Marston’s, Big Table, Brewhouse & Kitchen, St Austell, jobs & other:

A DAY IN THE LIFE:

Langton’s down in London this week and yesterday it bared its legs.

Literally.

Not pretty but arguably necessary in this weather but, on a trip from London Wall to Tesco’s on Bishopsgate, it felt like a minority pursuit.

We got to 40 trousered individuals before we met another scantily-clad male and, by the time we got to 100, it was clear that the ratio was about 33:1.

So three in a hundred and, since one of them would always look as though they were on the way back from a five-a-side match, another would clearly be a tourist and the third would be about 12, it became clear that wearing shorts to the office was maybe a tad ahead of the curve.

Nonetheless, boats burned and all that and, for the good of humanity and since the alternative is now slinking home in my underwear, shorts it will have to be.

On to the news:

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PUBS & RESTAURANTS:

Job market:

James Reed, CEO of Reid, tells City AM that the market is as bad as he has known it. He says ‘official statistics show 35 consecutive periods of decline. Next month, it will be three years, with vacancies falling from a peak of around 1.3m then to 761,000 now. Our figures at Reed confirm the story, showing a 25 per cent fall in advertised vacancies year on year….’

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Separately Brightmine has reported that the UK labour market is continuing to slow. Brightmine says this is weighing on wage settlements and the company’s Sheila Attwood says ‘private sector employers are holding steady at 3%, taking a more cautious approach as, they wait for firmer economic signals…’

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And the British Chambers of Commerce is warning that firms are cutting staff in the wake of the recent national insurance increases….

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Delivery & takeaway:

CGA’s latest Hospitality at Home Tracker has reported that Britain’s leading restaurant groups achieved year-on-year growth of 1.8% in delivery and takeaway sales in May. Despite it being well below the rate of inflation, CGA says this ‘marks the Tracker’s highest point of 2025 so far, as well as a return to growth after a drop of 0.6% in April, when widespread sunshine drew consumers out.’ CGA maintains that ‘May’s cooler and wetter weather proved more favourable to restaurants’ at-home trading, as some people opted to stay at home and order food in….’

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Disposable incomes:

Official numbers show that households owe around £6.6bn in rates arears to councils across the UK. Should these debts be settled, expenditure across the groups in question may have to be pulled back as a result.

And the Resolution Foundation has reported that household incomes will rise by only £300 a year be the end of the decade…

EPR:

Writing in Restaurant Online, UKH Chair Kate Nicholls says the impending Extended Producer Responsibility scheme will have an unfair and costly impact on hospitality businesses….

Other news:

Low and no-alcohol drinks: A new report from KAM in conjunction with Lucky Saint ‘reveals that a growing number of consumers are navigating nights out with a more dynamic, fluid approach to alcohol—swapping, mixing and pacing their choices depending on the occasion….’

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The Coffee Board of India reports a surge in exports of coffee from the country with volumes up by over 25% so far in FY2025-26 compared to the prior year.

COMPANY NEWS:

Marston’s PLC has announced the appointment of Stephen Hopson as Chief Financial Officer ‘following a comprehensive search and selection process’.  It adds that Stephen will succeed Hayleigh Lupino, who is leaving the Company to take up the role of CFO, UK & Ireland, for Aldi….

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The Big Table Group has reported group sales of £316.7m for the period to 27 October 2024, up from £223.2m the prior year. The operator, formed when private equity firm Epiris acquired the Casual Dining Group out of administration and rebranded it as The Big Table, operates the Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Las Iguanas, Banana Tree, Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito chains of restaurants. The group’s headline loss fell from £7.9m to £3.9m…

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Brewhouse & Kitchen has reported numbers for the year to 28 September 2024 to Companies’ House saying that revenue slipped by 2.3% to £16.3m. The company reports that, as a result of lower admin costs and a reduced exceptional charge, the company reports an operating profit of £189k against an operating loss of £675k in the prior year. Increased interest costs push the company to a loss before tax of £424k compared with a loss in the prior year of £1.2m…

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St Austell Brewery Co Ltd has reported results for the 52-week period to 28 December 2024 to Companies’ House. The company, which is based in St Austell, Cornwall, was founded in 1851. It has a pub estate of over 180 pubs, inns, and hotels across Cornwall, Devon and the West Country and it supplies beer through wholesalers to more than 5,000 pubs, hotels, bars, clubs, and restaurants across the country. Headline numbers: The company reports turnover up by 0.8% to £231.4m with gross profit down a little on mix change and lower margins from £79.6m to £79.0m. Operating profit before exceptional items is up 2.6% at £13.5m. interest charges are hight but normalised PBT is up by 3.3% at £9.8m….

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The Caterer reports that Italian restaurant brand Piccolino will open its first restaurant within a hotel this summer.

Grind, which ‘has been expanding across the capital for over a decade’ is now opening its first Northern venue, located in the heart of Manchester, in the new St Michael’s development between Peter Street and Deansgate.

Atom Brewing entered administration due to financial pressures and was immediately rescued via a pre-pack administration by Rob Brocklesby, a local investor and business owner. The deal allows the brewery to continue operations…

The administrators to Typhoo Tea have updated on their progress saying that they arranged a pre-pack sale of Typhoo’s assets to Supreme plc for approximately £10.2 million in early December 2024.

Treasury Wine Estates has pointed to a strong year ahead, saying that earnings should rise by 17%. The company plans to buy back up to 5% of its shares.

HOLIDAYS & LEISURE TRAVEL:

Row developing over carry-on luggage. Industry bodies oppose moves by the EU to allow consumers to bring both a personal item and a hand baggage on board without extra charges.’

OTHER LEISURE:

The UK government has said that it will spend around £500mn on transport and infrastructure improvements in the area around the proposed Bedford theme park planned by US media group Comcast….

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Dating app Bumble is to cut around a third of its workforce. CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd says ‘we need to take decisive action to restructure to build a company that’s resilient, intentional, and ready for the next decade.’

A survey by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has found that younger consumers in the UK are spending more time using their mobile phones than they are watching TV.

Tesla’s EU sales fell again in May despite the EV market as a whole exhibiting growth. Tesla sales were down by 40% in May. Musk’s falling out with Donald Trump came outside the period under review.

FINANCE & MARKETS:

The Telegraph reports that Donald Trump’s tariffs are creating economic problems for Britain despite Sir Keir Starmer’s efforts. They won’t help, that’s for sure.

The UK car industry notes with relief that tariffs on UK cars exported to the US will be set at 10% rather than the threatened 25%.

US President Donald Trump has said that he has four candidates lined up to succeed current Fed chair Jerome Powell who he has described as both ‘terrible’ and ‘stupid’.

Sterling up at $1.3697 and €1.1734. Oil price up slightly at $67.94 and UK 10 year gilt yield down 1 basis point at 4.46%. World markets lower and London set to open down around 8 points as at 6.30am.

RETAIL WITH NICK BUBB:

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