19/03/2024 10:04:00
East Sussex-based craft brewery and taproom Beak Brewery has unveiled plans to turn a derelict warehouse in Brighton into a street food market, reports the Restaurant. The brewery wants to open Beak Market in a warehouse close to Brighton station, a community-focused street-food market and taproom. The food hall would comprise four 'affordable kitchen spaces', a speciality coffee concession and a flagship taproom showcasing brewery-fresh Beak beers and locally-produced wines. It is currently seeking support from the local community for the project in order for it to get backing from Brighton Council. If successful, it could be open as early as the autumn.
The Sybaritic Pub Group has taken on the former Hicce Hart site in London with plans to relaunch it as a neighbourhood pub. The venue was previously run by chef Pip Lacey and her business partner Gordy McIntyre with a 32-cover dining room and 52-cover pub space. However, Lacey confirmed last month she was in the process of selling the lease, 14 months after it opened, and the decision was "not based on success or monetary reasons", advises The Caterer. The Sybaritic Pub Group is also behind the George and Monkey in Islington, the Ninth Ward in Clerkenwell, the Temple of Foo in St Paul's and the Chapel Market Tavern in Angel. The pub is expected to reopen in early April.
Britain's top hospitality groups achieved like-for-like sales growth of 1.4% in February, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker has revealed. Morning Advertiser says that it continues a slow start to 2024 for the sector, after marginal growth of 0.1% in January in the wake of strong trading over Christmas. Patchy consumer confidence amid still-rising costs and economic and political uncertainty means many people remain cautious with their spending. The tracker - produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK - showed restaurants were hospitality's best performing segment in February with like-for-like growth of 2.2%, while pubs were only slightly behind at 2.1%. However, bars suffered a 7.4% dip in sales, reflecting a squeeze on consumers' late-night spending and a move towards earlier eating and drinking out. The 'On The Go' segment was 0.5% behind in February 2023.
Profits at Wells & Co. are on the up, with the fifth-generation family business sharing its financial results for the year ending 1 October 2023. The company's EBITDA for the period experienced a significant increase, rising by £800,000 from £8.7m in 2022 to £9.5m in 2023. Wells & Co., which is approaching its 150th anniversary, says the upturn was delivered through considered cost control and a focus on consolidating capital investments made the previous year, driving sales across the group to £62.3m, up £7m year-on-year. Pub & Bar reports that sales across its 130 leased and tenanted pubs helped to increase total revenue by 6%, while its UK managed pubs saw a sales increase of over £3m across the estate, with revenue from accommodation increasing by 25%.
Kirkstall Brewery is taking on the lease of the former Tetley's Brewery to renew its status as a "landmark of Yorkshire beer culture". 'The Tetley' building was built in the Art Deco style in 1931 and by the 1980s Tetley's Brewery had become the world's biggest cask ale producer, making the site an icon of Leeds beer history, even after its closure in 2011 says The Drinks Business. From 2013 until 2023 the building, which is located within the Leeds district Aire Park, operated as an art gallery. From May, Kirkstall will be turning The Tetley into a hub of the very best of brewing in Leeds, featuring beers from other breweries in the area, alongside brands from Kirkstall Brewery, Leeds Brewery and its owner and founder Steve Holt's most recent acquisition, North.
Big Fang Collective, the operators of crazy golf and cocktail bar brand Golf Fang, has announced the launch of two in-house concepts within its Sheffield site. From 21 March, the business will be introducing Nothing Cheezy, a new pizza concept, as well as a new gaming hub to be known as Big Fang Arcade, reports Pub & Bar. Nothing Cheezy arrives following the success of its launch in Liverpool. It specialises in serving NYC-style slices of pizza. The Sheffield location will be the first of the collective's venues to officially launch Big Fang Arcade, which will feature a blend of retro games of years gone by and a selection of current favourites.
Fuller, Smith & Turner and Greene King have been named Britain's most admired pub companies, says Morning Advertiser.