Comment
The Comment section on Catering Today features expert opinions, editorials, and thought leadership from across the UK hospitality industry. It offers in-depth perspectives from restaurateurs, chefs, trade body leaders, and analysts on the key issues shaping foodservice — from staffing and supply chain challenges to innovation, sustainability, and market recovery. Catering Today’s commentary highlights diverse industry voices, providing critical insights and strategic viewpoints that help hospitality professionals navigate commercial, regulatory, and operational change.
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May- 2023 -22 May
“It is still a very toxic environment at times”: Q&A with Tim Etherington-Judge
Do you think there is a problem within the mental health of hospitality workers in particular? Absolutely, I think there’s a number of aspects of most hospitality work that makes it particularly challenging to maintain good mental health. Things such as trying to sleep outside of your circadian rhythms, because…
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19 May
The Steel Keg Association launches new keg champion awards
The Steel Keg Association (SKA) is proud to announce the inaugural launch of the new ‘Keg Champion Awards’ to honour sustainability in the UK / Ireland hospitality industry and recognise breweries, pubs, bars and restaurants of all sizes for embracing the remarkable benefits REUSABLE steel kegs and casks deliver. Stainless…
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19 May
Is the Green Transition hospitable for hospitality?
At a recent conference I overheard a business leader decry, “how can we go green when we’re in the red?”. If that was true for the sector in which his business operated, it’s no less true for the hospitality sector which is facing a tsunami of knockbacks ranging from the…
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17 May
How can the hospitality sector prepare for the busy summer months?
Despite current economic headwinds, many businesses in the hospitality sector are looking for new ways of furthering growth opportunities in the upcoming summer months. In their 2023 sector outlook, Barclaycard revealed that consumer card spending on hospitality and leisure increased 10.6% year-on-year in 2022, as the lifting of all Covid-19…
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16 May
Return of the MAC: Should hospitality be on the Shortage Occupation List?
The hospitality sector accounts for a significant 7% of the UK workforce and comparing the most recent three-month period up until January this year with the immediate pre-pandemic period (Jan-Mar 2020), vacancies in the sector are 72% higher. This compares to an increase of 42% in the overall economy. The…
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15 May
Towards an alcohol-free future: how will caterers accommodate it?
Do you think people are starting to prefer mocktails instead of cocktails? The low and no alcohol lifestyle is having a meteoric spike in popularity recently. As consumers become more health-focused and are facing cost of living pressures, the ability to enjoy cocktails throughout the day and evening without the…
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12 May
Why customer loyalty can be your inflation crisis lifeline
Can you tell us about your experience in customer loyalty and your role at Antavo? I’m the chief strategy officer and one of the co-founders of Antavo, the enterprise loyalty programme management software. I started thinking about Antavo’s business plan more than 12 years ago. Eventually, the company was founded…
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11 May
How can hospitality ensure inclusivity towards the LGBTQ+ community?
An LGBTQ+ celebration is likely coming to a venue near you this month (May) as hundreds of venues sign up for Pub Pride, an Ask for Clive campaign celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in LGBTQ+ inclusive venues ahead of Pride season. Previously Pub Pride has involved live music, drag shows, karaoke,…
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9 May
A fulfilling career in hospitality can be possible: Q&A with Springboard’s CEO
Is there a recruitment crisis in hospitality at the moment? In short, yes. But there has been one for many years, even for decades, there haven’t been enough staff in the catering industry in the UK. This is why Springboard was set up 33 years ago, and the crisis has…
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9 May
The next generation of British Asian cuisine
What made you want to set up My Lahore Chef Academy? So the reason behind it was when I studied in Bradford college. I did catering hospitality level one, level two, level three at that time, we had My Lahore already going on but it’s a very different method or…
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