OakNorth Bank provided an £18.2 million loan to facilitate the transaction.
Gold Care Homes has acquired the 382-bedroom Delta Hotels by Marriott Heathrow Windsor in a multimillion-pound deal.
OakNorth Bank extended a £18.2 million loan to support Sukhi Gidar, chief executive and co-founder of Gold Care Homes, in acquiring the hotel.
Founded in Hertfordshire in 1999, the group has expanded to 45 homes caring for over 3.
more »12/Dec/2025 14:19
Heritage Portfolio, a division of Sodexo Live, has confirmed the extension of its longstanding partnership with The Signet Library for another 12 years.
The renewed collaboration will pave the way for much-anticipated accessibility enhancements, as well as sustainability upgrades to the venue’s kitchens and service infrastructure.
The investment aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the kitchen and service areas will replace gas cooking with modern induction hobs, marking a significant step toward lower energy consumption and improved environmental performance of the building.
more »10/Dec/2025 10:16
Aldi has revealed that it will open five new stores within a 24-hour period as the Christmas shopping rush approaches.
The retailer will launch new branches in Uxbridge, Old Kent Road, Northallerton and Pershore on 11 December, followed by another opening in Yate, Bristol, on 12 December.
The new stores will provide customers with fresh British produce as well as its popular range of Specialbuys. The five openings are also expected to create around 200 jobs across the local communities.
Jon Neale.
more »10/Dec/2025 09:56
Tesco will officially open its new low-carbon concept superstore in Harrogate today (9 December), a development that will bring 120 new jobs to the North Yorkshire community.
The new store showcases a suite of sustainability-driven design features, such as a low-carbon timber frame structure, solar panels that produce electricity on site, locally reclaimed stone, and advanced energy-efficient heating and lighting technologies.
The site represents a model for future store construction as it aims to lower the environmental footprint of its wider estate.
more »09/Dec/2025 12:23
The Country Range Group (CRG) has appointed Dean Pendlebury, previously head of training, as its new buying director, with the role taking effect on 1 January 2026.
Pendlebury has been with CRG since 2013, contributing over a decade of experience. Throughout his tenure, he has managed purchasing strategy, tenders, and trading compliance, playing a key role in the company’s operations.
CRG chief executive Martin Ward, said: “Dean has been pivotal in our recent success and in helping us take our collective purchasing power past the £360 million mark.
more »09/Dec/2025 08:55
Center Parcs has received planning approval for its seventh village across the UK and Ireland, the new Center Parcs Scottish Borders.
The new village will be situated in the south of Scotland, between Hawick and Selkirk, and will include up to 700 lodges and apartments.
Guests will enjoy a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, a village centre with shops and restaurants, and the signature Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
The project will also include the creation of a new forest for the first time.
more »09/Dec/2025 08:50
Papa Johns is gearing up to add around 400 jobs across the UK as part of a new franchise deal to roll out 20 additional restaurants.
The pizza chain has joined forces with the Rana Group, which already runs 25 Papa Johns locations in the UK.
They plan to open the new restaurants across Northern Ireland over the next ten years.
The debut site launched in Ballymena on 5 December, with a follow-up location to be revealed by March 2026.
more »08/Dec/2025 14:14
Supermarket chain M&S has unveiled its new “market-style” food hall at Cannock’s Orbital Retail Park in Staffordshire.
The store was officially opened by long-serving employees.
Housed in the former Homebase location, the new space is three times larger than M&S’s previous unit.
Shoppers can enjoy the new bakery and coffee counter, serving a variety of barista-made hot and cold drinks, or visit the hot chicken counter for rotisserie chicken.
more »08/Dec/2025 08:17
Steven McGarvie will join cooking equipment manufacturer Unox UK as its new managing director on 7 January 2026.
He takes over from Scott Duncan, who stepped down after four years in the role to become managing director of Hobart UK.
McGarvie brings extensive experience in the foodservice equipment sector, most recently serving as UK sales and marketing director for display and hot-holding specialist Victor Manufacturing.
He joined Victor’s senior leadership team in 2020.
more »08/Dec/2025 08:05
The bakery chain Greggs has opened its second ‘Bitesize Greggs’ store.
Located at Dartford train station in Kent, the new store enables the firm to serve customers in busy, space-restricted locations.
This follows the launch of the chain’s first Bitesize Greggs store at Sevenoaks train station.
Tony Rowson, property director at Greggs said: “We’re delighted to announce the opening of our second ‘Bitesize Greggs’ shop in Dartford Station.
more »05/Dec/2025 16:34
French hospitality group Loulou Groupe is preparing to make its UK debut in autumn 2026 with the opening of 16 Charles Street in London’s Mayfair.
Founded in 2016 by siblings Gilles and Claire Malafosse, the group combines culinary and creative expertise: Gilles serves as the group’s restaurateur, while Claire leads as its artistic director.
The Parisian hospitality brand, named after Loulou de la Falaise, the muse of French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, is behind acclaimed venues such as Loulou Paris at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
more »04/Dec/2025 08:06
Co-op has launched a new ‘on-the-go’ format store in Kingston upon Thames, marking its first smaller-format location in London.
Located on Clarence Street, the convenience store will provide customers with options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including meal deals and over-the-counter coffee.
This is Co-op’s fourth new concept store, forming part of the retailer’s wider strategy to roll out its new chain of outlets in high-footfall areas.
Recent openings include on-the-go stores in Altrincham’s Stamford Quarter.
more »04/Dec/2025 08:01
Jitse Groen, the founding chief of Just Eat Takeaway, is leaving the company after 25 years of leadership, coming shortly after its €4.1 billion (£3.6 billion) acquisition by Prosus.
The Dutch group confirmed that Roberto Gandolfo, chairman of the Just Eat supervisory board and head of Prosus Europe, is set to take over on January 1, contingent on regulatory approval.
Mr Groen founded Just Eat in 2000, transforming a student project into a global food delivery giant operating in 16 countries.
more »03/Dec/2025 13:15
Gail’s expects to open 40 new locations this financial period as it moves toward its 300-store UK target.
The announcement appears in the group’s most recent full-year accounts, submitted to Companies House by parent company Grain Topco Limited.
The filings reveal that Gail’s revenue reached £219.8m for the year ending 28 February 2025, representing a 23% uplift from the previous year’s £179m.
Adjusted group EBITDA.
more »03/Dec/2025 09:57
French hotel group Accor has appointed Karelle Lamouche as chief executive for its premium, midscale, and economy brands in Europe and North Africa.
In her new role, she will direct Accor’s activities across a region encompassing over 3,000 properties in more than 40 countries—around 40% of the company’s worldwide network.
Its portfolio includes Pullman, Mövenpick, Swissôtel, Novotel, Mercure, Handwritten Collection, Tribe, Ibis, and Greet.
Since joining Accor in 1998.
more »02/Dec/2025 13:04
Whitbread plans to expand its Hub by Premier Inn brand after purchasing the freehold of Victory House in London’s Holborn.
The budget hotel group bought the eight-storey Victory House at 30–34 Kingsway—a former 1920s office building—from a private overseas investor for an undisclosed amount.
The 45,000 sq ft property, which remains occupied until spring 2026, is slated to reopen as a 200-bedroom Hub by Premier Inn in 2028, pending planning approval from Camden Council.
The hotel will overlook Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Covent Garden.
more »02/Dec/2025 08:11
The Country Range Group (CRG) is ending the year on a high, announcing that King Brothers Foodservice will join as its newest member starting 1st January 2026.
A proudly independent, family-run business with over a century of history, King Brothers Foodservice traces its roots back to 1908. That year Denis King purchased a 500-acre farm in Orton Waterville, Peterborough.
Through dedication and hard work, Denis was supplying some of London’s leading restaurants and hotels with the finest poultry and pork by the outbreak of World War II.
more »02/Dec/2025 08:06
Sodexo UK & Ireland has secured a three-year contract extension with Swizzels Matlow, makers of Drumsticks, Squashies and Love Hearts.
The contract with the family-run confectionery factory is estimated to be worth approximately £1m.
The menu features sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes and soups, with some dishes made using ingredients from the company’s WasteWatch programme.
Paula Stevenson.
more »01/Dec/2025 13:47
Unilever has taken another step in refocusing its business, confirming the sale of its healthy snacking label Graze to Katjes International, the company behind Candy Kittens.
Expected to close in early 2026, the transaction highlights Unilever’s broader strategic pivot, as the company steps back from parts of its food portfolio to invest more heavily in beauty and wellness.
When Unilever purchased Graze in 2019, it was aiming to tap into the booming health-minded snack category. The brand has since evolved from its D2C beginnings into a major UK retail player.
more »01/Dec/2025 13:35
Travelodge reported a “solid” performance in the third quarter ending 30 September 2025.
Year-to-date group revenue reached £783.2 million, remaining broadly flat compared with the same period last year, reflecting a softer first half.
The budget hotel chain said a challenging first half of the year was offset by a strong third-quarter performance, supported by improved market conditions in the UK, new hotel openings, and continued growth in its Spanish operations.
Year-to-date adjusted EBITDA reached £140.
more »01/Dec/2025 09:45