-world impact of cumulative policy decisions and the central role pubs play in community life”. He said: “Like most pubs, we rely on enthusiastic students who get their first taste of work behind a bar, often during holidays or a gap year. Reducing the national insurance threshold from £900 a month to £500, combined with higher minimum wages, has made it far harder to give young people that first opportunity. When it costs only a couple of pounds an hour more to employ someone highly experienced, the economics no longer stack up. And now there is the proposal to lower the drink-drive limit. Road safety matters to everyone, and responsible pubs fully support sensible enforcement. But in practice, this risks becoming the final nail in the coffin for rural pubs. Yet pubs are not just businesses. This was brought home particularly at Christmas. We opened for two hours on Christmas morning for local people. For some, that was the only human contact they had that day. No family. No visitors. Just the pub door open and someone there to welcome them. This is more than a commercial enterprise. And yet government policy continues to ignore both the fragile economics and the vital social role of pubs, particularly in rural areas like ours in West Sussex. Our message is simple. To government: understand the real-world impact of cumulative policy decisions and the central role pubs play in community life. To communities everywhere: support your local pub. If you do not, it will disappear. And once it is gone, it will not come back.”

London coffee shop owner partners with Indy Coffee Guide to persuade operators to write to MPs for support: London coffee shop owner Peter Dore-Smith has partnered with the Indy Coffee Guide to help persuade operators to write to MPs for support in the face of financial headwinds facing the sector. Dore-Smith operates two Kaffeine stores in central London. The letter urges MPs to meet with operators and their customers and suppliers, and also seeks their help in restructuring the business rates system and reducing VAT for sector businesses. Dore-Smith said: “Together with Salt media, the publishers of the Indy Coffee guide, we are giving the opportunity for thousands of independent owner operated cafes and roasteries across the UK to write to their local MPs and ask them to come visit and listen them them and support them. Nick (Cooper, founder of Salt Media) has access to thousands of owner operators across the country through his publications. We both have access to thousands of coffee shops and roasteries through WhatsApp groups across the country. We are contacting all of them with these instructions and the letter. We are all truly independent. We are most often alone, but now we are joining together for a voice with the hope that we get heard. I have worked in hospitality in Australia and the UK for 40 years. I have two locations in Fitzrovia in London, and the pressure on us to not raise prices for fear of losing customers against the fear of not being able to pay our staff enough – against being able to actually pay ourselves dividends from our ever lessening profits – has never been more terrifying.”

 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global spirits company that is seeking a commercial director. A COREcruitment said: “This role will lead the UK and EU commercial strategy across the on-trade, out of home and off-trade channels – while also launching further into international key global markets. This role requires candidates with a proven track record in growth across the UK and EU, having managing distribution partners and a strong network of contacts.” The salary is up to £120,000. For more information, email mark@corecruitment.com

 

Burger concept Smoke & Pepper aiming to more than double estate to circa 30 locations this year and commence international franchising: Burger concept Smoke & Pepper is aiming to more than double the size of its estate to circa 30 locations this year, as well as commence international franchising. The business, which was founded in London by Sara Ibrahim and Suhail Mala and launched its first site in 2022, opened its 13th location over the festive season – at Lakeside in Essex. It opened in the shopping centre’s food court, replacing Pali Kitchen. Smoke & Pepper is now aiming to accelerate its expansion, with new locations in the pipeline including Acton, Bexleyheath, Bracknell, Canning Town, Chelmsford, Earl’s Court, Edgware, Nottingham, Romford, Star City in Birmingham, Wakefield and Wembley. Franchise consultant Paul Davies said: “A 13th successful store in the UK; 2026 will more than double that, potentially to circa 30-plus stores and the commencement of international franchising – end of 2026. In reality, the Smoke & Pepper franchise is widening the store formats available, meaning even more opportunities.” The company said the launch of a kiosk at Lakeside means it has now successfully launched all four of its store formats: neighbourhood, medium, flagship and kiosk.

 

JD Wetherspoon to open first pub in continental Europe next month: JD Wetherspoon will open its first pub in continental Europe next month, at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez airport in Spain. The franchised pub, which will be named Castell de Santa Bàrbera, will open on Monday, 9 February in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail. Located in departures (airside), the new-build pub will offer almost 1,000 square feet of customer space on one level, together with an external terrace with seating. The menu will include many meals available in Wetherspoon pubs in the UK, including breakfast dishes, burgers and pizza, as well as local dishes including garlic prawns and Spanish omelette. Wetherspoon founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin said: “We are looking forward to opening our first pub in Spain. We believe it will be popular with a wide range of customers. We aim to open a number of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including those at airports.” Sir Tim previously told Propel that Wetherspoon could open up to a dozen overseas pubs in 2026.

 

Carlsberg’s ‘core’ beer brands drop to less than half of sales for first time: Carlsberg’s chief executive has said the Danish group will remain a brewer at its core even as the local beer brands that it historically relied on for most of its revenue have dropped to less than half of its total annual sales for the first time. Jacob Aarup-Andersen, chief executive since September 2023, told the FT that “moderation” was a big trend among consumers, and this had led to Carlsberg bulking up in soft drinks such as Pepsi. But beer would “continue to be a major driver of relevance for us for as long as I’m alive”, he said. Core beer sales, made up of local, mainstream brands such as Falcon, Karhu and Angelo Poretti, accounted for just 49% of total sales in 2025, while the share from soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer has climbed to a third. Carlsberg has been the most aggressive of the global brewers in pushing into beverages other than beer, with the 2025 acquisition of Britvic in the UK almost doubling its soft drink sales to just below 30% of the total. The push to soft drinks has helped it achieve better volume growth and margin performance in the past five years than both its main rivals, AB InBev and Heineken. Carlsberg’s core beer sales dropped from 59% of the total in 2024 to 49% last year, and Aarup-Andersen expects the shift to continue as a result of higher growth rates for soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer.

 

Oodles Wok opens second Canadian site: Indo-Chinese brand Oodles Wok has opened its second site in Canada. The brand, which has circa 50 UK sites, signed a 50-store development deal for Canada in March last year and opened its first store there last summer, in Scarborough, Ontario. Oodles Wok has now launched in Brampton too, which is also in Ontario. “We’re delighted to share that our Brampton – Mayfield store has officially opened, and the response has been nothing short of fantastic,” a company spokesman said. “This opening marks an important milestone for the brand as our second store in Canada, reinforcing the growing demand and love for freshly made, bold Asian flavours across the region. We’re proud to be building the Oodles Wok journey together and excited about what lies ahead.” Oodles Wok’s first international market was Dubai, having launched in its Motor City in October 2024. In October, the brand said it is set to launch in a further international market, having partnered with The Oryx Group, which is a franchisee for Nando’s in Qatar, to roll out there too.

 

London Golds Gym franchisee and hotelier Vistastar reports lower hotel occupancy but increased gym membership: London Golds Gym franchisee and hotelier Vistastar, led by Karl Sandhu, has reported turnover dropped to £6,891,000 in the year ended 31 March 2025. (2024: £7,688,000). Profit before tax was £274,000 down from £620,000 the year before. Health club revenue was £5,735,585 (2024: £5,282,891) while hotel income was £1,115,17 (2024: £2,405,638). The company stated: “The year continued the trend of previous years with increased membership number for the gyms. Unfortunately, the results for the year have been affected by a significant reduction in hotel income (£1.3m), which was expected.” Founded in 1996 Vistastar owns the Continental Hotel in Hounslow as well as the Golds Gym franchise.

 

Wingers hires former Slim Chickens head of marketing: Buttermilk fried chicken restaurant concept Wingers has hired former Slim Chickens head of marketing Josh Birbeck. Birbeck spent two and a half years in the role for Slim Chickens, the US brand which is being rolled out here by Boparan Restaurant Group, before going freelance as a marketing and brand growth consultant in the summer of 2024. He is now chief marketing officer for Wingers, where he will “lead brand, growth and customer strategy across all channels, supporting a fast-growing, multi-site business with an ambitious national expansion plan”. Birbeck said: “Excited to continue building Wingers UK as chief marketing officer. A big year ahead for the brand, with strong growth, new openings and ambitious plans. Proud to be working alongside such a driven team and passionate franchise partners.” Wingers – founded during the covid pandemic by Amran, Dylan and Bill Sunner – last week opened its first store of 2026 and 23rd overall, in Rugeley, Staffordshire.

 

Burger Boi to open two new locations this week: Premium smashed burger business Burger Boi will open two new locations this week. Burger Boi will start by opening at 40 Upper Jubilee Walk at the Touchwood shopping centre in Solihull, in the West Midlands, today (Tuesday, 20 January). This will be followed by a launch at Unit 3a in the Victoria shopping centre in Hednesford, Staffordshire, on Thursday (22 January). A company spokesman said: “We’re kicking off the year with our first openings of 2026 – and we’re not easing into it. Two new locations. One week. Same obsession with quality, consistency and value for money. More openings coming soon.” The brace of openings will bring Burger Boi, which was founded by Surj Bassi, to 17 locations. Last month, the business opened its first site in partnership with Morrisons, at the supermarket company’s store in Manchester Piccadilly.

 

Jamavar reports lumpy loss after writing off loans: Jamavar London, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant that opened in 2016 and whose result come under the name S Fiori at Companies House, has reported turnover of £5,278,312 in the 11 months to 31 March 2025: (2024: £5,501,603). The group reported a pre-tax loss of £3,238,000 after writing off a loan of £4,300,298 to company undertaking – the year before it made a pre-tax profit of £852,084. Ebitda rose to £1,544,094 from £1,323,022 the year before. The group stated: “Turnover has increased when compared with the prior year. There is a net liability position of £4,356,349 (2024: £1,080,871). The movement is largely due to the loss incurred during the period, which has arisen from significant impairments of amounts owed from group undertakings. Ebitda has improved during the period and the company is expected to generate profits in future years. Therefore, the net liability position is expected to reduce.” The site is operated by Samyukta Nair’s LSL Capital hospitality group, which is also behind Bombay Bustle, MiMi Mei Fair, Socca, Koyn and Nipotina.

 

Five Akhis opens first new site of 2026: Gourmet burger concept Five Akhis, which has fast-pizza brand Fireaway founder Mario Aleppo as a backer, has opened in Slough for its first new site of 2026. Five Akhis has opened at 38 Herschel Street in the Berkshire town for its 16th site. Five Akhis also has two sites in Milton Keynes (full restaurant and express) and one each in Northampton, Oxford, Preston, Birmingham, Sheffield, Banbury, Nottingham, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Coventry, Hemel Hempstead and Manchester. The company’s current pipeline includes locations in Leicester and London’s Whitechapel. Aleppo invested in the fledgling business in 2023, taking a 5% stake as well as lending his expertise.

 

Cosmo team confirms plans for Umami World Kitchen site in Peterborough: The team behind buffet brand Cosmo has confirmed it will launch a fourth site under its Umami World Kitchen concept, in Peterborough. Umami World Kitchen, which already operates sites in Blackpool and Telford, offers an “all you can eat buffet featuring 100 diverse cross-cultural cuisines, including Chinese, Italian, Indian and British dishes”. Cosmo, which operates 20 sites under its eponymous brand across the UK, has already confirmed it will open a new Umami location in Leicester’s Highcross shopping centre in early 2026, with plans also for sites in Colchester, Newcastle and Swansea. But Peterborough looks to be next in line for a launch after plans were this week submitted in relation to two units at the town’s Queensgate shopping centre – close to the mini golf and amusement centre on the second floor. The application said the plans concerns “the fit out of an existing shell unit to form a Cosmo restaurant”, reports the Peterborough Telegraph. The Cosmo team also launched two new concepts last year – Smokin’ Hot Buffet and Grill and Firebrand. The company opened its first Smokin’ Hot Buffet and Grill in Coventry’s Corporation Street in January 2025, and last month said it has secured a debut site for Firebrand, at Newcastle’s The Gate.

Scottish hotel and wine shop business Brudolff Hotels reports small profit: Brudolff Hotels, the company that operates four hotels and wine shops in the north east of Scotland, has reported turnover ticked up to £4,651,301 in the year ended 31 March 2025 (2024: £4,541,106). The company made a pre-tax profit of £24,554 compared with a loss of £185,726 the year before. The company stated: “Turnover remains good in Aberdeen and Shetland. In Shetland, both the business and tourist sectors are buoyant although staffing continues to be an issue.” 

 

Funstation to open fourth site for adventure golf concept: Family entertainment business Funstation Group is to open a fourth site for its Volcano Falls Adventure Golf concept. The site will open at the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds later this year. Volcano Falls Adventure Golf will occupy the former Sports Direct unit on The Balcony. Funstation plans to bring two themed golf courses to the shopping centre, as well as electric darts and a licensed bar. James Miller, chief executive at Funstation, said: “White Rose is an excellent fit for Volcano Falls. We continue to see strong demand for immersive, experience-led attractions that work alongside retail, and this location allows us to showcase one of our most established and successful formats in a high-quality regional destination.” The group operates Volcano Falls Adventure Golf sites in Castleford, Edinburgh and Milton Keynes as well as ten Funstations, three Laser Station laser tag experiences and a Breakout escape room. The 2025 Experiential Leisure Report, the second year of Propel’s exhaustive report on the market, is now available. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends. It also provides a detailed list of UK experiential leisure companies including key staff and Companies House information. The report includes 197 companies, marking a 10% growth in the sector since 2024’s study, with 3,700 sites. The report is available free to Premium Club subscribers. 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.

 

South west coffee shop concept opens fourth site: South west coffee shop concept The Colombian Company has opened its fourth site. The Colombian Company, which already has locations in Bath and Bristol, has opened in the former home of barbers and streetwear shop Jacobs in North Street in Bristol. Founded by Colombian-born Jhampoll Gutierrez Gomez, The Colombian Company serves up speciality Colombian coffee and an array of food options from homemade cakes to toasties. The business’ other cafe locations are in Abbey Gate Street in Bath, Widcombe in Bath and in Bristol’s Whiteladies Road. Taking to Instagram, the team said: “Bedminster, we have arrived! Pop in and say hello.”

 

Antoinette Hotels sees turnover and profit decline: Antoinette Hotels, which operates two sites in south west London and one in the New Forest, has reported turnover declined to £4,550,802 for the year ending 31 March 2025 compared with £4,922,423 the year before. Revenue remained below the £6,321,611 reported for the year ending 31 March 2019 – the last full year before the covid pandemic. Pre-tax profit declined from £610,802 the previous year to £340,448. A dividend of £75,400 was paid (2024: £75,400). Antoinette Hotels, which employs around 80 staff, operates its eponymous site in Wimbledon and Hotel Bosco in Surbiton along with The Crown Manor House Hotel in Lyndhurst in the New Forest. 

 

East Midlands coffee shop business opens fourth location: East Midlands coffee shop business Public has opened its fourth location. It has opened at Canopy, in Leicester’s King Street, joining its locations in Loughborough, Mountsorrel and Nottingham. Public freshly bakes its bread along with its pastries and sweet treats every day and sells loaves of bread, alongside eggs and bags of coffee beans. The business also has a greenhouse inside the coffee shop, where customers can purchase plants. Public chief executive David Hallam told Leicestershire Live: “Expect the full Public experience – freshly baked sourdough, our signature filled croissants and a thoughtfully designed space to work, meet or unwind.”

 

Family-run hotel group JDP Hotels reports drop in turnover and profit: Family-run hotel group JDP Hotels, which operates three hotels, located in Bradford, Wakefield and North Wales, has reported turnover dropped to £4,702,484 in the year to 31 March 2025 (2024: £5,403,303). Profit before tax dropped to £27,663 from £681,699 the year before. Occupancy rate stayed at 71%.

 

London multi-site operator puts lease of Canary Wharf Italian seafood restaurant on market: London multi-site operator the Topkaya family has put the lease of its Oysteria bar and seafood restaurant in Canary Wharf on the market “to pursue other interests”. The lease of the Italian-inspired restaurant in Bank Street, which has an outdoor terrace, has an asking price of in excess of £500,000. Since the 1980s, the family, with Mustafa, Felicity and Jamie at the helm, has been bringing dining experiences to the capital including Bella Vita in Hackney and Capeesh and the Skybar in Canary Wharf. Christie & Co is marketing the lease.

Kent hotel operator reports turnover and profit drop: Leaf Hotels, the east Kent company with sites in Folkestone, Dover and Canterbury led by Kanagaratnam Rajamenon, has reported a drop in turnover and profit. The company reported turnover fell to £4,600,000 in the year ended 31 March 2025 (2024: £5,130,000). Profit before tax dropped to £87,208 from £289,532 the year before. The company has changed the name of its Dover site from Ramada Dover to Holiday Inn Dover. The group stated: “Being rebranded to a stronger brand name, the hotel is expected to increase the occupancy level and also command better rate.”

 

French pastry chef Nicolas Rouzaud to open first solo London venture this week: French pastry chef Nicolas Rouzaud is to open his first solo London venture this week. Rouzaud, who runs Nicolas Rouzaud at The Connaught, is launching Le Café in Burlington Arcade on Friday (23 January). The venue is set to offer pastries similar to those Rouzaud has been turning out at The Connaught for the past few years, reports Hot Dinners. Rouzaud is also set to open a Le Café in Paris.

 

Staffordshire leisure venue secures £3.3m finance package to elevate its facilities: Branston Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire has secured a £3.3m finance package to elevate its facilities. The funds, from Metro Bank, will allow the leisure business in Burton upon Trent to accelerate its expansion plans. Branston Golf & Country Club first opened in 1994 and offers a championship golf course, health club and spa facilities including a sauna, steam room, salt room and outdoor hot tub. The venue has expanded to include a purpose-built conference, dining and wedding venue and three outdoor floodlit padel courts. The new funding package provides the club with renewed capacity to explore further enhancement projects as part of its long-term vision. Managing director Ben Laing said: “This finance package marks another major milestone for Branston Golf & Country Club, unlocking opportunities to elevate our facilities and create even more memorable experiences for our members and guests.” The deal was brokered by Copper Swan.

 

IHG Hotels & Resorts to launch first UK destination for Six Senses brand in March: IHG Hotels & Resorts is set to launch the first UK destination for its Six Senses brand in March. Set within The Whiteley in Bayswater, Six Senses London will launch on Sunday, 1 March, offering 109 guest rooms and suites, many with private terraces, and 14 branded residences. Six Senses London will also include Whiteley’s Kitchen, Bar and Café, with menus championing local producers and seasonal flavours, while the bar will serve creative cocktails and the café will offer farmhouse bakes and small-batch coffee. Six Senses Spa will span 25,000 square feet on a single floor, offering London’s first magnesium pool within a hotel, a flotation pod and cryotherapy chamber and movement studios. The hotel will also introduce the brand’s first private club, Six Senses Place, with membership available by application only. The hotel will be led by general manager Nick Yarnell, whose career spans more than 30 years in international luxury hospitality. He previously led the opening of Six Senses Douro Valley and currently serves as regional general manager for Europe, alongside leading the launch of Six Senses London. Six Senses operates 27 hotels and resorts in 22 countries and has signed a further 38 properties into the development pipeline. IHG Hotels & Resorts has 20 hotel brands and 6,700 open hotels in more than 100 countries, with a development pipeline of in excess of 2,200 properties.