Investment
Our coverage tracks financial activity shaping the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, from venture capital and private equity backing to corporate acquisitions, refinancing deals, and growth funding. Our reporting is focused on the operators, brands, and concepts attracting capital, and what that means for the wider industry. Whether you’re a restaurant group seeking funding, a pub chain monitoring market valuations, or a catering contractor analysing competitor growth, our investment coverage delivers intelligence that helps business leaders understand where money is flowing, and why. Expect deep dives, expert commentary, and deal-by-deal context, all tailored to the foodservice trade.
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Dec- 2023 -20 DecemberComment
Five AI predictions for the industry in 2024
This time last year, I said that the adoption of AI would accelerate massively in the hospitality sector. Look where we are today – only 12 months on – and ChatGPT, which was then unknown, has now become omnipresent. The news is filled with headlines like ‘AI will end work’.…
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18 DecemberNews
Today’s news in brief – 18/12/23
Hackney Gelato has secured a substantial £1.3m follow-on investment from Pembroke VCT. The funding is set to bolster production, team recruitment, and consumer-oriented marketing efforts. The brand plans to diversify by venturing into new out-of-home spaces like cinemas, theatres, and airlines. Co-founders Enrico Pavoncelli and Sam Newman express their commitment…
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18 DecemberFood and Drink
Hackney Gelato secures £1.3m investment
Hackney Gelato has secured a £1.3m follow-on investment from venture capital trust Pembroke VCT to fuel global expansion. The new funding will support increased production, recruitment into the team and a consumer marketing drive. Hackney Gelato is also targeting an expansion into new international markets and further growth in the…
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15 DecemberNews
Today’s news in brief – 15/12/23
Some 61% of hospitality leaders plan to adopt new tech solutions in the coming year, CGA and Fourth have found. The study highlighted staff scheduling as a top benefit, recognized by 55% of leaders, followed by payroll and onboarding support. This investment is seen to enhance productivity (81%) and boost…
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15 DecemberNews
Hospitality leaders plan tech investments in 2024, CGA reveals
Three in five hospitality leaders plan to invest in new technology solutions in 2024, with employees their main area of focus, new research from CGA by NIQ and Fourth showed. The latest edition of the Business Confidence Survey reveals 61% of leaders intend to implement new solutions over the next…
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14 DecemberNews
Today’s news in brief – 14/12/23
HMRC has initiated a crackdown on restaurants that use illegal software to manipulate sales records. Following an amnesty deadline, raids have begun at 24 restaurants and takeaways. This software, known as Electronic Sales Suppression (ESS), hides or reduces card sales to evade tax. Businesses not coming forward could face criminal…
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14 DecemberNews
Amber Taverns to open four new pubs amid expansion plans
Amber Taverns, the operator of 170 freehold community, wet-led pubs, has announced that it has completed another four new sites, further expanding the company’s presence to four new locations, Derby, Bridgend, Airdrie and Motherwell in Scotland. A value-focused pub group, which is uniquely focused on the hybrid operator-managed business model,…
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13 DecemberNews
Today’s news in brief – 13/12/23
November saw a 4% year-on-year rise in sales for leading hospitality groups, the CGA RSM hospitality business tracker revealed, which has extended a 14-month streak of like-for-like sales increases. While pubs surged 5% and restaurants hit 4.9% growth, bars saw a 6.9% decline. Notably, London’s total sales growth of 3.5%…
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13 DecemberPubs and Bars
Proper Pubs opens 200th pub in Glasgow
Proper Pubs, the community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, has opened its 200th pub, the Chrystal Bell, in Gallowgate, Glasgow, ahead of Christmas. The news of the group’s 200th opening comes after Proper Pubs invested over £10m into its estate to support local communities, with 17 pubs having opened…
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7 DecemberBreweries and Distilleries
Hydes Brewery appoints new GM at the Hornsmill
North West brewery and pub retailer Hydes Brewery has appointed Sam Self as the new general manager at its premium dining pub, the Hornsmill at Helsby. With almost 15 years of experience in the hospitality trade and having worked at managerial level in and around Merseyside and Cheshire, Self was…
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