News

The latest industry news 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.

Aug- 2025 -

4 August

Chopstix opens first Huddersfield branch as expansion continues

Chopstix has officially opened its first restaurant in Huddersfield as part of a wider UK expansion drive. The site, located on King Street in the town centre, is the latest in a series of launches this year, following new outlets in Brighton, Leeds and Wolverhampton. The chain, which specialises in…
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4 August

Tasty raises £9.25m to support its planned acquisition

Casual dining group Tasty has raised £9.25m before expenses through a share placing and subscription to support its planned acquisition. The news comes after the AIM-listed company placed 1.7 billion new shares and issued a further 150.6 million shares by subscription, each priced at 0.5p. The price represents a discount…
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1 August

Punch Pubs welcomes strong year of trading as acquisitions ramp up

Punch Pubs has welcomed strong trading for the 40 weeks to 18 May 2025, as revenues hit £251.7m over the period, compared to £241.5m the prior year. Both its leased and tenanted and pub partnership segments delivered like-for-like underlying EBITDA growth against the prior year, with total EBITDA for the…
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1 August

Tough first half as mixed weather flattens June hospitality sales

Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June. It follows a drop of 1.0% in May, and means sales were static or negative in four of the first six months of 2025, with a warm April the…
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1 August

Buzzworks appoints former Hostmore CEO as non-exec chair

Scottish hospitality group, Buzzworks, has announced the appointment of the former chief executive of Hostmore, Robert Cook, to the role of non-executive chairman as it prepares to expand into the accommodation sector. Cook joins with more than 35 years of experience in hotels, having previously held senior roles as chief…
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1 August

Chocoberry revenues up 53% in H1 as it targets 50 stores by 2026

Leicester-based dessert café chain, Chocoberry, has reported a 53% increase in revenues in the first half of 2025 as the business accelerates plans to open 50 UK sites by the end of 2026. Chocoberry has attributed its performance to growing demand for its premium dessert offering. Founded in 2018, the…
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Jul- 2025 -

31 July

Greene King invests £42m into 130 sites in H1

Greene King has invested almost £42m into 130 of its pubs and smokehouse restaurants in the first half of the year. According to the group, around £24m has been invested in 62 pubs in the Greene King managed estate, comprising Greene King pubs and Destination Brands, despite the “challenging” economic…
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31 July

Zambrero UK launches franchise recruitment programme

Mexican-inspired QSR franchise Zambrero has announced the launch of a franchise recruitment programme, as it plans to open 100 restaurants in the UK by 2030. The company is already on its way to achieving its target, having recently signed up its first three franchise partners who will open new sites…
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31 July

Michelin-starred chef Nathan Davies opens Vraic in Guernsey

Michelin-starred chef Nathan Davies has opened Vraic, a new 24-cover restaurant overlooking Chouet Bay in Guernsey, bringing his signature fire-led cooking to the Channel Islands. Named after the Guernésiais word for seaweed, the restaurant focuses on local fish, shellfish and seaweeds native to Guernsey’s coastline. Davies, who previously ran SY23…
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31 July

SSP sales rise 6% in Q3 despite UK and Asia slowdown

Food and drink operator, SSP Group, has reported a 6% rise in sales in the third quarter of its financial year, helped by growth in Australia, Egypt and Malaysia, but warned of softer trading in the UK and Asia. The company, which runs restaurants, cafes and bars in travel hubs…
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