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already started training ahead of the restaurant’s opening this month. Mimosa is set to replace Roux at the Landau at the Langham.


JAMIE OLIVER TO HOST AIR FRYER COOKERY SHOW


Prezzo posted a £31.5m loss


Chef Jamie Oliver is set to launch the television show Jamie’s Air-Fryer Meals on Channel 4 this spring. He has partnered with Tefal


to showcase a series of air fryer recipes, such as grilled courgettes and aubergines, whole roast chicken and baked Alaska. Each episode will feature a guest


chef, including Poppy O’Toole, who has attracted a TikTok following of 4.4 million for her potato recipes, and Sabrina Gidda, culinary consultant at Vacherin. Katie Millard, executive producer


for Jamie Oliver Productions, said: “Working with our long-term partner Tefal, Jamie was able to respond to the huge public demand for more air fryer recipes and loved every second developing the new recipes. “As this series will show, there is so much more to an air fryer than nuggets and chips.”


“The biggest improvement came in what we call ‘OMDNR’ (orders marked as delivered, but not received), where the consumer does not receive their food at all,” the company said. “We have reduced this by


c.65% in 2023, generating annualised savings of over £20m from reduced compensation costs.” Deliveroo saw its losses narrow


to £31.8m in 2023, compared to a £294.1m loss it reported in 2022.


MIMOSA AT THE LANGHAM SWAPS CVS FOR TRIAL SHIFTS The Langham London has recruited 35 staff for its upcoming restaurant, Mimosa, through an extended trial shift as opposed to a traditional CV and interview. The hotel partnered with


Westminster Works, which is funded by Westminster City Council, to


www.thecaterer.com Mimosa


host what is believed to be an industry-first recruitment initiative that was solely dependent on staff performance on the floor. Eighty candidates took part in trial shifts spread across front and back of house at Westminster Kingsway College, while 80 stakeholders and partners of the project were invited to the dinner via Eventbrite. Management staff from Mimosa


observed and interviewed candidates during their shifts and those who were successful have


22 March 2024 | The Caterer | 9


PREZZO PROFITS BACK IN THE BLACK Prezzo returned to profitability in 2023 after undergoing a major restructure of the business, accounts have shown. The casual dining chain closed


46 sites last April after chief executive Dean Challenger said soaring inflation had made it “impossible” for all its restaurants to stay profitable.


before tax in 2022, widening from a £23.4m loss in 2021, after struggling with rising food and energy costs. However, revenue rose from £95m to £135m and an increase in menu prices and cost- saving measures saw gross profit margin widen from 31.2% to 35%. Prezzo now runs 97 sites and


Challenger said the chain was back in the black in 2023 and planned to continue refurbishing restaurants in 2024. He added: “The outlook for Prezzo is positive.”


PUB INSOLVENCIES HIT DECADE HIGH Nearly 800 pubs entered insolvency in 2023 – the highest number in over a decade. According to data from


accountancy firm Price Bailey, 769 pubs closed across the UK, up 48% on the 518 closures recorded in 2022. The final figure is expected to be


higher, as more pubs would have been closed by multi-site groups that did not enter insolvency. There were 38,175 pubs in the UK at the end of 2023, down from 41,015 a decade earlier. Matt Howard, head of the


insolvency and recovery team at Price Bailey, said: “While there are some glimmers of hope, underlying trading conditions remain challenging and rising labour costs continue to exert strong pressure on margins.” Price Bailey said independent


craft breweries and themed pubs with a competitive socialising element were proving more resilient against closure.


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