Premier Inn owner warns of ‘mounting pressure’ of tax rises before Budget October 16, 2025 Whitbred, the owner of Premier Inn, has warned that tax rises are becoming more likely and could pose a serious risk to the UK’s hospitality industry. Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces a £40bn gap in the nation’s finances, which is ever-more likely to be filled by a tax-raising Autumn Budget. The target of those tax rises [...]
Gordon Ramsay to launch 24-hour restaurant in City’s tallest tower October 14, 2025 Gordon Ramsay is set to launch a new Bread Street Kitchen restaurant at 22 Bishopsgate, currently Canada’s tallest skyscraper. The restaurant, which follows the opening of Lucky Cat in the same location earlier this year, is expected in 2026 and will come equipped with a 24-hour liquor license to cater to international [...]
Why don’t London’s luxury hotels make any money? October 13, 2025 London is home to some of the most iconic and well-known luxury hotels in the world. The Savoy, the Ritz, The Dorchester and Claridge’s, to name just a few, are renowned the world over and have played host to the ultra wealth, celebrities and royalty. Also appearing in a string of popular films, London’s luxury [...]
The Savoy Hotel sheds jobs as losses widen October 13, 2025 Losses widened at The Savoy Hotel as it shed jobs during its latest financial year while a major renovation project started. The five-star London hotel has posted a pre-tax loss of £19.6m for 2024, having also lost £17.5m in 2023. The last time The Savoy Hotel made a pre-tax profit was the £5.9m it reported [...]
The Dorchester owner returns to the black October 8, 2025 The owner of five-star London hotel The Dorchester has returned to the black despite its revenue falling in 2024. New accounts filed with Companies House show the Dorchester Group posted a pre-tax profit of £3.1m for its latest financial year. The total is up from the pre-tax loss of £5.2m that it fell to in [...]
Five Guys: Losses widen amid European expansion October 8, 2025 Losses widened at the European arm of Five Guys despite its revenue rising during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The London-headquartered division has posted a pre-tax loss of £36.7m for 2024, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The latest total comes after Five Guys also reported a pre-tax loss of £16.7m [...]
Reeves urged to increase alcohol taxes to tackle workplace drinking October 8, 2025 Pubs and restaurants up and down the country could be forced to serve up higher booze prices as Rachel Reeves has been urged to add fresh alcohol levies to her menu of tax rises at next month’s Budget. The Institute for Public Policy Research, a left-leaning think tank with close ties to the government, has [...]
Reeves must reject this finger-wagging, fun-sapping, tax-loving nonsense October 8, 2025 The Chancellor may have felt in need of a stiff drink after absorbing the latest productivity figures handed to her by the Office for Budget Responsibility, and who could blame her? The OBR is widely expected to have significantly downgraded its productivity forecasts while at the same time conceding that it’s been overestimating productivity growth [...]
Square Mile darling Farmer J bags $23m funding to take on New York October 7, 2025 London’s fast-casual darling Farmer J is heading across the pond after securing a $23m (£17.5m) funding round to launch its first New York flagship later this year, Morning Wire can reveal. The investment, led by existing backer Beringea and joined by a new global hospitality investor, will also fuel three additional London openings before year-end, [...]
Chiltern Firehouse: Reopening date revealed after major fire October 6, 2025 A luxury London hotel popular with celebrities won’t reopen until April 2027 after a large fire earlier this year, it has been confirmed for the first time. Chiltern Firehouse in Chiltern Street, Marylebone, closed on 14 February after flames ripped through the Victorian four-storey building. The fire damaged parts of the ground floor, half of [...]