The growth path for businesses and the UK economy may be “long, rocky, and protracted”, the region’s largest business group fears following the Autumn Statement. Matt Griffith, pictured below, director of policy at Business West – the organisation that runs Bristol Chamber of Commerce – described the statement as...
The Autumn Statement has piled more pressure on the UK’s 5.5m small businesses, their employees and customers, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s measures were “high on stealth-creation and low on wealth-creation”, FSB national chair of Martin McTague said. “While tackling inflation is essential,...
A group of Bristol tech trailblazers have been awarded a share of £1m to work on projects that will strengthen the city’s status at the forefront of creative sector innovation. The projects will focus on screen-based, immersive technologies and robotics and will include the world’s first metaverse live streaming...
Loungers, the hugely successful Bristol-based national café-bar group, has launched a new restaurant brand which it says will “bring genuine hospitality” back to roadside dining. The group, which operates 175 Lounges and 35 Cosy Club venues across the UK, said its Brightside brand would the reinvigorate a sector that...
Science Creates Ventures, the Bristol-headquartered specialist early-stage investor, has been awarded up to £15m to invest in some of the South West’s most promising deep tech innovations. The commitment from British Business Investments will allow Science Creates Ventures (SCV) to invest in pioneering companies at the pre-seed, seed and...
A Bristol-based online marketplace that connects talented home-cooks with food lovers in their neighbourhoods has launched in Bath following successful trials in its home city. Likened to the Etsy of home cooking, All About The Cooks empowers trained chefs and passionate cooks to share their authentic food with local people....
Bristol-based specialist design agency Phoenix Wharf has worked with the winner of this year’s The Apprentice to create a dessert parlour – with the TV series’ host Lord Sugar helping fund the project. The 55-cover Oh So Yum! in Bradford will become the flagship venue for a brand that...
The £13.5m expansion of Bristol’s highly successful film and television studio complex The Bottle Yard has received its first booking – an eight-part TV series based on Jilly Coopers’ best-selling novel Rivals. The high-profile production, to be made by The Disney+ by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios, was...
The final line-up of speakers has been confirmed for a major event in Bristol that aims to shine a light on the impact of human rights change makers in legal justice and equality. Joining Baroness Hale, the former president of the Supreme Court, at A Lifetime for Justice will...
Confidence among small business in the South West has fallen to a record low as fears grow about rising costs – with the region now the most pessimistic of any part of the country. The gloomy outlook comes from the latest survey by the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses),...
James Durie, the chief executive of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Initiative, is to step down from his role after 21 years at the end of this year. James, pictured, who is also an executive director of Business West, the chamber’s parent group and the region’s largest business...
Purposeful Bristol businesses, charities and social enterprises can find out more about place-based impact investment and how it can help tackle local issues and build a thriving regional economy at an event next week. Hosted by Bristol & Bath Regional Capital (BBRC), the free event takes place on Thursday,...
A sustainable handbag brand founded by a former Bristol lawyer is to expand and take on more staff after receiving a six-figure investment package. Keri Andriana, a graduate of both the University of Bristol and UWE Bristol, hit on the idea of creating affordable vegan luxury products in 2016...
