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WELCOME FROM SPONSOR As specialist legal and commercial advisors to the leisure and hospitality sector, Kuits has been proud to support and judge these awards for a number of years. This year, we are delighted to have further bolstered our commitment by being involved in the re-launch of what will now be known as the Kuits NRB Top Fifty Awards. Welcome to the eighth Kuits’ NRB Top Fifty, the prestigious and much anticipated power list of the most important and influential individuals within the Northern hospitality industry. This year we have worked harder than ever on the rigour of the research and selection process, with an expert judging panel crunching through hundreds of pages of research to ensure all judging decisions were suitably informed. This year’s list has again shown steady churn, with an influx of new entrants including style bars, premium Chinese cuisine restaurants and craft beer bars, plus some new management teams driving established players forward with renewed vigour. The regional operators which make up this list have shown no
shortage of ambition, and we look forward to further expansion, innovation and success in 2019. To those included in this prestigious list I say congratulations, and to the judges and our generous sponsors I say a heartfelt thank you for your time and support. Enjoy the reception, with superb wine and beers from JW Lees and Willoughby’s, and take the time to explore Northern Restaurant & Bar.
The hotly-anticipated list provides an important platform for the most exciting and influential new and established operators in the hospitality industry – a sector that is continuing to thrive in the UK, harnessing creativity, innovation and collaboration to propel brands forward amidst the increased political and economic pressures we’ve seen of late. We are delighted to present here those operators we feel are really making waves in what is a constantly evolving market.
We hope to see you all again, after another successful year, in March 2020.
Thank you for helping to make the North the best place to eat, sleep and drink in the UK!
Thom Hetherington CEO, Northern Restaurant & Bar
Felicity Tulloch, Joint Head of Licensing, Kuits
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY Kuits is a specialist legal and commercial adviser to the leisure and hospitality industry, working with hundreds of bars, restaurants, health clubs, theatres, cinemas, hotels, and food and beverage businesses across the UK.
Ranked the No.1 law firm in the North West for the licensed trade by Legal 500 and winner of Best Law Firm at the Talk of Manchester Awards 2017, Kuits provides operators with specialist advice on everything from their leases and licensing applications to their employees and brand management.
Kuits is working with national brands such as Revolution, Brewdog, Turtle Bay, The Alchemist and The New World Trading Company, as well as exciting indie operators such as Bundobust, North Brewing Co and Gary Usher, to help their businesses grow and flourish.
SPONSORED BY
From chains to independent sites, Biffa – North West’s experience, capacity & coverage takes the hassle out of managing waste & recycling. With an extensive range of solutions including food and glass recycling, we support 1000’s of pubs, restaurants and hotels to increase recycling, manage waste, review costs & achieve goals. biffa.co.uk
Bruntwood has been creating thriving cities for over 40 years. We have a workspace and retail property portfolio stretching across Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham. We strive to create the best places to live and work, the most vibrant, and strategically connected places, and do this with retail at the heart of the vision. bruntwood.co.uk
WiTH THaNKS TO
CGA is the data and research consultancy of choice for the out-ofhome food and drinks market, specialising in market measurement, consumer research and location planning. CGA triangulates supply, demand and consumer data to give clients the expert insight needed to get them where they want to be, faster. cga.co.uk
CPL Online provides digital learning and engagement tools for food and drink focused businesses across hospitality, retail and manufacturing. We deliver e-learning courses and design complete learning management systems, such as our Console LMS. Our online engagement tools include career pathways, appraisals, surveys, events, analytics and live quizzes, helping people grow and companies thrive. cplonline.co.uk
Jelf is a leading UK broker, with a strong local presence in Manchester, serving the North West region for over 40 years, and putting customer care at the heart of what we do. We cater for a wide range of business insurance sectors and niches including restaurants and casual dining, indeed we have been insuring local restaurants and a number of national restaurant chains for over 16 years. jelfgroup.com
Metis Real Estate Advisors are an independent commercial real estate consultancy providing expert advice to occupiers, landlords, investors and developers across the UK. The Leisure team provides advice on some of the UK’s best known leisure schemes as well as providing acquisition strategy and advice to national, regional and local operators. metisrealestate.com
The leisure industry is forever changing. So whether our customers run restaurants, bars or hotels, our team of experienced relationship managers are on hand to help them stay ahead of the latest trends. Because the faster they can move with the times, the better they’ll be able to serve their customers. business.natwest.com
JW Lees is a sixth-generation family brewery founded in 1828 in Middleton, Manchester. Managed by the Lees-Jones family, JW Lees run some of the North West’s most popular pubs, inns and hotels and own Willoughby’s wines and spirits merchants. JW Lees are famous for their award-winning cask ales including JW Lees Bitter and MPA. jwlees.co.uk
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RSM is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services to middle market leaders, globally. We invest in our people and in their understanding of the industry so we are in the best position to help leisure and hospitality businesses succeed. rsmuk.com
JUDGiNG NOTES The Kuits NRB Top Fifty exists to recognise the most significant hospitality operators in the North of England. We look for ambitious individuals who are driving their businesses to sector-leading levels of commercial and critical success; who show consistency as well as innovation, and who make a contribution to the industry and the region in terms of skills, training, ambassadorial work, and CSR. Those in the Kuits NRB Top Fifty can be chef patrons running worldclass kitchens, or captains of industry building extensive multibrand portfolios, but they must be inspirational standard bearers for the Northern hospitality industry. The awards are judged by a Northern-based panel of leading hospitality experts spanning the fields of law, finance, property, insurance, marketing, data, insight, and consultancy. After the initial round of applications and nominations there is a rigorous paper-based research process collating hundreds of pages of information. Next, there is an in-depth judging discussion and, where necessary, additional peer/industry interviews or research. Following this exhaustive process, a definitive fifty is selected and balanced to ensure there is no bias in terms of industry sector or geography. A final round of discussion then takes place to select the three Special Achievement Award winners, who the judges feel have achieved something truly exceptional within the preceding twelve months. if you or someone you know would like to be considered for the Kuits NRB Top Fifty 2020 then please look out for the nomination process which will start in November 2019. For more information visit nrbtopfifty.co.uk, search Twitter for #NRBTopFifty or email clare.tams@holdenmedia.co.uk
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aDELE aSHLEY FiLMORE & UNiON BRaNDS
Filmore & Union
SiTES 17
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 280
KEY LOCaTiONS
Harrogate, Wetherby, Ilkley, Beverley, Jesmond, York, Newcastle, Nottingham
aWaRDS
Harrogate Advertiser Café of the Year – nomination
The idea for Filmore & Union began in February 2011 with a casual chat around a kitchen table, airing frustrations at the lack of healthy restaurants to eat in and even fewer take out options. Following a trip to San Francisco, the land of healthy eating and great service, Filmore & Union the first restaurant was opened in 2012 in the centre of York. Investment from the Business Growth Fund, and a John Lewis partnership has lead to just short of 20 sites across Yorkshire and the North East. Filmore & Union has recently expanded into the Midlands with a John Lewis cafe in Nottingham and a new ‘health to go’ take-out range.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
PaUL aSKEW THE aRT SCHOOL BRaNDS
The Art School, The Art School Cellars, The Moriarty Private Dining Room, Art of Wine
SiTES 2
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 39
KEY LOCaTiONS Liverpool
aWaRDS
Hardens Top 100 2018 – Best UK Restaurants Top 10 UK Restaurants for Vegan Fine Dining by Peta UK Michelin, Good Food & AA Guide – critical acclaim
A fellow of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and joint Chair for the North of England, Paul Askew opened The Art School Restaurant where he is Chef Patron in 2014. The Art School won the 2017 Taste Category at the Visit England Awards and has featured in numerous national restaurant guides, including the Sunday Times and Harden's. Paul has appeared on Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu and launched his debut book, which is part autobiography and part cookbook, Onwards and Upwards, in 2017. He has recently expanded the The Art School family creating a Champagne and Cocktail bar with a private tutored tasting room and a 24 cover private dining room at a cost of £380,000 and continues to champion young talent in the industry through the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and The City of Liverpool College’s Chef Apprenticeship schemes. In 2018 Paul launched The Art of Wine, a wholesale business specialising in importing and distribution of world class wines.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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ROB BaCON, JaSON BLiGH, NEiL MCDONNELL, JOHN WELSH HiCKORY'S SMOKEHOUSE BRaNDS
Hickory's Smokehouse, BarLounge, Upstairs At The Grill
KEY LOCaTiONS
Cheshire, Merseyside, Wales, Warwickshire, West Midlands
SiTES 11
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 800
In 2000 Neil McDonnell founded innovative cocktail venue, BarLounge, in Chester. His next venture was Upstairs At The Grill; a Manhattan-style steak house in 2004, followed by Hickory’s in March 2010. Born out of several research trips to the Southern States, Hickory’s authentic mix of barbecue classics and Southern style hospitality has seen the brand grow to nine sites across the North West and Midlands with their first ever new build in the pipeline. Plans for expansion, as well as a commitment to authenticity and team development has helped to position Hickory’s as a key influencer in the UK barbecue scene, whilst BarLounge and Upstairs At the Grill continue to win plaudits from public and peers alike.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
JaMES BaER, GaRY ROBERTS aMBER TavERNS BRaNDS
Amber Taverns
SiTES 145
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1300
KEY LOCaTiONS
Midlands, North East & North West Founded in 2005 with the backing of 3 V.C.Ts, Amber Taverns owns and operates 145 wet led pubs and bars in South Wales, the Midlands, Scotland and the North of England including 13 Hogarths Gin Palaces and two contemporary bars called The Northern Way. Amber has provided successful exits for both its original shareholders, L.G.V. and is now in its fourth phase of development. Amber seeks to open 10-12 sites per year at an average investment of £750 - £1M delivering returns approaching 20%.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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RiCHaRD BaiLEY DaNiEL THWaiTES BRaNDS
House of Daniel Thwaites Thwaites Pubs and Brewery
SiTES 272
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1600
KEY LOCaTiONS Nationwide
aWaRDS
Marketing Cheshire Annual Tourism Awards – Best Hotel in Cheshire – Cottons Hotel & Spa Northampton Life – Best Hotel – Kettering Park Hotel & Spa
With over 200 years of brewing experience – and over 250 pubs and 21 hotels, historic inns and conference centres to its name - the Daniel Thwaites company is among the UK’s most recognisable beer brands. The operator had a turnover of nearly £50m in 2018, up nearly £2m on the previous year, and moved from its historic home in Blackburn to a £12m, multi-acre site in the Ribble Valley. The new HQ includes a brewery, visitor centre and bar and accommodation for the company’s team of Shire horses. Other highlights include the reopening of 17th century coaching inn, The Beverley Arms, in East Yorkshire following a two-year, £6m restoration and stepping in to rescue five Blackpool venues from closure, including iconic cabaret bar, Funny Girls.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
CRaiG BaNCROFT LiSa GOODWiN-aLLEN NORTHCOTE LEiSURE GROUP BRaNDS
Northcote, Café Northcote, Northcote at the Rovers
SiTES 3
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 170+
KEY LOCaTiONS Lancashire
aWaRDS
Northcote Hotel - One Michelin Star GQ Food & Drinks Awards 2019 – shortlist for Best Restaurant Harpers Wine & Spirit Hot 50 – Craig Bancroft
Craig Bancroft is managing director at Northcote, a renowned luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant situated on the edge of the Ribble Valley in the heart of Lancashire. Craig joined the hotel as General Manager in 1983 and has personally won The Caterer’s Hotelier of the Year 2016 and Imbibe Hotel Personality of the Year 2017. Lisa Goodwin-Allen took the reins as Northcote’s Executive Chef from founder chef (now Chef Ambassador) Nigel Haworth in 2017. In 2018, the Northcote Group sold four of its Ribble Valley Inns, a portfolio of award winning food led pubs, to Brunning and Price in a bid to focus on securing a second Michlein star. In February 2019, Britannia Hospitality Limited acquired Northcote, Northcote at the Rovers and Café Northcote. The Northcote ventures joins five-star luxury hotel, The Stafford London in St James’s in Britannia’s portfolio, however, Craig and the team at Northcote remain in place.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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TiM BiRD, MaRY MCLaUGHLiN CHESHiRE CaT PUB & BaRS BRaNDS
The Bull's Head, The Cholmondeley Arms, The Church Inn, The Fitzherbert Arms, The Roebuck Inn, The Three Greyhounds
SiTES 6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 140
KEY LOCaTiONS
Cheshire & Staffordshire
aWaRDS
Pub & Bar Magazine – Best Pub In Cheshire & North West - The Church Inn Pub and Bar Magazine - Best Pub in Staffordshire & West Midlands - The Fitzherbert Arms Cheshire Life Magazine Awards - Dining Pub of the Year - The Cholmondeley Arms The Good Pub Guide – Gin Pub of the Year 2019 – The Cholmondeley Arms Times Top 100 Places to stay - The Roebuck Inn Casual Dining Restaurant and Pub Awards – finalists in Multi-Site Pub Operator of the Year 2019, Employer of the Year 2019 and Best Pub of the Year 2019 (with the Cholmondeley Arms)
Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars was founded in 2008 by Tim Bird and Mary McLaughlin. Tim had been MD of Brunning and Price and the Freehouse Pub Company in the Restaurant Group while Mary had been MD of La Tasca and grew the Spanish restaurant chain from three to over seventy restaurants nationwide. They currently operate six famous pubs, all of which originally were either closed or on the verge of closure and enjoy the challenge of restoring beautiful pubs that many would consider to be lost causes. After two years of consolidation, including the sale of the Red Lion in Weymouth, Dorset in May 2018, Cheshire Cat is back in acquisition mode with four potential sites across Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the pipeline. The company is also investing further in the existing estate and plans to add 21 guest bedrooms over the next three years.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
KEN BUCKLEY, PHiL DEaRDEN BRavO iNNS BRaNDS Bravo Inns
SiTES
KEY LOCaTiONS
Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire
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NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 200+
With 44 sites across the North West, and employing over 50 people, Bravo Inns is at the vanguard of breathing life back into community pubs in the area, putting real focus on the importance of the community in their offerings. During 2018, Ken Buckley became Chairman. The group also reopened Northwood’s Cat Inn following a £250,000 refurbishment and their next venture will be The Albion in Newcastle under Lyne which opens in March 2019.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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SaRaH COOK, HaRRY vaULKHaRD, OLivER vaULKHaRD vaULKHaRD GROUP BRaNDS
Blake's, Central Bean, Pacific House, Blackie Boy, Bealim House, Barluga, All Seeing Eye, The Mushroom, Quilted Camel, MSA, Perdu, The Diamond
KEY LOCaTiONS
Morpeth & Newcastle
SiTES 13
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 290
Vaulkhard Group was formed in 2015 when four businesses run by different members of the Vaulkhard family were merged. A three-year plan to rejuvenate its portfolio began, which involved spending more than £600,000 on transforming Fluid bar in Gallowgate into gin bar and restaurant Bealim House, complete with its own gin distillery as well as laying down plans to remodel The Quilted Camel, Perdu and Blake’s Coffee House among other brands. Investment has paid off, with turnover growing to over £10m in the year ended March 2018 and the company has plans to add to its leisure division during 2019.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
MORGaN DaviES BaRBURRiTO BRaNDS Barburrito
SiTES 22
KEY LOCaTiONS
Aberdeen, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 350+
Under the leadership of Founder & CEO Morgan Davies, Barburrito has become one of the leading Mexican food brands in the UK. The company opened it’s 22nd outlet in the UK in 2018, and a partnership with The Restaurant Group has seen the burrito chain expand into airports including Bristol and Edinburgh. Backed by growth provider BGF, Barburrito is the largest burrito bar brand outside of London with a turnover in the region of £15m.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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CaRLO DiSTEFaNO, MaRCELLO DiSTEFaNO SaN CaRLO GROUP BRaNDS
Alto by San Carlo, Bottega, Cicchetti, Fiorentina, Flying Pizza, Fumo, Gran Cafe, San Carlo, Signor Sassi
SiTES 26
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1000+
KEY LOCaTiONS
Bahrain, Bangkok, Birmingham, Bristol, Cheshire, Dubai, Leeds, Leicester Liverpool, London, Manchester, Qatar, Riyadh
aWaRDS
ITA0039 | 100% Italian Taste Certification – First in the UK to be certified as authentically Italian
From opening a 20-cover restaurant in Birmingham in 1992, the family owned San Carlo restaurant group has grown to become one of the UK’s leading, independently owned Italian restaurant groups, with several different brands located throughout the UK and around the world. Locations in Qatar, Bangkok and Bahrain have boosted sales and, in 2018, the company turnover increased by 8.3% to £50m with pre-tax profits of £1.3m. During the last year, they also opened a 130 cover site on London’s Regent Street, and currently employ over 890 people. The group is also the first in the UK to be certified as ‘authentically Italian’ by Italian accreditation body ASACERT which verifies and promotes restaurants which offer a genuine Italian dining experience overseas.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
SEaN DONKiN, iaN GOULDiNG, KEiTH LiDDELL THE iNN COLLECTiON GROUP BRaNDS
The Inn Collection Group
SiTES 10
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 300
KEY LOCaTiONS
Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lake District, Teeside
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 – Finalist – Best Managed Pub (2-50) and Best Pub Employer (up to 500)
The Inn Collection Group is a leading British pub company specialising in high-quality, contemporary pubs with rooms. The Group is owned by Alchemy Partners, former backers of Revolution Bars Group, and landmark properties in the group include the Bamburgh Castle Inn and The Seaton Lane Inn in County Durham. The year ending 2017 saw turnover rise by 29% to over £10m. During 2018, ICG also launched its inhouse Innspiration Training Academy, appointed new chairman Ian Goulding (co-founder and former CFO of QHotels) and opened, among others, the Lake District’s Waterhead Hotel and a £4m new-build, The Amble Inn in Northumberland.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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JaNE DOWLER EvUNa
BRaNDS Evuna
aWaRDS
This Is Manchester 2018 Awards - Finalist
SiTES 4
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 80
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Knutsford, Altrincham Spanish restaurant group and wine importers, Evuna, opened a fourth site in Altrincham in early 2019. Founded by mother and daughter team, Frances and Jane Dowler, Evuna’s latest site is the first in the group to include a 24-seater tapas bar and theatrical, open kitchen. Wine has been a major part of the Evuna brand from day one; the company launched as a business importing wine directly from Spanish suppliers before the first restaurant opened on Deansgate in 2003. Evuna’s second restaurant opened in the Northern Quarter in 2013, while a third branch opened in Knutsford in 2017.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
ROY ELLiS, NEiL MaCLEOD, JOEL WiLKiNSON, aDELaiDE WiNTER MiSSiON MaRS BRaNDS
Albert Hall, Albert's Schloss, Deaf Institute, The Elephant Pub & Bakehouse, Gorilla, Liberty Tavern, Rudy's Neapolitan, Trof, The Viking Pub & Bakehouse
SiTES 12
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Liverpool
aWaRDS
This Is Manchester Awards 2018 - Winner of Leading Bar - Alberts Schloss This Is Manchester Awards 2018 - Finalist Leading Restaurant - Rudy's Pizza
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 500+
Mission Mars was founded in August 2015 when Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod (former founders and directors at Revolution bars) purchased a 50% stake in Joel Wilkinson and Adelaide Winter’s Trof Group. MM opened their first unique concept, Albert’s Schloss, in October 2015. After acquiring a stake in Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza in 2017 and opening the second Rudy’s in Manchester, 2018 saw the company secure £10m funding from BGF with plans to expand both Schloss and Rudy’s to other cities in the UK. In November 2018, they opened Rudy's in Liverpool and has just announced plans to take over Hub Alehouse & Kitchen inside the grade II-listed Casartelli Building giving them a second site in the city. The company was ranked fifth in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 following annual sales growth over over 147% between 2015 and 2018.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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JOHN ENNiS, MaTT FaRRELL GRaFFiTi SPiRiT BRaNDS
81, 83, El Bandito, Salt Dog Slims, Santa Chupitos, Santa Maluco, Slim's Pork Chop Express, Duke Street Food & Drink Market, Bold Street Coffee, Castle Street Coffee
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 100+
KEY LOCaTiONS
Birmingham, Liverpool, London
SiTES 11
Graffiti Spirits is an independently owned cocktail bar and restaurant company based in Liverpool and the brain child of owners Matt Farrell and John Ennis. Since its formation, the company has transformed Liverpool’s nightlife, creating some of the city’s most unique and award-winning venues. During the last year they have partnered with local favourites, Bold Street Coffee, which has reopened in the same location with a basement bar in the pipeline, trialed a new ‘no phones’ policy and Brian Humphrey as executive chef who was senior operations head chef at Living Ventures. Their latest project is Duke Street Food & Drink Market, which is set to open in April 2019 in a restored 100-year-old warehouse serving up the finest street food and drink and independent brands.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
JOBE FERGUSON
THE LiaRS CLUB GROUP, TNQ RESTaURaNT aND BaR
LYNDON HiGGiNSON
THE LiaRS CLUB GROUP, JUNKYaRD GOLF, BUNNY JaCKSONS JUKE JOiNT
ROSS MaCKENziE THE LiaRS CLUB GROUP JOiNT BRaNDS
The Bay Horse Tavern, Cane & Grain, Crazy Pedros, The Liar's Club.
SiTES 6
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Liverpool
aWaRDS
Harpers Wine & Spirit Hot 50 – Lyndon Higgnson
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 130+
Jobe Ferguson, Ross Mackenzie and Lyndon Higginson have made a major contribution to nightlife in the North West with their various operations which remain as popular with the public as they do with their peers. Sites include two branches of Crazy Pedros in Manchester and one in Liverpool, as well as proper food pub, The Bay Horse Tavern, in the Northern Quarter. This year saw portfolio changes, with the group selling their three Black Dog outlets to Andy Haygarth (who owns Manchester’s TwentyTwentyTwo bar) and Black Dog area manager, Matt Robson. In addition, Jobe also operates TNQ and Lyndon Higginson operates Junkyard Golf, The Golden Pineapple and dive bar Bunny Jackson’s. This complex portfolio, however, has done nothing to dent the trio’s drive, with plenty more to come in 2019.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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KiT GRavES, CHaRLES GRavES, DaNi HOPE LaKE DiSTRiCT HOTELS BRaNDS
Lake District Hotels
SiTES 6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 300+
KEY LOCaTiONS Lake District
Lake District Hotels is a family owned collection of six hotels, restaurants and bars, established in 1984 by Kit and Charles Graves when they bought the Kings Arms Hotel in Keswick. Their daughter Daniella joined the business in 2011. The Lodore Falls Hotel is the latest property in the group to undergo complete renovation which included the addition of a new, state of the art destination spa in 2018 at this Lakes favourite.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
JOHN GYNGELL, CHRiSTiaN TOWNSLEY NORTH BaR / NORTH BREWiNG
BRaNDS
Alfred, The Cross Keys, Further North, North Bar, North Bar Social, North Brewing Co, Preston, North Brewing Co Tap Room
SiTES 9
KEY LOCaTiONS Harrogate, Leeds
aWaRDS
Great British Pub Awards – Best Beer Bar / Pub – North Bar Leeds Publican Awards 2019 – Best Brewing Pub Company (finalist)
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 75
John Gyngell and Christian Townsley opened North Bar in 1997 in Leeds and has since expanded with seven sites across Leeds and Harrogate. John and Christian also operate Publican Award winning North Brewing Co, which teamed up with Leeds Indie Food in 2017 to create a weekly food fair, EatNorth. During 2018, they launched an off-site taproom in Leeds city centre, teaming up with street food vendor, Little Bao Boy, to provide the food. In 2019, the company acquired their own canning line, and grew the brewery, more than doubling production capacity. They plan to raise funds to enable the purchase of a new brewhouse, as well as refurbishing of North Bar and continuing to look for new site opportunities in 2019. This level of sustained commercial and critical progress feels both relentless and organic, and has been achieved whilst remaining an integral part of Leeds' food and drink community and becoming huge supporters and advocates for ACF in Yorkshire.
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SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
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JaMiE HaWKSWORTH, JONaTHON HOLDSWORTH PivOvaR & TaPPED BREW CO BRaNDS
Pavement Vaults, Tap Bars, Tapped, Pivni, Thornbridge & Co, Cuckoo Brew
KEY LOCaTiONS
York, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Harrogate, London, Birmingham
SiTES 11
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 225
After a trip to Prague, Jamie Hawksworth and Jonathon Holdsworth partnered with Czech brewery Bernard, setting up contracts with supermarket giant Tesco as well as getting the beers listed within 600 national stores. Getting the beers listed in pubs was another matter, however, triggering the creation of the pub portfolio, starting with Pivni in York in 2007 and the Sheffield Tap in December 2009. They now have nine sites. The duo teamed up with Thornbridge Brewery in 2017 with the aim of opening ten new sites over the next five years. One of the first is in York; a three-storey pub called The Market Cat was renovated at a cost of £500,000. The company are also in the process of converting a former branch of Lloyds Bank on Birmingham’s Colmore Row into The Birmingham Tap. For 2019, the partnership is looking at possible sites in London, Manchester, Brighton and Leeds.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
CHRiS HiLL
NEW WORLD TRaDiNG COMPaNY BRaNDS
The Botanist, The Canal House, The Club House, The Florist, The Oast House, The Smugglers Cove, The Trading House
SiTES 26
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1000+
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, MediaCity UK, Marlow, Newcastle, Nottingham, Reading, Sheffield, Watford, York
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 Finalist – Best Drinks Offer, Best Pub Operations Team. Best Pub Employer (501+ employees), Best Pub Brand / Concept and best New Pub / Bar for The Florist in Liverpool Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to work for
Alderley Edge, Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Cheltenham, Coventry, Farnham, Knutsford, Leeds, Liverpool, London, In June 2016, New World Trading Co was acquired by Graphite Capital for £50m from Living Ventures. Since then under the management of Chris Hill, the company has grown steadily with a £23m investment from NatWest to help deliver plans to open six or more sites a year. The company continued expansion in 2018 with new openings, often in historic buildings. These include new Botanist bars in Exeter, Cheltenham and Bath and a new branch of The Florist in Liverpool’s Grade II listed former Royal School for the Blind. The company saw the year out by announcing £5.6m investment from NatWest, to help fund its roll-out programme, as well as signing a five year deal with analytics company, Wireless Social, to monitor brand impact. New World Trading Co continues to build a strong collection of accolades as well as being a fixture in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.
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SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
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GUY HiTCHEN, JaMES HiTCHEN EaST COaST CONCEPTS BRaNDS
Neighbourhood, Victors
SiTES 6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 350
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Hale, Oxford, Alderley Edge
aWaRDS
This Is Manchester Awards 2018 - Finalist - Neighbourhood
East Coast Concepts was founded by entrepreneur James Hitchen and his brother Guy. The group currently operates day to night concept bar Neighbourhood in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, and the Hamptons-inspired Victor’s which originated in Hale. Both brands have strong followings due to their unique atmosphere and innovative menus, based around premium steaks and fresh seafood. In 2017 the company secured a multi million pound cash injection from private equity firm NorthEdge Capital to expand and in 2018 grew to over 335 staff with the opening of sixth venue, the £1.2m Victors Alderley Edge on the former Alchemist site. This followed the opening of Neighbourhood in Leeds and Victors in Oxford. More sites are planned for 2019, alongside a renovation of Victors in Hale.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
CHRiS HOPKiNS HYDES BREWERY BRaNDS Hydes
SiTES 54
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 560
KEY LOCaTiONS
North West & North Wales With over 150 years of history, Hydes is one of Manchester’s most significant brewers and pub operators. Their portfolio of 57 sites comprises 36 managed houses and 21 tenancies. Turnover in 2017/8 exceeded £30m for the second year running while the company launched its Hydes on Carbon program which seeks to improve efficiency and minimise environmental impact. They made no new acquisitions in 2018, investing over £1.8m on refurbishing the existing portfolio.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
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MaRKO HUSaK, MaYUR PaTEL BUNDOBUST BRaNDS Bundobust
SiTES 3
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 50
KEY LOCaTiONS
Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool (opening April 2019)
aWaRDS
Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards 2018 Finalist
After a host of pop-ups and kitchen takeovers, Bundobust found bricks and mortar in July 2014 on one side of Mill Hill in Leeds. Inspired by the vibrant and varied street foods of India, paired with truly outstanding beers, Bundobust launched an awardwinning second branch in December 2016 in a basement in Manchester’s Piccadilly, a stone’s throw from the city’s independent Northern Quarter. Jay Rayner, the Observer’s food critic, reviewed the restaurant just months after opening: “vibrant Indian street food served with craft beer in a friendly communal space...Why has no one done this before?”. A third outlet is planned for Liverpool’s Bold Street in early 2019, and the team are eyeing up a second Manchester branch to open later this year.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
BEN JONES CONCEPT TavERNS
MaTTHEW JONES ROxY LEiSURE BRaNDS
Concept Taverns: The Malt Brewhouse, Granvilles Beer & Gin House, Parkside Tavern, The Shed Bar Roxy Leisure: Roxy Ball Room, Roxy Lanes, Roxy Golf, Loop
SiTES
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES Concept Taverns: 45 Roxy Leisure: 180
KEY LOCaTiONS
Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham
Concept Taverns: 4 Roxy Leisure: 7
Operating out of Leeds, Jones Bar Group split into two companies in 2018; Concept Taverns managed by Ben Jones and Roxy Leisure, under the auspices of Matthew Jones. The original company was set up 14 years ago, when the brothers launched Bar 166 & Bistro in Town Street, Horsforth. This year the bar underwent a £200,000 refurbishment, the creation of a microbrewery and was relaunched as The Malt Brewhouse. During 2018, The Roxy Leisure brand also expanded. There are now three Leeds branches, joining sites in Manchester, Liverpool and Nottingham with a second larger site planned for Liverpool city centre in 2019. Concept Taverns, meanwhile, is expected to double it’s existing portfolio of five freehold Yorkshire pubs to ten by 2020.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
29
aDaM JONES, DREW JONES TaTTU
BRaNDS Tattu
SiTES 4
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh
aWaRDS
This Is Manchester Awards 2018 - Finalist
260
Modern Chinese restaurant group, Tattu, launched in Manchester’s Spinningfields in 2015, and the restaurant’s unique style, atmosphere and cuisine has lead to rapid growth. A second split-tier branch of Tattu with a 170-covers, a private dining room and an outdoor terrace opened in Leeds in 2017, while in late 2018, Tattu opened a third two-storey venue in the heart of Birmingham’s The Grand development, creating 80 jobs in the process. A fourth outlet is planned for Edinburgh in Spring 2019 while the Spinningfields development continues to impress from a business and customer perspective. Strategic marketing has lead to over 25% of all bookings coming from visiting diners and a fifth opening in 2019 is likely.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
NiSHa KaTONa MOWGLi STREET FOOD BRaNDS
Mowgli Street Food
SiTES 6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 200
KEY LOCaTiONS
Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Nottingham
aWaRDS
R200 Awards Winner - Best Value Restaurant Operator (20 sites and under) Good Food Award 2019
In 2014 Nisha Katona gave up a 20 year career as a barrister to launch her first Indian street food restaurant, Mowgli, on Liverpool’s Bold Street. Designed to look like “an Apple shop mixed with Indian street food”, it was an instant success. Manchester’s Corn Exchange followed, as did backing from investment company, Foresight Group. Since 2016, Nisha has opened restaurants in Oxford, Nottingham, Birmingham and Manchester’s University Green development earlier this year, with sites confirmed in Cardiff and Leicester for 2019 and more expansion plans in the pipeline. Nisha was awarded an MBE for services to the food industry in 2018.
30
SPECiaL aCHiEvEMENT aWaRD
31
aSHLEY KOLLaKOWSKi, SiMON STEvENS ROSE FOUR GROUP BRaNDS
Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen, Headrow House, Ox Club, Water Lane Boathouse, Dough Boys Pizza, Patty Smith's Burgers
KEY LOCaTiONS Leeds
SiTES 5
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 100+
Headed up by directors Ashley Kollakowski and Simon Stevens, Rose Four Group’s various operations underpin Leeds’ independent food and drink scene. Belgrave Music Hall has spawned imitators around the UK, while Headrow House and Ox Club have managed to fuse extraordinary quality with casual dining. They run two street food concepts, Patty Smith’s Burgers and Dough Boys and successfully renovated former canal-side granary and shipping warehouse, Water Lane Boathouse in 2017. Plans for 2019 include the re-launch of Meanwood’s True Briton as a family friendly, quality food pub following its purchase earlier this year.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
BaRRY LaDHaR, MiCHaEL LaDHaR CRaFTED PROJECTS BRaNDS
Lady Greys, The Redhouse, Pleased To Meet You, Hop & Cleaver, The Globe Tavern, Central Oven & Shaker, The Gunner Freehouse & Kitchen
KEY LOCaTiONS
Newcastle, Morpeth & London
SiTES 7
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 200
Crafted Projects is a leading bar, restaurant and leisure operator based in Newcastleupon-Tyne owned by Barry and Michael Ladhar. The company operates Lady Grey’s, The Redhouse, Hop & Cleaver and Central Oven & Shake in Newcastle, and The Globe in London – and 2019 promises major expansion. The opening of phase one of the company’s largest venture to date - White Hart Yard in Newcastle – is scheduled for Easter 2019. This major development includes a coffee roastery, street food, entertainment, roof terraces and more, and is set to create over 200 jobs. This year also sees a second branch of gin bar, Pleased to Meet You, opening in Morpeth, Northumberland.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
33
BOB LaWSON, JaMiE LaWSON OSSETT BREWERY PUB COMPaNY BRaNDS
Ossett Brewery
SiTES 26
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 400
KEY LOCaTiONS Yorkshire
The Ossett Brewery Pub Company was founded in 1998 by experienced brewer, Bob Lawson. The first pub in the group was the Black Bull, which opened in Liversedge in 2003, a number which has since grown to 20 managed community pubs and six city centre bars across the North of England. Last year was significant in terms of growth with numerous openings and changes. The £1.7m Salt Beer Factory launched in a Grade II listed Edwardian tramshed in Saltaire and two new bars were opened under the Craft Asylum brand in the Leeds area. The group also welcomed 50% investment from businessman, Mark Hunter, co-founder of Leeds-based software consultancy BJSS. He brings strategic experience at board level after growing BJSS into a global leader in its field.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
TERRY LaYBOURNE 21 HOSPiTaLiTY GROUP BRaNDS
21, The Broad Chare, Café 21 at Fenwick, St Vincent, Porterhouse Butcher & Grill, Saltwater Fish Company
SiTES
KEY LOCaTiONS Newcastle
aWaRDS
Top 50 Gastropubs – The Broad Chare
6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 200
Starting in 1988 with his restaurant, Terry Laybourne has overseen the growth of the 21 Hospitality Group, named after his first restaurant 21 Queen Street, which opened 1988. The group now includes six restaurants located throughout the Newcastle upon Tyne area, and Laybourne was instrumental in the multimillion-pound redevelopment of the city’s iconic Fenwick Food Hall. In 2017, he opened Porterhouse Butcher & Grill as part of the Food Hall, and in 2018 he successfully transformed Good Food Guide favourite, Caffé Vivo, into Newcastle’s first Italian-leaning craft wine bar, St Vincent.
34
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
35
WiLLiaM LEES JONES, SiMON LEES JONES JW LEES BRaNDS
Alderley Edge Hotel, Boilerhouse Brewery, JW Lees Brewery, JW Lees Hotels and Inns, JW Lees Pubs, Stanneyland’s Hotel, Willoughby’s Wine Merchants
SiTES 154
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1300
KEY LOCaTiONS
North Wales, North West
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 Finalist – Best Brewing Pub Company
Founded in 1828, family-owned brewery JW Lees reported a 16% rise in retail sales during the first half of 2018. The company has three major divisions – pubs, sales and a growing segment of hotels and inns – and 2018 was a year of investment, with over £18m spent on the estate. Belmore Hotel Brooklands, Links Hotel Llandudno, Trearddur Bay Hotel, Huntsman Holmfirth and the Hanging Gatye Weaverham were refurbished, and the company also acquired the Stanneylands Hotel in Wilmslow and the Bluebird in Samlesbury as part of a growing interest in hotels and inns. JW Lees also invested in electrical vehicle charging points at its HQ and various venues, and collaborated on a new beer with celebrity scientist, Professor Brian Cox, called Cosmic Brew.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
TOMaS MaUNiER, ROBERT MELMaN CiTY DiSTRiCT GROUP BRaNDS
KEY LOCaTiONS
SiTES
aWaRDS
Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill, Picanha by Fazenda, TAST Cuina Catalana 7
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
Birmingham, Chester, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester The Cateys 2018 – Shortlist for Best Employer
300+
Specialising in extraordinary, South American-inspired food and wine, City District Group opened Fazenda in Birmingham in 2018. This was the fifth in their clutch of luxury rodizios, alongside venues in Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Manchester. Sister brand Picanha is located in Chester and, in 2018, the team partnered with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Michelin-starred chef Paco Pérez to launch TAST Cuina Catalana on Manchester’s King Street. This new venue includes a casual dining and bar area, first-floor dining room and new, fine dining concept offering high end tasting menus on the top floor. Turnover grew by £1.5m to over £12m for the year ending March 2018 – and more openings are planned for 2019.
36
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
37
RYaN MCMaHON, DaNNY MURPHY GRaCiOUS DEvELOPMENT GROUP BRaNDS
Aloha, Royal Institution, Furnival’s Well, Fezziwig’s Gin Yard, Jennys, Studio2, Some Place
KEY LOCaTiONS Liverpool
SiTES 8
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 100+
Founded in 2018 by Liverpool bar operators, Danny Murphy and Ryan McMahon, the Gracious Development Group is an umbrella company for the team’s eight successful Liverpool bars, including their original tiki bar, Aloha. Gracious Development is named after the values and service ethics upon which Murphy and McMahon aim to focus on as the company expands. These include investment in staff training and promoting staff from within the company where possible. Plans for the next 12 months include opening two new bars in Liverpool and expanding into Manchester and Leeds. Cementing GDG’s position as a key player in the region’s bar sector, the company’s newest acquisition is a private members’ club and specialist spirits merchants called Whisky Business located in the Royal Institution Building above Aloha.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
PaUL MORaN, JEREMY ROBERTS LiviNG vENTURES BRaNDS
Australasia, Blackhouse, Grand Pacific, Red Door, Sunset, Olive Restaurant & Bar
SiTES 9
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 600
KEY LOCaTiONS
Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Chester
aWaRDS
Casual Dining Awards 2018 – New Casual Dining Concept – Grand Pacific Casual Dining Awards 2018 – Casual Dining Group of the Year
With an extensive portfolio of bars, pubs and restaurants throughout the UK, Living Ventures is one of the country’s leading hospitality providers. However 2018 brought mixed fortunes. Artistan and Manchester House brands went into administration after a period of difficult trading, and LV launched a CVA for its 5-strong Blackhouse steakhouses. The company’s other concepts – including Australasia and Grand Pacific - kept turnover at around £20m in the year to March 2018 and Sunset by Australasia enjoyed a strong launch in August 2018. Living Ventures was founded in 1996 by Jeremy Roberts – who is also a significant shareholder and chair of the boards for both The Alchemist and Gusto - and Tim Bacon, who passed away in 2016. Jeremy set up the Tim Bacon Foundation in his memory which aims to help people living with cancer and the charity raised over £500,000 with its first appeal.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
39
aNDREW NELSON, LUCY NELSON NELSON HOTELS BRaNDS
The Bear's Paw, The Fishpool Inn, Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa, The Pheasant Inn
KEY LOCaTiONS Cheshire
SiTES 4
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 240
Nelson Hotels is a family-owned collection of individual venues offering the highest of standards in food, drink and accommodation. The Nelson Hotels family includes the luxury 4 star Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa in Chester which enjoyed a £1.5m restaurant renovation during 2018, as well as a number of award-winning gastro inns. The Fishpool Inn near Delamere, for example, has won a number of ‘best pub’ awards and plans for the venue include a two-storey extension to meet demand.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
JOYCELYN NEvE SEaFOOD PUB COMPaNY BRaNDS
Seafood Pub Company
SiTES 11
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 Finalist – Best Food Offer Top 50 Gastropubs – The Assheton Arms
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 450
KEY LOCaTiONS
Lancashire, Yorkshire Joycelyn Neve set up the Seafood Pub Company in 2010, combining her family’s heritage in the fishing industry with her passion for highest quality food and relaxed service. Today, the Seafood Pub Company operates eleven sites across Lancashire and Yorkshire, with accommodation added to a number of the sites in order to diversify the customer base. It is set to grow over the next 3-5 years after announcing an £18m majority stake deal from Penta Capital.
40
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
41
aNDREW PERN
THE STaR aT HaROME, STaR iNN THE CiTY BRaNDS
The Star Inn At Harome, The Star Inn The City, The Star Inn The Harbour, Mr P’s Curious Tavern
SiTES 4
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
KEY LOCaTiONS
Harome, Whitby, York
aWaRDS
National Restaurant Awards – No 59 for The Star Inn One Michelin Star – The Star Inn Top 50 Gastropubs – The Star Inn
180
Andrew Pern’s name is synonymous with that of his pub The Star Inn at Harome, consistently appearing on a host of awards’ lists. The Star Inn at Harome was awarded a Michelin star from 2002 to 2010 inclusive and once again in 2015 to the present day. In August 2016, Andrew opened Mr P’s Curious Tavern in York while a fourth site, The Star Inn The Harbour in Whitby followed in 2017. A fire in November 2018 damaged York’s thriving Star Inn – but the restaurant is accepting bookings from March 2019. Plans for this year include exploring locations in Covent Garden, Soho and beyond.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
STEvE PiLLiNG
NORTHERN RESTaURaNTS & ST JOSEPHS BRaNDS
The Moortop, La Cantina’s, Roost HM, Guilty By Association, Dockyards, Gas Works Brew Bar & Kitchen, The Dog & Partridge Didsbury, Lost In Toyko, Vesper Cocktail Bar / Liquorice & Kowloon, Stockport Market, Blackshaws Kitchen
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 500
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Stockport
SiTES 14
Steve Pilling started his career in hospitality in the only Michelin starred restaurant in Manchester; The French in 1977. He left to play full time squash, before starting the Chophouse group going on to establish brands such as Damson, Dockyard, Gasworks and Roost and La Cantina. In 2002, he was acknowledged by Salford City Council and Nelson Mandela for his work with underprivileged children. He currently has a wide portfolio of restaurants and bars throughout Greater Manchester and Stockport, from the casual dining restaurants to underground Northern Quarter bars. Steve is involved in the transformation of Stockport’s Produce Hall into a food hall, filled with independent restaurants and bars, which will seat up to 150 people and he has recently become an official ambassador for Stockport.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
43
ROB PiTCHER
REvOLUTiON BaRS GROUP BRaNDS
Revolution, Revolucion de Cuba
SiTES 74
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1600
KEY LOCaTiONS Nationwide
The first Revolution opened on Manchester’s Oxford Road in 1996, sending shockwaves across the industry with its vodka-based concept and quality bar food. The brand remains at the forefront of the British bar scene with five new openings in the second half of 2018 alone. Successful sister concept, Revolucion de Cuba, currently generates approximately £50,000 sales per site per week and recent openings for both brands include Revolution Mitchell Street in Glasgow, Revolucion de Cuba Southampton, Revolucion de Cuba Bristol, Revolucion de Cuba Huddersfield and Revolution Durham. In 2018, the company was joined by new chief executive, Rob Pitcher (whose experience includes working with Mitchells & Butlers, Harvester, Toby Carvery and Stonehouse) and the Group began working with leading digital agency, Social Chain, with the aim of increasing brand awareness among the millennial audience in 2019.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
JONaTHaN POOLE, PaDDY SMiTH RED aND BLUE BRaNDS
Hanover Street Social, Salt House Bacaro, Salt House Tapas, Rocket & Ruby
KEY LOCaTiONS Liverpool
SiTES 4
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 160
As Directors of Red and Blue, Jonathan Poole and Paddy Smith oversee the management of four restaurants in Liverpool, including the brasserie and bar of Hanover Street Social, the Spanish- inspired Salt House Tapas, and the Venetian small plates of Salt House Bacaro, Rocket and Ruby which is a neighbourhood small plates restaurant which opened at the end of 2018. Future plans include their first Manchester opening – a second branch of Bacaro on the ground floor of Afflecks summer 2019 – and business is thriving. Sales increased 9.2% in the final quarter of 2018, the company appointed group executive chef Matt Walsh to the board of directors. Steve Stewart joined the company last summer as non-exec financial director and the company has just been included in the Sunday Times’ round up of the best places to work.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
45
SiMON POTTS
THE aLCHEMiST BaR & RESTaURaNT BRaNDS
The Alchemist, Aether
SiTES 15
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 900
KEY LOCaTiONS
Manchester, Salford, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottingham, Chester, Liverpool & London
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 Finalist – Best Drink Offer Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to work for Rising Star at Retailers Retailer in 2018 – Simon Potts EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme for the North West shortlist – Simon Potts
Simon Potts has been with Living Ventures since 2004 and was part of the management buyout of The Alchemist brand with the company and Palatine Private Equity (PPE) in 2015, becoming its managing director later that same year. Recent openings include the £1.2m waterside Media City site in Salford, a £1.65m Nottingham site, and Aether in Liverpool. The brand currently has 15 locations, including a landmark Covent Garden outlet, with five openings confirmed before March 2020 including three more in London and a second Birmingham site. Simon has grown with the company to become a true leader, and this generated an unprecedented volume of positive feedback from his staff, suppliers and peers. The company has featured in the Sunday Times 100 Best companies to work for three years running.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
OLivER ROBiNSON, WiLLiaM ROBiNSON ROBiNSONS BREWERY BRaNDS
Robinson's Brewery
SiTES
KEY LOCaTiONS
North West: Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, North Wales
260
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 600
Robinsons was founded in Stockport in 1838 and has 260 tenanted and managed sites across Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and North Wales. During the year 2018, the brewery acquired three new pubs – all in Wales – The Seacroft in Treardurr Bay, Anglesey, The Four Alls in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, and The George the Third Hotel in Penmaenpool, Dolgellau. Robinsons continues to invest heavily in its pubs; having completed a substantial number of award-winning refurbishments over the last three years. The 180-year-old brewer also continues its collaboration with rock legends Iron Maiden and beer aficionado Bruce Dickinson on its Trooper brand and has lots of exciting plans in the pipeline for 2019.
46
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
47
SiMON ROGaN
UMBEL RESTaURaNT GROUP BRaNDS
Aulis at L'Enclume, Aulis London, L'Enclume, Rogan & Co, Roganic, Aulis Hong Kong, Roganic Hong Kong
SiTES 7
KEY LOCaTiONS
Cumbria, London, Hong Kong
aWaRDS
Roganic - One Michelin Star & Four AA Rosettes Rogan & Co - One Michelin Star
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 135
Simon Rogan’s Umbel Restaurant Group encompasses his original two Michelin star restaurant with rooms, L’Enclume, Aulis, Rogan & Co, and Roganic, with branches in Cartmel, London and Hong Kong. Despite the closure of Fera at Claridges, 2018 was a successful year for the brand, with new Michelin stars added to the portfolio. Oli Marlowe secured one star for central London’s Roganic within the restaurant’s first year of operation, while Tom Barnes also won a star for his cooking at Cartmel’s Rogan & Co. During 2018, Rogan also took over from Brian Tuner as president of Bocuse d’Or UK. The Bocuse d’Or sees the very best chefs from around the globe come together every two years in Lyon, for two days of competition in what’s regarded as the finest celebration of the culinary arts in the world.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
MaTT SNELL GUSTO
BRaNDS Gusto
SiTES 18
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 800
KEY LOCaTiONS Nationwide
Since launching in 2011, casual Italian restaurant group Gusto has expanded to 19 outlets in locations around the UK. Passionate about authenticity and staff training, the team make regular trips to Milan and other cities to ensure that their menus are reecting the best of modern Italian food and drink. New openings include Birmingham and Solihull while a focus on technology during 2018 has enabled the company to reach new customers via a new, more streamlined booking system which seeks to put the customer ďŹ rst.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
49
DaviD SOLEY, CHRiS SOLEY CaMERONS BREWERY BRaNDS
The Head of Steam, LB Pubs
SiTES 75
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 550
KEY LOCaTiONS Nationwide
Camerons is one of the largest private breweries in the UK, with the capacity to produce more than 1 million hectolitres of beer annually. Formed in 2002, following its purchase by businessman David Soley, the company’s origins date back to 1865 when John William Cameron ran the original brewery. The company headquarters are in Hartlepool at the historic Lion Brewery site, which was built in 1892. Yet Camerons continues to evolve. A new experimental brewing facility, entitled Tooth and Claw was introduced in 2018, alongside a plastic straws ban and collaboration with Toast who make beer from bread. As well as making beer, Camerons have a growing retail pub estate of 70-plus venues including the Head of Steam brand, which the firm acquired in 2014. There were new openings in Nottingham and Cardiff during 2018 and turnover rose to over £70m.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
CHRiS URE, MaRTiN WOLSTENCROFT aRC iNSPiRaTiONS BRaNDS
Arc, Banyan, The Box, Kith & Kin, Manahatta, The Pit
SiTES 18
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 600
KEY LOCaTiONS
Harrogate, Ilkley, Leeds, Manchester, York
aWaRDS
Publican Awards 2019 Finalist – Best Drink Offer, Best Managed Pub Company (2-50) and Best New Pub/Bar – The Box Leeds
Owners Chris Ure and Martin Wolstencroft have seen their ambitious multi-brand Arc Inspirations grow into a £31m turnover business, with sales up 14% percent at the end of 2018. Arc now has 18 venues across the North of England. Arc Inspirations was established in 1999, and is grouped into three core brands: Banyan Bar & Kitchen, Manahatta, The Box. The last 12 months have seen with two new Manchester sites open (Banyan Bar & Kitchen Spinningfields and Manahatta Deansgate) and the brand is set for further growth in 2019 with the opening of Banyan Newcastle.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
51
GaRY USHER ELiTE BiSTROS BRaNDS
Burnt Truffle, Hispi, Pinion, Sticky Walnut, Wreckfish, Kala (opening 2019)
SiTES 6
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 100+
KEY LOCaTiONS
Cheshire, Manchester, Merseyside
aWaRDS
National Restaurant Awards No 19 Wreckfish and No 46 Hispi Good Food Guide 2018 - Sticky Walnut, Wreckfish, Hispi & Burnt Truffle GQ Food & Drink Awards - Best Restaurateur The Caterer Top 100 Restaurant Magazine Awards Shortlist Wreckfish - Opening of the Year, Elite Bistros - Best value restaurants operator, Elite Bistros - Best restaurant operator.
Chef Gary Usher took a risk in 2011, taking over a rundown restaurant on the suburbs of Chester, and turned it into his signature bistro, Sticky Walnut. Four years (and many stellar reviews) later, Gary and his team opened a second restaurant, Burnt Truffle in Heswall using a Kickstarter campaign. A third site, the 85-cover Hispi Bistro in the south Manchester suburb of Didsbury followed in 2016 after crowdfunding generated more than £60,000 in pledges. Hispi was followed by Liverpool’s Wreckfish and Pinion in Prescot, both leading the way in terms of creative crowdfunding. Usher’s groundbreaking journey continues in 2019 with the opening of Elite Bistros’ first Manchester city centre outlet, Kala, on King Street.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
STEvEN WaLKER iNDiviDUaL RESTaURaNTS BRaNDS
Piccolino, The Restaurant Bar & Grill, Bank Restaurant & Bar, Opera Grill, Gino D’Acampo
KEY LOCaTiONS Nationwide
SiTES 46
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 1700
Individual Restaurants is one of the UK’s leading restaurant companies. Individual Restaurants own and operate numerous brands across the UK including Piccolino, The Restaurant Bar & Grill, Bank Restaurant & Bar and Opera Grill. The company’s partnership with Gino D’Acampo which dates back to 2015 has been particularly fruitful, with turnover is approaching £100m across the D’Acampo brands in 2018. In early 2019, Individual Restaurants are also expanding their flagship Caffé Grande Piccolino restaurant in Manchester, with a new private dining and events space on the lower ground floor.
52
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
53
JaMES WaRBURTON JaMES' PLaCES BRaNDS
Bowland Brewery, Eaves Hall, The Emporium, Falcon Manor, Holmes Mill, Mitton Hall, Royal Hotel, Shireburn Arms, Waddington Arms
SiTES
KEY LOCaTiONS
Ribble Valley, Kirby Lonsdale, Settle
aWaRDS
CAMRA Award for Best Pub Conversion – Holmes Mill
9
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 500+
James’ Places is a dynamic and vibrant Lancashire- based company with a developing portfolio. The group operates a number of exciting concepts across the Ribble Valley, Kirkby Lonsdale and Settle, including luxury wedding venues, country pubs, bistros, brasseries, and hotels. Their most recent opening is the £10m Holmes Mill development, a unique food, drink and leisure hub housed in a Grade II-listed site in Clitheroe and the group have won numerous awards including Best Leisure and Tourism Business in the Red Rose Awards.
KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
aNDREW WiLDSMiTH WiLDSMiTH HOTELS BRaNDS
Forest Side, Hipping Hall, The Ryebeck
SiTES 3
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 100
KEY LOCaTiONS Cumbria, Lancashire
Andrew Wildsmith turned his back on a career as a chemist to open three luxurious hotels in the rugged landscape of the Lake District. He came upon Hipping Hall while looking for somewhere to live in 2004 and decided to open a hotel. This was joined by The Ryebeck Hotel which he took over from his parents in 2013. Now Andrew has three well recognised and reputable brands all with a distinct look but sharing a connection to their location. In 2016, he opened Forest Side in Grasmere after an 18-month, £4m renovation. With former L’Enclume chef, Kevin Tickle, in the kitchen, the restaurant secured a Michelin star within nine months which it has retained ever since.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019
55
ONES TO WaTCH Whittling the nominations down to a final fifty was an arduous process, with some exciting and worthwhile operators not quite making the final cut this year. For this reason the judges wanted to highlight some of the people they consider worthy of close attention over the next twelve months.
aLMOND PUBS
Cheshire based Almond Family Pubs, run by former hotelier Doug Almond and his children James and Vicki, has a reputation for taking on and turning around “unloved”pubs. They have just acquired a pub in Stockport for their sixth site. The Jolly Sailor in Davenport will undergo a £1m refurbishment ahead of reopening in late spring. The company’s other pubs are the Fletchers Arms, The Hesketh, the Three Bears, Puss In Boots, and the Spread Eagle, all in and around Stockport.
PROOvE Pizza
Sheffield-based pizza company Proove Pizza is the brainchild of Deepak Jaiswal and business partner Rob Engledow. has a 60-seat restaurant in Broomhill, Sheffield, which opened in 2015. They have started expansion by opening its second site in Manchester and a third in Sheffield with plans for Leeds.
Pizza LUxE
From humble beginnings selling pizza from a market stall in London’s vibrant Brick Lane, Pizza Luxe, owned by Paul Goodale, has evolved into a multi-site business with big plans for the future. In September 2018, Pizza Luxe opened its the first site in partnership with SSP at Manchester Airport. PizzaLuxe signed an agreement at the end of last year with SSP to develop and operate new format fast casual counters across the travel concession operator’s UK and Ireland estate. It is thought that further openings will follow within SSP’s Network Rail locations. The new site will build on the success of the company’s Leeds Trinity store, which opened in 2013.
TRE CiCCiO
Owners Francesco Scafuri, Alan Ritchie and James Gingell launched Tre Ciccio in Altrincham in February 2018 closely followed by Bramhall in October. A third site in Ramsbottom is scheduled to open in February 2019. Tre Ciccio, which translates as “three chubby friends” in Italian, specialises in Neapolitan food including southern Italian-style roast chicken with potatoes, and wood-fired pizza,
SiLK ROaD
Silk Rd has added a third restaurant to its portfolio as it launches its latest site in Bramhall, Greater Manchester following a six-figure sum investment. After enjoying success in both Wirral and Liverpool, owners of Silk Rd Chris Williams and Javier Mellado opened the new 2,500 sq. ft location on Bramhall Lane South in October 2018. Taking inspiration from the Silk Road trail, which spans three continents from the Pacific to the Mediterranean, the restaurant serves up authentic cuisine in the form of small plates and tapas.
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KUiTS NRB TOP FiFTY aWaRDS 2019