Miscellaneous

✈️ Online banking app Revolut has partnered with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), allowing users to convert RevPoints into SAS EuroBonus points at a 1:1 ratio, without a minimum transfer. Since RevPoints launched in 2024, 17 billion points have been redeemed. Revolut serves 65 million customers worldwide and now offers loyalty redemption across 14 programmes and 45 airlines. Customers can earn up to one point per pound/euro spent on purchases.

🏛 Westminster Abbey launches its first group booking portal for travel operators and Blue Badge Tourist Guides, allowing easier pre-booking of discounted tickets with guaranteed timed entry. This change prepares for the upcoming King Charles III Sacristy. Group tickets cost £29 for adults, £25 for seniors/students, and £12 for children (6-17 years). The Abbey, hosting over a million visitors annually, has been a key historical site since 1066, housing tombs of figures like Charles Dickens and Isaac Newton.

🍳 Casa Brasa opened on October 27 in Dallas, marking Big Dill Hospitality’s fourth concept. Chef Omar Flores and the Marshi family researched grills and sushi across Latin America, Dubai, Europe, Miami, and NYC. The 10,000 sq. ft. space features an open-fire grill, raw bar, and sushi counter. Menu highlights include Hokkaido scallop aguachile, the signature Casa Brasa Roll, and a 40-ounce tomahawk rib eye. The Kamilla bar offers creative cocktails and hosts DJs. Maroma, a coastal Mexican concept, opens in December.

🍴 The Barrière Group, led by Grégory Rabuel, has 150+ restaurants and bars in 33 casinos and 20 hotels, including locations like Saint Barthélemy, Marrakesh, New York, and Switzerland. Over the past two years, they've invested in strategic repositioning. In summer 2025, they served 680,000 meals in July and August, marking an 8% increase from 2024 and a 12% rise from 2023, setting a historic record. Consistent quality is ensured by standardizing key dishes.

📅 Attended the Main Street Summit & Capital Camp in Columbia, Missouri, where 1,200 founders, investors, artists, and athletes gathered over three days for impactful business insights and networking. Notable speakers included Tim Tebow. The event was set in cinemas, theaters, coffee shops, and university halls. Columbia showcased rural America's beauty. Upcoming events include the Homestead Fair in Waco during Thanksgiving, drawing up to 20,000 attendees, featuring talks, food, and music.

🍴 Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor, joined Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999 and Restaurant Hospitality in 2016. He previously wrote for The New York Sun (2005-2008) and worked in Thailand for Asia Times (1995-1997). A Tufts University magna cum laude graduate, Thorn has studied at Le Cordon Bleu and served with ABC News in Beijing in 1989. Awarded the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award, he is also a published author in food encyclopedias. Thorn resides in Brooklyn, N.Y.

🌊 Crete, Kefalonia, Naxos, Corfu, Rhodes, Zakynthos, and Paros offer thrilling adventures for travelers. Crete's Samaria Gorge and Elafonissi's waters beckon explorers. Kefalonia's Melissani Cave and Mount Ainos promise natural wonders. Naxos blends adventure with tradition on Mount Zas and Mikri Vigla. Corfu and Rhodes offer diverse experiences on their trails and coastlines. Zakynthos' Blue Caves and Navagio Beach provide breathtaking moments. Paros is an adventure paradise with windsurfing and hiking trails.

💻 Premium leisure airline beOnd, based in Dubai, is expanding its online package holidays through a partnership with TUI, leveraging a platform by tech specialist Nezasa. Earlier this year, beOnd launched the beOnd Holidays platform to integrate flights and resorts. The collaboration combines TUI’s packaging expertise with Nezasa’s AI-enabled itinerary technology, allowing users to customize trips dynamically. This innovation aims for personalized travel recommendations, enhancing customer experience and streamlining premium leisure travel.

🍎 Mevalco will introduce NOVO by O-MED, a limited-edition extra virgin olive oil from Spain, crafted from 100% Picual olives, pressed on the first harvest day. Available in the UK through Mevalco in November with pre-orders now open. Each 500ml bottle costs £13.50, packaged in cases of six. NOVO, known for its rich green hue and fresh, peppery taste, is produced by O-MED, a family-run mill in Granada. Expected UK arrival: Tuesday, 11 November.

🍽 Longbow Venues achieved notable success at the 2025 Westside & Southside Restaurant & Bar Awards on 27 October 2025 at the OEC Sheffield. The Peacock at Rowsley won "Restaurant of the Year," The Ashford Arms in Bakewell secured "Best Sunday Lunch," and The Maynard in Grindleford was awarded "Best Family Favourite." Over 50 team members attended, celebrating the group's focus on quality, local produce, and genuine hospitality. The event honored independent venues in Sheffield and North Derbyshire.