07/10/2025 09:42:00
Shepherd Neame, has unveiled "solid" results with like-for-like sales remaining strong across its pub estate, reports the Morning Advertiser. The company, which operates 286 pubs in Kent and the South East, said that like-for-like sales in its pubs have remained strong throughout the year, and it has continued to outperform the market. Consumer demand has remained resilient, particularly in London as more workers come back to offices. Like-for-like sales in its retail estate increased by 4.4% with revenue at £82.6m (2024: £81.1m), up 1.9% while tenanted like-for-life pub income was up by 1% and revenue hit £35.6m (2024: £34.9m), up +2.3%.
The Wolseley Hospitality Group has reported a 7.85% rise in turnover in its latest financial results, fuelled by a combination of increased visits and higher average spend per head. The London-based restaurant group generated turnover of £64.2m for the year ended 31 December 2024, up from £59.5m the year before, advises The Restaurant. Profit at an adjusted EBITDA level fell from £5.8m to £2.8m, but pre-tax losses reduced from £8.7m to £5.8m. The Wolseley Hospitality Group, which is owned by Minor Hotels, operates nine restaurants in the capital, including The Wolseley, The Delauney, Brasserie Zedel, Colbert, Fischer's, Belanger, and Soutine.
Community pub operators Simon Woodcock and Richard Hepplestone have hit 10 sites after taking on a lease with Star on a pub near Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The Upton Arms in Upton received a £200,000 joint investment from the duo and pub company, which starts this week and will feature a new outside area and revamped games room. The capital expenditure project is Woodcock and Hepplestone's second with Star in 18 months, after a £198,000 refurbishment of the Black Bull in Ecclesfield last summer, writes the Morning Advertiser.
Hospitality investment platform Azzurri Group has completed a refinancing programme as it looks to roll out Dave's Hot Chicken across the UK and continental Europe, advises The Caterer. The four-and-a-half-year facility consists of a new senior term loan, as well as a new capital acquisition facility and upweighted RCF (revolving credit facility). The funds will support Azzurri's ambitious growth plans, which are focused on rapidly expanding Dave's Hot Chicken across the UK and launching the Nashville-style hot chicken brand in Europe in 2026. After making its UK debut in London's Piccadilly late last year, Dave's Hot Chicken has announced it is targeting 60 locations across the UK and 180 sites across continental Europe.
The family that runs four-star hotel Tewinbury Farm in Welwyn has completed its acquisition of Hertford House Hotel and the adjoining Quiet Man pub for over £2.2m, following the administration of their previous operator. All staff roles have been safeguarded as part of the transfer, with employees moving over to Tewinbury, reports Hotel Owner. The Williams family, which has run Tewinbury farm and hotel since 1931, said they intend to blend rural influences with the venues' town-centre location. Brothers Jack, Tom and Sam Williams, the third generation involved in the business, will lead the development. Elysia Wilson-Gunn, divisional director of Fleurets, handled the sale.
Honest Burgers, the British burger brand, is acquiring 12 Gourmet Burger Kitchen sites, expanding its restaurant portfolio to over 50 locations. The new sites will broaden the brand's footprint in London, as well as transforming their national reach, in bringing the Honest passion for quality and service to new customers across the Midlands, the South East, and East Anglia. With this, Honest Burgers moves into the accelerated growth phase of their 2030 strategy and has been facilitated by an injection of new funding from existing shareholders and a senior debt package provided by OakNorth. This will also be used to invest in a new state-of-the-art central prep kitchen, reports Hospitality and Catering News.
The most talked about pub in London, The Devonshire, has added three new private dining rooms to its offer, increasing its covers by 90, writes Pub & Bar.