l Interbrand's annual survey of the world's most valuable br

l Yates Group has converted Yates's sites in Ealing and Sutton Coldfield to its Ha! Ha!

Bar & Canteen.

The company claims the junior brand is showing weekly like-for-like sales growth.

Chairman Mike Hennessy told the company's annual general meeting that trading for the first quarter of the 2003 financial year was in line expectations, although high-street trading remains tough.

l James Birch has joined beer brand builder Refresh as finance director and company secretary.

He has been a non-executive director of Refresh since the business started in June 2000.

Birch has held several senior finance roles in the drinks and hospitality business ­ most recently he was chief financial officer of tenanted pub group InnSpired.

Previously, he was with Ushers of Trowbridge, which he joined in 1997.

l Leeds-based Blue Herring Leisure, run by father-and-son team Mike and Daniel Smart, is planning to roll-out its new Mononi café-bar concept across the UK after a successful launch in Leeds.

The new £750,000 bar offers a café/piano bar, restaurant and dance floor.

Daniel Smart said: "We've welcomed over 1,000 people through the doors every Friday and Saturday, but we've also seen a lot of morning custom in the week, which is mainly business people using Mononi as a venue for upmarket business breakfasts and meetings."

l Heritage Inns has appointed John O'Neill, the former free-trade director at Mansfield Brewery, as its managing director.

O'Neill joins the company as a refurbishment programme begins on the sites it acquired from Pennant Inns in April.

O'Neill said: "It's a very exciting time at Heritage, and although we have a task ahead of us, we know exactly what we need to achieve and sustain growth and profit for our tenants.