Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker wield swords on pre-season tour

Private companies in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North-east are struggling for growth as the centre of business power moves "inexorably southwards", according to a report published this week.

The owner of Yo! Sushi is battling rival private equity firms to acquire Byron, the upmarket burger chain, for £100m.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Demand for sushi is still depleting stocks

A bluefin tuna sold for a record £1m million at a Tokyo auction today, nearly three times the previous high set last year — even as environmentalists warn that stocks of the majestic, speedy fish are being depleted worldwide amid strong demand for sushi.

Hotel Zhero, Austria

This week, the temperature drops to Zhero in the Austrian Tyrol. The eagerly awaited hotel is due to open near the mountain village of Kappl on Wednesday. Expect 78 rooms and suites with a smooth, contemporary finish, four penthouses with butler service, a grill-style à la carte restaurant with executive chef Klaus Brunmayr, and a luxurious spa. Ski services will include an in-house shop for equipment hire and activities, plus a free daily shuttle to the slopes of Ischgl.

Hotel Zhero, Wiese 687, Kappl, Austria (00 43 5445 20 111 12; zherohotelgroup.com). Doubles start at €109, room only.

The menu is full of amorous-sounding dishes, but does this sushi place inspire affection?

Some sushi bars offer a raw deal portion-wise – but not the crowd-pleasing Feng Sushi

It's the size of Hyde Park, but what's the main venue actually like? Tom Peck sets out on foot to give you a guided tour

From athletes' lairs and TV studios, to champagne bars and a stage for unsigned bands – plus a stadium or two... Tom Peck gives a guided tour

Top draw

Just a little too sweet for Western palates

'Should micro-cress not be considerably smaller than this?" I opine, staring down at the arguably macro vegetation crowning my prawn and abalone salad in a swanky Kyoto dining-room. A notionally rhetorical question which nevertheless causes my companions to bust various guts in response. With not an ounce of self-awareness intact, it seems, I've been struck down by a case of über-gastro-poncery – something it will take more than a few of my signature ketchup sandwiches back home to relieve.