All articles by Georgi Gyton – Page 6
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NewsNew CEO appointed at Virgin Hotels Collection
Joe Margison has more than 25 years’ experience across investment, finance, real estate and branded businesses, joining Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group in 2015 as its chief commercial officer.
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InterviewsFamily brewers: ‘We are constantly trying to innovate’
They have decades of heritage to draw upon. But in today’s fast-paced pub and brewing sector, even the most established family businesses, such as McMullen’s and Everards, are focused on innovation, MCA’s Pub Conference heard.
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NewsHoni Poke gearing up for national franchise push
The poke brand is currently in discussions with a number of experienced operators regarding potential multi-site rollouts and is seeking further franchise partners as part of its growth strategy.
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NewsChestnut Group achieves 35% growth in revenue
Group revenue stood at £39.29m in the year to March 2025, compared to £29.08m the previous year, with the increase driven by both acquisitions and a 15.27% like-for-like sales increase.
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NewsChopstix Group swings to a profit
The Asian QSR group has reported a profit of £1.07m for the year to 31 December 2025 – up from a loss of £963k in 2024, with further expansion planned for the UK and Europe.
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NewsVeeraswamy court hearing delayed
Court proceedings between Britain’s oldest Indian restaurant and the Crown Estate were due to start on Monday 29 June but have been delayed due to “administrative reasons”.
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NewsHickory’s Smokehouse rolls out Hugh’s Law
The 40-strong BBQ restaurant, owned by Greene King, believes it is the first hospitality group to adopt the law which calls for statutory paid leave and job protection for parents of children requiring long-term hospital care.
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Analysis & InsightEngland’s World Cup campaign boosts pub and bar sales
Spending at pubs and bars increased by 17.3% over the first two weeks of England’s tournament, versus the previous two-week period, data from Dojo has found.
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NewsGail’s builds foundations of new ‘drive-to’ model
Head of property Michelle Pollard-Smith said the challenge was to create a welcoming and comfortable environment “within a large, cavernous unit in a business park setting”, while supporting its new business model.
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Analysis & InsightDrinks menus must adapt to meet new consumer preferences
With 18-24-year-olds “falling out of the pub market” understanding your proposition and the driving factors behind different demographic’s spending behaviours is key to growing in a challenging market, Lumina Intelligence’s insight lead Flora Zwolinski told delegates at MCA’s Pub Conference yesterday (25 June).
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NewsPret’s European business swings to pre-tax profit
Revenue for its UK & Ireland business declined from £725.7m to £693.6m in the year to 1 January 2026, which Pret put down to a shorter reporting period than the previous year and the divestment of 16 company-owned shops to franchise partners
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InterviewsRob Swain: ‘I want to make sure KFC remains the category leader’
The fried chicken chains’ general manager for the UK & Ireland speaks to MCA about the rationale behind its new Tenders & Dips range, the necessity to innovate and why he’s unfazed by increased competition
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NewsCask Marque rebrands beer accreditation to Perfect Pint
The Perfect Pint Promise is designed to give beer drinkers confidence that participating pubs are committed to consistent draught beer and cider quality, trained service and a better customer experience.
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NewsMulti-million-pound acquisition play drives record profits at McMullen’s
Turnover at its managed pubs was up 10.1% for period, with contribution to profit up by 20%, however current trading “has been challenging”
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NewsMarket Place to open London train station food hall
The 5,000 sq ft site is due to open this Autumn, within London’s Victoria Station. It will house 10 food and beverage concepts, and will host live screenings of major sporting events.
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NewsPizzaExpress to bring US hot chicken brand to UK
Houston TX Hot Chicken is due to make its UK debut later this year after the PizzaExpress group acquired the master franchise rights for Europe.
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Analysis & InsightZero-hours consultation: ‘There is still a lot up for grabs’
With the government looking to end ‘one-sided flexibility’, the hospitality sector needs to ‘outshout the unions’ to ensure the employment law changes coming in next year reflect operational reality
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Analysis & InsightMay revenue shows shoots of recovery emerging
Revenue growth returned across pubs and bars, casual and fine dining last month – up 5.67% overall, according to the latest Hospitality Sector Index from Moore Kingston Smith.
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Analysis & InsightWorld Cup already providing boost to pubs and bars
Overall spending at pubs and bars was up 72% on the day of England’s first World Cup football match on Wednesday, compared to the equivalent day two weeks ago, according to new data from Dojo.
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Analysis & InsightTipping rate falls but value goes up
Analysis of more than one million transactions found that the proportion of UK hospitality customers leaving a tip fell from 10.9% to 5.5% over the period from June 2024 to February 2026, according to Paynt