What the Sunday papers said - 21 October

The Sunday Times​​

Giles Thorley was lured away from Unique by the prospect of making £10m through a big share-incentive package. He was recently appointed executive chairman of Punch and will lead the company to flotation. The lucrative package will be Mr Thorley's second big payout from the industry. He has just received £6m through a long-term incentive plan with Nomura. Read more on thePublican.com

Whitbread has agreed to sell a portfolio of pubs and restaurants to Robert Breare. Mr Breare's company, Noble Leisure, will pay £30m for more than 40 outlets, including Whitbread's Dragon Inns, a Thai-based pub and restaurant concept and some less profitable Beefeaters.

Cinven and Doughty Hanson are among the private-equity groups that will enter the first round of bidding for Carling, Britain's biggest selling beer. Interbrew wants as much as £1.3billion for the brand. The company was forced to put Carling up for auction by the Department of Trade and Industry following its £2.3billion acquisition of Bass Brewers, last year. Read more on thePublican.com

The Sunday Telegraph​​

Planet Hollywood International has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US for the second time in two years. The business, backed by Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, blamed the September 11 terrorist attacks for a recent 20 per cent slump in business leaving it with debts of $135m and assets of $121m.

Robert Breare is a busy man. According to The Sunday Times he is buying pubs and restaurants from Whitbread, but the Telegraph says he is preparing a £65m bid for Eldridge Pope, the quoted pubs operation. Eldridge Pope has 80 tenanted pubs and 120 managed. He could always be eying both deals - Mr Breare supposedly has a £250m war-chest at his disposal.

Whitbread is planning a £100m bid for Esporta, the ailing health and fitness club business. Whitbread already owns the David Lloyd Leisure chain of healthclubs.

The Independent on Sunday​​

Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh is in desperate negotiations to save the £7.25billion deal to sell Pillsbury to General Mills of the US. The talks are aimed at persuading the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to let the deal go through.

The Independent business section's Punting in the City column suggests that shares in SFI,the bar and pub group are looking cheap. It points to the company's growth record over the past five years. In that time profits have gone up six-fold and sales more than seven. Investors are advised to 'get in quick' before the price improves further.

Sunday Business​​

Regent Inns, the owners of Walkabout and Jongleurs, is in talks to buy the seven-floor site of the former Home nightclub in London's Leicester Square for up to £3m.

The Observer​​

No industry-related news.

The Mail on Sunday​​

Pubs and bars group SFI plans to test its Fiesta Havana themed bar concept in London after a successful initial trial in Liverpool. The company believes it could develop into a small chain to complement its existing brands, Slug & Lettuce, Bar Med and Litten Tree.

Weekend FT​​

The paper's Weekend Share Watch is not alone in pointing to SFI's impressive growth over the past five years. Since June the share price has come back from 292p to 180.5p. The group has delivered an average compound growth of 50 per cent, Teather & Greenwood rate the stock a 'strong buy' and recent acquisitions will help to further grow profits for the full-year, in May.

The Sunday Express​​

No industry-related news.