Coronavirus

Jul- 2020 -

6 July

Hospitality sector calls for business investment package

Industry leaders in hospitality have urged the government to commit to an “ambitious” programme of business support and investment to stimulate the revival of the sector as restrictions begin to ease. In a letter signed by 120 hospitality leaders, the government has been called on to “act decisively” for a…

3 July

Pub and hospitality trade bodies publish track and trace guidance

Leading trade associations representing the UK’s pub and hospitality sectors have issued joint guidance to businesses on supporting the Government’s track and trace customer registration scheme. The guidance has been jointly produced by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and UKHospitality. It aims to…

3 July

Industry to face ‘cautious’ return, says CGA

Hospitality operators are feeling both “cautious optimism and anxiety” about trading levels ahead of the sector’s reopening this weekend, the Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth has found. The latest survey revealed that 59% of businesses in England plan to reopen some sites this Saturday (4 July), while a…

1 July

Investment into hospitality sector tumbles as coronavirus hits

Business investment in hotels and restaurants has fallen by more than 6% in a year as coronavirus “ravages” the sector, analysis by specialist tax relief consultancy Catax shows. Total business investment in the sector fell by 6% to £1.26bn in the first quarter of 2020, down from £1.34bn for the…

1 July

Castle Terrace to close due to Covid-19’s ‘devastating effect’

Edinburgh-based restaurant, Castle Terrace, has announced it will not reopen post-lockdown, attributing the Covid-19 pandemic as having a “devastating effect on the hospitality industry”. The restaurant, which opened 10 years ago by chefs Domonic Jack and Tom Kitchin, revealed the news via an Instagram post. Jack said: “Sadly today [30…

Jun- 2020 -

30 June

Government confirms changes to ‘flexible’ furlough scheme

The UK government has confirmed the latest set of changes to its “flexible” furlough scheme – dubbed CJRS V2 – ahead of its launch of the 1 July. HM Revenue and Customs has set out the new guidance as the current version of the Coronavirus Job retention Scheme (CJRS) ends…

30 June

Britain’s foodservice spend was down 80% in April 2020

Global information company The NPD Group has revealed weekly spend in British foodservice in April 2020 was just over £200m, compared to April 2019’s weekly spend level of around £1bn – a fall of 80%. In addition, the decline in British out-of-home (OOH) foodservice visits in April 2020 was almost…

30 June

Byron set to appoint administrators

Byron has reportedly filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators after it “teetered on the brink of financial collapse” following Covid-19. According to Sky News, the burger chain is now looking to secure a takeover of the group, and is holding “detailed” talks with three unnamed potential buyers in…

30 June

Caffè Nero to reopen 400 stores to eat in from 4 July

Caffè Nero has announced it will reopen 400 stores for eat-in from the 4 July. The stores will open with protocols in place to ensure its employees and customers remain safe and in accordance with government advice and social distancing guidance. The stores will offer Caffè Nero’s coffee and other…

30 June

Revised ONS data reveals greater GDP drop in Q1 2020

The UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms fell by 2.2% in Q1 2020, which has been revised downwards by 0.2 percentage points from the Office for National Statisitic’s (ONS) first quarterly estimate. The ONS said it is the largest fall in UK GDP since Q3 1979, when it…