
Hickory’s pumps £2m into Sheffield restaurant

(Hickory’s)
Chester-based pubco Hickory’s Smokehouse has opened its 30th restaurant following a £2m renovation.
Located on Drake House Lane in Beighton, Sheffield, Hickory’s, which is part of Greene King, opened the restaurant ahead of schedule on Friday 20 June.
Previously a Greene King pub, the restaurant has been transformed with Hickory’s signature movie room, Frozen Custard ‘Creation Station’ and heaps of quirky southern American touches.
The size of the kitchen has also been doubled to house Hickory’s authentic US smokers and a new themed outdoor play area has also been introduced. Some 100 jobs have also been created by Hickory’s in Sheffield.
Hickory’s managing director John Welsh told The Morning Advertiser (The MA): “We have totally transformed the Sheffield restaurant to create a welcoming space for the whole community.
“From the relaxed, neighbourhood bar area, complete with its own, dedicated terrace area, where guests are welcome to pop in for drinks, or catch up on the latest sporting action shown across multiple screens, to the spacious dining areas that include bespoke booths and larger tables for bigger get-togethers.
“Alongside the new restaurant space, the whole outside area has also undergone a major transformation and is unrecognisable.
“Designed for year-round dining and drinking, the new, partly covered terrace is reminiscent of the verandas and porches you see all over the southern states and the outside space can allow us to almost double our covers”
The Chester-based pubco, which specialises in southern American-style barbecue and hospitality, has also planned five more openings for this year, including in Thornaby, Cardiff, its first site in south Wales, and a handful of new smokehouses across the Midlands.
Welsh added: “‘The Sheffield restaurant has strengthened our presence in Yorkshire, taking us to five smokehouses in the county.
“In the first few weeks since opening the doors back in mid-June, trade has been extremely encouraging, and the people of Sheffield seem to have embraced our authentic southern style food and hospitality wholeheartedly.”
Vagabond opens first site since joining Majestic

Vagabond, the self-pour wine bar group, has signed a 15-year lease on a flagship site in London’s Paternoster Square, St Paul’s, set to open this August.
It marked the brand’s first new location since joining the Majestic Wine Group and takes its total number of sites to ten. Another bar is set to follow in the city’s Liverpool Street this autumn.
The new space, formerly the filming location of Channel 4’s First Dates restaurant, will feature more than 110 wines available by the glass – more than at any of Vagabond’s other nine bars – through its signature self-serve ‘tap and pour’ dispensers, alongside a menu of seasonal small plates.
Vagabond said it aimed to double the size of its estate over the next three years, with a focus on units of approximately 2,000–5,000 sq ft in prime locations across major UK cities.
Commenting on the new venue, Vagabond managing director Christobell Giles said: “We have always believed wine is about so much more than what’s in the glass. It’s about connection – whether that’s between you and our winemakers, you and our team, or you and the person across the table. Wine has a unique ability to bring people together and spark conversation.
“This new space in St Paul’s captures all of that. It’s welcoming, romantic, social and just a little bit iconic. We’re incredibly proud to be opening in such a special spot and cannot wait to welcome guests in for their first glass.
“After a brilliant first year with Majestic, this is a really exciting step forward for us at Vagabond.”
RedCat trials new carvery concept

Earlier this month, RedCat Hospitality told The MA it was trialling a new carvery experience with kiosk ordering.
The award-winning operator, which runs the Coaching Inn Group and RedCat Independent Pubs, introduced the concept at its Castle Carvery site the Clocktower in Bowthorpe, Norfolk.
Part of RedCat’s Independent Pubs division, the Clocktower opened to the public on Friday 20 June following a £600k refurbishment investment.
New digital ordering kiosks were introduced at the pub, enabling guests to place orders for meals and drinks, pay directly at the screen, and receive real-time updates on order status.
The overhauled menu included slow-cooked topside beef, leg of lamb and vegan wellington dishes, all served with traditional trimmings like locally sourced vegetables and roast potatoes – with gluten-free options also available. Read more here.
Also this month, RedCat Hospitality acquired the Warwick Arms Hotel, Warwick. The purchase was the group’s first acquisition since August 2022 and marked a return to the acquisition trail for the business.
With claims of being the oldest hotel in Warwickshire, the former coaching inn boast 40 bedrooms and is just a stone’s throw from Warwick Castle. Read more here.
Greene King reopens ‘iconic’ LGBTQIA+ pub

Greene King has welcomed customers back through the door at the City of Quebec pub in Marylebone, London, following a six-figure investment.
Situated on Old Quebec Street, it is London’s oldest LGBTQIA+ pub, established in 1946, according to Greene King.
On the ground floor, the stage has been upgraded with the installation of a projector screen, effects lighting and a new DJ booth to enhance the pub’s weekly live music and cabaret events.
The venue’s club area in the basement has also been fully redecorated with new artwork and an improved furniture layout. The toilet facilities have also been improved.
General manager Darren Dunn said: “Pubs are the hubs of local communities, and they play a central role in providing safe and welcoming spaces for people of all backgrounds.
“The City of Quebec has long been established as a vibrant hotspot for the LGBTQIA+ community in the heart of London, and we’re thrilled to showcase a new and improved look.
“As one of Greene King’s Heritage pubs, the City of Quebec’s investment looks to honour the pub’s rich history, while bringing a modern twist to the its original Art Deco design.”
The City of Quebec officially reopened on Thursday 26 June.
New Czech-style opens in London

Bloomsbury Leisure Group has announced the opening of a Czech beer-focused pub next to Coutts on London’s Strand.
The Stranded will borrow from Czech specialisms to bring Czech lager excellence to London, with a focus on the craft of pouring.
Budvar lagers, including Original, Nefilr (unfiltered), Dark and 0.0%, will sit alongside a wider beer menu of five rotating kegs and four cask ales.
A key part of the experience will be the traditional Czech side-pour tap. Instead of the usual vertical handle, this sideways tap opens like a throttle and allows the tapster to pour quickly and with control, creating the dense, wet foam that’s essential to a perfect Czech pour.
Bloomsbury Leisure Group founder and director Jon Dalton said: “The Stranded is more than a new pub — it’s a fresh standard for lager, an education in pouring, and a love letter to beer done properly. We think there’s an appetite from London’s lager.”
Oak Taverns opens 17th pub

Oxfordshire-based pubco Oak Taverns has opened a new site in Charlbury.
The business acquired the Rose & Crown from the Page family, which ran the wet-led pub for four decades. It took the number of pubs in Oak Taverns’ portfolio to 17.
Managing director Simon Collinson told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) the pub will have a refurbishment that would be sympathetic and more of an “evolution not revolution” process.
Collinson added the pubco was in talks to procure to a further site later this month and that it had planned to open one per year going forward. Read more here.
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