The Recruitment Room

11/09/2023

Hello Autumn - How's your summer been?
September equals a new season, new starts, time to refocus and reset the things that matter to you. Your opportunity to subtly press the RESET button on your career too! www.therecruitmentroom.co.uk

04/07/2023

Arc Inspirations to close all sites today to host company festival: Arc Inspirations, the Martin Wolstencroft-led business, will today (Tuesday, 4 July) close all its sites to host a company festival. All 19 sites under the Banyan Bar & Kitchen, BOX and Manahatta brands will shut to allow more than 1,000 team members to attend the first Arc in the Park. A main stage of live performances all day will include music from Urban Soul Family Gospel Choir, Gypsies of Bohemia, New York Brass Band, Kristix Drumming and Sweet on Sax. Team members will be able to choose from a range of street food options, a variety of drinks and enjoy an array of garden games and a silent disco. The event will also include the company’s annual Nobody Does It Better awards, which recognise unsung heroes in the business. Arc Inspirations co-founder and chief executive Martin Wolstencroft said: “As we continue to grow, it becomes more important than ever to attract and retain the best people, and we’re always looking at ways to incentivise and reward our people for their hard work. Arc in the Park will be the mother of all summer parties and I can’t wait to bring everybody together for a really special day.” Arc Inspirations posted record revenue and profits of £38.9m and £7.5m respectively for its most recent financial year (ending March 2022) and recently launched its largest BOX venue to date, in Brindleyplace, Birmingham. The company is planning to open at least four more sites in a “transformational” next 12 months including BOX in Nottingham and Manahatta in Newcastle, with an ambition to open 50 sites by 2030.

26/05/2023

Tommy Banks opens new North Yorkshire pub with rooms: Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks has opened his new pub with rooms, the 19th century Abbey Inn, in Oldstead, North Yorkshire. The grade II-listed 70-cover pub is located just down the road from the family’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Black Swan, and has been refurbished by the Banks family, preserving and highlighting its original features. “Washing pots in this building was one of my very first jobs when I was a kid, so to now open my own pub in it is a dream,” Banks said. “One of my main goals in opening a third place is to continue my mission for championing hyper-local, sustainable produce. We’ve been rearing our own cattle, sheep and pigs for a while now, and The Abbey Inn allows us to get one stop further in our journey to complete carcass balance and true nose-to-tail dining.” Head chef Charlie Smith oversees a menu featuring the likes of the Byland burger, with a patty made up of Dexter chuck brisket and short rib, and halibut cooked over charcoal with Charlotte potatoes, yoghurt whey and chamomile sauce. There is also a 30-bin wine list, showcasing producers from lesser-known regions, and cocktails highlighting produce grown or foraged in and around Oldstead. Banks also operates Roots in York as well as Made in Oldstead, a premium nationwide food box delivery and events service.

12/05/2023

Gordon Ramsay to open second Lucy Cat restaurant with Manchester launch next month: Chef Gordon Ramsay will open the second site for his Lucky Cat concept, in Manchester, next month. Ramsay launched the “authentic Asian eating house and vibrant late-night lounge” in London’s Mayfair in 2019. Now he will open a site in King Street, Manchester, on Thursday, 1 June. It marks the first major opening for Ramsay in the city. The restaurant will span three floors, and in addition to the main restaurant, there are also extensive private dining spaces and bars. Lucky Cat’s menu is designed for sharing, with small plates cooked on a robata grill including grilled black cod, spiced lamb chops and hand dived scallops, all alongside a menu of maki, dumplings and bao buns and tempura-fried dishes. It also has a special “Sunday shares” menu and a late night menu of sushi and skewers, available alongside Asian-inspired cocktails and Japanese sake. Ramsay said: “Manchester is renowned for its thriving culinary landscape, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. We’re fired up to build on the phenomenal success of our Mayfair restaurant and bring something truly exceptional to Manchester.”

12/05/2023

Sky News – investment firm in talks to buy Black Sheep Brewery: Investment firm Breal Capital is in talks to buy Black Sheep Brewery days after the Yorkshire company warned it was on the brink of insolvency, reports Sky News. It said Breal Capital, part of Breal Group, has emerged as the leading contender to acquire Black Sheep Brewery, which last week filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. Industry sources have said other bidders remained in contention to acquire the business, and that a deal with Breal was not yet certain. Advisers to Black Sheep Brewery had asked interested parties to table offers by last Friday (5 May). The company, which was founded by Paul Theakston in 1992, said its performance had been hit by the pandemic and required new investment. It was unclear whether any sale would be implemented through a pre-pack administration, although one industry executive suggested that was a possible outcome. Black Sheep Brewery operates four pubs – Foley’s Tap House and Black Sheep Tap & Kitchen in Leeds, and The Three Legged Mare and The Last Drop Inn in York.

06/05/2023

Happy Coronation Day 👑🇬🇧

02/05/2023

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Masham’s Black Sheep Brewery has announced its intention to appoint administrators.

25/04/2023

Windermere country house hotel owner adds luxury bed and breakfast to portfolio: The Storrs Collection, which owns country house hotel Storrs Hall on the shores of Windermere in the Lake District, has acquired a luxury bed and breakfast for an undisclosed sum. The company has bought Lindeth Fell Country House, which stands in seven acres of its own private gardens, overlooking the lake in Lyth Valley Road in Windermere. It offers 14 bedrooms, many with lake views, and had been owned and run by the Kennedy family for almost 40 years. Andrew Nicholson, general manager of Storrs Hall, said: “We’re proud to have added Lindeth Fell to The Storrs Collection and very much look forward to carrying forward the exceptional quality of the stewardship of the Kennedy family. There is a synergy between Lindeth Fell and Storrs Hall – both are very special places, each with a rich and interesting history, in a spectacular setting, providing a warm and nurturing guest experience.” Storrs Hall has 28 bedrooms in its main house, six luxury lakeside suites and The Boathouse, an over-water suite for two. Colliers acted on the Lindeth Fell Country House deal.

24/04/2023

Kirkstall Brewery takes on ex-Banyan site as Arc Inspirations continues to reposition estate: Leeds brewer and retailer Kirkstall Brewery has taken on the former Banyan site in Horsforth, after Arc Inspirations decided to exit the venue as part of its ongoing repositioning to be more prime and city-centre-led. Kirkstall Brewery owns The Cardigan Arms, The Kirkstall Bridge Inn and its taproom in Leeds, as well as The Sparrow in Bradford. Owner Steve Holt said: “Kirkstall Brewery is delighted to announce it is taking over the lease on the former Banyan site in Horsforth. The property is now closed for refurbishment, and the plan is to reopen under a new name and concept later this year.” It is thought the sale of the site by Arc came following “a very attractive offer”. A spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, we have concluded an agreement that will see our venue in Horsforth move to new owners. This has not been an easy decision, however we are confident the new operators, Kirkstall Brewery, a respected local operator, will serve the community with the same care, attention and engagement that we have, and we wish it well.” Arc, the Martin Wolstencroft-led business, was recently given the go-ahead to transform a grade II-listed building in Nottingham city centre into a 12,000 square-foot sports bar. The company has been granted planning permission by the city council to open one of its Box venues at 2-3 Thurland Street, which was formerly occupied by All Saints clothing store. The business also wants to open a Manahatta cocktail bar in the former French Connection unit in Victoria Street. Earlier this year, Wolstencroft said 2023 was set to be a “transformational” year for the business, which is also set to open a Box site in Birmingham and a Manahatta venue in Newcastle.

19/04/2023

Celebrity chef James Martin calls for margarine to be banned, saying the ingredient is “two elements away from plastic.”

17/04/2023

The chef reported that no-shows and late cancellations rolled in after dropping his deposit from 50

17/04/2023

Seasonal 💥