Northern cities lead growth for UK hospitality, research finds
While there has been a net decline of 15.8% in Britain’s restaurants and bars since 2019, the drop has been less than half of that in northern cities
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Cities in the north of England are leading growth in UK hospitality despite the impacts of Covid, the cost of living crisis and rail strikes, new research has found.
The ‘State of the North’ research from Northern Restaurant and Bar and CGA by NielsenIQ found that in most key northern cities, restaurant and bar sales growth since 2019 has been ahead of the UK average of 4.1%.
York reported the most growth, with average sales per venue in the city 16.0% higher in 2022 than in 2019, while growth in Newcastle (14.2%), Chester (10.5%) and Manchester (6.9%) was also ahead of most other cities.
The new CGA Outlet Index data also showed the resilience of the hospitality sector in northern cities, despite the impact of lockdowns and trading restrictions.
While there has been a net decline of 15.8% in Britain’s restaurants and bars since 2019, the drop has been less than half of that in northern cities, with Liverpool affected the least (-2.4%), Newcastle (-5.8%), Chester (-5.8%), Manchester (-6.3%) and Sheffield (-7.9%). These figures are all “substantially” better than London, where there has been a net decline of 17.7% of pre-Covid licensed premises
CGA said the research “confirms the dynamism and innovation” of hospitality in northern England, driven by the region’s local entrepreneurs, as well as national operators, who have invested in the region.
Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “These figures emphasise the strength of the restaurant, pub and bar scene in the north of England.
“Businesses here have dealt superbly with the triple whammy of Covid-19 restrictions, high inflation and rail strikes, and consumers clearly remain as attracted to venues as ever despite the pressure on their disposable incomes. Hospitality makes an enormous contribution to local economies, and while there are some major challenges ahead, with the right support this sector can power Britain’s economic recovery in the years to come.”
