With over 900 franchise brands and 44,000 operations, it's fair to say the UK high street is buzzing with franchise activity. Often unbeknown to the public. Most of us recognise McDonald’s as a global franchise, but Dominos, Costa and many more sing from the same hymn sheet. In the past ten years...
The 2016 'Top 50 Gastropubs in Britain' have been announced today by the Publican's Morning Advertiser. The industry title ranked Stephen Harris’s Michelin-starred Kentish pub the Sportsman in top space. After coming second twice in 2013 and 2014, Harris claimed the top spot for the first time at the 2015 awards and has...
Waste charity Feedback has launched the UK's first surplus bread to beer ale. Brewed in Hackney Brewery, Toast Ale uses fresh surplus bread, otherwise thrown away by bakeries, delis and sandwich makers with the aim of significantly reducing the scandalous 24 million slices of bread currently thrown away by UK households. Across the...
What does the future hold for historic pubs, posed Mike Waites in the Yorkshire Evening Post. As community centres, “life once revolved around nights out at the pub”. But better home entertainment, cheap supermarket alcohol, drink-drive laws, soaring land values and the smoking ban have sucked the life out of...
This is the van causing big stirs in the pie world. The Bedford CF vintage caravan is pumping out acclaimed pies on the streets of London and is now ranked number three on the 400+ Pierate’s Pie Rankings for their steak and ale pie. It is also ranked as London's...
The price of petrol is likely to drop further in 2016 following the Iran nuclear deal that freed the country of sanctions. The International Energy Agency has predicted that “unless something changes, the oil market could drown in over-supply” in 2016. Over supply of crude has already resulted in prices dropping to...
When thinking about European versions of Silicon Valley, three cities come to mind — London, Berlin and Amsterdam. All three are unique and ready to rival each other to be the most fruitful in promoting new business and the most successful in acquiring funding. Recently, however, the amount of venture...
A trailer for a new 50 Shades of Grey film has been released shortly before Valentine's Day featuring a surprise protagonist. Rowan Atkinson stars in the BlamCo trailer as billionaire Christian Grey. The impressionable Anastasia Steele sees her life change forever when she meets the handsome/ kinky business man. Watch the full trailer...
The Martian's space botany theme has been affirmed this week after US astronaut Scott Kelly confirmed that a zinnia plant had flowered on the International Space Station (ISS). Ridley Scott's film, due for UK release on February 8, is based on space botanist Mark Watney's incredible survival on Mars where he was able to grow...