- Fallow owners James Robson, Jack Croft and Will Murray have acquired the business and assets operating the OXO Tower Restaurant. The high-profile trio will initially look to ‘empower the current team and then patiently tweak and give some love back to the operation from 2027 and beyond’. The news comes as it was revealed that Frasers Group has acquired Harvey Nichols, the owner of the South Bank restaurant, through a pre-pack administration for a reported £40m. The deal covers the six UK department stores, online business, stock, employees and international franchise arrangements, but the OXO Tower Restaurant – which sits atop the Oxo Tower Wharf, a large mixed-use building – was reportedly not included. Harvey Nichols has a separate corporate entity, Harvey Nichols Restaurants Limited, which remains listed as active at Companies House.
- The future of London barbecue group Bodean’s BBQ is looking uncertain after all three of its remaining restaurants closed. Its Soho, Tower Hill and Camden sites are currently listed as temporarily closed on Google, while the brand’s Instagram account also appears to have been taken down. A message on the Bodean’s website says the business is ‘currently closed’, apologising to customers and thanking them for their continued support, while suggesting it hopes to welcome diners back in the future. The closures come less than a year after Bodean’s underwent a major refresh, bringing in a new management team and overhauling its menu in an effort to reconnect with its Kansas City barbecue roots.
- The owner of St James’s hotel The Stafford and Fitzrovia restaurant Norma is facing winding-up petitions from HMRC. According to City AM, petitions have been filed against both The Stafford Collection and its parent company, BHL Global. A winding-up petition is a formal legal process through which a creditor can seek the liquidation of a company over unpaid debts. The Stafford is home to Michael Caines at The Stafford, which opened last year and was awarded a Michelin star earlier this year. The Stafford Collection is also linked to Caines’ flagship Lympstone Manor in Devon, which is listed as an ‘associate member’ of the group. Meanwhile, Norma on Charlotte Street was launched by The Stafford Collection in 2019, offering an upscale menu of Sicily-inspired dishes.
- More than 50 former Whitbread sites, including Brewers Fayre and Beefeater locations, are set to be transformed into a new chain of value-focused pubs. Queensway Hospitality Group has, according to The Sun, acquired around a quarter of the circa 200 sites Whitbread is exiting following its decision to retire its pub and restaurant brands. The Sun reports that a source close to the matter revealed the group plans to relaunch the acquired venues as a new group of ‘value pubs’. The sites are spread across the UK, with the reported list of more than 50 locations including venues in both Scotland and Wales.
- New Government modelling of different options for its zero-hours contract reforms estimates the measures could cost employers between £350m and £2.9bn a year. Hospitality has been identified as one of the sectors likely to be most affected, with the Government acknowledging that the reforms will increase administrative costs and reduce some flexibility for employers. The Government has been proposing reforms to zero-hours contracts since 2024, when they formed part of the Employment Rights Bill, subsequently they became part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent late last year. The Act establishes three new rights, although they have yet to come into force and much of the practical detail remains unclear.