What I have learned from eight years of sober Christmas December 22, 2025 The last time I had alcohol on Christmas Day was 2017, at the age of 40. This year will mark—excuse me while I count on my fingers—my eighth sober Christmas, enough to make a statistically valid sample. So I thought I would distill any wisdom I’ve gathered from the two slopes of the mountain into [...]
Canada Lights Up as City BIDs Unveil Festive Installations December 16, 2025 It’s now December, which means it’s officially the best time to see all the festive lights, trails and Christmas trees sparkling across Canada. This year, the City’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have unveiled an incredible programme of installations, trails and seasonal experiences designed to bring joy to workers, residents and visitors alike. [...]
Leon to close sites and cut jobs as it enters administration December 10, 2025 Fast-food chain Leon is set to enter administration, close a number of locations and cut jobs as part of a bid by its new owner to turn around the struggling chain. The company was bought back by co-founder John Vincent last month from Asda in a deal reported to be between £30m and £50m, well [...]
Covent Garden welcomes Guinness brewery December 10, 2025 Guinness has opened its fifth brand home in the heart of London as it hopes to capitalise on the growing popularity of the ubiquitous Irish stout. The mammoth £73m project in the middle of Covent Garden, which has taken six years to go from inception to completion, will see brewing return to the area for [...]
Center Parcs: New £450m UK site approved December 8, 2025 A new £450m Center Parcs holiday village is to be constructed in Scotland after the proposals were given the green light. A total of 700 lodges are to be built at the site approximately three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh, as well as newly created lochs, nature trails and a [...]
Jamie Oliver to bring back Jamie’s Italian in the UK next year December 5, 2025 Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is to relaunch his restaurant chain in the UK in 2026, seven years after its dramatic collapse. Jamie’s Italian is to be relaunched after a deal was reached between Oliver and Cain International-backed Brava Hospitality Group, which owns Prezzo. The chain operated around 40 sites across the UK at its height [...]
Hotels ‘fighting to maintain profits’ as costs rise December 3, 2025 Britain’s hotels are struggling with rising costs despite increasing demand, according to the latest data. Profits were flat for UK hotels between September and October at just over 38 per cent, and fell slightly from 43.3 per cent to 43.1 per cent in London, according to the RSM hotels tracker. This was despite a rise [...]
‘Maximum’ 20p increase for Spoons breakfast next year, says Tim Martin December 1, 2025 JD Wetherspoon will make sure the price of its breakfast doesn’t rise by more than 20p next year, boss Tim Martin said on Monday. The confirmation comes despite serious pressure on hospitality from tax hikes and food costs, with warnings of inflation across the sector. Speaking on LBC radio this morning, Sir Tim Martin told [...]
Where do chefs eat their Christmas lunch? We asked the best, from Chris Galvin to Jose Pizarro November 27, 2025 With every restaurant in the capital promoting a Christmas lunch special, how do you choose where to go? We’ve asked some of the capital’s finest chefs for their recommendations to help you make the right choice. Lewis Simmons, founder and head chef of Outback BBQ If I’m not manning the grills at Outback BBQ, my [...]