Coronavirus

Sep- 2020 -

3 September

The value of guest data beyond Eat Out to Help Out

The UK government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme has proved to be a success for the nation’s hospitality sector by encouraging people to return to pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants after COVID-related closures. With figures from the UK treasury showing that over 64 million discounted meals and counting have…

1 September

The coronavirus diaries: Andrei Lussmann

I decided to open the estate gradually to enable us, as a team, to understand the market now; how people were feeling about dining out and how operationally we have been able to adapt to new measures. We opened St Albans and Harpenden on 4 July and have since followed with…

Aug- 2020 -

28 August

Al Fresco pubs: How to create the perfect pub beer garden experience

A recent study carried out by Finder found that 60% of the UK’s adult population is currently working from home, a figure that is likely to remain relatively high until at least the end of the year. With consumers commuting far less into town centres, the expected footfall that the…

21 August

GMs must be front of house to reassure customers and staff post-lockdown

The best hospitality operators definitely took a ‘glass half full’ approach when lockdown was imposed and looked for the opportunities in a situation that was beyond their control, rather than railing against it. Enforced closure allowed for the reflection and review that are hard to make time for when you’re…

18 August

Take me home – The future of the food industry

For better or worse, whether it be multi-channel cable television, police sirens or chlorinated chicken, the UK will always lag behind the US, and then eventually catch up. Right now, the Covid-19 pandemic has joined forces with the tech revolution (and our peculiar national obsession with copying the Americans) to…

17 August

The coronavirus diaries: Liam Dillon pt. 2

Before lockdown, The Boat Inn was well and truly on its way to turning the corner on what has been quite a tough 3 years of trading. We’d gone from gammon egg & chips to tasting menus and handbag stools. Like many other business operators in this sector, I found…

13 August

Five tips to make the most out of Dining Out to Help Out

The restaurant industry has taken a huge blow thanks to COVID, but this month the Eat Out To Help Out Scheme means we can all do our bit in helping the industry get back on its feet – but how can you make the most of it, safely? No matter…

12 August

Best practice to take away from the industry’s reopening

The hospitality industry had been eagerly awaiting ‘Super Saturday’ with bated breath. With a huge sigh of relief, it marked a significant milestone where operators could finally open their doors and welcome back their customers. While the reopening of the industry was a positive step for many hospitality businesses, there’s…

10 August

How important is post-closure maintenance?

Earlier this month, pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants across the UK began welcoming customers for the first time since the lockdown began in March. However, restrictions such as limited capacities, mandatory contactless payments and protection screens make going out to eat or meeting your friends for a quick pint a…

7 August

The right menu for reducing bacterial transmission

Studies have shown that some of the ‘germiest’ things on a menu may literally be the menu itself! Indeed, a study* by Charles Gerba from the University of Arizona revealed that menus carried the most amount of germs, with an average count of 185,000 bacteria. He claimed that there are…