Business

Carlsberg has signed a new multi-year partnership deal with UEFA to become the official beer of UEFA national team football. This includes sponsorship of the men’s Euro 2028, women’s Euro 2029, UEFA Nations League Finals, and UEFA Women’s Nations League, Men’s and Women’s European Qualifiers and UEFA Futsal Euro. As…

Pub and hospitality businesses have joined with UKHospitality to write to Steve Reed, the Defra Secretary of State, to call for packaging supplied to hospitality businesses to be exempt from the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The likes of the Azzurri Group, Burger King UK, Fuller’s, Marston’s, Punch Pubs and Co,…

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%, having cut the rate last month to its lowest level since June 2023. At its meeting ending on 19 March, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain the rate at…

Sales at Britain’s leading restaurant, pub and bar groups fell by 1.3% year-on-year in January, according to data from CGA. This follows like-for-like growth of 3.2% in December and January’s figure is the lowest since April 2024, and only the second month of negative trading since early 2022. Sales in…

A survey by hospitality trade associations has revealed that rising employment costs and reduced rates relief in April will force 70% of businesses to cut jobs, threatening workers’ incomes. The survey by The British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping, Hospitality Ulster and UKHospitality also revealed that…

Accommodation and food services insolvencies were down 7% year-on-year from 3,737 in 2023 to 3,464 in 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Insolvencies in the sector saw an even bigger drop month-on-month, down 31% from 327 in November 2024 to 224 in December 2024 and…

Red Engine, the hospitality group behind Flight Club and Electric Shuffle, has unveiled its 2025 global expansion plans as its Q4 sales increased 24% to £25.3m. Its sales combined with its franchise partners reached £38.4m, up 23% year-on-year, with like-for-like sales increasing by 4%. Building on this success, Red Engine’s…

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%, the lowest level since June 2023, but warned that GDP growth has been “weaker than expected”. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 7–2 to reduce the…

Britain’s pubs, restaurants and hotels overcame widespread challenges to end 2024 with virtually the same number of premises as 12 months earlier. Data from hospitality data and insight consultancy CGA shows a total of 99,120 outlets operating in December 2024, compared with 99,113 in December 2023. It represents a year…

Food and beverage was the highest performing sector of the economy in November, according to November GDP estimates released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The accommodation and food service activities subsector saw output rise by 2.0% in the month, following a fall of 1.2% in October 2024. Both…