All MCA Insight articles in October 2019
View all stories from this issue.
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NewsRockfish reveal sales hike
Rockfish, the seven-strong seafood chain run by Mitch Tonks, has revealed a sales uplift of 15% to £7.95m for the year end 2019. Tonks said the last 12 months had represented a “real turning point for our business. We saw some tremendous like-for-like sales, opened one restaurant but also paused to consider what was going on in the wider industry and economy and focused on strengthening our senior team and building the pipeline for the future.
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NewsUK Hospitality and the BBPA urge action on business rates
Trade bodies UK Hospitality and the BBPA have slammed the current level of business rates as “unfair” and a ”burden” on the hospitality industry. Welcoming a House of Commons Treasury Committee’s report on the Impact of Business Rates on Business, UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said: “We’re pleased to see the Committee recognising the burden of business rates has grown and the system no longer works. The current system is nowhere near flexible enough and it has directly contributed to the decline of high streets.
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NewsPatisserie Valerie unveils its vision of the future
The bakery chain is overhauling its menu and branding, promising ‘no more frozen pies in microwaves’. But can its new owners secure its place on the high street?
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NewsGetting a taste for New Product Development
Regardless of their industry, innovation is widely recognised as the lifeblood of organisations. If we focus on new product development (NPD), then MCA’s Menu Tracker analysis for Spring/Summer 2019 shows that it is getting ever more prevalent. Looking at over 8,000 dishes across over 110 operators in the London region, over 600 were flagged as ‘new’ on menus. This equates to 8%, significantly higher than the 4% and 6% seen in previous years.
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NewsKFC UK sees sales up 6% in Q3
KFC UK achieved a 6% sales increase for the third quarter ended 30 September 2019, resulting in a +14% increase for the year-to-date.
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NewsPubs of Distinction looking to exit sector
Pubs of Distinction is looking to exit the pub sector and has placed its three free-of-tie pubs on the market.
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NewsStar Pubs to launch new digital marketing support package
Star Pubs & Bars is to launch a new digital marketing support package for its licensees after partnering with a selection of online hospitality specialists.
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NewsBrasserie Bar Co sees growth coming from pubs
Brasserie Bar Co is to open its 20th White Brasserie, in Prestbury, Gloucestershire, before the end of the year, as it looks to capitalise on the growth seen in its pub arm.
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NewsGreene King acquisition completes
CK Bidco has completed its acquisition of Greene King, with the pub operator and brewer’s share listing now cancelled on the London Stock Exchange.
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NewsYo! teams up with Movember
Yo! has teamed up with Movember to raise awareness of mental health among men, following a startling report by Nestle Professional which claimed eight in ten chefs have experienced poor mental health during their careers. Yo! will host a panel discussion with Movember and Countertalk, an organisation which helps connect industry bodies, which will encourage people to be more open about mental health. The panel will include Yo! HR director Alyson Hancock, Sarah Coghlan, global health promotion director at Movember and Merly Kammerling, from Me, Myself and Mind.
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NewsUKH highlights hospitality’s role in National Food Strategy
UKHospitality has highlighted the areas in which the hospitality sector could help achieve the Government’s development of a National Food Strategy, if it has support, in its submission to Defra.
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OpinionGoing Global – India: maker and destroyer of dreams
In his latest column Going Global column for MCA, international franchising expert Jasper Reid discusses the huge opportunities to be had in the country of contradiction – and why scale, and a long-term view, is key.
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NewsNotorious BLT: How one sandwich shop has raised the bar for lunch
Is £9.50 a reasonable price for a sandwich? What about in London? What if this sandwich has a Michelin star? True, the sandwich I’m talking about doesn’t, but Sons + Daughters (S+D) is the sandwich shop opened in September by Pidgin, a critically-acclaimed restaurant that held a Michelin star in 2017. And this upmarket offer shines a light on untapped opportunities for other operators to premiumise their lunch offer.
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NewsSoho House secures new investment
Soho House has raised $100m in new investment, from American private equity firm, Raycliff Capital and real estate investment trust Simon Property Group, The FT has reported.
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NewsTakeaway.com highlights conflict of interest in Just Eat deal
The proposed merger between Just Eat and Takeaway.com has seen another twist in the tale, after Takeaway.com notified Delivery Hero – which counts Prosus as its largest shareholder – that it must abstain from voting in its general meeting on the all-share deal due to a conflict of interest.
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Opinion
Brigid Simmonds: ‘We can’t keep every pub open’
Outgoing British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds examines her time in the role.
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NewsFrankie & Benny’s focuses new menu on Italian American roots
Frankie & Benny’s has revamped its menu as it looks to highlight its Italian American roots.
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NewsNadauld departs GBK as losses narrow
Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) managing director Derrian Nadauld has left his role to return to parent company Famous Brands in South Africa, MCA understands.
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NewsNusa founder Cox joins % Arabica as head of UK ops
Nusa Kitchen founder Mark Cox has been appointed head of UK operations at % Arabica, the upscale Japanese coffee shop group, MCA understands.
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NewsByron appoints new brand director
Byron has appointed Richard Danks as its new brand director, completing the line-up of its senior team.