03/02/2026 09:00:00
NEOS Hospitality has acquired 20 bars across the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co brands, and Coral Pub Company, led by Ted Kennedy, has acquired 21 Peach pubs. In total, 1,582 jobs have been preserved across both deals. The acquisitions expand NEOS's estate to 40 venues across 22 UK cities, writes The Morning Advertiser.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the creation of a nightlife commission as he prepares for new licensing powers aimed at bolstering the city's late-night economy, write the FT. An independent report published on Tuesday, authored by venue owners, promoters and civil society groups, has called for changes to night-time policies in the capital, including a London-wide licensing standard that could override local council decisions on opening hours and the sale of alcohol. Justine Simons, London's deputy mayor for culture, said the nightlife commission, which will be made up of industry figures, would use the proposals in the report to produce a blueprint to support the sector.
Pub operators say the Government's business rates intervention will ease immediate pressure, but caution that without permanent reform the sector will continue to face tough decisions. The sector has broadly welcomed the Governments plans for emergency business rates relief for pubs. However, industry leaders warned the measures fall short of the permanent, sector-wide reform needed to address rising costs. While many said this would provide short term respite, others cautioned it would not fix what they described as a broken and outdated system, writes The Morning Advertiser.
Almost three independent breweries per week were lost last year, new data has shown. Some 137 breweries have closed in the past 12 months, according to the latest UK Brewery Tracker from the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA). It means the total number of operational breweries in the UK as of 1 January 2026 stood at 1,578 compared to 1,715 in 2025. The pace of closures represents a 37% increase on the previous year, making it one of the sharpest annual declines recorded by the Tracker, reports The Morning Advertiser.
Soho House has completed its £2b ($2.7b) deal to merge with parent company EH Parent and EH MergerSub and become a private company, reports The Caterer. The move, which de-lists the firm from the New York Stock Exchange, was described as a "positive step" by CEO Andrew Carnie in an email to members. "It gives us the freedom to focus on what Soho House has always been about: looking after our members," he wrote. Soho House first announced its intention to move back to private ownership in August 2025 after four years trading on the New York Stock Exchange. It was to enter into a multibillion-pound deal with a group of investors, including MCR Hotels and actor Ashton Kutcher.
Freight Island has confirmed its fourth site in Leeds. The food, drink and entertainment venue will take over Trinity Kitchen at the Trinity Leeds shopping centre, reports The Caterer. The site owner Landsec has committed to a £15m expansion and redevelopment of the F&B area to transform it into "one of the UK's most significant food, drink and leisure destinations". The project will see the site expand by 30,000 sq ft to create a 63,000 sq ft of food and leisure space featuring independent operators and flexible trading formats, alongside an events and entertainment programme. The Trinity Kitchen Leeds site will become Freight Island's fourth UK location.
Campaigners urge King Charles to intervene as London's oldest Indian restaurant, leased from the Crown Estate, faces closure, reports The Standard.