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.
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Jan- 2019 -11 January
Pub operator Ei Group to sell 370 properties for £348m
Ei Group, the largest owner and operator of pubs in the UK, has announced it has agreed to sell 370 properties to Tavern Propco for the cash consideration of £348m. The group closed 2018 with 412 properties and the disposal of the sites will be comprised of public houses and…
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10 January
G&J Distillers unveils new miniature bottles production line
International spirits company, Quintessential Brands, has expanded its first-class operations at the multi-award-winning G&J Distillers in Warrington to include a new production line for 5cl miniature bottles. The first run of the new production line was officially started by the local MP for Warrington North, Helen Jones, who visited the…
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10 January
Pubs and restaurants provide boost as consumer spending reaches low
Consumer spending grew 1.8% year-on-year in December, the lowest rate of growth seen since March 2016. With inflation at 2.3%, this equated to a contraction in real terms. Data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, revealed essential spending growth dipped to just…
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10 January
Sushi Daily expands to standalone restaurants with New Oxford Street outlet
Sushi Daily has announced it is to open its first standalone restaurant on London’s New Oxford Street. Previously, the sushi chain existed as a concession in branches of John Lewis and Waitrose however it has now followed smoothie chain Joe and the Juice in branching out of the stores. Sushi…
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10 January
Tech entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch reopen 17th Century pub
The Farmer’s Arms, a Grade II listed, thatched roof local pub dating back to the mid-17th Century, has undergone a major renovation as part of a wider rejuvenation of the village of Woolsery in north Devon. The former blacksmiths-turned-inn has been transformed into a pub and restaurant, with two bars,…
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9 January
Greggs reports a ‘strong finish’ to 2018
High street bakery Greggs said it had a “strong finish” to 2018 as it reported its total sales for the year were up by 7.2% for the 52 weeks ended 29 December 2018. This follows a year of “significant strategic progress” where the company saw 149 new shops opened in…
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9 January
Wallfish & Wellbourne Bistro closes after two months
Wallfish & Wellbourne Bistro has announced its closure less than two months after being collaboratively launched by two independent restaurants in Bristol. The bistro opened on 14 November in the city’s Clifton Village area and saw the Wallfish Bistro come together with the Wellbourne restaurant. Wellbourne opened in August 2017…
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9 January
Le Cordon Bleu London launches new wine programme
Le Cordon Bleu, a global network of culinary arts and hospitality management institutes, is launching a new intensive Certificate in Wine and Beverage Studies in London, in March 2019. The three-month programme aims to educate students about all the intricacies of “everything from Cote de Rhone to Shiraz, Craft Beer…
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9 January
Atalian Servest Food Co commits to reducing single-use plastics
Atalian Servest Group’s specialist B&I catering division, Angel Hill Food Co has committed to removing single-use plastics, starting the initiative at two of its largest sites. The global facilities management specialist is aiming to remove all single-use plastic disposables from its operation across central government estate contracts. To achieve this,…
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8 January
Greene King Christmas day sales hit £7.7m record despite cost cutting
Greene King has announced it hit a record sales figure of £7.7m for Christmas day despite cost cutting amid food price inflation, rising rates and wage increases. The pub chain also confirmed that it had seen like-for-like sales for the the last two weeks of 2018 rise by 10.9%. Greene…
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