Hartford moves out of the red

Restaurant and bar operator Hartford Group has had a profitable second half of the year following the sale of its Pharmacy restaurant earlier this year.

In a trading statement it said that the second half of the financial year had met expectations that would result in a "positive cash flow" for the year as a whole.

Hartford, which operates two restaurants and 19 bars, reported that comparable sales from continuing business for the financial year are 2.5% below that of the previous year.

However, the company said it had moved out of the red in the last quarter. In September it closed its landmark restaurant Pharmacy in London's Notting Hill and sold the lease to the landlord.

It also announced that Sheila Mckenzie, who joined the group three years ago as chief executive and latterly was development director, has resigned.

by Christina Golding

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