Sold

We report on business sales and ownership changes across the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, including restaurant acquisitions, pub disposals, catering firm takeovers, and brand portfolio restructures. Our coverage captures who’s buying, who’s selling, and why, with commercial context that matters to operators, F&B executives, and group-level decision-makers. Whether it’s a strategic divestment, private equity deal, or local venue sale, we break down what the transaction means for market positioning, leadership, and operational continuity across the industry.

Jan- 2021 -

27 January

Pubs and Bars

Tim Martin sells £50.3m of JD Wetherspoon shares

Chairman of JD Wheterspoon Tim Martin, has sold shares worth £50.3m to capitalise on the “significant buying interest” following the company placing last week. On 26 January, Martin announced that he sold 4,370,000 of the company’s ordinary shares at a price of £11.50 per share. Taking his holding in the…
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Dec- 2020 -

14 December

News

Chilango could ‘become the next Chipotle’, says owner

Sameer Rizvi, CEO of RD Capital Partners, has predicted that Mexican restaurant chain Chilango could become the “next Chipotle” after he bought it out of administration in August. In an annual letter published by the investment company, Rizvi said Chilango is “one of the strongest brands in the UK hospitality…
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1 December

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Caffe Nero snubs Issa brothers offer

Caffe Nero has rejected a takeover offer from the billionaire Issa brothers, after the chain revealed its advisors received an “unsolicited non-binding offer”, from a third party late last night. Yesterday speculation arose about the fate of the coffee chain, after Sky News broke a story about the brothers intention…
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Nov- 2020 -

30 November

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Issa brothers eye up Caffe Nero

Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the owners of British petrol retailing company EG Group, are rumored to have proposed a takeover bid for struggling highstreet chain, Caffe Nero. According to Sky News, the offer comes hours before the brand is set to request approval from landlords to cut the price of…
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3 November

Coronavirus

JD Wetherspoon to sell 99p pints ahead of lockdown

JD Wetherspoon has announced it will sell pints of its ale for 99p in a bid to clear stock before England enters into a second national lockdown on Thursday 5 November. According to the Guardian, this is the pub chain’s second time introducing price cuts on its products, following on…
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Oct- 2020 -

21 October

Food and Drink

Abokado unable to save 150 jobs despite pre-pack deal

The healthy fast-food chain has been unable to save the jobs of its 150 employees after being bought out of administration, according to The Telegraph. Five Abokado stores have reportedly had to close with immediate effect, while discussions over the remaining 14 sites are dependent on the landlord’s individual rental…
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Sep- 2020 -

14 September

Comment

The green initiative overlooked by the hospitality industry

The hospitality industry has a significant role to play if the UK is to achieve its ambitious recycling targets, and to this end there are many carbon reduction measures catering businesses have adopted in recent years. With the media spotlight on the problem of waste packaging, and food waste becoming of…
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10 September

Restaurants

Refurbishment planned for Llwyncelyn Hotel and pub following acquisition

The Llwyncelyn Hotel and pub in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taff, has been sold off a guide price of £249,000. The property is a large, late 19th Century, purpose-built public house and hotel that sits in a three-storey building made of solid stone with an attractive carved, classical style entrance way.…
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Aug- 2020 -

17 August

Restaurants

Tea at the Ritz diners targeted by credit card scammers

Scammers have targeted guests of Tea at the Ritz, the Ritz Hotel’s iconic dining venue, after posing as staff in order to steal card payment information over the phone. According to the BBC, the scammers, who had the guest’s exact booking information, called diners to confirm their card details. They…
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14 August

Comment

New branding trends for food and drink

In the highly competitive F&B sector, standing out from the competition is harder than ever. New products are launched every week and the market is becoming ever more saturated. Innovative approaches to visual design and branding are increasingly used in an effort to connect with the target audience on an…
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