Last orders: US private equity giant calls time on bid to buy pub chain Marston’s February 11, 2021 Platinum Equity Advisors today announced its intention to pull out of its bid to buy British brewer and pub chain owner Marston’s. Marston’s, which runs around 1,400 pubs, rejected a £690m takeover offer from the US private equity firm last month, claiming that the bid undervalued the company. The British Hobgoblin brewer has seen shares [...]
Rusty Rabbit is Europe’s first black female owned Champagne February 10, 2021 Lapin Rouillé Champagne, which means “Rusty Rabbit” – has become the first and only female black-owned Champagne brand in Europe. Sourced from a small single estate producer near Reims, Nichole Johnson’s Rusty Rabbit is made from 100 per cent Pinot Meunier grapes. Johnson’s Rusty Rabbit Drinks portfolio includes Brentingby True Craft Gin, Revel Spirits, California’s [...]
Spirited away: The Brits making their own brand of tequila February 8, 2021 Two Englishmen have founded one of the first British tequila brands, creating their own line of super-premium, 100% agave spirit. VIVIR is distilled in collaboration with the multi-award-winning Casa Maestri, using natural volcanic spring water and traditional production processes. “I worked for a food company and brought Bircher muesli to the UK,” says co-founder Paul [...]
Special wines to treat your beau this Valentine’s Day February 8, 2021 “We sold a bottle of Sine Qua Non The Hussy Roussanne 2000 to a customer for Valentine’s Day. It currently retails for £1,580. The most expensive bottle we have in the shop is the Macallan Lalique 2 55YO, which sells for £145,000.” Established in 2012 in the heart of London’s Mayfair by Russian mobile phone entrepreneur [...]
Don’t let Covid spoil Valentine’s Day – bring the party home February 6, 2021 Usually the first busy night of the year for bars and restaurants, this Valentine’s Day promises to be a more subdued affair thanks to ongoing restrictions. But don’t let that spoil the romantic fun – here’s a list of some ways to bring the party to you on 14 February. Boisdale Valentine’s Night Dinner Kit [...]
Cadbury returns to Birmingham in post-Brexit production shift February 5, 2021 The owner of Cadbury, Mondelez International, is planning to shift more Dairy Milk production back to its historic Bournville factory in Birmingham. The company announced a £15m investment at the Birmingham site, and from 2022 125m more Dairy Milk bars are to be manufactured there. Mondelez’ UK managing director Louise Stigant said Bournville is still [...]
How to host the perfect evening this Valentine’s day February 4, 2021 This will be the first year in over a decade I won’t be working in a restaurant this Valentine’s day. For hospitality professionals it’s the most dreaded day in the calendar for so many reasons – it’s the first busy day of the year, restaurant owners cram in as many tables of two as possible. [...]
Unilever restores confidence as sales jump 3.5 per cent February 4, 2021 Consumer goods giant Unilever today reported underlying sales growth for the fourth quarter, buoyed by strong demand in emerging markets. Sales rose 3.5 per cent for the owner of Persil, Dove and Marmite, meeting analyst predictions. For the full year, sales grew by 1.9 per cent but turnover and underlying profit dropped 2.4 per cent [...]