fb-pixel
Skip to content

Off To Lunch

Duke of Wellington Statue and Bank of England

The risk of private equity to the economy

Plus, the UK's top 100 fastest-growing companies, the six high school friends now worth £1bn and Aviva chief says the next government can unlock £100bn of investment

Josh Dornbrack

We are hiring sign on a restaurant table

Job openings on the decline

Plus, the UK's biggest lender has a major warning for the next PM, a spotlight on AI washing and new theme park to boost economy by nearly £50bn

Josh Dornbrack

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer poses with Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (L), Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader (2nd R) and his shadow cabinet as Labour launch their general election manifesto on June 13, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Labour is consistently leading the polls by over 20 points, according to the latest YouGov data. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

The tough choices over net zero

Plus, Lufthansa adds green surcharge to flight costs, how Bernard Arnault built LVMH and why Netflix thinks you should fire some employees

Josh Dornbrack, Sarah Vizard

Smiling emoji on a desk in an office

Are we set for another ‘great resignation’?

Plus, the secret WhatsApp group helping CEOs with isolation, pension insurance chief calls UK a “banana economy”, and a landmark AI lawsuit is tabled

Josh Dornbrack

Microsoft Copilot ad extended

Is AI plastering over real-world business problems?

Plus, how Adidas's CEO revived the sports brand, the London Stock Exchange gets a listing snub and Brussels accuses Apple of breaking big tech monopoly rules

Josh Dornbrack

Close-up of British bank notes

Retail sales and consumer confidence rebound

In today's Off to Lunch, we also cover Carlsberg's bid for Britvic, the cautionary tale of Huy Fong's hot sauce and what we can learn from the Adidas and Puma rivalry

Dougal Shaw, Sarah Vizard

Man working with chat ai online

Interest rates hold steady

Plus, Asos warns staff over virtual meetings, Sainsbury's pays to get rid of its bank and the eye-watering economic boost of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour

Josh Dornbrack

Shopping cart with boxes of goods and pound money bag

Inflation falls back but the cost-of-living crisis isn’t over yet

Plus, Nvidia becomes the world's most valuable company, smaller companies are increasingly appointing all-male boards and Hargreaves Lansdown on the verge of a takeover

Sarah Vizard

A purse with pound notes in it

The UK’s 30-year investment shortfall

Plus, why Atom Bank is finding a four-day week “considerably less challenging” than hybrid working, Apple scraps buy now, pay later service and BYD's Euros triumph and struggles

Josh Dornbrack

Close up miniature back businessman standing look up money stack coin

SME funding gets a boost

Plus, Labour's EU trade plan, seasonal hiring plans and why the era of 'revenge spending' could be over

Josh Dornbrack

Polling station sign

What the party manifestos mean for mid-sized businesses

Plus, Tesco sales on the rise, The Excel World Championships and Adidas's Euros ad

Josh Dornbrack

Small union jack on a wooden stick fixed on a globe

The untapped exporting potential of mid-sized firms

Plus, Labour releases its election manifesto, Elon Musk's bumper pay day comes closer and the power of 'divas'

Josh Dornbrack

Aerial shot of Manchester UK on a beautiful summer day

Why cities outside London are key to the UK’s economic growth

Plus, economic growth flatlines, rents on the up, mortgage arrears at seven year high and a reality check on the UK's gender gap

Josh Dornbrack

Wage growth on the rise

Plus, female business leaders are backing Rachel Reeves, one in three Asda staff have been attacked at work and Roger Federer's inspirational commencement address

Josh Dornbrack

The word manifesto in a dictionary

Manifesto week and the FCA under pressure

Plus, unemployment on the rise, The Body Shop rescue on the rocks and Apple unveiling its move into generative AI

Josh Dornbrack

Mike Lynch, former chief executive officer of Autonomy

The rise, fall and acquittal of Mike Lynch

Plus, Asda has a new owner, the ECB cuts interest rates and Liverpool owner John Henry on that European Super League move

Josh Dornbrack

Plant with Union Jack in the background

Promising economic news

Plus, the leader behind the company that aids global expansion, Nvidia more valuable than Apple and McDonald's loses Big Mac trademark

Josh Dornbrack

Brexit written on a wall with censored sign over it

Export tips for the next government

Plus, how social media is moving beyond clickbait, the decline in takeovers and the campaign that "pissed off" the public and made an icon

Josh Dornbrack

Flag of United Kingdom on wooden background

Why chronic short-termism is holding the UK back

Plus, discover your unknown superpower, Monzo's CEO speaks after its first profitable year, consumer spending slows and a tribute to a legend

Josh Dornbrack

20240603

The leader behind soon-to-be London-listed Shein

Plus, Britain's bizarre business names, Raspberry Pi listing update, shareholder revolts over pay and election coverage

Josh Dornbrack