08/09/2026 09:20:00
Flat Iron has been named the fastest-growing hospitality business in the UK, reports Restaurant Online. The 22-strong casual dining steak business, backed by McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan, claimed the top spot on AlixPartners' annual profit growth tracker. Flat Iron, which was founded by entrepreneur Charlie Carroll and is now led by Tom Byng, recorded an EBITDA compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 74.4% across its last three sets of annual Companies House accounts. Kent-based pub and bar operator Elite Pubs, founded in 2004 by Martial Chaussy, ranked second in the tracker with an EBITDA CAGR of 68.2%, followed by Fortress Operations, the McDonald's UK chief operating officer Richard Forte, with a CAGR of 61.4%. Urban Pubs & Bars, PA Crocker (McDonald's franchisee), Dishoom, Kefco Sales, Capital Arches (McDonald's franchisee), Fieldrose (KFC and Costa Coffee franchisee) and K&Z Holdings (Pret A Manger and KFC franchisee) completed the top 10.
Hazelbury Manor, a Grade I-listed manor house near Box and Corsham in Wiltshire, will be converted into a luxury boutique hotel by British fashion designer Jasper Conran. Conran acquired the 500-year-old property last year off a guide price of £8.5m and has now been given permission by Wiltshire Council to change the use of the building from residential to hospitality. Once renovation works are complete, the property will be home to 12 hotel suites within the manor house. It will mark the first UK hotel for Conran, who already owns two boutique hotels in Morocco: Villa Mabrouka in Tangier and L'Hôtel Marrakech, Boutique Hotelier reports.
London bar operator Inception Group will open a new concept inside Waldorf Astoria London - Admiralty Arch, the new luxury London hotel overlooking The Mall. The Admiral's Mess is a 60-seat, 2,400 sq ft bar concept that will sit outside the group's existing brands, including Mr Fogg's and Cahoots. It will join restaurant openings from Clare Smyth MBE and Daniel Boulud in the Grade I-listed monument, which is being restored by Reuben Brothers, in partnership with Hilton. The Admiral's Mess is the latest launch announced by Inception, following the opening of Mr Fogg's Market Tavern in Covent Garden on 20 July, reports Pub & Bar.
Soho House has confirmed plans to open Soho River House in late 2027, a riverside retreat in Windsor, Berkshire. The global members' club brand has used Oakley Court, a 400-year-old neo-Gothic mansion, as the base for its summer pop-ups for the past four years, but will now establish a permanent presence at the site. Once renovations are complete, Soho River House will comprise 93 bedrooms, including family rooms with bunk beds that are set behind curtains. It will also be home to a Soho Health Club, and the brand's first Soho House Racquet & Rowing Club. The 35 acres of land that Oakley Court sits within will be reconfigured to house outdoor wellness facilities such as saunas, onsen baths and cold plunges, reports Boutique Hotelier.
Red Engine, the hospitality group behind competitive socialising bars Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, has announced Exeter as the location for its next venue, reports Pub & Bar. The newest Flight Club will occupy the former Revolution site on Queen Street in Exeter. It will be the 17th Flight Club in the UK and second in the South West, following the opening of Flight Club Bristol back in 2021. Flight Club will be bringing 50 new job opportunities to the city. Beyond the UK, Red Engine's partners are soon to add five more venues to the Flight Club international portfolio, with openings in New York, Dallas, Minneapolis, Nashville and Brisbane on the way.
Westminster to 'better explain' vertical drinking policy. Westminster City Council has said it will clarify terms such as "vertical drinking" in its revised licensing policy following backlash from pubs, businesses and politicians, the Morning Advertiser reports...