Poppleston Allen renews 2023/2024 sponsorship with the most prestigious club of restaurant operators, the R200

Leading licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen has announced its continued sponsorship of the UK’s most prestigious clubs for restaurant operators, the Restaurant 200 (R200) for another year.

This partnership highlights the firm’s commitment to supporting the restaurant industry and promoting best practices in licensing and compliance.

Commencing through 2023 and 2024, the sponsorship includes participating in the European Study Tour, UK Conference & Study Tour, numerous conferences, networking events and presenting the Person of the Year at the annual awards, this year taking place at Dishoom in Canary Wharf, London on 21 November.

Commenting on the partnership, Poppleston Allen partner and head of marketing, Carl Weston says: “We are very proud to continue this partnership, which marks our fourth year working with the R200.

“The is a great fit for us as not only does it enable us to continue to build on our brand position as the leading licensing solicitors within the sector, it also allows us to create content via the Big Hospitality website which will hopefully benefit operators seeking licensing advice.”

Growing connections through sponsorship plays a key role in Poppleston Allen’s marketing program, as the R200 deal is in addition to working with the Institute of Licensing’s National Training Week, the Night Time Industries Association and UKHospitality. Plus, the firms writes the licensing legal column in the Morning Advertiser website and sponsors the trades biggest awards night, Publican Awards.

Chris Lowe, group director of William Reed comments: “We are delighted to see our relationship with Poppleston Allen solicitors continue into 2024. Their licensing knowledge of the sector is invaluable to help all R200 members navigate these challenging times.”

Poppleston Allen already have a significant presence in the restaurant sector and acts leading brands such as wagamama, Bill’s, Zizzi, PizzaExpress, Five Guys, Cote, Ivy Collections, Yo!, Sticks n Sushi, Miller & Carter plus 100s of independents. In addition, they continue to have significant presence in the pub, nightclub and general leisure sectors, advising on over 8000 licence applications a year.

About R200

Established 15 years ago by Restaurant Magazine, the R200 club is made of the top multi-site restaurant groups from across the UK. The criteria is the same for all operators in the club: they must be multiple site operators, a strong ‘sit-down dining’ element and be AIM-listed or independent.

Each year, the R200 hosts three events that bring together owners and operators from across the country to discuss current trends, build strong relationships, celebrate successes and support one another in what is a vibrant, but challenging sector.

The winner of the 2022 Poppleston Allen sponsored ‘People of the Year’ award was Mayur Patel and Marko Husak, co-founders of Bundobust and other winners of the night included:

• • Best new opening – M Canary Wharf
  • One to watch – Salt & Chilli Oriental 
  • Scalable concept award – Burger & Beyond
  • Sustainability award – Pizza Pilgrims 
  • Menu innovation award – Wagamama
  • Campaign of the year – Nando’s
  • Food-led pub group – Peach Pubs
  • Best value restaurant group – Marugame Udon
  • Omnichannel brand of the year – Dishoom
  • Restaurant group of the year (under 20 sites) – Rudy’s Pizza
  • Restaurant group of the year (over 20 sites) – Loungers
  • Innovation award – Boparan Restaurant Grou