New research has found that a third of European farmed fruit and veg is wasted before it reaches shops and restaurants for being too “ugly”. The research by the University of Edinburgh found that over 50 million tonnes of fresh produce is discarded every year because its appearance doesn’t meet…
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The Business section on Catering Today delivers comprehensive coverage of the commercial landscape shaping the UK hospitality and catering industry. It reports on company performance, acquisitions, investments, market movements, and leadership changes across restaurants, pubs, and catering groups. With analysis of financial trends, growth strategies, and sector forecasts, Catering Today provides hospitality professionals with the intelligence needed to understand market dynamics and make informed business decisions in a competitive environment.
St John founded by Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver is to open its first permanent bakery at Neal’s Yard in London’s Covent Garden. The new bakery follows two successful pop-up bakeries on Old Street and Bermondsey Street. St John has applied for a licence to serve wine off-sales alongside a…
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Britain’s pubs fared well during July’s heatwave as managed pubs collectively saw like-for-like sales up 2.7% against last July. The latest figures from CGA’s Coffer Peach Business Tracker also showed that sales across restaurant groups were down by 4.8% compared with the same month last year. Altogether, the differing figures…
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Salt Yard Group has announced it has sold the Opera Tavern Spanish tapas restaurant in Covent Garden to Urban Pubs and Bars. The Covent Garden restaurant opened in 2011 and was one of four owned by Salt Yard. The group said it will now be “focusing fully” on its Soho…
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Wine bar business Vagabond has secured a £3.5m funding from leisure and hospitality investment company, Imbiba. Vagabond was founded in 2010 by Stephen Finch as a relaxed bar with informal wine tasting, and fives sites across London with a sixth site to open in October 2018. The investment from Imbiba…
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Business rates for English hospitality companies could increase to £51.26m next April if inflation remains unchanged at 2.5%, according to real estate advisor Altus Group. Altus Group said next month could be “pivotal for the hospitality sector” as the upcoming Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation determines how business…
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Cambridge vegan chain Stem and Glory is to open its first London site following a successful Crowdcube appeal raised £616,170. The new restaurant is expected to open around the Old Street area with the company’s founders looking to expand internationally should the move to London be successful. Stem and Glory’s…
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Brighton’s historic Milkmaid Pavilion on its promenade has been acquired by City Pub Co after it previously ran under the name Alfresco. Most recently owned by Brighton & Hove City Council, the premises was originally built as part of the Festival of Britain in 1951. The transaction was brokered by…
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Consumer spending in the hospitality sector increased by 2.5% in July, according to Visas’ UK Consumer Spending Index. The group said the warmer weather supported solid increases in spend across food and drink and hotels, restaurants and bars categories. However, overall household spending dropped 0.9% in July due to “disappointing…
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Villandry has announced it has closed all of its London restaurants after it failed to find a buyer and rent doubled at the two sites. BDO were called in as administrators for the company after it failed to find investors to support rising rent and business rates. The chain’s outlet…
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