Coronavirus

Nov- 2020 -

4 November

Zizzi’s in Bristol forced to close after alleged Covid-19 breach

A Zizzi restaurant near Bristol was forced to close by police as the authorities investigated an alleged report that staff were ordered to come into work while awaiting coronavirus test results. According to the Guardian, the chain restaurant in Clifton village closed on Thursday, 29 October after staff reported the…

3 November

JD Wetherspoon to sell 99p pints ahead of lockdown

JD Wetherspoon has announced it will sell pints of its ale for 99p in a bid to clear stock before England enters into a second national lockdown on Thursday 5 November. According to the Guardian, this is the pub chain’s second time introducing price cuts on its products, following on…

2 November

20,000 venues to miss out on lockdown grants, trade bodies warn

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and UKHospitality (UKH) have written to chancellor Rishi Sunak urging him to loosen State Aid restrictions, so that around 20,000 hospitality venues don’t miss out on vital lockdown cash grants. Until recently, state aid rules directed by the…

2 November

Hospitality firms on a ‘knife edge’, warns UKHospitality

UKHospitality has warned that the industry is on a “knife edge” following Boris Johnson’s announcement that England will enter into a new national lockdown on 5 November. A statement published by the trade body stressed that the hospitality industry has already been “pushed to the limits”, with many business owners…

Oct- 2020 -

30 October

Gordon Ramsay opens new restaurant amid calls to ‘kick-start’ economy

Gordon Ramsay has taken to Twitter to announce the opening of a new Street Pizza venue in Southwark on 5 November, as he tells followers the industry must “bounce back” from Covid-19. In a video posted on the chef’s social media site, he said: “You may think it’s crazy opening a…

30 October

Hospitality sales drop by 48% in Q3

Hospitality sales in the UK have dropped by 48% in the third quarter, according to trade association UKHospitality and market analyst CGA. Sales for the year totalled £80.3bn, which is £53.2bn less than the £133.5bn that the sector contributed to the UK economy in 2019. This seismic drop in sales…

29 October

G-A-Y 10pm curfew battle placed on hold

The legal challenge against the Government’s 10pm curfew on hospitality launched by the owner of the G-A-Y nightclub has been placed on hold after the court refused permission for the case to move forward. In a statement posted to Twitter, owner Jeremy Joseph revealed that the decision was made by…

29 October

Only 1% of hospitality venues report test and trace incidences

Only 1% of pubs, restaurant and hospitality venues report test and trace incidences, according to leading trade associations. A survey of members from UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping and the British Beer & Pub Association, with respondents operating over 22,500 outlets across the UK, said they collectively only reported…

28 October

Scotland to ease pub rules

As of Monday (2 November), pubs and restaurants in many Scottish areas will be able to serve alcohol to customers again. Premises in level two of the country’s new five-tier system will be allowed to serve alcohol with a meal until 8pm, the announcement was made yesterday by Nicola Sturgeon,…

23 October

Hospitality bodies launch legal action against Scottish Government

Five Scottish hospitality bodies have commenced the process of legal action in opposition to the latest restrictions imposed by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Beer and Pub Association, The Scottish Licensed Trade Association, UKHospitality (Scotland), the Scottish Hospitality Group and the Night Time Industries Association Scotland have come together to…