21/10/2025 09:38:00
Amber Taverns has reported a 3.5% uptick in like-for-like sales and shared plans to open 17 new sites in the next 12-months, demonstrating its "resilience", reports the Morning Advertiser. In its year under review, the group posted record turnover of £119.9m, up from £110.3m in 2024, an increase of 9%. Operating profit was £19.7m, up 10% on the previous year (2024: £17.8m), while profit before tax stood at £19.1m, up 7% on the previous year (2024: £17.9m). Total like-for-like sales increased 3.5% in the year under review with a particularly strong H1, which benefitted from the Euros Football Championship in June and July 2024. Like-for-like sales in the last 12 weeks were also up 5%, the group added.
The number of hospitality businesses entering insolvency dropped 19% over the summer as warm weather boosted trading, says The Caterer. There were 265 accommodation and food service company insolvencies in August this year, according to government data. This was down from the 327 insolvencies recorded in July, which was the highest monthly figure since November 2024. Saxon Moseley, partner and head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said the drop was likely to be only a temporary relief to the industry. "This was helped by good weather over the summer, encouraging consumers to go out and socialise, which led to GDP growth of 1.2% in the sector in August. But with food inflation really biting and challenges passing on further cost increases, it's unlikely this decline in insolvencies will continue," he said.
A cross-party group of MPs has called for sweeping fiscal reform to help pubs and brewers unlock growth and investment, warning that current tax and regulatory pressures are stifling the sector's potential. The All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) report, How Brewing and Pubs Can Help Drive Economic Growth, outlines a 10-point plan for Government to include pubs and breweries at the heart of the UK's growth strategy. Compiled from extensive evidence from brewers, pub companies, trade bodies and charities, the inquiry highlights the sector's economic weight: 1,700 breweries and 45,000 pubs across the UK supporting more than one million jobs and contributing £34.3bn in GVA and £18bn in annual tax revenue, writes the Morning Advertiser.
The city of Bath will soon have a new taproom within its walls, as Electric Bear Brewing Co. prepares to open its first standalone site, advises Pub & Bar. On Friday 24 October, The Cub will open in Shires Yard, serving the independent craft brewery's range of IPAs, sours and stouts, which are all brewed on the edge of Bath. "This is a seriously exciting step for our independent brewery as we venture into the city centre," says Libby Baggett, operations and marketing manager at Electric Bear Brewing Co.
Red Engine, the owners of Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, has secured a £10m lending facility to accelerate growth across the UK and internationally, reports The Caterer. Over the past 18 months, the competitive socialising business has secured a total of £70m in funding to support its ongoing site rollout and capital investment programme. It was reported that Red Engine is aiming to open 84 venues by the end of 2030. The new financing comes from Santander UK, HSBC UK and Barclays UK Corporate Bank. Red Engine launched its first Flight Club in London's Shoreditch in 2015 and its first Electric Shuffle in London's Canary Wharf in 2019. There are currently 28 Flight Clubs and nine Electric Shuffles.
The Belsfield Hotel in the Lake District is undergoing a £25m redevelopment as its new owner sets his sights on creating a five-star destination, advises Boutique Hotelier. Richard Berry acquired the Windermere venue in May under his firm, GGE Ltd, from London-based real estate investor Millemont. Now plans are underway for a major redevelopment of the hotel, which include the creation of a new spa, 'fresh look' for the building's exterior and a refurbishment of its guest bedrooms and suites. The Belsfield Hotel was originally built in 1846 as a private summer residence for Baroness Catherine de Sternberg.
Soho House founder Nick Jones will open a 90-room hotel above his Corner Shop 180 deli and café along the Strand next year, writes Restaurant Online.