Today’s news in brief – 10/03/25

Bistrot Pierre has been rescued by Cherry Equity Partners in a pre-pack administration, ensuring that 10 sites will continue to trade and safeguarding exactly 394 jobs. However, the transaction did not include eight other restaurants which will close immediately, resulting in 158 redundancies. For the year ended June 2023, the group’s turnover decreased by £4m to £24.4m and experienced a loss of £2m. 

Chef patron Murat Kilic will open Ara, an all-day dining restaurant, in East London on 1 May. The 76-cover restaurant is Kilic’s third venture following the success of sister restaurant Amber. The self-taught chef grew up in Turkey where he loved to cook with his grandfather. Dishes will include grilled potato flatbread with homemade cultured butter, mussels skewers with roasted chicken wings in butter sauce, and slow-cooked short rib with date demi-glaze.

Australasia’s restaurant in Manchester will undergo a refurb in April. The venue’s new interior design will draw inspiration from the shoes of the Pacific and become “a natural, organic sanctuary”. The restaurant will be incorporating a baby grand piano into its new design for live musicians and DJs. The refurb will be led by head chef Lucie Sainerova, who was previously exec head chef at Novikov International and Raffles International. 

Compass Group UK&I has appointed a new HR director of its Business and Industry division. Hilary Goldby, who joins with 19 years of experience in the HR area across multiple sectors, has previously worked at Tesco, GEOAmey and Dixons Carphone. Compass Group’s B&I division includes contract caterers Eurest and Dine, together with integrated FM provider 14forty, led by CEO Morag Freathy.