A British seaside town restaurant established in 1985 has officially plunged into liquidation after new owners took over the site. MacMillans Bar and Grill in Worthing, West Sussex, entered voluntary liquidation on June 29, appointing insolvency firm AABRS to act on behalf of the business, according to filings today on the public record, The Gazette.

The restaurant had served up barbeque food, cocktails and “banging tunes” at Union Place in the seaside town, operating under the parent company of Stay Saucy Co Limited. It was a popular cocktail and fire-cooking bar known for small plates, late-night DJ events, and half-price happy hours.

However, the seaside town will not have to endure an empty spot on the high street. The venue was taken over and rebranded to ‘The Next of Kin’ by operators who have previously worked in the town on sucessful projects.

Taking to social media in February, the new bosses said: “Development of The Next of Kin is officially under way. Follow for updates. Wish us luck!”

It was transformed by the team responsible for The New Amsterdam, a popular pub in Worthing known for live events, and Signal Post, a local wine bar and taproom.

The Next of Kin will be “modern but relaxed” with the owners aiming for a “neighbourhood bar and kitchen, built for people’s chosen family”. It is now up and running.

It is unclear why MacMillans entered liquidation. Businesses tend to enter creditors voluntary liquidation when the company faces irrecoverable financial difficulty with pressure from creditors, such as landlords, suppliers or HMRC.

A CVL brings the company to a close and deals with all outstanding company debts as part of the process, with liquidators aiming to maximise the money on any assets, to provide a return to creditors.

Several businesses have entered liquidation recently, with many restaurants saying that the pressure from rising minimum wage, ingredient costs, utility bills and VAT make it hard to run a business.

Only this week, the much-loved restaurant Navaraza in Birmingham appointed liquidators. The much-loved Mexican-Indian eatery had 4.8-star ratings on TripAdvisor, with customers praising it for “great flavours” and “generous portions”.

The Express has approached MacMillans for comment.

The UK’s best restaurant has recently been named, and the prestigious title has been handed over to a small venue sitting just above a pub. This year’s National Restaurant Award was given to Bouchon Racine, a dining room above The Three Compasses pub in Clerkenwell, London.

The French restaurant run by chef and restaurateur Henry Harris and Dave Strauss climbed several spots from fifth place last year. It also managed to take the crown from the French fine-dining restaurant The Ritz, after being highlighted for its comforting French food, among the best served nationwide, despite opening in 2022.

Restaurant Online wrote: “Not only is Bouchon Racine utterly charming, but it is also without doubt serving some of the best traditional French food in the country, and its victory this year once again demonstrates that you don’t need a vast team or a huge budget to be named the best.

“Henry Harris’ food is sensational with flavour put before anything else. This is more than just a bistro; it is a temple to great gastronomy and is well deserving of this year’s top spot.”

The incredible dining spot is inspired by the bouchons of Lyon and the bistros of Paris, according to its official website.

Overlooking Cowcross Street, the family-run restaurant offers guests with “unashamed French cooking with a French led list and some fine apéritifs and digéstifs in an informal setting”.

The dining room has a glowing 4.6-star rating on TripAdvisor, with tons of positive reviews.

One person said: “An absolute delight! My foodie son (12) recommended we go here. With choices like this he can continue at the restaurant choosing helm!”

Another wrote: “This was my second visit and certainly won’t be my last. Everything was spot on; outstanding food, pleasant and professional service and a lovely ambience in the dining room. If you haven’t been before just book it!”

Bouchon Racine is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 12pm to 3pm and again from 6pm to 10pm. Reservations are available 30 days in advance.

A popular Essex pub that ‘disappointed’ the community when it closed two years ago has gone up for sale. Greene King’s Dick Turpin pub just south of Wickford, Essex, closed in July 2024.

The closure came as a disappointment to biker groups, who used the pub on the A127 as a meeting spot, and the pub’s many other locals. In 2025, it was reported that the pub could be brought back into use after Basildon Council agreed to Greene King’s plans for a change of use. The pub has remained vacant since then, but that might not be the case for much longer, as it is now up for sale on WTS Property Consultants’ website.

The agents say that the ground floor features a central bar, dining areas on either side, including a carvery station, and an indoor play area, with a total capacity for around 175 covers. Other facilities include customer toilets, a beer store, an office, a staff room, a large commercial kitchen, and multiple storage spaces.

The pub has a guide price of £950,000 plus VAT, with agents saying it will appeal to “restaurateurs, developers, builders and investors”. It also has alternate use potential, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

Greene King, which has around 2,500 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, recently revealed plans to put around 150 of its pubs up for sale as part of a major shake-up of its estate.

The brewery giant, which also brews Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Belhaven beers, has identified around “300 managed sites that would be better served under different models”.

The firm expects roughly half of these – about 150 pubs – to be converted into leased, tenanted or franchise venues within its Pub Partners estate, with the remaining 150 sites to be evaluated for a potential sale.

Greene King also identified a small number of sites for closure, representing fewer than 2% of the managed estate, in line with the group’s typical annual activity.

Announcing the brewery’s annual results, Green King chief executive Nick Mackenzie said: “Long-term permanent reform from Government is essential to ensure that unprecedented costs do not hold back the enormous potential of the sector.”

A massive fast-food chain has closed one of its UK restaurants, prompting locals to share their disappointment. The restaurant was the only one operated by the burger chain in the town, meaning locals will have to say goodbye to this option for the foreseeable future. Burger King, which had been a staple of Market Gates Shopping Centre in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, for years, has closed its doors for the last time.

The closure follows Market Gates being put up for sale towards the end of 2024. The closure had been suspected for a few weeks, as local media reported that staff were told earlier in the month that the last trading day would be February 22. The shopping centre has seen a slew of closures over the last 10 years, including Debenhams in 2019 and Wilko later down the line. 

Burger King first arrived in the UK in 1976 when it opened on Coventry Street in London’s West End. It now has more than 500 restaurants across the country and is found in most major cities in Britain. 

Locals from Great Yarmouth took to social media to share their disappointment over Burger King’s closure. One person wrote on Facebook: “I’ll miss it for sure. Had one of the most surprising views too.”

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Another said: “Oh no, we like going there once a month, good quality burgers.” A third wrote: “Another nail in the coffin for Yarmouth.”

The closest Burger King for Great Yarmouth residents is now Caister, which is around 3.8 miles away. 

Burger King was founded in the US but quickly expanded across the globe, much like its competitor McDonald’s did. According to the latest data available, Burger King has more than 19,000 restaurants worldwide, operating in over 125 countries. 

On a global level, it is the ninth largest fast food chain, falling behind the likes of McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC and Subway.

Telford & Wrekin Council said it is “committed to supporting residents and businesses affected by difficult circumstances, including those impacted by the immediate closure of TGI Fridays at Telford Centre”. It added: “For employees now facing redundancy, a range of practical support is available to help them take the next step towards new employment, training or reskilling opportunities.” The council said residents looking for a new role can get free help including CV advice and guidance on job opportunities.

Council cabinet member Councillor Shirley Reynolds said: “We know this is an incredibly difficult time for the employees and families affected by the sudden closure of TGI Friday’s. 

“Our priority is to ensure people know that support is available right now. 

“Whether it’s help updating your CV, accessing new training, or connecting with local employers, our teams are here to provide one‑to‑one support to help residents move forward with confidence.”

More than 450 TGI Fridays staff members were made redundant earlier this week after outlets across England and Wales were closed.

The American-style dining chain on Wednesday said most of its sites will remain open after a rescue deal was secured.

Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, the company that runs TGI Fridays’ UK restaurants, appointed administrators from Interpath Advisory on Tuesday.

They immediately sold the business and its assets to a subsidiary of Sugarloaf, the firm behind the global TGI Friday brand.

Sugarloaf had bought the UK business two months earlier from private equity firm Calveton UK and Breal Capital.

Administrators confirmed the pre-pack administration deal would safeguard 33 restaurants and transfer 1,384 workers to the new vehicle.

“We have been working closely to explore all available options for securing the long-term future of TGI Fridays in the UK, and believe that this is the best outcome for the business, preserves jobs, and offers a strong platform for success and growth,” said Phil Broad, global president of TGI Fridays.

This week, the UK Hospitality trade body warned more than 2,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels could shut their doors this year unless the Government makes sector-wide changes to “staggering” incoming business rate increases.

Around 20 restaurants and bars in an iconic chain are in danger of closing, according to reports. TGI Fridays has been a fixture on UK high streets and shopping centres since 1986 with the opening of its first restaurant on Birmingham’s Hagley Road.

Now it has 49 UK sites – but new reports say that despite taking over the chain just two months ago Sugarloaf TGIF Management are already planning to sell the business to a new owner.

Around 20 of the chain’s 49 UK sites are believed to be facing permanent closure and hundreds of jobs are expected to be lost alongside the sites, Sky Money reported. The exact 20 at risk have not been revealed yet.

TGI Fridays is reportedly planning to buy back a cut-down version of the gaudy US restaurant chain. The parent company of TGI Fridays in the UK initially agreed to acquire the chain for £177million in April last year.

Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, which runs TGI Fridays’ UK operations, filed a notice of its intent to appoint administrators on December 19.

It came two weeks after the business had filed a previous administration notice. Filing the notice is part of a legal process which will halt debt collection and provide the company with another 10 days to find a new buyer or investment.

All the group’s UK restaurants continued to operate as normal over the Christmas period but new information on the future has come to light. The company, which has more than 2,000 staff, is working with experts from advisory firm Interpath.

TGI Fridays first opened in New York in 1965 with a party-led theme and continues to operate a string of restaurants in the US.

After its previous UK operator fell into administration, its remaining restaurants were acquired by private equity firms Breal Capital and Calveton UK last year.

The chain collapsed into administration in September and put 87 restaurants up for sale, but was rescued last October by Breal Capital and Calverton in a deal that saved dozens of restaurants but still closed 36.

Then, in November last year TGI Fridays in the UK was acquired by Sugarloaf TGIF Management, which is run by the chain’s previous chief executive, Ray Blanchette.

The move preserved its remaining 49 restaurants and 2,000 jobs, but now 20 of the remaining sites are expected close and hundreds of jobs will be lost with them.

A TGI Fridays spokesperson told Sky: “TGI Fridays UK is still assessing all options for the future of the business.

“No decisions have been made yet and locations continue to operate as usual.”

Full list of 49 TGI Fridays currently trading

TGI Fridays Aberdeen Beach

TGI Fridays Aberdeen Union Square

TGI Fridays Ashton-Under-Lyne

TGI Fridays Basildon

TGI Fridays Birmingham NEC

TGI Fridays Bluewater

TGI Fridays Bolton

TGI Fridays Bournemouth

TGI Fridays Braehead

TGI Fridays Braintree

TGI Fridays Cardiff St David’s

TGI Fridays Castleford

TGI Fridays Cheadle

TGI Fridays Cheshire Oaks

TGI Fridays Coventry

TGI Fridays Crawley

TGI Fridays Cribbs Causeway

TGI Fridays Doncaster

TGI Fridays Edinburgh

TGI Fridays Fareham

TGI Fridays Glasgow Buchanan Street

TGI Fridays Glasgow Fort

TGI Fridays High Wycombe

TGI Fridays Lakeside Quay Centre

TGI Fridays Lakeside Retail Park

TGI Fridays Leeds Junction 27

TGI Fridays Leeds White Rose

TGI Fridays Liverpool One

TGI Fridays London Stratford City

TGI Fridays London The O2

TGI Fridays Meadowhall

TGI Fridays Metrocentre Gateshead

TGI Fridays Milton Keynes

TGI Fridays Milton Keynes Stadium

TGI Fridays Norwich

TGI Fridays Nottingham

TGI Fridays Reading

TGI Fridays Rushden Lakes

TGI Fridays Sheffield

TGI Fridays Silverburn

TGI Fridays Southampton Retail Park

TGI Fridays Staines

TGI Fridays Stevenage

TGI Fridays Teesside

TGI Fridays Telford

TGI Fridays Trafford Centre

TGI Fridays Walsall

TGI Fridays Watford Central

TGI Fridays Wembley

If you are a big fan of Wetherspoon, you’ll be sad to learn that they are about to axe 15 menu items over the following days.  

The festive menu was only rolled out in November, but popular items such as the Big Cheese Burger to the festive loaded chips, among others, will be removed from the menu at the start of the new year. Pub-goers now have only a short time left to enjoy the festive food on offer, as the limited-time range will leave Wetherspoon locations after December 31, 2025.

The menus at the different pub locations can vary, so make sure to check what is on offer at your local Wetherspoons. The Pub giant does not often adjust its menu throughout the year, with the Christmas limited-time offerings being the biggest shake-up.

So, if the festive menu is a highlight for you, now is the time to satisfy your final Christmas cravings with the giant profiterole dessert, the Five Gold Rings burger, and a variation of brie and cranberry paninis and pizzas, to name a few.

Wetherspoons confirmed to the Express that the Christmas menu won’t be available after New Year’s Eve.

A statement on Wetherspoon’s official website reads: “No need to book… just turn up and enjoy the festive offering. The Christmas menu is available from Wednesday, November 12, until Wednesday, December 31 (excluding Christmas Day).”

The full Christmas menu is as follows: 

• Sliced turkey breast and winter vegetables, £13.99 with soft drink, £15.52 with alcoholic drink
• The big cheese burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
• Brie and bacon burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
• Chicken and stuffing burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
• The five gold rings burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
• Mushroom and garlic burger, £10.89 with soft drink, £12.42 with alcoholic drink
• 12″ southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap
• 10″ southern-fried chicken and stuffing wrap
• Festive loaded chips, £8.99
• Brie and garlic mushroom pizza, £10.34 with soft drink, £11.87 with alcoholic drink
• Chicken, stuffing, bacon and Brie pizza, £11.52 with soft drink, £13.05 with alcoholic drink
• Chicken, stuffing, bacon and cranberry panini
• Brie and cranberry panini
• Cookies and cream blondie, £5.58
• Giant profiterole, £5.58.