Stormont s leaders said Northern Ireland can look to a brighter future as they announced a sweeping range of Covid-19 lockdown relaxations.
The reopening of the tourism and hospitality sectors were fast-tracked as part of a series of measures agreed by ministers on April 15. The plan signed off by the devolved executive includes three key relaxation dates, April 23, April 30 and May 24.
Under the plans, hairdressers can reopen on Apr 23, pubs and cafes can serve people outdoors from Apr 30 and indoors from May 24.
From Apr 23, outdoor visitor attractions will be allowed to open and driving lessons can also resume, while non-essential retail and gyms will reopen on Apr 30.
Asda billionaires pile their plate high with Leon takeover
The Issa brothers have ambitious plans to transform their petrol station forecourts into mini shopping centres
20 April 2021 • 6:00am
Five years ago, Zuber and Mohsin Issa met with Leon s co-founder John Vincent over fish and chips at the chain s Holborn branch to tell him about their plans for drive-through Leon locations.
In the end, that plan did not work out, but Vincent left with a strong admiration of the brothers who have built a sprawling global empire of more than 5,900 petrol station forecourts through their company EG Group.
The announcement on Sunday that the billionaire brothers had snapped up Leon for £100m came as no surprise to industry insiders. They have seen their spending spree, which could soon include Caffe Nero, swing into full force during the pandemic as struggling hospitality businesses seek financial help.
Leon bought by billionaire Issa brothers for £100m
Takeover of healthy fast food chain by EG Group follows the £6.8bn swoop on Asda and attempt to win control of Caffe Nero
18 April 2021 • 1:52pm
Leon, the fast food chain co-founded by Boris Johnson s food tsar Henry Dimbleby, has been snapped up by the billionaire Issa brothers in a deal set to net its founders a multi-million pound fortune.
EG Group, the petrol forecourts operator owned by Mohsin and Zuber Issa, said it has acquired the restaurant company from its biggest shareholders, Active Partners and Spice Private Equity.
The deal, which is estimated to be worth between £80m to £100m, will crystallise a multimillion-pound stake held by Leon s co-founders, chief executive John Vincent, Mr Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy.
Police struggle to control crowds after Covid hospitality rules relaxed
Huge turnout at pubs over the weekend was impossible for officers to manage, as venues also criticise ban on indoor dining
People dine and party along a street in Soho as lockdown rules are eased
Credit: REUTERS
Covid rules forcing people to eat and drink outside pubs and restaurants have left police in an impossible position with officers unsure how to deal with large crowds, it was claimed on Sunday.
In city centres across the country, closed off roads were transformed into makeshift party venues with bars and restaurants offering outdoor seating for customers.
Calorie counts on booze would curb Britain s kamikaze excesses
I sympathise with pub landlords over proposals for counts to be displayed by drinks, but for an obese nation, it is a matter of health
17 April 2021 • 9:00am
Being the first Saturday post-lockdown, a wash of pale sun, today will doubtless yield ‘Hogarthian scenes’ – my favourite headline of the past few days.
Seeing as we’re living in 21st, rather than 18th, century Britain, you might actually say Hogarth-plus: Gin Lane meets the Chapman Brothers.
By next week, MPs may be following suit, with hitting the bottle to be allowed in a fenced off area outside Parliament, despite what critics describe as “awful optics” given that Westminster workers are still being encouraged to stay away.