Business

Billingham-based food service supplier Country Valley Foods has become the first north east business to join the Sterling Supergroup. The firm, which was recently awarded AA status by the British Retail Consortium, was accepted to the buying co-operative. The Sterling brand is a recognised mark of quality within the catering…

Chef and former iTunes head Martin Morales is due to open Andina Panaderia, London’s first Peruvian bakery in May. The bakery’s aim is to celebrate female Andean chefs and will be led by head pastry chef Ana Velasquez and the menu will consist of savory items such as Chancay bread…

London-based independently-owned contract caterer, Vacherin, has reported its annual turnover has risen for the 15th consecutive year. Figures published this week for the year ending 31 August 2017 show turnover at £19.7m, a rise of almost 15%. It is managing director Phil Roker’s first full year in his position and…

Jamie Oliver has been forced to surrender his Australian restaurant group as it was placed in the hands of voluntary administrators. The restaurants in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Parramatta are to be rescued by the Brisbane-based Hallmark. The group’s Canberra restaurant has been closed immediately. The Naked Chef had…

Fifteen major retailers or restaurant groups have gone into CVA or administration in the twelve months since the April 2017 Business Rates Revaluation, according to Colliers International, the global commercial real estate agency and consultancy. Ten of those have happened since the beginning of this year – in the last…

Deliveroo has revealed how it is working with restaurants to create additional ‘virtual restaurants’ in its state-of-the-art, delivery-only Editions kitchens. Deliveroo uses its expertise to help restaurants create, test and bring to market new brands that are only possible due to the nature of online delivery. The delivery company claimed…

Food and facilities company Aramark has announced a 10 year partnership with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. The new contract will see the two work together on an exclusive basis to enhance food concepts and delivery across workplaces in Northern Europe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. The partnership will enable…

Food and drink organisation, Taste of the West, has announced a new partnership with Beco Energy Limited. The company will provide its 1,100 members with energy, in a hope to show its commitment to sustainability.  John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West, said “We are delighted to have…

Average pay for temporary or contract staff rose at the quickest pace since last September, according to the new IHS Markit/REC Report on Jobs. Average starting salaries also continued to increase sharply in March, despite the rate of inflation softening to a ten-month low. March data signalled a further sharp…

Small firms and startups will be “hit the very hardest” by the doubling of auto-enrolment employer pension contributions, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). From 6 April 2018, the minimum amount employers must by law pay into workplace pensions increased by 2% of qualifying earnings, whilst staff contribute…