Business Live - UK Business news, analysis & Thought Leadership

UK economy grew by 6.6% in July as lockdown measures were eased

Coronavirus But the ONS said that the UK 'has still only recovered just over half of the lost output'

The UK strikes first post-EU trade deal with Japan

UK Government The UK Government said the in principle deal will increase trade by £15.2bn

Business reaction as Welsh Government confirms new coronavirus rules on face masks and meeting indoors in Wales

Coronavirus Face mask and meeting up rules will apply in shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants as well as in private homes

EventCity conference and exhibition centre announces closure and pulls plans for new venue

Events Owners Peel said the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis was 'far more extreme than anyone could have envisaged'

List in full of Pizza Hut restaurants set to close amid CVA proposals

Retail & Consumer The 29 closures will affect around 450 jobs across the firm

Mole Valley Farmers secures £50million funding deal

Grant Thornton The cash will provides a strong platform for future plans

How you can claim two FREE Lottery tickets to win £100,000 this Saturday

Retail & Consumer The customers who saved their wine shop with a Whatsapp group When the owner of Smiths Wine Shop in Exeter made an urgent plea for help, a band of 40 customers came to his aid and didn't take a penny

What Millionaire contestant Scott Burgess did next

Enterprise The Good Times Roll ice cream entrepreneur sets out his plans for 2021

The inspirational story behind Indian chain Mowgli's CEO and founder Nisha Katona

Twitter BIG INTERVIEW: Barrister-turned-entrepreneur exclusively tells BusinessLive how she overcame horrendous racist abuse to rise to the helm of UK's most successful Indian restaurant chain

World leading transport firm Keolis opens new UK headquarters in Cardiff

Enterprise Keolis has relocated its HQ from London

Ashton Gate's managing director on running Bristol City's historic stadium and his vision for its future

Business of Sport Mark Kelly discusses challenges, why Bristol should look to Birmingham and doing things that 'scare' him

Enterprise

Retail Travel entrepreneur launches new business during coronavirus downturn Helen Holmes has seen activity for her stag weekend business fall and has moved forward with plans for an online toy store

It Started With a Stitch ...and has got the nation's attention with a tweet

SMEs Theo Paphitis' praise for craftpreneur's business as she takes embroidery online

Marketing firm wins eight new clients and £1m in new revenue during lockdown

Enterprise Liberty Marketing has seen a 30% growth compared to pre-lockdown

Breedon Group gets clearance for £178m CEMEX deal

Deals Competition and Market’s Authority says it is happy with deal to buy CEMEX assets - pending modifications.

Brick maker Forterra completes 225 job losses

Employment The business, which makes around 590 million bricks a year, said the “decisive action” had been “regrettable”

Technology

Economy Flintshire robotics project secures UK Government funding to boost manufacturing productivity Dialog, a winning project on Deeside Industrial Park, was successful in the Manufacturing Made Smarter Challenge

Plans revealed for large new Warrington hotel set to deliver dozens of jobs

North West Developers have released the first detailed image of the proposals

Liverpool tech firm uses 'Sim City'-type system to predict Covid spread

North West The firm that creates games for PC, mobile and the Nintendo Switch won a Government competition and is focused on helping get communities back to normal

The West Wales tech firm bringing clean water to some of the world's poorest communities

United Nations Hydro Industries is shipping its water purification equipment to Bangladesh

The Exeter firm aiming to manage epilepsy with a smartphone app

NHS Neuronostics have secured a total £900,000 funding to simplify the way epilepsy is treated

Manufacturing

Food and Drink Kingsland Drinks' spirit-focused sister company named Ten Locks in homage to Salford location Ten Locks is a sister company to Kingsland Drinks, which is one of the UK’s biggest independent suppliers of wines and spirits, pumping around 127m litres of wine and spirits a year

Coronavirus outbreak confirmed at Hull food factory

Coronavirus Numbers affected unconfirmed but reports suggest one employee is seriously ill

‘Bittersweet victory’: Macclesfield aerospace factory employees agree to 4-day week to reduce redundancies

Aerospace Unite the Union said at least 42 jobs at the company have been saved, reducing redundancies from the proposed 152 to a maximum of 110, out of a bargaining unit of more than 300

Major investment as electronics firm set for £280m of Covid testing machine orders

Manufacturing TT Electronics is upgrading its Hartlepool plant as it anticipates major interest in the Virolens device

Wilton Engineering to create jobs after securing £750,000 coronavirus support

Employment The Teesside oil and gas specialist could potentially create 20 new roles on the back of the funding

Professional Services

Irwin Mitchell The latest appointments and promotions in the North West you may have missed The latest appointments and promotions at Forever Manchester, Access Creative College, MIF, Widd Signs, KPMG, Primas, Irwin Mitchell, Flavourfresh Salads, Crossfield Group, MLP Law, John Pye Auctions, Democracy, Access, Jolliffes, Paragon Bank and Forbes Solicitors

The latest appointments from across North Staffordshire

West Midlands The new recruits have joined Giliker Flynn, Bowcock & Pursaill, Barringtons and BOHSA

Finance firm creates 17 professional jobs despite lockdown

Professional Services Old Mill has taken on experienced staff, those just graduating or leaving school

Emma Barratt opens East Midlands branch of virtual business support agency Get Ahead VA

Marketing Emma was keen to use her entrepreneurial flair to run her own business, and has now taken a franchise with Get Ahead VA

Digital bank Starling has recruited 100 staff at its new Cardiff hub since March with more to come

Employment Its new data science to customer service hub will eventually employ 400

Economic Development

Employment A third of workers working remotely permanently new goal in Wales The Welsh Government wants to see a permanent change in where people work in Wales

Ministers hail Japan deal as boost to North East employers - but face Brexit warnings

Economy Government says deal agreed in principle with Japan will boost companies like Nissan and Hitachi

'Carry on working from home' says First Minister Mark Drakeford - in contrast to Boris Johnson's message

Boris Johnson First Minister Mark Drakeford made the comments at the Welsh Government coronavirus briefing today

Manchester to host travel trade association UKinbound’s annual convention in 2021

Events The event is set to take place over two days in early February at the Midland Hotel

EventCity conference and exhibition centre announces closure and pulls plans for new venue

Events Owners Peel said the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis was 'far more extreme than anyone could have envisaged'

NHS The Exeter firm aiming to manage epilepsy with a smartphone app Neuronostics have secured a total £900,000 funding to simplify the way epilepsy is treated

Last call for comments on Boohoo factory conditions

Fashion Investigators want to know what goes on behind closed doors at textiles factories in Leicester

£16m Wolds gateway retreat steps up to meet staycation demand with 88 more lodges proposed

Leisure & Touism Oak Ridge Group keen to add to 37 luxury lodges already consented at Lincolnshire location

Iconic Cleethorpes hotel to change hands as resort family checks in

Economic Development Undisclosed deal agreed for The Kingsway Hotel

Home to Roost for Richard as estate agency ambition become reality

SMEs Fixed fee model rolled out by entrepreneurial estate agent who has worked in Manchester, Edinburgh and Cleethorpes

Employment A third of workers working remotely permanently new goal in Wales The Welsh Government wants to see a permanent change in where people work in Wales

List of shops that have collapsed into administration in 2020 as UK lockdown hits high street

Retail & High Street The high street was under pressure before the pandemic - and many retailers are now struggling to survive

Reviv CEO reveals the constant accent discrimination that forced her to build business empire abroad

North West Sarah Lomas' firm, which recently switched operations to battle the Covid-19 crisis, now operates in over 40 countries

Former Dragon's Den star and Red Letter Days founder Rachel Elnaugh lifts the lid on the highs and lows of her failed multi-million pound business

West Midlands Rachel is the brainchild behind the Red Letter Days experience brand

Wilton Engineering to create jobs after securing £750,000 coronavirus support

Employment The Teesside oil and gas specialist could potentially create 20 new roles on the back of the funding

Employment A third of workers working remotely permanently new goal in Wales The Welsh Government wants to see a permanent change in where people work in Wales

The Covid-19 crisis might well catalyse innovation in many traditional sectors - Dylan Jones-Evans

Technology While digital and health economies have prospered during the pandemic sectors such tourism and education will need to evolve

Travel entrepreneur launches new business during coronavirus downturn

Retail Helen Holmes has seen activity for her stag weekend business fall and has moved forward with plans for an online toy store

Birmingham's Grand Central to be pilot diagnostic centre

West Midlands New equipment could be installed in retail hub under newly unveiled £7m plans

It Started With a Stitch ...and has got the nation's attention with a tweet

SMEs Theo Paphitis' praise for craftpreneur's business as she takes embroidery online