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The company's  first coffee shop opened in 2017 on Orangefield Lane in Belfast, and since March of last year, it has opened one outlet in Holywood, Co. Down, one outlet in Portstewart, Co. Derry, and two outlets in Worcester in the UK.

Guilt Trip was founded by former Ulster rugby players Darren Cave and Callum Black. Former general manager of Belfast's Merchant Hotel and Co. Kildare's Carton House Adrian McLaughlin has also bought into the business, and has said that the chain is planning to "press the accelerator" on further expansion

'We have a Guilt Trip truck being readied for March at Boucher Road [in Belfast], and are currently discussing bringing in an investment partner in London which will allow us to accelerate plans for four more new stores in Northern Ireland this year.

More than 420 restaurants, hotels, and bars are to proceed with legal action against 10 insurers over unpaid Covid-related business disruption claims in the coming weeks.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland  will look to progress the issue of unpaid disputed business interruption insurance, for its members, through the courts, having had minimal success in initial communications with the insurance firms.

Nearly a month ago, the RAI wrote to 12 insurers on behalf of 423 of its members, urging them to pay out on business interruption claims to cover trading losses brought about by the Covid-19 crisis. 

The association originally gave insurers a seven-day window to reply and agree to make payments. 

It said it would take legal action against any of the firms not willing to pay out on valid claims.

However, upon that deadline expiring, only one company, Hiscox Ireland, replied and agreed to pay cover and not challenge the claims.

Since then, QBE has also replied in a similar manner, meaning the threat of legal action over unpaid cover is currently hanging over 10 insurers.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated for the first time that Level 5 restrictions on outdoor activity, sport, construction and remaining within 5km of home could be eased on Easter Monday, April 5th.

In what was received as a move to provide a tangible date, Mr Martin told the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on Wednesday night that those four areas would be examined before Easter, in tandem with the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet).

The clarification on this issue means if the advice from Nphet on the metrics were favourable, the first steps to a wider reopening of society from lockdown would commence at the beginning of April rather than later in the month.

While the new Government plan unveiled on Monday did mention the April 5th date in the context of outdoor activities and the 5km rule, it gave no clarity on whether it was a date for change or for a review to commence.

Darina Allen has defended running cookery classes during lockdown for a group of international students at Ballymaloe Cookery School who have been in a 'Ballymaloe Bubble'.

She spoke out last night after it emerged that nine students from the US, Holland, and the UK, have been attending in-person classes at the school in East Cork in recent weeks, despite level 5 restrictions.

“We felt we had a strong responsibility to them and that we did the right thing,” Ms Allen said.

The students, who had booked residential places on Ballymaloe’s almost €13,000, 12-week Certificate Course, which was due to start on January 4, flew into Ireland in late December for two weeks of quarantine.

But they were left in limbo when Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced a full level 5 lockdown on December 30, which came into effect the following day.