This week’s Diary includes new horizons for MeatLiquor, Health Secretary having a Giraffe, growth at Patisserie Holdings, and gallows humour at Botanic Inns.
Brighton beef
The team behind MeatLiquor and MeatMarket is currently on site at what will its fourth site and its first outside London in Brighton. The group secured a double-fronted former retail unit on York Place opposite St Peter’s Church in the city last year. Since then the debate has centred around what name the group will settled on for the new opening. One suggestion was another MeatLiquor, but this has apparently been passed up for something more local, with the licence application stating that the trading name for the unit will be MeatBrighton. While that is the next UK launch taken care of, Diary also understands that the business is continuing to look across the Channel at openings in European cities, with Antwerp and Paris on the target list.
Neck on the line
Tesco has long been an emotive subject around the country, especially with independent retailers competing against its stores. Giraffe experienced some of that negative feeling when it was acquired by the supermarket behemoth earlier this year. However, one independent newsagent is using the deal in his attempts to stop the supermarket giant from opening one of its Express convenience stores next to his business. Hari Patel has suggested that Tesco opens a Giraffe restaurant instead of an Express store on the site and has won the backing of South West Surrey MP (and Health Secretary) Jeremy Hunt. Patel said: “I hit upon the idea when I was reading an article recently about Tesco having bought Giraffe and thought the idea was definitely worth pursuing. It would be wonderful if Tesco could open a Giraffe next door to us rather than an Express store. The site is perfect for food and drink, and as well as a main space, it has a really good size room at the back which could be used for private parties, or for normal dining.” Food for thought for Tesco.
Patisserie perfection
There is a lot to admire about Patisserie Holdings, the Risk Capital-backed, Paul May-led group, which currently operates just 100 sites across the UK. And a recent look at some of its numbers back this point up. May told Diary before Christmas that he believed the group’s Patisserie Valerie could grow by another 100-150 sites within the UK, was looking at further openings in transport hubs and setting up in-store concessions. Since 2006, sales have grown from £5m to £61m, while staff numbers have gone from 250 to 2,500, with the chain employing 120 new people every month. It plans to add c20 new sites this year and currently opens an average of one store every three weeks. Impressive stuff.
Poacher to gamekeeper
Regular readers of M&C’s sister title Restaurant will be familiar with the name Joe Lutrario, its award-winning senior reporter. What many won’t know is that Joe has a background in cooking as well as journalism, and has now set up a pizza business with school friend Jake Fitch in their home town of Lewes, East Sussex. Called Pleb - Pizza Roman, the venture will debut to the public at the Lewes Precinct on Sunday 22 June, selling a range of four pizzas cooked in an authentic wood-burning oven and made from slow-fermented dough. Diary had a sneak preview of the produce over the weekend and can confirm that it’s definitely worth a bite.
Botanic sins
It’s been a bad few days for administrations in the sector, with news this morning that Northamptonshire-based HK Taverns has folded, which followed the collapse of Botanic Inns yesterday. The latter company employed some gallows humour after its demise. The Belfast-based pub, restaurant and hotel operator Tweeted a link to a picture of Father Jack, the foul-mouthed drunken priest from Father Ted, and the caption read simply: “There’s nothing for it but to drink.”
Brewing with Sugar
Happier news now, and Diary was delighted to find out that this evening’s episode of the Apprentice covers a subject close many to M&C readers’ hearts. The candidates will be tasked with devising a new beer flavour. One team apparently goes for rhubarb (obviously), brewed at Marstons’ Bank’s Brewery, and another chooses a chocolate orange concoction. The teams then have to sell their wares at a Pitcher & Piano in Richmond. Meanwhile, BrewDog’s publicity shy co-founder James Watt is set to appear in the aftershow programme You’re Fired. Let’s hope there will be some brew-sky thinking all round.
Dog shop
Talking of BrewDog, could the brewer/pub operator be looking to add a third string to its bow? James Watt Tweeted today: “If we did open a craft beer bottle shop, what should we call it? Bottle Dog? Hop Shop? Bottle Royale? Ideas appreciated!” Diary will wait and see, although he suspects that the BrewDog man simply can’t get enough of punning.
Mike Tyre
Hats off to Spirit CEO Mike Tye, commercial director Clive Briscoe and Ian Marchant, HR director - operations, for raising £800 for Prostate Cancer UK in a recent ‘beat the boss’ cycling challenge, in which employees are asked to challenge the three during a five-minute static cycle race. It’s a prelude to the trio looking to raise £50k for a 100 mile ride from London to Paris in August. Good luck, chaps.
I do like to be beside the M&C-side
Those eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that in terms of length and quality of story, last Friday morning’s notes were not of the standard M&C Report usually likes to live up to. The reason was our annual strategy meeting and an evening out in Brighton the previous day, which included celebrating the success of the past year (subscriptions up 60% on the previous 12 months, for which we thank you). We would also like to blame the hospitality at La Tasca’s first unbranded site, a few of the city’s top drinking holes and too many hours of karaoke at the local Lucky Voice outlet. We will forgo the image of the team struggling to write coherently at 6.30 the next morning!
