09/12/2025 10:01:00
Jamie Oliver is relaunching his high street chain, Jamie's Italian, six years after the business collapsed, causing hundreds of job losses, reports Sky News. The TV chef will start by opening a restaurant in London's Leicester Square next spring in partnership with Brava Hospitality Group, which runs another Italian eatery chain, Prezzo. He said the relaunch carried risk and opportunity, as "in theory it's not the easiest time to return but conversely, I think it's the perfect time". "I believe the mid-market needs excitement, surprise and delight and that's exactly what I am planning on delivering," he said. "I will drive the menus, make sure the sourcing is right, the staff training, and ensure the look and feel of the restaurant is brought to life in the right way."
Following a four-year partnership with JKS Restaurants, pub operator Dom Jacobs has acquired the entirety of JKS Pubs, reports Pub & Bar. Established in 2021 as a partnership between Jacobs and JKS Restaurants, the pub portfolio comprises The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea, The George in Fitzrovia and The Hound in Chiswick. Backed by a new US-based private investor, the group will move forward to the next phase of growth under the new name of Ardent Pub Group. Since the reopening of The Cadogan Arms in 2021, the group has expanded with The George in 2022 and The Hound in 2024. Ardent has reported 20% year-on-year sales growth and over 40% year-on-year uplift in group-level EBITDA.
A ground-breaking pub, designed to prepare young people with learning disabilities and autism for employment, has opened in Brighton, the Morning Advertiser reports. The project from Team Domenica, a charity that provides innovative and tailored employment programmes to people with learning disabilities and autism, has seen the launch of the North Star in the East Sussex town. The pub, which was opened by Team Domenica founder Baroness Rosa Monckton MBE, along with the BAFTA-winning actress Marisa Abela and food writer Nigella Lawson, is the first on-trade operation for the charity which currently runs three cafés and a coffee roastery. The pub aims to provide a space where young people with learning disabilities and autism can gain real-world hospitality training while providing the wider community with exceptional food and drink service. Fleurets sold the Brighton site to Team Domenica which completed earlier this year.
Global burger brand Shake Shack is setting up in Manchester for its first northern England site, writes The Restaurant. The new opening will take up residence at the Trafford Centre next March and marks Shake Shack's continued move beyond its predominantly London heartland. It will be the group's sixth regional site, joining its non-London restaurants in Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Gatwick and Cardiff.
Work has finished at Robinsons Brewery's £8.4m new brew site, two years after first being commissioned, says the Morning Advertiser. The new site in Bredbury is three miles away from the original Unicorn Inn operation in the centre of Stockport, where brewing had taken place for close to 200 years. All brewing ceased at the Unicorn site on 28 March 2025 and the new brewhouse has already seen the energy consumption drop by 12%. The company recently completed its milestone 500th brew at the new brewhouse. In addition, cask beer production and sales have continued to buck industry trends, with sales across Robinsons pubs five times the on-trade average, making up 28% of all beer sales.
Mitchells & Butlers is preparing to expand its Orleans Smokehouse brand in 2026 as the group continues to evolve its dedicated smokehouse format, following openings in Solihull and Upper Norwood. M&B's operations director Thomas Redwood confirmed that several sites are now under review. "We plan to continue growing the estate, evolving with market needs. While no sites are confirmed yet, several are under review for 2027 and beyond." The concept first launched in Solihull in 2024 and has since been refined through guest feedback and operational learnings, says the Morning Advertiser.
The Michelin Guide launches wine estate equivalent of a Michelin star, reports The Caterer.