Food and Drink

The latest news and updates on food, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Dec- 2021 -

13 December

Mercato Metropolitano MD to step down

Mercato Metropolitano has announced Amedeo Claris is to step down as managing director. Mercato operates a number of community street food markets with three sites in London with plans to open a European flagship in Berlin next year. According to the group, Claris is leaving to take up a new…
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13 December

Drinks sales dip for second consecutive week, CGA finds

Britain’s drinks sales have fallen short of pre-pandemic levels for the second week in a row, as average sales by value in managed pubs, bars and restaurants in the week to last Saturday (4 December) were 14% down on the same week in 2019, CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker shows. Drinks…
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10 December

McDonalds opens first UK net zero restaurant

McDonald’s has announced the opening of the UK’s first net zero carbon restaurant. The Market Drayton McDonald’s, which will act as a blueprint for future restaurants around the country, has been designed to be net zero emissions standard in both construction and every day operation. Featuring the “latest innovations” in…
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9 December

Woking opens two new F&B brands

Woking Shopping has announced the opening of The Tea Terrace Restaurant and Tea Room, as well as the opening of its sister brand’s debut restaurant The Ol’ West Grill and Diner. The two restaurant brands are owned by husband-and-wife duo Rowena and Ehab Shouly, bolstering Woking Shopping’s “rapidly” growing and…
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7 December

The Coconut Tree to open in Birmingham

Sri Lankan street food restaurant group The Coconut Tree is continuing its “organic” growth, with a new site set to open in Birmingham in early 2022. The eighth restaurant in its portfolio, following Reading and Bath openings in 2021, will join other branches in Cardiff, Bristol, Oxford, Cheltenham and Bournemouth.…
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6 December

One in five restaurants forced to shut amid supply issues

Almost one in five partner restaurants have been forced to close their doors during business hours over the past three months because of supply chain issues, according to a new survey by Deliveroo. Of the restaurants polled, 54% have had to remove items from their menus due to lack of…
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3 December

Boundary London acquired by Harcourt Inns

Founder of Harcourt Inns James McCulloch has purchased “Shoreditch icon”, The Boundary. McCulloch founded Harcourt Inns in 2014, with the acquisition and refurbishment of The Harcourt in Marylebone. It revealed the venue is currently “celebrated” for its rooftop, 17 individually designed rooms, dramatic basement restaurant and events space and street-facing…
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1 December

Pret A Manger announces new UK franchise partners

Pret A Manger has announced that Dallas Holdings and K&Z Group will become the chain’s next franchisees in the UK. A total of eight stores will be transferred to the new franchise partners in spring 2022. Pret’s Guildford, Bournemouth, Basingstoke and Woking shops will be transferred to K&Z Holdings, and…
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Nov- 2021 -

29 November

Drinks sales ‘edge back’ above pre-COVID-19 levels, CGA says

On Premise drinks sales in the week to last Saturday (20 November) edged 1% above the same week in 2019, CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker shows. The association revealed it is the “first time” that average sales by value in Britain’s managed pubs, bars and restaurants have been in positive territory…
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25 November

Wendy‘s eyes further UK expansion

Wendy’s is reportedly eyeing further expansion across the UK, having recently opened up a new site in Croydon this month. According to the Financial Times, the group has been “buoyed” by sales at the five UK sites it has opened since it relaunched in Reading in June. Wendy’s chief development…
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