UK’s leading licensing solicitors, Poppleston Allen, again sponsor R200

Leading alcohol licensing solicitors, Poppleston Allen, has announced the continuation of its sponsorship agreement with Restaurant 200 (R200), the UK’s leading club for restaurant operators.

The sponsorship, which will run for the rest of 2022 and into 2023, sees Poppleston Allen solicitors become the preferred legal partner of R200; which includes joining the European Study tour and presenting the Person of the Year at the annual awards taking place at Ramona and the Firehouse, Manchester on 15 November.

Commenting on the partnership, Poppleston Allen managing partner, Lisa Sharkey, said: “The R200 and its awards celebrate the incredibly hard-working people in the restaurant sector; many of whom end up being the unsung heroes of brands. I truly believe the UK offers outstanding quality restaurants and an ever-increasing number of new experiences; which rival anything available across the globe.”

Lisa continues: “There is no doubt that the restaurant sector – and wider hospitality sector – always show great durability when things get tough. And even though the sector is facing very uncertain times, I have no doubt that operators will show great resilience and innovation. This is a sector I am very proud to be a part of and it is only right that we celebrate and showcase all that is good about this vibrant sector.”

Carl Weston, partner and head of marketing at Poppleston comments: “We want to partner with hospitality brands that are well established within our sectors but still have great ambitions, making R200 a perfect fit for us. This partnership, which marks our third year working with R200, not only allows us to continue to build on our profile as the leading licensing solicitors in the hospitality sector, but to also create legal content via Big Hospitality, something that we hope licensed operators will find helpful when managing their operations.

Sponsorship plays a key role in Poppleston Allen’s marketing programme, as the R200 deal is in addition to working with the Institute of Licensing’s National Training Week, the Morning Advertisers licensing legal column, Publican Awards and the Night Time Industries Association.”

Poppleston Allen already have a significant presence in the restaurant sector and acts for 8 of the 10 fastest growing restaurant brands in the UK, including wagamama, Bill’s, Zizzi, PizzaExpress, Five Guys, Cote, Ivy Collections, Pho, 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 almost 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, with a strong ‘sit-down dining’ element and must 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 2021 Poppleston Allen sponsored ‘Unsung hero’ award was Tim Gould, managing director of Hawksmoor and other winners on the night included:

• • Best new opening – Eataly
  • One to watch – Marugame Udon
  • Scalable concept award – Slice by Pizza Pilgrims
  • Employer award – Dishoom
  • Sustainability award – Wahaca
  • Innovation award – Bone Daddies
  • Resilience award – Patty & Bun
  • Food-led pub company – Urban Pubs & Bars
  • Best restaurant group (under 20 sites) – JKS Restaurants
  • Best restaurant group (over 20 sites) – Honest Burgers