We Do Play anticipates exponential growth across all areas of its business over the next 36 months: We Do Play, the multi-concept experiential leisure operator, has told Propel it is anticipating “exponential growth across all areas of the business over the next 36 months” and that its first site for immersive games experience Activate has “outperformed all projections”. The company, which also operates Flip Out and Putt Putt Social here and founded Boom Battle Bar before selling the brand, outlined “bold expansion plans” for the months ahead. Richard Beese, co-founder of We Do Play, told Propel: “Year 2024-25 has already marked a significant inflection point. Following the signing of an exclusive UK development agreement with Activate, the group successfully launched Europe’s first Activate site at The O2 in December 2024, which has outperformed all projections. Several additional Activate sites are now under construction or due to break ground over the summer, with Oxford Street set to open in the autumn. In parallel, the group debuted its new competitive socialising brand Rumble Rooms, which launched under franchise and is already gaining strong franchisee interest across key UK cities. Meanwhile, growth across the Flip Out brand continues, with recent openings in Coventry and Watford and a pipeline that includes one of the company's most ambitious projects to date – a 100,000 square-foot trampoline park in Leeds, set to become the world’s largest – opening at the end of summer 2025, plus other sites in Scotland and Wales by the end of the year. Looking ahead, We Do Play anticipates exponential growth across all areas of the business over the next 36 months. The company has built a highly capable leadership and support team and confirms it is able to add up to ten new sites without expanding head office resources. We believe we have some of the very best leisure brands in the market today. With our expanding footprint, committed partners and scalable infrastructure, we are uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of growth in the UK leisure space.” It comes as the company reported group turnover for the year to 31 March 2024 was £20,821,639 (2023: £16,035,936) with a gross profit margin of 61.72% (2023: 65.00%). The loss for the period was £7,728,889) (2023: loss of £4,397,743). The company said: “Other costs increased as the group increased overhead in readiness for expansion of the managed and franchise business in the next financial year in particular. Despite a challenging consumer environment, the group reported underlying Ebitda of over £2m, adjusted for non-cash items, pre-opening costs and exceptionals. This performance reflects continued operational resilience and strategic focus as the business evolves. The FY24 results include two significant non-cash accounting adjustments. The first – a £4.2m impairment provision – reflects the transition of several managed Flip Out sites into franchise-operated venues. The second adjustment relates to a fair value movement in legacy shareholdings, outside of the group’s control.” Beese is one of several leading players in the sector who gives his opinion on the growing experiential leisure market in The 2025 Experiential Leisure Report. The second year of Propel’s exhaustive report on the market, it is published on Friday, 1 August at 9am. 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 last year’s study, with 3,700 sites. The report will be released on Friday, 1 August at 9am and is available for £595 plus VAT to pre-order now. Existing Premium Club subscribers can receive it on Friday, 1 August for £395 plus VAT. The report will be made available for free to existing Premium subscribers on Wednesday, 10 September at 9am. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to order a copy.

Prezzo Italian CEO James Brown to speak at Propel summer conference and party, open for bookings: Prezzo Italian chief executive James Brown will be among the speakers at the Propel Multi-Club Conference and summer party on Thursday, 4 September, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. The all-day conference will focus on “moving ahead with evolved thinking” and will be followed in the evening by the summer party, with a barbecue and more than four hours of live music. There are up to two free places per company for operators and Premium subscribers can have up to four places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com. A room can also be booked for the evening at an additional cost. For more details, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com. Brown will talk about re-energising the Italian casual-dining brand, the opportunities and challenges it faces and what comes next for the 25-year-old business. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Meanwhile, the evening entertainment includes the return by popular demand of the UK’s top Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow tribute acts as Scott Borley and Daniel Hadfield again join forces. Pure Mercury, the UK's foremost Freddie Mercury tribute act, will also be performing, along with The Greek Street Live House Band, which will be playing guests’ requests. The evening will also feature a music quiz with The Quiz Team. 

Premium Club subscribers to receive next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality on Friday: The next Who’s Who of UK Hospitality will be released to Premium Club subscribers on Friday (20 June), at midday. Another 15 companies have been added to the database, which now features 936 companies. This month’s edition will also include 61 updated entries. The companies, listed in alphabetical order, will have their most recent results 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 Multi-Site Database, the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, 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 including the Operational Excellence Conference in July 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 will be sent a dedicated monthly newsletter that will highlight key updates in the sector and direct subscribers to all the vital content their membership offers. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a business in the catering equipment manufacturing industry that is looking for a national account manager. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The role will be responsible for identifying, developing and securing new partnerships with key clients within the hotel, restaurant and catering channel. The national account manager’s background will include proven sales experience working with national accounts within the sector, strong business and financial acumen with the ability to negotiate and drive profit growth, and the ability to analyse sales data and market trends to inform decision-making.” This role is based in London, with occasional travel and work away from home when necessary, and offers a salary of up to £55,000. For more information, email mikey@corecruitment.com.

 

Boxpark CEO – we have global ambitions, we will build some kind of events/fan park business: Matt Snell, chief executive of Boxpark, the LDC-backed business, has told Propel that the company has “global ambitions” and has “generated lots of interests from different parts of the globe”. Speaking on Propel’s new podcast series, In Conversation, Snell said: “I’m in the middle of finalising our value creation plan, which is our three-year strategy. We have global ambitions as a brand. We have lots and lots of interests from different parts of the globe – North America, the Middle East, Australasia – and we see that as a huge growth opportunity. There is also a huge amount of interest in us doing events, and we will build some kind of events/fan park business over the next three years, working with the biggest events – those 100,000-plus attendee events. People are obsessed now with fan experience, and it’s about trying to create that general admission ticket and create that almost corporate experience without them having to go in the stuffy corporate bit. We do that really well, so we’ll do something around that over the next three years. We’ll think carefully about what we do in the UK, because the difficult thing is that we need to operate in cities with really big populations, so we can guarantee the footfall. The other thing is, it is very expensive to build Boxparks and Boxhalls, and it’s different to casual dining, where there are lots and lots of operators. So, a casual dining business takes a lease on a site, spends money with the landlord – maybe you get a capital contribution, maybe you don’t – but the landlord knows there will always be someone to take your place if you go, which is why they’re never that bothered by giving you a capital contribution.  For us, we are a place maker; we enhance value for the landlord massively. It doesn’t make sense to me to spend our money, enhancing the asset value for a landlord, when we’re spending such huge amounts on such huge schemes, often from ground up. We can look at a site and it’s a car park; it’s not like wandering around an old Frankie & Benny’s. So I need think really carefully about how I utilise our cash in the best way and generate the best return for our investors.” In Conversation is a new series of fortnightly podcasts, exclusive for Propel Premium Club subscribers, featuring industry leaders and sector players talking about their businesses and issues impacting the UK’s hospitality market. 

Exclusive – Busaba set for restructure, closes two London sites: The future of Busaba, the TNUI-backed, Thai chain founded by Alan Yau, has been thrown into doubt after the seven-strong business filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, Propel has learned. It comes after the company recently closed two of its sites in London, in Bloomsbury and Kingston. The brand is currently trading from six sites in the capital and one in the Lakeside shopping scheme in Essex. The brand went through a restructure in 2020 where it looked to exit sites in Oxford Circus, Reading, Manchester and St Albans. It returned to the expansion trail in 2021 with openings in Cardiff and Oxford, and launched the Lakeside scheme site in Essex in 2023. Two years ago, it took the decision to close its “underperforming” Cardiff and Oxford sites to “improve profitability and cash flow to offset significant cost inflation in the business”. The Cardiff restaurant opened in October 2021 and the Oxford site in January 2022. The Cardiff lease was surrendered to the landlord while the Oxford restaurant lease was assigned to Rosa’s Thai. Last April, Busaba said it was “well placed to meet the challenges ahead” while its latest opening, at Lakeside in Essex, was profitable and sales were “exceeding expectations”. The company reported turnover fell to £21,073,957 for the year ending 17 September 2023 compared with £21,162,725 the previous year. Ebitda was minus £636,000 compared with a profit of £172,000 the previous year. Pre-tax losses narrowed to £1,813,221 from £3,093,377 the year before. 

Exclusive – Oakman Group leasehold portfolio brought to the market: The bulk of the Oakman Group’s leasehold estate has been brought to the market. Propel understands that the company, which is working with advisory firm PwC, has brought around 18 of its remaining leasehold sites to the market. It is thought the package, which is being marketed under the name Project Zeus, has a combined valuation of circa £15m-£20m. It is thought the portfolio will be of interest to the likes of Punch Pubs & Co, Peach Pub Company and Upham Pub Company. Last month, Propel revealed that Oakman Group had sold ten of its freehold pubs to The Restaurant Group (TRG), which will run the sites alongside its circa 80-strong Brunning & Price business before integrating them into its estate, in a deal valued at circa £50m-£55m. It is thought that the deal enabled Oakman to clear its senior debt of around £40m. Oakman told Propel that the “strategic transaction” reflects the company’s “commitment to securing the best future for its business and the venues involved”. It also allowed it to strengthen the balance sheet, enabling renewed focus on its retained estate of 22 pubs. PwC was advising Oakman on its options, which included a sale of the whole business, and had been sounding out interest on parts of the leasehold estate. 

Burger Boi eyeing the north next as it looks to accelerate nationwide expansion: Premium smashed burger business Burger Boi founder Surj Bassi has told Propel the company is eyeing the north next as it looks to accelerate its nationwide expansion. Burger Boi currently has 15 locations and has previously said it is on course to reach 25 sites by the end of 25. Its stores are currently based mainly around the Midlands but it has moved south in recent weeks, making its London debut, in Dalston, and also opening in Luton. It has so far not gone further north than Derby, but Bassi said Burger Boi is now seeking franchise partners to grow across the north. "Fresh off the success of its first London store and the signing of multi-site seasoned franchise partners across London, Burger Boi is now setting its sights on the north," he said. "The smashed burger brand, inspired by California's food scene, is actively seeking new franchise partners as it accelerates its mission to bring bold flavours and high-energy vibes to cities across the UK. With demand growing and momentum building, Burger Boi's northern push marks the next chapter in its fast-paced journey – one fuelled by quality, culture, and the appetite for something unique in the QSR space." Propel understands that Burger Boi's next pipeline of openings will include sites in Nottingham, Hednesford (Staffordshire), Sheffield and Essex.

WatchHouse builds New York opening pipeline: Specialty coffee business WatchHouse, which opened its second site in the US, in New York, last week, has secured two further sites in the city as it continues to build its presence Stateside. Propel understands that the Roland Horne-led business has secured sites in the Flat Iron and Soho areas of the city. Last week, the company opened a site in the Chrysler Building. The company said the launch marked a milestone in WatchHouse’s international expansion and followed the successful debut of its US flagship, at 660 Fifth Avenue, last spring. The group is also set to launch in the Middle East, with sites lined up under a franchise agreement in Abu Dhabi. Propel revealed last month that WatchHouse was to further expand its footprint in London after acquiring five former Orée Boulangerie sites – in Covent Garden, Borough Market, Parsons Green, St John’s Wood and Clapham. The company operates 19 sites in London and one in Bath.

Timothy Taylor forced to increase prices after tax hikes: Yorkshire brewer and retailer Timothy Taylor said it has been forced to raise its prices as it criticised the “hostile fiscal and regulatory environment” it now faces. The company said the pub and brewing industry is facing “significant input and labour cost increases” as well as dealing with the fall in business rates relief. It said it had raised its prices to combat the rise in employer national insurance contributions and the increase in the national living wage. It said this move was “a necessity if we are to be able to continue to invest in the brewery and our high-quality beer brands”. The business said: “The chancellor’s October 2024 Budget further increased the already heavy cost burden on the hospitality and brewing sectors. When combined with the reductions in business property relief on inheritance tax for shares in family-owned companies, it represents a series of measures which are damaging to Timothy Taylor’s business model. The benefits of the marginal reduction in draught beer duty, which were also announced in the Budget, are far outweighed by the cost increases imposed. Our strategy is based on long-term patient investment which benefits all stakeholders, whether employees, tenants, customers, suppliers or shareholders. A hostile fiscal and regulatory environment is not conducive to such investment in the growth of the business.” It comes as the business reported turnover of £34,958,348 for the year to 30 September (2023: £32,891,613), with a pre-tax profit of £2,683,157 (2023: £2,164,942), as the sales of its brands into the market improved on the prior year. It said that its pub estate, comprising two managed and 17 tenanted pubs, “performed well” and recorded a “significant recovery in profitability”. It said: “Underlying income from the tenanted estate was ahead, with strong trading in a number of pubs benefitting from recent refurbishments, although reported profits were held back by increased repair costs.”

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants hires Marco Ruggeri as marketing director: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants has hired Marco Ruggeri, formerly of Wasabi and McDonald’s UK, as its new marketing director. Ruggeri joins Gordon Ramsay Restaurants after three and a half years at Wasabi, including the last 13 months as its sales and marketing director. Previous to that, he spent more than a decade at McDonald’s, including six years as marketing manager. In February, Ramsay struck a deal to merge the UK and US operations of his restaurant group in a move that will bring in fresh investment from Lion Capital, the US private equity firm. The chef is reorganising his restaurant empire to bring together global operations into an entity he will co-own with Lion Capital, which will provide new funding as part of the deal after making an initial investment into Ramsay’s US business of $100m in 2019. The transaction will create a group with a board headquartered in London, with Ramsay and Lion Capital each owning 50% of the business. Gordon Ramsay Restaurants was founded in 1998, and the group now has circa 35 restaurants across the UK. The company’s global operations include 32 restaurants in the US and 22 in other countries such as China, South Korea, Malaysia, France, Dubai, Singapore and Thailand.

Rockfish opens ‘most ambitious site to date’: Rockfish, the Mitch Tonks-led, seafood restaurant group, has opened a new site in Salcombe, Devon, which it described as “our most ambitious Rockfish to date”. The group’s 13th site in total opened last week. Earlier this year, it opened a site in Lyme Regis, Dorset, while a Rockfish in Sidmouth, Devon, is scheduled to open in October. On the Salcombe opening, Tonks said: “This one’s been a real journey. Our most ambitious Rockfish to date, six years in the dreaming, nearly two years in the building. We had to start from scratch, replacing foundations and rebuilding every inch, but I was determined to preserve the feel of the old boat shed at the end of the creek. It just felt right from the off; it’s a perfect place for a seafood restaurant with great a view of the local boats landing prized Salcombe crab and lobster. I’ve always loved a challenge, but this one was bigger than I thought! The Rockfish team all stuck with the vision, coped with the delays and navigated every hurdle that was in our way. Restaurants are but four walls without people, and this is what makes Rockfish so special; we are all in it together working to build something truly unique and special. iI didn’t break us and we won in the end. We can’t wait to welcome everyone and become part of Salcombe’s vibrant energy.” In April, Tonks said that 2025 is a “pivotal year” for the business as it opens “beautiful new restaurants, invests further in our people and brand, and builds the country's most exciting online seafood business”. It comes after the company confirmed the appointments of Romy Miller and Robert Grieg-Gran, as new non-executive directors and said it was embarking “on a transformational year of innovation and expansion, including openings in Lyme Regis, Salcombe and Sidmouth”. 

Crussh enters liquidation: Crussh, the food-to-go and juice bar business, has entered liquidation, with a number of its sites across the capital shuttered. Mayfair-based business recovery firm Voscap has been appointed to act as liquidators for the business, which was founded in 1998 and grew to dozens of stores across the capital, including operating supermarket counters in a partnership with Sainsbury’s. The entire Crussh business, which included at the time 12 sites across London and a manufacturing arm, went into administration at the end of 2022. Propel revealed in January 2023 that Jason Collins, the founder of Apogee, the UK office digital solutions provider, and Bob and Rohini Finch, founders of venture capital firm Talis Capital, were among the investors behind the rescue out of administration of Crussh, which at that point operated seven sites across the capital, for a total consideration of £640,896. In January 2024, Propel reported that the manufacturing arm of Crussh had been placed into administration, on the back of Sainsbury’s ending its purchasing contract with the business. It returned to the expansion trail last year with an opening in Kensington Arcade. This site is one of those now closed. 

Itsu hires new marketing director: Itsu, the healthy Asian food brand, has hired Annabel Mackie, formerly of Five by Five Global and M+C Saatchi, as its new marketing director. Mackie joins the Julian Metcalfe-founded business after three years as managing director of Five by Five Global. Prior to that, she spent more than six years at M+C Saatchi, including five and a half years as managing partner. Earlier this month, Propel revealed that Itsu was set to reopen two sites previously operated by franchisee Heart With Smart. Earlier this year, the three Itsu sites operated under franchise by Heart With Smart in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Reading were closed after Heart With Smart was placed into administration. Itsu will relaunch the 2,000 square-foot restaurant in the Scottish capital’s St James Quarter, in Register Square, next month. This will be followed by the reopening of the Itsu site in Aberdeen’s Union Square. The vast majority of the staff from both sites are set to return to the reopened Itsus. On its future franchising plans, Itsu chief executive Clive Schlee told Propel: “We continue to partner our other UK franchisees in Exeter, Leicester, Nottingham, Wembley and Windsor. As far as new openings are concerned, our franchising is focused on securing more top-class travel hubs in Europe.” 

Pub Invest Group set to open new Irish bar in Liverpool: Liverpool operator Pub Invest Group is set to open a new Irish bar in the city. Temple Tavern, which will provide live music with traditional Irish music sessions, will open in the old Reiss Liverpool Store in Liverpool's Cavern Quarter. The drinks menu will include more than 30 Irish whiskeys and rotating special offers, reports Insider Media. Operations manager Shannon Gaynor said: "We're really excited to bring this new Irish venue to Mathew Street. It's going to be an intimate yet lively pub with lots packed into it, from the detail that's gone into the interiors to the traditional Irish music. We're going to roll back pricing to what you expect from a local pub so we're going to be pretty unique compared to most city centre venues as well. We can't wait for the customers to give us a try and see what we have to offer." A total of 30 new jobs will be created at the new site, which will be split over two floors. Pub Invest Group operates more than 40 sites across the city centre. 

Phat Buns operators launch new fried chicken concept: The owners of better burger business Phat Buns have launched a new fried chicken concept. Hussein Sacranie and Ahtesham Moosa founded Phat Buns in 2019 and have since grown it to 16 bricks-and-mortar locations. Earlier this month, they launched virtual brand Phat Ville to sit alongside their Phat Buns and four-strong Doorstep Desserts brands – and said more concept to follow. The founders, who are currently preparing for Phat Buns’ overseas debut in Sharjah, have now also launched fried chicken concept Get Chicken’d. “Even while I’m halfway across the world preparing to launch our latest Phat Buns store in Sharjah, UAE, this week, I’m proud to finally unveil something we’ve been quietly cooking behind the scenes,” said Sacranie. “Introducing Get Chicken’d, the next iconic fried chicken brand about to take the UK by storm. But what makes this even more special to me is where it all begins – right here in Leicester. The same streets where we gave birth to Doorstep Desserts and Phat Buns. Back to our roots; back to where the grind started. If you currently run a fried chicken business and feel like the brand has gone stale, let’s talk rebrand. Or if you’re looking for the next viral fried chicken franchise the kind that doesn’t just serve food but starts movements, look no further. Get Chicken’d is ready to ruffle feathers.”

Alan Yau-inspired Duck & Rice to open second site next month: Duck & Rice, the classic Chinese food in a pub concept set up by Wagamama founder Alan Yau in London's Soho, will open its second site next month. A decade on from its debut in Soho, The Duck & Rice will open its second location, at Battersea Power Station, on Monday, 7 July. The original Duck & Rice, established in 2015 in Berwick Street, transformed the historic Endurance pub into a "vibrant dining destination, blending the warmth of a traditional English pub with the flavours of a world-class Chinese kitchen". The new Battersea venue will look to continue this, offering a 185-seat open-plan restaurant featuring an open kitchen and a raised bar area, serving beer, cocktails and soft drinks. The design takes inspiration from the aesthetic and atmosphere of South China's Cha Chaan Teng and tea houses. The menu at Battersea, designed for sharing, will showcase Duck & Rice's signature Cantonese dishes such as its Cantonese house roast duck (£37.50), pork and prawn shumai (£10.50), curry soft shell crab (£17.50) and half lobster in Laksa broth (£45).

Mollie's eyes Scottish debut: Budget motel concept Mollie's is lining up its debut Scottish site. The company has lodged plans to develop a motel in Edinburgh, on land near South Gyle station. Mollie's operates two sites – in Bristol and Oxfordshire – with a third planned to open in Manchester's Old Granada Studios this summer. The Edinburgh application, submitted to the city council by Lichfields planning and development consultancy on behalf of Mollies, states the plans are for a motel and restaurant with associated parking, reports Deadline News Agency. In February, Mollie’s new managing director, Matt Bell, told Propel the company’s ambition is to acquire two sites a year, and its launch in Manchester will showcase the brand’s versatility. Mollie’s is backed by a “strategic shareholder cohort” including majority shareholder Javad Marandi, who is also an investor in Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, along with co-shareholders David Elghanayan and Darren Sweetland, who was Mollie’s managing director prior to Bell but returned to Soho House to take up the role as chief financial officer for UK, Europe & Asia.

Shake Shack opens in Cambridge for fourth regional location: US better burger brand Shake Shack has opened in Cambridge for its fourth regional location. It has opened at 1-2 Petty Cury, in the city's Lions Yard, joining its other locations outside of London in Birmingham, Cardiff and Oxford. Shake Shack also has 12 sites within the capital and one at Gatwick airport's North Terminal. A further location, at Lakeside in Essex, closed last month and has since been replaced by a Popeyes. Since January, Shake Shack's UK operations have been headed up by Richard Franks, the former managing director of Vietnamese street food concept HOP and Mexican brand Chilango. Franks, who stepped down as managing director of HOP last summer after two years in the role, became UK business director for Shake Shack UK's parent company, Diverse Dining.

My Delhi secures fourth site: Indian street food concept My Delhi is to open its fourth site and second in Sunderland. The business has been named as the first new operator to take space at Sunniside Social, a new hospitality and leisure hub which is being developed in Sunderland.  My Delhi has signed a lease for a 4,089 square-foot restaurant at Sunniside Social, which forms part of the regeneration of the Sunniside neighbourhood. The site also coincides with My Delhi's third anniversary of its first restaurant in the city, which opened in June 2022. It also operates sites in Leicester and Newcastle. The company has previously spoken about eyeing national expansion. Elahi Shah Amin, director at My Delhi, told Insider Media: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening a new and improved venue at Sunniside Social in Sunderland city centre. Anyone who has been to one of our restaurants will know we take great pride in bringing the authentic tastes, sights and sounds of Delhi to our customers here in the UK, and this new venue will take that concept even further. We’ve been back to Delhi a couple of times recently, seeking inspiration for new experiential concepts, which we can introduce to the new Sunderland site and then roll out across our existing and upcoming venues, and it’s really got our creative juices flowing.”

Faber collaborates with Holborn Dining Room on seafood offer: Faber, the Yummy Collection-led concept, has launched a collaboration with British brasserie Holborn Dining Room. The pair have introduced a new seafood counter located at the centre of the restaurant in the Rosewood London hotel, which showcases locally sourced British coastal ingredients. A selection of Faber dishes will be available à la carte throughout Holborn Dining Room, showcasing ingredients sourced directly from Britain’s coastal communities. Dishes include Maldon oysters with rhubarb mignonette; torched Sussex Do’ya oysters with wild garlic and crème fraîche; Chalkstream trout tartare with soy, keta caviar, and nori; and John Dory with smoked eel and asparagus; alongside a Faber shellfish platter. Also available is an eight-course British Shores tasting menu featuring dishes such as sourdough-glazed Pembrokeshire lobster with radish, rosemary, and buttermilk; and Dorset devilled crab with an aged cheddar biscuit. Faber, which opened in Hammersmith in late 2023, is run by Anthony Pender and Matt Ward, the duo behind the Yummy Collection, and headed up in the kitchen by executive chef Ollie Bass. “Working directly with fishermen, foragers and producers along Britain’s coastline means we can showcase quality ingredients at their peak,” said Bass. “This collaboration allows us to bring that same commitment to local sourcing and seasonality to the heart of London, connecting diners directly with the people and places behind every dish.”

Apex Hotels acquires sites in Aberdeen, Berkshire and Dunblane as part of its rural expansion plans, profit boosted by gain on disposal of London hotel: Apex Hotels has acquired sites in Aberdeen, Berkshire and Dunblane as part of its rural expansion plans – bringing its portfolio up to 11 hotels. The business, which was founded in 1996, previously said that following the £53 sale of its London Wall hotel in July 2023, it would focus on expanding into rural locations, and that same month, acquired the Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry, Perthshire, for £3m. In the company accounts for the year to 30 April 2024, director Angela Vickers said that during the year, it acquired Meldrum House Country House Hotel and Golf Course in Aberdeenshire, "as the second step in the group's rural diversification strategy", for £8,640,000. This was followed post year end by a double acquisition in October 2024 – The Vineyard Hotel in West Berkshire and the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro, which will continue to trade as a Hilton Doubletree under a hotel management agreement. Propel previously reported that the proceeds from the London Wall hotel sale, alongside a new £47.9m and a £10m revolving credit facility with Barclays (due to expire in July 2028), would fund the group's growth plans, as well as repaying in full its loans with the Royal Bank of Scotland. The company's pre-tax profit for the year of £28,240,000 – up from £8,957,000 in 2023 – was boosted by an £18,924,000 gain on disposal from the London Wall sale. The 2023 figure, meanwhile, had included a £2,545,000 covid-related insurance payout. Its turnover increased from £74,818,000 in 2023 to £79,432,000. The company sold 420,530 rooms compared to 408,261 in 2023, at an average rate of £155.40 (2023: £146,97). Occupancy was 84.2% (2023: £78.0%) and revenue available per room £130.89 (2023: £114.69). Dividends of £2,205,000 were paid (2023: nil). Vickers said: "A robust year for the group with strong trading results and significant strategic developments. Group revenues were 6.2% up year on year due to increased room occupancy and yield rates. Alongside the growth in revenues, the focus remains on tight operational cost efficiencies. The group remains in a strong strategic position, with a wide geographical spread across key cities within the UK, with a developing and complimentary rural proposition to widen our guest offering. With a strong trading performance, the directors are confident about the future growth and extension of the business."

Gourmet burger concept that has Fireaway founder as a backer opens in Banbury for ninth site: Gourmet burger concept Five Akhis, which has fast-pizza brand Fireaway founder Mario Aleppo as a backer, has opened in Banbury for its ninth site. Five Akhis, which was founded in 2021 in Milton Keynes, has opened at 21 South Bar Street in the Oxfordshire town. It follows launches last month at 201 London Road in Sheffield 523 Alfreton Road in Nottingham. Five Akhis also has two sites in Milton Keynes (full restaurant and express) and one each in Northampton, Oxford, Preston and Birmingham. Aleppo invested in the fledgling business in 2023, taking a 5% stake as well as lending his expertise.

Padel operator Pure Padel gets green light for Nottingham site: Padel operator Pure Padel has received the go-ahead to convert a former bus depot in Nottingham city centre into a new padel centre. The company plans to turn the historic building on Iremonger Road, next to Notts County FC's Meadow Lane stadium, into a new venue for a sport. Posting on social media, Hayden Small, the national acquisition director for Pure Padel Clubs, said: "We've managed to secure the former bus depot in central Nottingham with plans to convert into a stunning padel centre. A fabulous looking building constructed in the 1920s, the space will accommodate seven courts with generous food and beverage space overlooking the Nottingham Canal. We're currently working closely with Nottingham City Council to deliver the scheme and simply can't wait to spend our £1.5m investment to transform this iconic building." Pure Padel currently has venues in Aldereley Park, Manchester, Moor Allerton and Lightwater and will soon be opening in Solihull, Darlington and Stockport, reports Insider Media. The Manchester-based company has ambitions to open 30 clubs across the UK within the next five years.