Food & Drink

Our construction team advised on the construction and fit-out of a fruit packing and distribution centre

Our construction team advised a client of a Kent based fruit grower and distributor on the construction and fit-out of a fruit packing and distribution centre.

Thomson Snell & Passmore advise Watts Farms Fresh Produce Holdings Limited on their joint venture with The Wonky Food Company

We advised long-standing client Watts Farms Fresh Produce Limited in relation to their joint venture with The Wonky Food Company. 

Advising Sticks ‘n’ Sushi’s UK arm on the acquisition of a new premises in central London.

Advising Sticks ‘n’ Sushi’s UK arm on the acquisition of a new premises in central London.  

Young couple taking over the farming family business

We have recently helped a young couple who have taken over the farming business set up many years ago by the husband’s family in East Sussex.

Acting for growing restaurant chain, Sticks’ n ‘ Sushi

Since January 2015 our commercial property team, (with input from our construction team), have been acting for restaurant chain, Sticks’ n’ Sushi UK Limited (SnS). SnS have a strong base of 9 restaurants in Denmark, and are moving steadily into the UK lucrative but highly competitive restaurant market.

Acting for a large salad and cereals producer

Our employment team have been acting for a large salad and cereals producer since February 2015.

Acting for a leading sandwich manufacturer and distributor

Our employment team have been acting for a leading sandwich manufacturer and distributor since December 2014.

Frontier Agriculture v Bratt Brothers (a Firm) [2015] EWCA Civ 611

A farmer acting in person has successively persuaded the Court of Appeal to set aside an order of the Commercial Court made against him which granted permission to enforce an arbitration award under 66 of the Arbitration Act 1996.

Advising the insurers of cheese importers found to have illegal immigrants within the container

We acted on behalf of the insurers of the leading importer of speciality cheese into the UK.

Advising Swiss commodity traders in a dispute over rice with Indian buyers

We acted on behalf of Swiss based commodity traders in a dispute with Indian based buyers arising from the sale of 10,000 MT of Indian White Rice.

Advising Russian frozen fish distributors

We acted on behalf of the Russian sellers of various consignments of frozen fish which were shipped from Murmansk in Russia for distribution to customers in Portugal.

Compagnie Fruitiere

Compagnie Fruitiere is a large producer, distributor and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables.

An evening of warmth, sparkle and good ol’ fish and chips - The Food and Drink Networking Club’s February 2019 event

We set up the food and drink networking club because we wanted local people in the food and drink industry to be able to meet up and make valuable connections.  Our meeting on 12 February at Sankey’s pub and restaurant in Tunbridge Wells was the epitome of what we were trying to achieve.

From farm to fork – The Food and Drink Networking Club’s September event

We are always on the lookout for new and interesting places to host the quarterly Food and Drink Networking Club and this time, we were very kindly hosted by Haywards Farm Shop in Tonbridge

South East restaurant operators optimistic despite the ‘casual dining crunch’

Leading South East law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore recently surveyed clients operating in the UK restaurant sector.

A step back in time with the Food and Drink Networking Club

If you work in the food and drink industry and would like to come along then please get in touch.

Restaurant Sector Challenges

Dubbed the “Casual Dining Crunch”, is this the end of the mid-tier restaurant market as we know it?

The Horticultural Sector – coping, being positive and carrying on!

The Office for National Statistics published an article in February 2018  “Labour in the agricultural industry, UK: February 2018”

The Gin-aissance

The UK is currently gripped by a gin obsession, with distilleries, bars and new concepts popping up all over the country. Our love for gin does not appear to be slowing down.

The difficulties within the restaurant sector have been well documented in recent press coverage.

Particularly affected is the mid tier, multiple site operators, the so called "Casual Dining Market".  A couple of the bigger names in particular are restructuring/struggling, such as Byron Burger and Jamie’s Italian.

Industry’s quiet month is a boost for networking!

When we founded the Food and Drink Networking Club last year, we didn’t expect to have so many attendees at only our third event, which took place in early January.

Making Connections - Food and Drink Networking

This month saw the second meeting of The Food & Drink Networking Club – and what a meeting it was! The event, sponsored and organised by Thomson Snell & Passmore, was kindly hosted by Will Edge at his beautiful distillery in Shipbourne,

Autumn brings… the Tunbridge Wells Harvest Food Festival

“Autumn,” says Julian Leefe-Griffiths, “is when there is a marked change in the food that we eat.  We put away the barbecue and look forward to more game, winter root vegetables, mushrooms & the like. 

Alisa Sweeney works with Sticks ‘n’ Sushi to secure Nova Victoria Site

Alisa Sweeney from the Commercial Property Team have been delighted to work with restaurant operator, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, to secure a new site at London’s prestigious Nova Victoria.

How networking should be! The Food & Drink Networking Club.

A beautiful summer’s evening; a community- orientated, independent venue; local food and drink producers; a bar, BBQ and curry.  This was the inaugural Food and Drink Networking Club, hosted by Thomson Snell & Passmore alongside fellow founders, Matthew Sankey of Sankey’s fish restaurants and fishmongers, Caroline Kings of blog, Eat Around Tonbridge & Sam Goode from Tonbridge Old Fire Station, our venue.  We were thrilled at the diversity and numbers of attendees for our first networking event in this sector: there was great representation from the food and drink industry including Kent restauranteurs, café owners, artisan producers and breweries who networked alongside bloggers, photographers & journalists from the world of food and drink

Cutting through the competition

If there was a prize for the ‘Best reaction to winning’ at this year’s Taste of Kent awards, Matt Sworder of The Corner House restaurant, Minster would win hands down! He and his team were visibly delighted at winning the Thomson Snell & Passmore sponsored award for Kent’s Restaurant of the Year, enthusiastically wrapping his arms around the presenter of the award, Thomson Snell & Passmore partner & award judge Alisa Sweeney.

New rules preventing Venture Capital Trust investment to acquire businesses...

Do pubs face further threats? The Finance Act 2015 introduced new rules preventing Venture Capital Trust (VCT) investment to acquire businesses, which has caused considerable speculation that pubs in particular will be hit hardest.

Closure in the UK food and beverage sector and the impact on commercial property

The food and beverage sector has often been viewed as the darling of the retail property world but now the director of the Local Data Company, Matthew Hopkinson, has voiced concerns that the growth in this sector in the UK is unsustainable and huge closures are to be expected in the restaurant field in the next 15 months.