Welcome to Rise & Shine
If you have any news about your business you’d like to see here please contact our News Editor, Carolyn Moss, at news@breadandbutter.media or call her on 01305 575155. Follow us on Twitter @BreadButterNews for updates.
Robin Alway
Group Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS
Flat August for pubs, bar and restaurants
Sales growth slowed in August across the managed pub, bar and restaurant sector according to the latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker. Collective like-for-like sales were up just 0.2 percent against the same month last year.
Peter Martin, vice president of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group and RSM, said: “The wet weather can take some of the blame, with restaurant chains, which tend to do better when it’s raining, seeing a collective 1.1 percent increase for the month against a 0.3 percent decline among pub and bar groups.”
‘What will worry operators is that this performance is lagging inflation, now edging up towards 3 percent, by some distance. The underlying like-for-like trend for the 12 months up to the end of August is better, up 1.3 percent of the previous 12 month period, but that too is behind the inflationary curve,’ added Martin.
Mark Sheehan, Managing Director at Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “These numbers reflect the tough summer that many pubs and restaurant businesses have suffered. There is no hiding. These like-for-like figures are well below inflation. For restaurants particularly, they reflect the new openings over an extended period that have taken some trade from established operators. Pubs suffered from poorer weather in August compared to last year.”
Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM, added: “Promotional activity has increased significantly in 2017 and yet sales continue to stagnate, putting further pressure on margins. Despite this, the appetite of new entrants joining the market remains remarkably resilient with London set for a record 44 restaurant launches this month as reported by Hot Dinners. As consumer spending tightens and cost pressures increase, competition from new independents will simply add to the challenges being faced by existing operators.”
The Coffer Peach Tracker industry sales monitor for the UK pub and restaurant sector collects and analyses monthly performance data from 37 operating groups, and is recognised as the established industry benchmark.
Liberation acquires four West Country pubs
The Liberation Group are adding four pubs in the West Country to their Butcombe estate. It now has a total of 34 pubs, 10 of which have been purchased so far in 2017, a 42% increase in the size of the estate in nine months.
The four pubs acquired are The Quarryman’s Arms in Box, The Royal Oak in Prestbury near Cheltenham, The Horse and Groom in Malmesbury, and The Tavern in Melksham. Liberation paid a total of £4.3m.
Mark Crowther, Chief Executive of The Liberation Group, said: “These quality freehold pubs will fit perfectly into our growing estate. The West Country is the heartland for Butcombe, we’re continuing to expand our presence here… These four fantastic additions bring us another step closer to achieving the wider Liberation Group’s long-term goal of doubling the size of their estate to 200 pubs across Southern England and the Channel Islands.”
Florist to bloom in Bristol
The owner of the Botanist bars, the New World Trading Company (NWTC), is planning to open a new restaurant and bar concept in Bristol.
The Florist will open in early 2018 and offer cocktails, world beers, a deli, rotisserie and grill. Located in a 1800s Grade II building that was home to bar/restaurant Goldbrick House, it will have space for around 200 guests. The interior decor will be Victorian in style.
This will be the NWTC’s first venture in the South West. The company also owns The Club House and Smugglers Cove in Liverpool, The Trading House in London, The Oast House in Manchester and The Canal House in Birmingham.
FOOD & DRINK NEWS
Organic whisky finished in wine casks
Highland Harvest Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in French Sauternes casks from Chateau Dudon in the south west of France.
Made using organic Scottish barley, malted in Inverness, it is not chill filtered to “ensure that each bottle retains the maximum aroma and flavour created by the Master Distiller who has nurtured the spirit from a field of barley to the glass to be enjoyed.”
Winning an award at the World Wide Whiskies competition in the ‘Best Scottish Lowland Single Malt – 12 Years and Under’ category, in their tasting notes, the judges said: “Although probably a youthful whisky, it is well-balanced and very pleasant to drink.”
It is available to the on and off trade from Galleria GFG, Vintage Roots and the Whisky Exchange, or contact London & Scottish International Ltd on 01483 894650.
St Austell’s Proper Job secures M&B Castle pubs listing
St Austell Brewery’s Proper Job will be stocked in more than 80 pubs across Mitchells & Butlers’ (M&Bs) Castle portfolio for the next six months.
The award-winning beer is a 4.5% ABV IPA made with Cornish-grown Maris Otter barley and brewed with spring water from Cornwall and a blend of American hops.
Ben Lockwood, procurement manager, M&B, said: “Great cask beer is unsurpassable and has become an integral part of British pub culture. Cornish brewed Proper Job is no exception. The beer taps into the appetite for flavoursome American-inspired brews, while celebrating its Cornish heritage with St Austell Brewery. It’s a great product which is growing in popularity with drinkers, therefore Proper Job has earned a well-deserved place at the bar.”
EQUIPMENT NEWS
Comenda dishwasher takes bigger loads
The new version of Comenda’s F4EHR front loader dishwasher can take bigger dishes and larger loads while keeping the same footprint as the smaller F3E unit.
The under-counter machine manufactured by Comenda in Italy, and marketed in the UK by Hubbard Systems, has a Quick Heating System that cuts heat-up times and water consumption and has a capacity of up to 60 racks an hour.
List prices start at £4,007 and the FE4HR comes with a 24-month parts and labour warranty.
For more details, visit www.comenda.co.uk
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
Purple Cloud Consultancy
Purple Cloud is the South West’s leading training company for the tourism, hospitality, leisure and travel industry. As the only provider of the renowned Welcome to Excellence courses in the South West, Purple Cloud lead the way in customer service training. Working with high-quality trainers, Purple Cloud also offers a range of bespoke courses covering topics such as Leadership & Management, Team Building, Communication, Performance Management, Sales and Personal Skills Development.
Purple Cloud also annually hosts the highly acclaimed ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’, offering the opportunity to boost happiness, performance and business by creating a positive environment.
The seminar is delivered by Andy Cope, best-selling author in the areas of happiness, leadership and personal development. He has delivered ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ to rave reviews all around the world.
Andy shares some of the ‘secrets’ of Positive Psychology, focusing on learning new habits of thinking and behaviour that will sustain personal ‘brilliance’.
Too many people are simply ground down by the relentless pace of life. Most people have their eye on the weekend or a holiday in a wishing-their-life-away sleepwalk. ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ aims to get you to feel brilliant more often. Life’s too precious to be sleepwalking through it. This is a wake-up call!
Ultimately, the aim is to rejuvenate and inspire, with the impact felt at home as well as work. Andy calls it ‘the science of the bleedin’ obvious’…yet if it’s so obvious, why are so few people doing it?
Quite simply this seminar is life-changing!
‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ is being run on Thursday 15th March 2018 in Exeter. Visit www.purplecloudconsultancy.co.uk for further information and to qualify for an early bird discount.
FREE TICKETS TO Takeaway & Restaurant Innovation Expo
Bread & Butter Media is proud to be supporting the Takeaway & Restaurant Innovation Expo and would like to offer you FREE tickets to Europe’s biggest and most comprehensive event for the foodservice industry, taking place at the ExCeL, London, on 26 & 27 September.
This year they’ve pulled out all the stops to make sure you can find everything your restaurant needs to stand out from the crowd, attract new diners, increase the loyalty and spend of your existing customers, expand your empire and find brand new ideas that will transform your customers’ experience. Having doubled in size, this year you’ll find over 500 suppliers of the most innovative technologies, products and services from around the world to help you get ahead in this fiercely competitive sector.
Additionally, you’ll benefit from expert panel debates, innovation awards, interactive features, workshops, 1-2-1 expert advice, and it doesn’t stop there!
You can listen to over 150 brilliant seminars, from the likes of Paul Courtman – Franchising at McDonalds, Neil Mannas – MD of Pizza Hut and Robert Tame – MD and Founder of Prime Burger.
Whether you are a global chain or an independent takeaway business, this is the most comprehensive event for the foodservice sector and not one to be missed!
To register for your FREE ticket please visit www.takeawayexpo.co.uk
Kind regards
Bread & Butter Media
PS – Your ticket gives you unlimited access to the shows running alongside it, including the Coffee Shop Innovation Expo. For more information, please visit www.restaurantbusinessshow.com
EVENTS
September
Coffee Shop Innovation: Business Exhibition & Conference
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“The UK’s leading event for professionals working across the café, coffee shop, and catering industries! Packed with seminars, industry leaders, interactive workshops, and an unparalleled conference schedule, the event will draw over 3,000 decision makers from the coffee industry”
http://www.cafebusinessshow.co.uk/
Takeaway & Restaurant Innovation Expo 2017
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“The UK’s only exhibition for growing your takeaway or restaurant business. The event to help you boost profits, build your brand, grow your business, and much more!”
http://www.takeawayexpo.co.uk/
Restaurant Tech Live 17
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“Restaurant Tech Live is Europe’s largest exhibition dedicated to the emerging technology and services that are forming the future of the restaurant business.”
http://www.restauranttechlive.co.uk/
Bar Tech Live 17
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“Bar Tech Live is a brand new platform for the high-tech products, devices, gadgets, and services that will transform the look, feel, and future of bars.”
http://www.bartechlive.co.uk/
Hotel Tech Live 17
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“Hotel Tech Live is the UK’s most exciting event for the technology, systems, products, and services that are breaking new ground in the hotel sector.”
http://www.hoteltechlive.co.uk/
Restaurant & Bar Design Show 2017
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“The Restaurant Design show is the UK’s largest and most comprehensive event specifically aimed at restaurant, bar and café interior designers. This show will deliver the foremost in ideas, inspiration and creativity to food and drink establishment owners, architects, designers, and other industry professionals from across the country.”
http://www.restaurantdesignshow.co.uk/
Street Food Live 2017
26th – 27th September 2017
ExCel, London
“Street Food Live is Europe’s largest exhibition for street food vendors looking to start or grow their business.”
http://www.streetfoodlive.co.uk/
Feast Taunton
29th September – 1st October 2017
The Castle Hotel & Castle Green, Taunton
“Feast is a celebration of the West Country’s best local food and drink. From the farmers who rear organic livestock in pristine meadows, to microbreweries that create some of the most complex flavour profiles.”
http://feasttaunton.co.uk/
October
The Restaurant Show
2nd- 4th October 2017
Olympia, London
“This unique trade event caters to those owning, operating and working in restaurants, hotels, catering companies, cafes and leisure establishments across the UK.”
http://www.therestaurantshow.co.uk/
The Bar & Pub Show
2nd- 4th October 2017
Olympia, London
“The Bar & Pub Show will provide suppliers with the opportunity to showcase their products and services to today’s aspirational bars and pubs”
http://www.thebarandpubshow.co.uk/
The Conscious Hospitality Show
2nd- 4th October 2017
Olympia, London
“The Conscious Hospitality Show is absolutely in tune with the evolving consciousness of today’s diners and addresses the issues diners care about most.”
http://www.therestaurantshow.co.uk/other-featured-shows#SHOW1
Catering Kitchen Expo
2nd-4th October 2017
Olympia, London
“Catering Equipment Expo’ is organised by Bunzl Lockhart Catering Equipment who will bring their own ‘Trend Set’ innovations programme to the event to showcase the latest trends in the presentation of food and drink from around the world.”
http://www.therestaurantshow.co.uk/other-featured-shows#SHOW3
The Independent Hotel Show
17th – 18th October 2017
Olympia, London
“The business event for luxury & boutique hotels, the show presents a curated collection of over 300 innovative product and service providers from across the hotel supply chain.”
http://www.independenthotelshow.co.uk/
Future Food-Tech: Innovation & Investment from farm to fork
18th – 19th October 2017
The Tower Hotel: Guoman, London. E1W 1LD
“Future Food-Tech, London 2017 brings together investors, start-ups, and food and ingredients manufacturers to showcase solutions, share ideas, identify opportunities for innovation and forge new partnerships and alliances.”
http://www.foodtechlondon.com/
TMI Convention 2017
30th – 31st October 2017
Managing Destinations, Making Places – Innovation and Competitiveness
Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
“The convention will share experiences in place making, exploring how destinations need to design their visitor offers around authentic and distinctive qualities and experiences.”
https://www.tmi.org.uk/event/14/tmi-annual-convention-2017.htm
November
Food Matters Live 2017
21st – 23rd November 2017
ExCeL, London
“Food Matters Live is the UK’s only cross-sector event bringing together the food and drink industry, retailers, foodservice providers, government and those working in nutrition, to enable collaboration and innovation to support a sustainable food landscape for the future.”
https://www.foodmatterslive.com/