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.

Mar- 2020 -

2 March

Catering Companies

Vacherin joins independent caterer CH&CO

Boutique caterer Vacherin has announced it has joined independent caterer CH&CO. Vacherin, based in London’s Hatton Garden area, has an annual turnover of £30m and operates from 45 locations across London working with a broad range of clients. It was founded in 2002 by Mark Philpott and Clive Hetherington and…
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Feb- 2020 -

25 February

Business Bites

Chlorinated chicken ain’t the way

The European Union will insist that the UK retains the current ban on chlorinated chicken as part of any free trade agreement that might be struck by the end of this year. It taps into one of the most symbolic arguments made during the last three years by those who…
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24 February

Government

Hospitality insolvencies at highest level in seven years

Insolvencies in the hospitality sector increased by 10.4% in 2019, the highest amount in seven years, according to analysis by real estate adviser Altus Group under the Freedom of Information Act. The Insolvency Service, an agency of The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, paid out a total a…
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21 February

Business Bites

Barclays as Big Brother, storms batter insurance companies, Redcar steels itself for renewal

The TUC says Barclays’ surveillance of its employees is ‘dystopian’ after it was revealed the bank uses software to monitor how long employees spend at their desks and issues warnings if they are away for too long. Bosses have been running a test of the system in the London office…
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21 February

Restaurants

Manchester’s Mr Cooper’s to relaunch as Mount Street Dining Room & Bar

Manchester restaurant Mr Cooper’s has announced it will relaunch later this year as Mount Street Dining Room and Bar. The casual dining restaurant located at The Midlands Hotel in Manchester will be fronted by the hotels executive chef Brian Spark, and will serve “British classics with a twist.” The menu…
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19 February

Government

New immigration laws will be ‘disastrous’ for hospitality, says UKH

Kate Nicholls, the CEO of hospitality trade body UK hospitality, has said the government’s proposed pos-brexit immigration laws will be “disastrous” for the sector. The new proposals unveiled by the government today (19 February) are aimed to “urge” employers from moving away from “cheap labour” in favour of investing in…
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18 February

Business Bites

HSBC to cut 35,000 jobs, new chancellor sticks to schedule, Bezos creates $10bn ‘Earth fund’

HSBC has announced plans to cut 35,000 jobs over the next three years after a dire set of financial results. Profits have fallen by 33% year on year and that is before the impact of the coronavirus can even be fully measured in Q1 and the months to come. The…
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14 February

Business Bites

German stagnation, Javid out, RBS gets environmental, Norton no-show

The German economy has stagnated due to significant falls in spending and exports. New figures show that GDP ‘flat lined’ (financial jargon for neither growing nor contracting) in the final quarter of 2019, bad news since economists and analysts had hoped that it would grow about 0.1%. It means Germany’s…
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11 February

Pubs and Bars

Blind Tiger Inns announces three new lease sites

North West pub company Blind Tiger Inns has announced it is taking leases on three new pubs with Star Pubs and Bars. The new sites include The Station at Preston, The Victoria at Aigburth and Burnley-based the Park View, taking its estate to 18 leased sites, 17 of which are…
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10 February

Business

HMRC yields £16 from small businesses for every £1 spent on staff

HMRC’s investigations into individuals and small businesses produced a yield of approximately £16 for every £1 spent on staff last year, according to research by international law firm Pinsent Masons. The firm said the “huge” return on investment in staff outweighs returns seen by other private sector businesses. Whilst HMRC’s…
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