09/06/2026 09:32:00
Terra Firma Capital, the private equity firm founded by former EMI-Music owner Guy Hands, is plotting a £300m bid for a package of hundreds of Stonegate's best-performing pubs, The Caterer reports. The private equity firm is among a handful of prospective bidders preparing to table bids in the coming days, according to Sky News. Terra Firma is understood to be mulling a bid for a package of around 300 sites from Stonegate's best-performing 'platinum' pubs, which are among those put for sales late last year in a bid to reduce Stonegate's debt pile. The pub group had previously mulled the sale of up 1,000 freehold pubs across its 4,5000-strong estate, which were valued at approximately £1b.
Wingstop UKI has been recognised as the fastest growing restaurant operator for the fourth year running on The Sunday Times 100 list of Britain's fastest-growing private companies. Ranked 50th overall, the brand revealed plans to create 1,400 new jobs over the next 12 months - the largest hiring commitment of any company featured in this year's list. The fried chicken specialist is on track to reach 100 UK sites this year and has outlined ambitions to grow to 200 locations within the next five years, Restaurant online reports.
Luxury Yorkshire hotel, Grantley Hall has acquired a neighbouring estate and teased plans for an expansion as the business looks to evolve, writes Boutique Hotelier. The hotel has taken over a 44-acre mixed-use land and property portfolio adjoining the existing estate, saying the acquisition forms part of its 'ongoing commitment to enhancing the estate and creating new opportunities for growth, innovation and guest experience'. Specific development plans remain under consideration and whether the plot will be transformed into bedrooms, spa or wellness facilities is yet to be determined. Grantley Hall was acquired in 2015 by millionaire businesswoman Valeria Sykes, who wanted to create a legacy piece for her family.
Hospitality and leisure businesses are continuing to expand and invest in experience-led offerings despite rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty, recent research has shown. According to Barclays' new Hospitality & Leisure (H&L) report, 65% of operators have strengthened spending on experiences in response to rising consumer demand for activity-led outlets such as golf courses and botanical gardens, which reported a 2.5% and 6.1% increase in cash flow rises in the last quarter. Half (51%) of H&L operators also planned to expand in the next three years. Across all H&L businesses, 88% of respondents said they were confident in their prospects over the next year, in comparison to 83% of businesses across all sectors, reports The Caterer.
Greene King has opened its first franchise pub in Wales and its 30th Nest Pub overall, confirms Pub & Bar. The Clive in Cardiff has reopened as a Nest Pub after a £350,000 investment by pub owner Greene King Pub Partners. The Clive becomes the first in a pipeline of openings in Wales that Greene King Pub Partners has planned this year, as Greene King looks to continue the growth of its franchise business through its Hive Pubs and Nest Pubs concepts.
More than a third of consumers planning to watch the men's football World Cup will do so from a local pub, bar or hospitality venue, new research from Zonal and NIQ has found. The latest GO technology report showed 34% of consumers planning to tune into the tournament expect to watch from their local venue, more than twice the proportion planning to travel to other venues at 17%. In total, 9.3m British consumers are expected to watch at least one game in a pub, bar or restaurant this summer, The Morning Advertiser reports.
More than 100,000 people have signed the #VATsTheProblem petition calling for hospitality VAT to be cut to 10%. The campaign, spearheaded by chef and pub operator Tom Kerridge, reached the milestone within the first three days, The Morning Advertiser reports.