Latest news with #RedCatPubCompany
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Pub chain with 90 restaurants around the UK has made a huge change – and it'll cut queues
The change comes after a costly £600,000 refurbishment CHEERS! Pub chain with 90 restaurants around the UK has made a huge change – and it'll cut queues Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAJOR pub chain has rolled out a brand-new system that bosses say will slash queues. RedCat Pub Company, which owns more than 90 venues across the UK, has just reopened its Norfolk-based pub, The Clocktower in after a £600,000 refurb. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The Clocktower Castle Carvery has undergone a £600,000 refurb 2 The pub is re-introducing an easy-to-use kiosk system As part of the makeover, the pub has installed easy-to-use kiosks designed to speed up service and cut down wait times. Customers can now skip the line and head straight to one of the new digital kiosks, powered by Acrelec, to order their carvery, pay on screen, and track their order status in real-time. The change came after punters complained about long waits during busy periods. Now guests have three ways to order: at the kiosk, at the counter, or via the app for at-table ordering. The Clocktower reopened on Friday June 20 with a fresh new look and a revamped Castle Carvery menu. It now serves up slow-cooked topside beef, leg of lamb, and vegan wellingtons – all with trimmings like locally sourced veggies and crispy roasties. There are gluten-free options too. And it's not just the mains getting a glow-up, there's a dessert station packed with pick 'n' mix sweets, fresh donuts, cakes, and even ice cream floats. General Manager Dena Etheridge said: 'We're thrilled to welcome everyone back. "The new menu still offers the great value we're known for – but now with even more choice, better service, and added fun for the whole family.' Pub With A 'Floating' Beer Garden By The Beach The family-friendly pub opens daily from 11.30am, with a soft-play area for kids open from 9am on weekends. Self-checkouts were first introduced more than 10 years ago in major supermarkets and now they are available at several retailers and food outlets. McDonald's first introduced kiosks in 2015 and it now has more than 70,000 machines worldwide, according to Retail Technology Review. Burger King, KFC and Leon also have similar systems in place in the majority of their restaurants. Most recently, Subway announced the launch of new self-service kiosks, a brand-new app, along with an improved loyalty programme. But not everyone is a fan of the new tech, with fans regularly taking to social media to moan about them, and some voicing fears that self-service kiosks could have an impact on jobs. On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said: "I haven't been in a McDonald's in years. "They put those kiosks in and they were infuriating to use. I have tons of other choices for food." One KFC fan recently wrote: "KFC's kiosks are complete trash!" While others prefer self-service systems, with one McDonald's shopper writing: "I always use kiosks and self-checkout if possible. "Combined with Apple Pay, it's seamless, easy, and quick! I actually prefer these over anything else." The digital move comes as pubs across the country battle rising costs, with some landlords warning that beer prices are creeping up just to stay afloat. New research by CAMRA shows pints of BrewDog Punk IPA have shot up from £5.64 to £6.34 since January. Camden Hells is up too, now averaging £6.34. The average pint now costs £5.17 – up from £5.08 earlier this year. CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: 'It's frustrating for drinkers to see prices rising again – but it's often the only way pubs can survive.' With prices going up, venues like The Clocktower are hoping upgrades like faster service, digital convenience, and family-friendly perks will keep punters coming back for more.
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Pub chain with 90 restaurants around the UK has made a huge change – and it'll cut queues
A MAJOR pub chain has rolled out a brand-new system that bosses say will slash queues. RedCat Pub Company, which owns more than 90 venues across the UK, has just reopened its Norfolk-based pub, The Clocktower in after a £600,000 refurb. 2 2 As part of the makeover, the pub has installed easy-to-use kiosks designed to speed up service and cut down wait times. Customers can now skip the line and head straight to one of the new digital kiosks, powered by Acrelec, to order their carvery, pay on screen, and track their order status in real-time. The change came after punters complained about long waits during busy periods. Now guests have three ways to order: at the kiosk, at the counter, or via the app for at-table ordering. The Clocktower reopened on Friday June 20 with a fresh new look and a revamped Castle Carvery menu. It now serves up slow-cooked topside beef, leg of lamb, and vegan wellingtons – all with trimmings like locally sourced veggies and crispy roasties. There are gluten-free options too. And it's not just the mains getting a glow-up, there's a dessert station packed with pick 'n' mix sweets, fresh donuts, cakes, and even ice cream floats. General Manager Dena Etheridge said: 'We're thrilled to welcome everyone back. "The new menu still offers the great value we're known for – but now with even more choice, better service, and added fun for the whole family.' The family-friendly pub opens daily from 11.30am, with a soft-play area for kids open from 9am on weekends. Self-checkouts were first introduced more than 10 years ago in major supermarkets and now they are available at several retailers and food outlets. McDonald's first introduced kiosks in 2015 and it now has more than 70,000 machines worldwide, according to Retail Technology Review. Burger King, KFC and Leon also have similar systems in place in the majority of their restaurants. Most recently, Subway announced the launch of new self-service kiosks, a brand-new app, along with an improved loyalty programme. But not everyone is a fan of the new tech, with fans regularly taking to social media to moan about them, and some voicing fears that self-service kiosks could have an impact on jobs. On X, formerly known as Twitter, one user said: "I haven't been in a McDonald's in years. "They put those kiosks in and they were infuriating to use. I have tons of other choices for food." One KFC fan recently wrote: "KFC's kiosks are complete trash!" While others prefer self-service systems, with one McDonald's shopper writing: "I always use kiosks and self-checkout if possible. "Combined with Apple Pay, it's seamless, easy, and quick! I actually prefer these over anything else." The digital move comes as pubs across the country battle rising costs, with some landlords warning that beer prices are creeping up just to stay afloat. New research by CAMRA shows pints of BrewDog Punk IPA have shot up from £5.64 to £6.34 since January. Camden Hells is up too, now averaging £6.34. The average pint now costs £5.17 – up from £5.08 earlier this year. CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: 'It's frustrating for drinkers to see prices rising again – but it's often the only way pubs can survive.' With prices going up, venues like The Clocktower are hoping upgrades like faster service, digital convenience, and family-friendly perks will keep punters coming back for more.
ITV News
20-06-2025
- Business
- ITV News
The Langton Arms pub where wife died after falling down cellar handed £240k fine
The owners of a pub where a customer died after falling through an unlocked cellar door has been ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling more than £285,000. Julie Hyatt, 57, was having lunch with her husband, Paul, and friends at The Langton Arms at Church Langton, near Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, in May 2023. She hadn't been drinking and was following signs to the toilet, when she opened an unmarked and unlocked door, not knowing it was to the pub's cellar, and fell down a steep flight of stairs. Mrs Hyatt suffered serious injuries from which she died in hospital 12 days later. At Leicester Magistrates' Court, the RedCat Pub Company, based in London, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by exposing persons not in its employment to a risk to their health and safety. At the hearing, held on the second anniversary of Mrs Hyatt's funeral, the company was fined £240,000 and ordered to pay costs of £43,633.06p along with a £2,000 surcharge. In determining the level of fine and costs, District Judge Nick Watson said he had taken into account that RedCat's parent company had a turnover of more than £120million. He said he wanted to "bring it home to shareholders and management that they must take health and safety seriously". He added "Any sentence that I impose could not equate to the loss of Mrs Hyatt to her family and friends." In statements read to the court, it was revealed Mrs Hyatt and her husband had been looking forward to retirement and moving to the Norfolk coast. Married since 1987, they shared many interests and a passion for sport with Mrs Hyatt being a Leicester City season ticket holder for more than 30 years. The court heard that Mrs Hyatt's death was foreseeable. The company had failed to properly train staff and had left customers confused by inadequate and inconsistent signs. In a statement read to the court, Richard Lewis, CEO of RedCat Pub Company, expressed his "sincere personal regret" as the death was "entirely avoidable". The company said it accepted full responsibility. "We are genuinely very sorry ... We have plainly failed the Hyatt family. We will do all we can to prevent anything of the like happening again," added Mr Lewis. The court heard the company had since put in place risk assessments and evaluated the way in which it conducts staff training in relation to health and safety. ITV News Central Correspondent Peter Bearne sat down with the Paul Hyatt last year, who is still waiting for answers more than 12 months after his wife's death. In the time that passed, Paul, from Countesthorpe, repeatedly contacted the council for updates on the case, but said he has got nowhere. Paul has learned Harborough District Council have brought in a solicitor from another council to help with the case. In 2024, the council asked Paul for Julie's death certificate, something that the family won't get until after the inquest. ITV News Central is also aware of two other similar cases elsewhere in the country which came to court in 12 months. Speaking to ITV News Central, following the incident, Paul said: "It was hell at the time. I was in some very, very dark places." He added: "I just wish somebody would go in and shake that department up and get this sorted. Enough is enough. All I want is justice...I lost my wife." In response, Harborough District Council say that they sympathise with Mr Hyatt's frustrations. They told ITV News Central this case is a complex and lengthy criminal investigation, and they're unable to comment on its progress. "Specialist legal resource, they added, was allocated without delay. They said they've liaised with Mr Hyatt and his solicitor as much as they can, but there's a limit to what they can disclose."The Redcat Pub Company, which runs the Langton Arms, said: "We have and will continue to fully co-operate with the investigations being carried out by the authorities with regards to this incident."
