28/06/2022
The company behind London's famous restaurant and shopping concept Boxpark is working with property firm Cordwell to redevelop the old O&M Sheds on Welsh Back, in the city centre, reports Business Live. The regeneration plans for the 14,000 sq ft space - which will be called BoxHall - were announced in June last year, with a premises licence granted by Bristol City Council soon after. An opening date for the venue - which is expected to create more than 100 local jobs and house up to 10 food businesses - was originally slated for June this year, but this has now been pushed back to Easter 2023.
Hospitality "urgently needs relief" as inflation hits a 40-year peak of 9.1%, further barring businesses from profitability, warned trade bodies. The rate of inflation hit 9.1% for May - the fastest rise in 40 years - according to latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, reports Morning Advertiser.
Brucan Pubs, founded in 2018 by ex-ETM Operations Director James Lyon-Shaw and the former head chef of The Club at The Ivy Jamie Dobbin, have announced their fourth opening for their fast-growing portfolio of pubs. Brucan is leasing The Star at Witley in Surrey from Star Pubs & Bars, advises Caterer Licensee Hotelier News. It will undertake a £400,000 joint refurbishment with Star before reopening the pub's doors in late August, creating 25 new jobs.
The restaurant sector's post-pandemic recovery could be severely hampered by the cost-of-living crisis and a widespread lack of staff, says a new report. Revenues in the sector are predicted to grow this year by 26% compared with pre-pandemic level, equating to a £12bn rise in annual turnover over 2019, and a £22bn increase on 2021, according to Barclays Corporate Banking's latest study UK Hospitality's Next Challenge. However, the predicted growth could be stifled by soaring supplier costs and a scramble for talent, reports Big Hospitality.
Admiral Taverns has sold seven pubs, as part of its requirements from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), after its purchase of Hawthorn, the Community Pub Company. The pubs were acquired by FB Taverns following the CMA's announcement of the closure of its investigation into the acquisition by Admiral of more than 600 pubs owned by Hawthorn, advises Morning Advertiser. The sale of the seven pubs, which were the subject of undertakings in lieu of reference to the second phase of the investigation, is now complete.
Dundee named pub quiz capital of Scotland in new study on trivia nights, advises Daily Record. The research, conducted by online gaming website Hearts-Challenge.com, concluded that the City of Discovery has an average of 21.85 pub quizzes per 100,000 people.