Greene King pubs report challenges are ahead despite revenue bubbling up to record levels November 30, 2016 Record revenue was reported in Greene King's interim results, but shares fell in morning trading and analysts warn of a hangover. The figures Adjusted profits before tax rose 14.6 per cent to £139m, and adjusted earnings per share were up 4.3 per cent to 36p for the pub company. Like-for-like sales increased 1.3 per cent, which was ahead of the [...]
Leave the beach behind and trek Europe’s prettiest mountain range, the Dolomites November 30, 2016 Sun seekers might disagree, but in my opinion there are few better places to spend the summer than the Alps, where you can find dozens of activities to suit everyone from uber athletes to Uber passengers. My family needed a little convincing too, before they’d agree to spend their holidays in the mountains rather than [...]
Working Lunch review: Smokestak in Shoreditch is bringing ‘cue to the masses’ November 29, 2016 Smokestak 35 Sclater Street, E1 WHAT? If you’ve been to a Street Feast in the last three years, there’s a good chance you’ve witnessed a scruff of beards lining up in front of Smokestak’s wood smoker, waiting to get those substantial follicles into some USDA grade brisket. Now, you can enjoy this sight all year round [...]
Carlsberg is launching a £15m rebrand of its Carlsberg Export in a last-ditch effort to save lager November 29, 2016 Carlsberg announced it will spend £15m in marketing its Carlsberg Export brand, in a push to save the lager. The new design will reflect the brand's Danish heritage while giving it a more premium feel. Read more: Carlsberg falls flat as profits miss expectations The design takes inspiration from the cross on the Danish flag and incorporates the [...]
Tesla Model X SUV review: Elon Musk takes a break from Mars mission to make a killer self-driving car November 29, 2016 No car brand knows how to build hype like Tesla. This relatively recent start-up (in terms of car manufacturers) has a boss who can generate hundreds of column inches just by tweeting. Every time one of its vehicles is involved in a serious crash, online forums are awash with rumours about the cause. And a [...]
Low-cost cakes beat Brexit blues as Patisserie Valerie’s owner reports profits and revenue are still growing November 29, 2016 Economic uncertainty doesn’t stop consumers from indulging in inexpensive cakes, the owners of Patisserie Valerie have found. Patisserie Holdings reported increased revenue and profits for the tenth consecutive year. The figures Revenue grew 13 per cent to £104.1m for the year ended 30 September, and online sales increased by 23 per cent to £3.8m. Profit before tax [...]
Competition led sales to fall at one of the US’s first craft breweries. What’s next for the UK’s craft beer market? November 28, 2016 A major craft brewery in the United States reported sales were down as new craft beers crowd the market, but microbrewers in the UK shouldn’t worry, according to the Society of Independent Brewers. D.L. Geary Brewing Co., founded in 1983, was the first craft brewer in Portland, Maine, helping start the craft beer trend take off in [...]
Portobello Road Gin is opening the UK’s first gin restaurant, hotel and distilling experience November 28, 2016 Portobello Road Gin is capitalising on the UK's "ginaissance" by opening an all-in-one gin-themed restaurant, bar, hotel, museum, distillery and off-licence shop. The venue, called The Distillery, is the first of its kind in the UK. The ground floor features a bar stocked with gin and a range of other spirits created on-site and abroad. The spirits verge on the experimental [...]
Lanzarote is far more fun – and far classier – than you probably think November 26, 2016 THE WEEKEND: With year-round sun and a large ex-pat community, this Canary Island has unfairly gained a reputation for being overrun with stereotypical ‘Brits Abroad’. However, breathtaking beaches, a diverse landscape and a new line of luxury resorts have made it an affordable and desirable destination for those yearning for a relaxing getaway. Former PM [...]
Interiors: Tara Bernerd looks back on her 15-year career designing hotels and elite residences around the globe November 25, 2016 If there’s one imminent interiors project in London that we can’t wait to sneak a peek at, it’s the show apartments for One Park Drive, a Herzog and de Meuron-designed cylindrical tower taking shape in Canary Wharf. It’s highly-anticipated, not just because the 472-apartment tower is one of the largest remaining undeveloped sites in the [...]
