Michael Cannon
entrepreneur (26)
Trevor Hemmings
entrepreneur (new entry)
Michael Cannon's status as one of the most wily entrepreneurs in the trade was enhanced last September, when his company, SDA Limited, won its battle to buy the 152-strong estate of troubled Dorset pub operator Eldridge Pope, since renamed EP.
Under Cannon's leadership, the focus has been to strip out and revamp failing sites, with £14m earmarked for the first two years. In January, the company announced plans to convert 15 of its Toad high-street bars into Que Pasa venues, the mixed-use bars that combine a modern, fresh-food menu in the day and dancing at night. Conversion of Toads to Que Pasa will be completed by October. Initial results suggest that the move could prove lucrative; the Swansea outlet, opened in April, saw weekly takings leap from £8,000 to £18,000.
Cannon made a personal fortune from deals such as the sale of the Magic Pub Company and Morrells of Oxford. His other ventures include three American burger chains Fuddruckers, Kookooroo and Hamburger Hamlet.
Trevor Hemmings owns Herald Inns tenanted operator Trust Inns. The former company owns Brannigans and bought the eight-strong Mood chain last year. He is also the largest private shareholder in Scottish & Newcastle.
