Coronavirus

Apr- 2022 -

4 April

£330m in Omicron grants unspent by local councils, study finds

Firms in England, which were most impacted by the Omicron variant, received less than half of the £635m support package promised by the Government, according to the analysis by the real estate adviser Altus Group. The analysis shows that just £305m of the £635m distributed to 309 English Councils had…

Feb- 2022 -

18 February

Hospitality suffers £115bn loss amid Covid damage

The hospitality industry has suffered a £115bn loss over the last two years due to Covid-19 as the sector was “hit first and hit hardest” by the pandemic, UKHospitality has said. According to its data, the sector has racked-up a loss of £114.8bn sales compared to what was expected for…

Jan- 2022 -

21 January

10,000 more hospitality businesses now than pre-Covid, study suggests

There are 10,000 more UK hospitality businesses now than before Covid, according to new research from Stampede and storekit using Office for National Statistics data. The two startups said ‘The UK’s irrepressible hospitality sector: 2022 Industry Growth Report’ is “welcome news” as the UK hospitality sector emerges from another precarious…

20 January

Removal of Plan B signals ‘gradual return’ to normality, says UKH

Hospitality sector trade association, UKHospitality, has “heralded” the announcement of the return to Plan A as a key milestone on the road to recovery for the sector. Yesterday (19 January) the prime minister announced in Parliament that 26 January would mark, among other things, the end of the ‘work from…

18 January

Confidence in hospitality remains high despite Omicron

Consumer confidence regarding eating and drinking out has remained high despite the spread of the Omicron variant, according to new research from CGA. The Consumer Pulse survey of 2,000 consumers found that more than two thirds (70%) now feel confident about visiting pubs, bars and restaurants. This is double the…

13 January

Fifth of businesses report cancellations amid Omicron

Just over one-fifth (21%) of businesses that are still trading experienced an increase in cancellations from customers in the last month, as Omicron continued to impact businesses across the UK. The latest figures come from the Office for National Statistics, who asked businesses that had not permanently stopped trading if…

10 January

UK restaurant groups see losses increase 174% to £673m

Losses at the the top 100 UK restaurant groups increased by 174% last year to £673m, up from a loss of £246m in September 2020, revealed UHY Hacker Young. Lost sales reportedly cost the hospitality sector around £200m a day during lockdown, with restaurants continuing to incur “substantial” costs such…

Dec- 2021 -

23 December

More than 400 pubs vanish in England and Wales in 2021

More than 400 pubs have disappeared from communities in England and Wales as the number calling last orders flatlined despite the toll of the pandemic, according to real estate adviser Altus Group. It revealed the number of pubs across England and Wales in 2021 was “largely unchanged” from last year.…

21 December

Sunak unveils £1bn support package for Omicron-hit businesses

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further £1bn support package for businesses impacted by the new Omicron variant. As part of the support, businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises. There will also be more than…

20 December

UKH calls for gov support amid threat of further restrictions

UKHospitality has called on the government to provide the necessary support to the hospitality sector amid reports that further restrictions to help battle the surge in Omicron cases could soon be announced. UKH chief executive Kate Nicholls said that need for support comes as trading has already been “hugely damaged…