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New Statesman
3 days ago
- Business
- New Statesman
Can the Great British caff survive?
Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP Inside the Regency Cafe, a Westminster greasy spoon that's gone global, little has changed since it reopened under new ownership in July. The art deco style remains, as do framed pictures of Muhammad Ali and various old Spurs players on the walls, and the red gingham curtains. There's still a queue to order, filled by the same steady stream of punters – a mix of builders, politicians, civil servants and tourists. The menu still features set breakfasts, steak pies and bread-and-butter pudding. It remains almost impossible to spend more than a tenner. You still wait for your toast before taking a seat, but now instead of being barked at and potentially embarrassed by the maître d' (a thrilling yet mildly terrifying experience), a number is gently called. My regular order, liver and bacon, survives. Five slices of iron-y meat, perhaps a little overcooked, three rashers of thick-cut bacon, just perfect. Some brown sauce, a glass of orange squash. Out in 20 minutes. The Regency, first opened in 1946, is a beloved institution. And when its legendary Anglo-Italian owners announced they were selling last year, many feared it would disappear. Thousands of greasy spoons have shut this century, as tastes change and costs spiral. But, mercifully, two Turkish-born restaurateurs who own several establishments in London have saved it. Fevzi Gungor said they were committed to 'preserving the cafe's enduring legacy', before admitting to 'exploring opportunities for future growth' and hinting at franchising to Dubai. 'My aim isn't to change what people already love about Regency Cafe,' he said, 'but to enhance it, extending opening hours, refreshing equipment, strengthening our social media presence and introducing merchandise that captures the spirit of this iconic spot.' The reaction was mixed. Many who have visited have found, like me, the breakfasts as good as ever. But a celebrated British greasy spoon in Istanbul, one of the other rumoured locations? Surely not. I wonder why we are so protective of the great British caff? Like the difference between pubs and bars, caffs are not cafés. Like pubs, caffs often house a community, with a series of regulars, imprinting on the local culture. While Regency Cafe had long sailed into the realm of tourist destination, it kept its charm. A café can easily become a chain: Starbucks are built to be memetic; Nero is crying out for franchise. A caff? Its charm is precisely in its un-replicability. It is hard to run a hospitality business these days, and Regency's new owners have calculated that they must branch out to succeed. Huge queues every day are insufficient. Merchandise? Fair game for restaurants these days (a Top Cuvée tote bag anyone? What about a candle from Bao?). It's an extra income stream, and free branding. A podcast? Fellow Anglo-Italian caff institution E Pellici in Bethnal Green has one; last time I walked past on a Saturday, at least 100 people were queueing. But a franchised caff just feels wrong. Sure, there have been fry-up chains. Little Chef (RIP) and the Breakfast Club, which has 15 branches, come to mind. Although the latter is a brunch restaurant in its soul. Perhaps it is necessary: more than 4,000 restaurants shut last year, and according to one study co-authored by the trade body UK Hospitality, a third of businesses are operating at a loss and at risk of closure. Those closures have brought opportunity for entrepreneurs to buy ready-made sites – see the Gugnors and Regency – and industry analyst James Hacon reckons franchising, though not without its own difficulties, 'can be a relatively low-risk way to grow'. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe One risk is detracting from the brand, cheapening something special. I adore Da' Vinattieri, a tiny Florentine shop specialising in tripe sandwiches, but I wouldn't want it in London. Da Michele, a Neapolitan pizzeria famous for only making margheritas and marinaras, now has branches in London and Manchester with vastly bigger menus and proportionately worse pizza. Caffs are often idealised, says Richard Crampton-Platt, who founded Cafe Britaly, a short-lived homage to Anglo-Italian greasy spoons in Peckham. He argues they have to adapt and modernise. Accepting card payments, opening beyond 2pm and offering halal options are welcome ways to move with the times. But does franchising not detract from the founding essence? Does a caff cease to be a caff when it lets go of these affectations? Crampton-Platt is concerned by franchising. 'It's slightly alarming. A caff by its nature is about community.' When it becomes about margins and scaling up, community can fall by the wayside. In an insightful blog on the new Regency, journalist Angus Colwell stated that while authenticity can be a meaningless term, a restaurant should be 'real'. 'I prefer the organic restaurant over the curated, rational one: restaurants born out of love in the kitchen, not calculations in the boardroom.' Regency Cafe is real; it's hard to see its roll-out across the world being so. An expansion would chip away at what makes London special. What next? E Pellici Las Vegas? Mario's Cafe Monaco? Regency's new owners have done a stellar job merely by keeping it as it was. Let's hope they realise what a special thing that is. [See more: British food is reactionary now] Related
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alan Permane on leading Racing Bulls: 'Some shock, some pride' but 'relishing the challenge'
racing director and paddock veteran Alan Permane to fill the role as team principal, overseeing the Anglo-Italian squad's 700 staff across Milton Keynes in the UK and Faenza in Italy. From its Benetton guise through Renault, Lotus and Alpine, Permane was a stalwart at team Enstone as an engineer and sporting director, before leaving the team exactly two years ago. He was then snapped up by Racing Bulls in January 2024 as its new racing director, adding his three-decade experience to a squad commissioned by Red Bull to forge its own identity and vie for the top of the midfield. Alan Permane, Racing Director RB F1 Team, Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team Having been involved in the series since 1989, 58-year-old Permane has seen it all, but becoming a team principal was not on his horizon and took him by surprise. "I had many reactions to the news, some shock, some pride," Permane told in an exclusive interview. "It's amazing that they feel I'm capable and have the potential to lead this team. I deeply thank the Red Bull Austria senior management, Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko, and, of course, Laurent for recommending me, pushing me forward, his belief in me as well. It's been a great week." 'The target is to be top of the midfield, and we are certainly in a battle for that and we'll continue that fight throughout this year.' Permane has had just two weeks to get his feet under his new desk before heading to this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, but he feels that the solid structure that Mekies and team CEO Peter Bayer have put in place, which has allowed the team to become a more competitive midfield force, means he doesn't need to reinvent the wheel either. "Well, the plan of action is to keep things as they are," he pointed out. "Laurent and Peter have done a fantastic job with this team over the last 18 months, leading to a surge in competitiveness. And my plan is to keep that running, keep the team on the same trajectory as it's been on. "It's a great team and I know that the senior Red Bull guys are extremely happy with the way the team is being run. They're very happy with our competitiveness. The target is to be top of the midfield, and we are certainly in a battle for that and we'll continue that fight throughout this year. "From my side, it's certainly going to mean some more travel. I'm predominantly based in Milton Keynes. In my previous role as racing director, I did spend some time in Italy, but it will no doubt mean I will split my time between the two sites. Probably a little bit more on the Faenza side, where that larger part of the team is." A serious challenge ahead Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team Permane feels his extensive experience as a sporting director has given him a solid background to slot into the top job, though he is not underestimating the challenge of going from leading a trackside team to sitting at the top of two factories housing over 700 staff. "I think sporting director gives you a decent grounding," he explained. "It's a much bigger role, of course. As a sporting director, you manage a group of 60 or 70 people. You sit on FIA committees. You work with the FIA, with stewards, with penalties and protests and things like that. So, you have a very good grounding and basis to take this job on, but it's of course a much bigger role. "There will be many things that are new, but I'm very ready to take it on and then I'm confident I'll do a good job." Racing Bulls will not appoint a direct replacement for the role of racing director for the time being. Instead, chief race engineer Mattia Spini will be taking on additional duties. "At the moment we won't fill it. We won't change things immediately," Permane explained. "Mattia will step up, and he's an excellent chief race engineer, and he's keen to do more, and he certainly has the capability to do more. Inevitably, I will be involved a bit more in that side of the business than Laurent was, certainly at the start, just making sure that that transition is as smooth as it can be. But I don't have any worries on that side. The track side team between Milton Keynes and Faenza is very strong." Paddock support In response to the news, Sauber chief Jonathan Wheatley posted a picture of him and Permane toasting with a glass of champagne in the Benetton garage as they celebrated their 1995 title success with Michael Schumacher. Permane and Wheatley became close friends during their time at the team, and in a stroke of serendipity they will now compete against each other as two of F1's 11 team principals. "We've grown up together," Permane said. "We both worked on Michael's car. In those days I was an electronics engineer, Jonathan was number two mechanic. And that's where our friendship started. We worked together for many years, Benetton, then Renault, and then of course he's moved on to Red Bull and now to Audi." Asked if he ever harboured any team boss ambitions like Wheatley, who left Red Bull to take the Sauber gig, he replied: "Honestly, no. I've been much more of a technical or a sporting guy. "But now it's happened, I'm relishing it. It's going to be a great challenge for me and I'm really looking forward to it." Read Also: 'Stroke of genius' set Racing Bulls up for season-best result at F1 Monaco GP Laurent Mekies handed Red Bull priority warning amid Max Verstappen exit rumours Laurent Mekies admits it feels "unreal" to see Red Bull F1 team without Christian Horner Who is Red Bull F1 team's new CEO Laurent Mekies? To read more articles visit our website.
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Putting ‘soul' into every piece key to endurance
This year, Dunedin jeweller Tony Williams notches up 50 years of being in business in the city. He talks to business editor Sally Rae about his successful career. Back in 1975, Tony Williams was told the life expectancy of a small business in New Zealand was five years. Notching up a 50 year career as an artist craftsman, which has included manufacturing jewellery, employing, training, exporting, retailing and wholesaling, he has blown that timeframe out the window of his Dunedin workshop. While semi-retired, Mr Williams (76) continues to make fabulous pieces from a bench he refers to as his "world" and he has an exhibition at the Otago Art Society later this month. When it came to business success, the goldsmith and enamelist believed those that thought of it only in dollar terms had missed the point. His tenure had been successful because he had made a living, which had varied from "being appalling to quite good". He had done some great work and he had a reputation that expanded outside New Zealand. And it was a lot more than just an object that was being sold. "If you haven't dripped blood — sometimes literally — into the piece, does it really have a soul? "Being aware of that is part of how you survive." Born in England, where his father Robert (known to his family as Robin) Williams was embarking on post-graduate study at Cambridge University, he was brought up in Wellington. Robin was an influential civil servant and scientist who moved into university administration, taking the position of vice-chancellor at the University of Otago in 1967 where he oversaw a review of the struggling Otago Medical School. Describing himself as "one of those kids who didn't know what to do", the young Mr Williams dropped out of university. While there was some expectation, due to his father's standing, that he would complete his tertiary studies "and get a uni-type career", he said his father was supportive of his desire to get into jewellery making. The significant arts and crafts movement in New Zealand at that time was at its peak. While he tried to get an apprenticeship, he was too old, as, because of the economics of the time, businesses could not afford to pay adult wages, rather than a youth rate. His father made some inquiries and Mr Williams returned to England where he trained at the Birmingham School of Jewellery, receiving an honours diploma in jewellery and a diploma in gem diamonds. He later worked for Anglo-Italian jewellery designer Andrew Grima in London, the leading contemporary jeweller of the time and whose clients included members of the British Royal Family. It was a large workshop, with 20 or so staff, and Mr Williams thought he once saw the late Princess Margaret — a major customer — walk through the workshop. At lunchtime, staff were allowed to remain in the workshop and work on their own designs, but if anyone came through the workshop, they had to drop their own pieces — and their lunch — and quickly return to working on Grima designs. Returning to New Zealand, Mr Williams set up in a historic stone cottage in Port Chalmers, where the rent was the princely sum of $8 a week. The trade was very supportive, and it was also very strong; he recalled doing a headcount of retail jewellers in Dunedin and reaching 27, not counting those in South Dunedin. Dunedin jeweller John Bezett convinced him to join the local jewellers and watchmakers branch, and he also had "a foot in both camps" — which was uncommon then — as he was also on the executive of the crafts council. He attributed that to one of the reasons why his business endured, as he had always been able to cater to "both ends of the spectrum". As well as top-end pieces, he also liked to be able to find something for people who did not have much money, and the mix also provided some cashflow. In 1989, Mr Williams received an Arts Council grant for overseas study which he used to further his skills in enamelling, visiting workshops in Italy and Scotland and working for a firm in London where objet d'art were also created, some destined for the Sultan of Brunei. In 1990, he was commended in the enamelling section of the London Goldsmiths' Hall Competitions. When Mr Williams first looked at exporting, he planned to target England, but he discovered it was too far away. Diamond merchants told him he would need to be there at least twice a year, and it was too expensive and too far to go. So, in the 1990s, he started focusing on Australia, promising himself he would go at least twice a year, which he did for about 15 years. Door-knocking at first, he slowly established a few firms, and his work ended up being commissioned by some leading retailers. One reason for his success across the Tasman was the fact he did things nobody else would tackle — "fairly impossible stuff", he said. A later move into the Moray Chambers in the city coincided with changes in the Australian market but he had always ensured he had "kept things rolling" back home. When his landlord doubled the rent — "during the Global Financial Crisis, rents in Dunedin were horrendous" — he moved to the Carnegie Centre and the business became much more retail-oriented. After six years, he decided to move to a workshop next to his home where he has remained for the past 10 years. There was romance involved in working with precious stones and metals. Even as a small boy, he was a romantic and he quipped he was almost able to recite The Hobbit, long before Sir Peter Jackson adapted it to the screen. He was looking forward to his exhibition at the art society from July 18-27, his first show for about 18 months. He had some new pieces which he was very pleased with. He still also enjoyed helping anyone who was interested in learning about the jewellery trade, most recently teaching an 11-year-old girl how to make a pair of earrings.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
King Charles hails strong ties between Britain and Italy
By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - King Charles underlined the importance of strong ties between Italy and Britain at a time of war in Europe as he delivered a historic speech to the Italian Parliament on Wednesday. Charles, on the third day of his state visit to Italy with Queen Camilla, became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Parliament in Rome, switching between English and Italian and drawing warm applause from lawmakers. "Peace is never to be taken for granted," he said. "Britain and Italy stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share. Our countries have both stood by Ukraine in her hour of need, and welcomed many thousands of Ukrainians requiring shelter," he added. The king praised Anglo-Italian plans to develop with Japan a new fighter jet as part of the Global Combat Air Programme initiative. Britain quit the European Union in 2020 and the royal visit is seen as part of an ongoing effort by London to engage with its old EU allies and ease the pain of the Brexit divorce. Charles noted that he is also the king of Canada, a country that U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he has designs on. Charles and Camilla were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and will spend the evening at a state banquet hosted by President Sergio Mattarella at his Quirinale residence. For the visit to parliament, Camilla wore a repurposed version of her original wedding outfit in ivory silk by designer Anna Valentine. Lower house speaker Lorenzo Fontana mentioned the anniversary in his introductory remarks, prompting more clapping from the chamber in the Montecitorio building. Charles earlier met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the city's Villa Doria Pamphili, enjoying a walk in the garden of a building that dates from the 17th century. The king, who is 76, is on his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.
Reuters
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
King Charles hails strong ties between Britain and Italy
ROME, April 9 (Reuters) - King Charles underlined the importance of strong ties between Italy and Britain at a time of war in Europe as he delivered a historic speech to the Italian Parliament on Wednesday. Charles, on the third day of his state visit to Italy with Queen Camilla, became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Parliament in Rome, switching between English and Italian and drawing warm applause from lawmakers. "Peace is never to be taken for granted," he said. "Britain and Italy stand today united in defence of the democratic values we share. Our countries have both stood by Ukraine in her hour of need, and welcomed many thousands of Ukrainians requiring shelter," he added. The king praised Anglo-Italian plans to develop with Japan a new fighter jet as part of the Global Combat Air Programme initiative. Britain quit the European Union in 2020 and the royal visit is seen as part of an ongoing effort by London to engage with its old EU allies and ease the pain of the Brexit divorce. [1/6] Britain's King Charles gives a speech during a joint session of the Italian parliament, in Rome, Italy, April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Yara Nardi Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Charles noted that he is also the king of Canada, a country that U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he has designs on. Charles and Camilla were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday and will spend the evening at a state banquet hosted by President Sergio Mattarella at his Quirinale residence. For the visit to parliament, Camilla wore a repurposed version of her original wedding outfit in ivory silk by designer Anna Valentine. Lower house speaker Lorenzo Fontana mentioned the anniversary in his introductory remarks, prompting more clapping from the chamber in the Montecitorio building. Charles earlier met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the city's Villa Doria Pamphili, enjoying a walk in the garden of a building that dates from the 17th century. The king, who is 76, is on his first overseas trip this year as he continues to undergo treatment for cancer.
