Inception Group will open Mr Fogg’s Market Tavern in Covent Garden next month, on 20 July, with a dedicated Guinness Saloon forming part of the new flagship site.
The Victorian-inspired saloon will feature panelling, vintage Guinness memorabilia and a counter tracking every pint sold.
Every 1,000th Guinness customer will be added to a wall of fame and offered a round on Mr Fogg, while the person ordering the 10,000th pint will win a trip to Ireland to visit the Guinness brewery.
Gilkes said Guinness had become Inception Group’s most popular pint, adding that the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden made it logical to target consumers visiting the area for the brand.
The venue, which opens on 20 July, occupies the former Crusting Pipe site within the Market Building, which traded for 47 years, and will become the largest of the Mr Fogg’s Taverns collection.
The 4,500sq ft site will feature 130 internal covers and a 60-cover outdoor terrace, with multiple rooms spread across the venue. It joins the group’s existing taverns on St Martin’s Lane, in Fitzrovia, near Liverpool Street and in Soho.
Co-founder Charlie Gilkes said Covent Garden Market was “such an iconic building” and described the site as an opportunity to build on the success of the original Mr Fogg’s Tavern on St Martin’s Lane.
He said: “We remain very bullish about Covent Garden and central London as an area to invest in. In our view we are lucky to operate in the greatest city on earth with such an incredible and diverse mix of both domestic and international visitors and those who work and live here.”
The venue will open from 11am daily, serving beers, wines, punches and cocktails, alongside pub classics including fish and chips, smash burgers and small plates.
Gilkes added that demand for experience-led venues remained strong, despite pressure on consumer spending, as guests were going out less often but looking for more memorable occasions when they did.
Market Place to open Victoria Station food hall with bar-led offer
Market Place is set to open a new 5,000sq ft venue inside London Victoria Station this autumn, marking what it says will be the UK’s first food hall within a railway station.
The venue will bring together 10 food and drink operators, with capacity for more than 200 guests.
A central bar will anchor the offer, serving craft beer, cocktails and premium drinks alongside the food hall’s mix of independent street food traders.
The site has been designed to trade across multiple dayparts, from lunchtime and informal meetings through to after-work drinks, live sport screenings and evening socialising.
Managing director Blake Henderson said the group aimed to create “far more than a place to eat”, with the venue combining independent food businesses, a strong bar offer and a programme of live sport.
The opening follows the continued rollout of Market Place sites across London, including Leicester Square, St Paul’s, Vauxhall, Harrow and Peckham.
McAstocker adds Suffolk pub to growing portfolio
Operator Paul McAstocker has added the Swan Inn in Hoxne to his growing pub portfolio, taking on the Grade II-listed village pub through Stonegate Pub Partners.
The site, which dates back to 1480 and has been closed for several months, is set to reopen this summer following a £70,000 refurbishment.
The works include internal upgrades, refurbished toilets, new furniture, window repairs and investment in the garden.
Once reopened, the pub will seat around 60 to 70, with a food offer centred on pub classics, seasonal dishes and locally sourced ingredients. The project is expected to create 10 jobs.
The acquisition adds to McAstocker’s existing estate, which includes the Elephant’s Head in Camden, the Prince of Wales in Highgate, the Wooden Cross in Crouch End and the Islington Townhouse in Angel.
The Queens reopens after £150k refurbishment
Urban Pubs & Bars has reopened the Queens in Crouch End following a £150k refurbishment.
The Grade II listed pub, acquired from Brunning & Price earlier this year, has undergone a restoration programme focused on preserving its Victorian interiors, including stained glass windows, plasterwork, moulded ceilings and dark wood panelling.
The investment is intended to strengthen the venue’s position as a neighbourhood dining pub, with Urban also introducing a revamped food offer.
The kitchen is led by Chef Bambino, who has been at the Queens for 14 years. The new seasonal menu includes monkfish scampi, White Cobb half chicken with roasted garlic butter and grilled Cornish mackerel with panzanella. Traditional pub dishes remain on the menu, alongside Sunday roasts, craft beers, wines and cocktails.
General manager David Campbell said: “The Queens has always been one of North London’s great historic pubs and this refurbishment has been about respecting that legacy.
“We’ve carefully preserved the beautiful Victorian features that make the building so special while continuing to develop a food offering that gives people another reason to visit.”
Paul Ainsworth to reopen St Enodoc in Cornwall
Paul and Emma Ainsworth will reopen St Enodoc in Rock, Cornwall, on 27 July following the first stage of a major renovation of the coastal property.
The relaunch will introduce two new food concepts, event spaces and a wedding venue, with a second phase set to focus on the site’s 21 bedrooms and the addition of a gym and wellness centre.
The opening marks the Ainsworth Collection’s most ambitious project to date, adding to an estate that includes Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No6, Padstow Townhouse, Caffè Rojano and The Mariners in Rock.
Food will be centred around two new restaurants. The Estuary Grill will focus on Cornish meat, fish and seafood cooked over fire, while The Flour Garden will operate as a more casual, seasonal outdoor restaurant serving pizzas, salads and soft serve.
The St Enodoc Bar will open daily to both locals and guests, with Guinness, local beers, cocktails and wine, alongside an outdoor bar operating from a vintage French truck.
The relaunch will also introduce two event spaces, including the 100-capacity Oyster Salon and the Porthilly Pavilion, designed for weddings, private events and wellness activities.
Paul Ainsworth said the aim was to honour the property’s history while creating a more accessible year-round destination for locals, visitors and hotel guests.
Shepherd Neame seeks new licensee for Faversham pub
Shepherd Neame is seeking a new licensee for the Railway Hotel in Faversham following an extensive refurbishment.
The Victorian pub, located on Preston Street near Faversham station, has been trading since the 1850s and is currently under brewery management while the search continues for a new operator.
The refurbishment includes a refreshed centrepiece bar, new furniture, redecorated interiors and renovated flooring, alongside upgrades to the pub’s six guest rooms and en suite facilities.
The site also includes a restaurant area with 70 covers, a courtyard with an outdoor bar, and private accommodation with a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms.
Prospective operators can choose between a traditional tenancy agreement or Shepherd Neame’s recently launched tenancy partnership agreement, which offers support including regular business reviews, marketing guidance, central purchasing, utility rates, technology packages and access to an external accounting partner.
Vagabond opens largest site to date in Soho
Vagabond Wines has opened its largest site to date in Soho as it accelerates its expansion plans.
The 6,000 sq ft venue, located at 14 to 16 Ganton Street, offers 140 wines by the glass through the brand’s self pour taps, including wines produced at its Urban Winery in Canada Water. It also has a private dining space for up to 40 guests.
The opening is backed by Majestic Wine Group and Fortress Investment Group and marks Vagabond’s first new site of 2026, following openings in St Paul’s and Liverpool Street last autumn and the launch of its Urban Winery in December.
German Kraft to operate Lewisham Model Market
German Kraft Brewery has been appointed operator of the newly renovated Model Market site at Lewisham Shopping Centre.
The site is set to open in late summer as an all day food, drink and community hub.
The operator will bring its craft beer offer and taproom style hospitality to the site, as well as curating street food traders and overseeing events.
The space is being reimagined with references to its original 1950s market heritage, while introducing a refreshed identity with street food, creative retail, live DJ sets, pop ups, events and cultural programming.
Proper Pubs reopens Bristol site after £416k investment
Proper Pubs has reopened the Union Arms in Bristol following a £416k refurbishment.
The pub, part of Admiral Taverns’ community wet led operator division, reopened on Friday 5 June after a full internal and external makeover.
Inside, the site now features new flooring, fixtures and fittings, five flat screen televisions for sports, dart boards, a pool table, and updated bar and snug areas.
Outside, the pub has added a large screen TV, heated all weather seating, garden games and a dog friendly green area.
Roberts also plans to support local charities, including foodbank collections, Claire House Children’s Hospice, The British Heart Foundation and Dementia UK.
Admiral Taverns reopens Caldicot pub after £320k refurb
Admiral Taverns has reopened the Rose Inn in Redwick, near Caldicot, following a £320k investment.
The investment was made alongside licensees Richard Humphries and Richard Battye, who also operate the Boars Head in Aust.
The pub has been updated with new fixtures, flooring and fittings, alongside a refreshed kitchen and bar area. Outside, the site now features new lighting, signage and a beer garden with space for up to 100 people.
The Rose Inn will serve traditional pub food, Sunday lunches, cask ales, wines and other drinks.
Perth city centre pub brought to market
Christie & Co has brought the Sandeman in Perth city centre to market.
The Category C listed freehold pub, which was built in 1898, is currently closed and is on the market with an asking price of offers in the region of £700k.
The site features a corner clock tower and period interiors, among other grand features. It has capacity for around 500 covers, with a central bar, drinking and dining areas, screens and games.
The ground floor is fitted for commercial leisure or hospitality use, while the upper floors are unoccupied and could be refurbished or redeveloped, subject to planning permission.
Christie & Co said a new lease may also be considered for the right operator.
Oak Taverns reopens The Red Lion in Brackley
Oak Taverns has reopened the Red Lion in Brackley, Northamptonshire.
The pub, located on Market Place, reopened on Thursday 11 June following its transfer to the 2026 Publican Community Award winning operator.
The Red Lion will offer local cask ales and craft lagers, with a focus on independent breweries from the region. It will also host a rotating programme of local street food vendors, alongside events and community activity.
Admiral Taverns reopens Soberton pub after £108k refurb
Admiral Taverns has reopened the White Lion in Soberton following a £108k refurbishment.
The investment was made alongside licensee Allan Marks, who has operated the village pub on School Hill for the past 15 years.
The works include resealed wooden flooring, reupholstered furniture, exterior repainting, new window boxes and an updated patio area with new seating.
The White Lion has also launched a new seasonal menu and its drink offer includes premium draught lager, stout, cider, cask ale from national and local brewers and a wine list curated by a local wine company.
GAIA Mayfair to launch first standalone cocktail bar
GAIA Mayfair is launching The Bar at GAIA, the brand’s first standalone cocktail bar concept globally.
Located on the first floor above the Mayfair restaurant, the bar will open daily from 4pm and is designed for pre drinks, post dinner drinks, music led evenings and late night trade.
The concept marks an extension of GAIA’s Mediterranean dining offer, with a focus on cocktail craftsmanship, seasonal ingredients and hospitality.
The opening will introduce a new cocktail menu, alongside four returning guest favourites under the Legacy section.
The Bar at GAIA is intended to broaden the brand’s London offer by connecting dining, drinking, nightlife and culture within the same venue.
Pigeon Beer Wanderer opens in Manchester
Pigeon Beer Wanderer has opened on Sheffield Street in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood. The specialist beer parlour, bottle shop and outdoor terrace is located within the city’s Beermuda Triangle.
Founded by Northern beer specialist Joshua Lightfoot, the venue focuses on European classics, independent releases, rare fermentations, wild ales, lambics, natural wine and specialist glassware.
The beer list includes breweries such as Weihenstephan, Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, Fürstenberg and Kasteel, alongside contemporary UK brewers.
Punch acquires Northumberland coastal pub
Punch Pubs has acquired the Harbour Inn in Amble, Northumberland, for an undisclosed sum.
The pub, located on Leazes Street overlooking Amble Harbour, was sold through Christie & Co.
The Harbour Inn will continue to be operated by the Hume family, who have run the business in recent years and also operate the Market Tavern in Alnwick.
The traditional pub offers food, accommodation and hospitality, with trade supported by both local customers and Amble’s tourism market.
