Coronavirus

Nov- 2020 -

24 November

The four post-lockdown personas – and how to cater to each one

If the UK hospitality sector has demonstrated any collective characteristic during this turbulent year, it is resilience. In responding to new restrictions while adapting to ever-changing government guidelines, operators across the country have demonstrated their ability to accommodate guests and create exceptional hospitality experiences, despite the challenges of a pandemic.…

16 November

Protecting hospitality workers’ mental wellbeing during the pandemic

The implications of the pandemic have completely transformed how hospitality businesses operate; for those working in the industry, this means adapting to significant long-term changes, which not only affect their careers but daily lives as well. With government advice constantly changing as the situation evolves, there is still a lot…

10 November

The Coronavirus Diaries: Richard Hills, owner of Tokyo Diner

At Tokyo Diner, being located in the heart of London’s Chinatown, we (alongside most other restaurants in the area) started to feel the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry as early as January when people began avoiding the area. Regardless of what the Government was announcing, customers were voting…

Oct- 2020 -

27 October

Creativity and innovation: Catering large events in a post-Covid world

We don’t yet know when large events will return with people in attendance, but while the finer details remain to be seen we can perhaps rely on a few assumptions. We know that timescales are likely to be cautious, rather than rushed. We know that any return of service will…

Sep- 2020 -

18 September

Rebooting restaurants: Tech solutions to Covid-19 problems in catering

COVID-19 has been a huge problem for restaurants and catering businesses, with virtually every company in the sector, from bars to cafés, having to re-think their business model. With the industry so strongly dependent on social gatherings and interacting with other people, it has been a sector massively impacted by…

11 September

Get up to scratch with safety signs in the kitchen

Maintaining high standards of hygiene and preventing accidents in a busy kitchen is vital. And this is where the importance of clear and concise kitchen safety signs come into play. From implementing new safety measures to preventing accidents, kitchen safety signs have a wide variety of uses. In a professional…

9 September

What you need to know before overhauling your customer loyalty scheme

While all customers are valuable to the hospitality industry, it is loyal regulars and repeat custom that are the lifeblood of the sector. Yet, many businesses continue to fall short when it comes to identifying and incentivising a more steadfast clientele. Although a recent survey from YouGov has uncovered that…

7 September

The coronavirus diaries: Aaron Wilson, The Bow Bells

At The Bow Bells, we felt the effects of Coronavirus before the lockdown began. Around two-to-three weeks before we had to close, we saw a massive reduction in trade – around a 70/80% drop. We knew immediately that this was going to be serious, so we began bringing in our…

4 September

Can technology save the hospitality sector?

The coronavirus pandemic has placed a great deal of pressure on UK industries. That said, seems that the hospitality sector has experienced far more than its fair share. In mid-March, the UK went into lockdown, essentially freezing entire revenue streams for bars, restaurants and cafes, with the sector reporting almost…

3 September

HMRC and Covid-19: One hand giveth, the other taketh away

One hand giveth HMRC was responsible for overseeing and implementing the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (“CJRS”) and other furlough schemes. Its ensuring that monies were paid under the Government’s various furlough support schemes has been impressive. Although the guidance on who was entitled to monies under the CJRS was…