Coronavirus

Apr- 2020 -

15 April

HMRC adds new guidance on Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

HMRC has issued new guidance regarding the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme and clarifies eligibility for those returning from sick leave and TUPE staff. Issued at the end of last week the third update to the scheme has provided clarification on all aspects of sick leave including those returning from maternity…

15 April

Just Eat extends NHS discount amid ‘unprecedented response’ due to Covid-19 crisis

Just Eat has announced that it will extend its new 25% discount for NHS workers after an “unprecedented response” amid the coronavirus pandemic. The food delivery service revealed, in the first two weeks alone NHS staff have ordered over one million meals and saved over £1.5mcollectively. Just Eat said the…

15 April

Covid-19 could cause UK economy to shrink by 35%, says OBR

The UK’s economy could shrink by as much as 35% in the second quarter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said. The watchdog is also predicting a 13% drop in annual GDP as a result of the outbreak, which it said would…

14 April

Revolution raises credit facility

Revolution Bars has announced that it will increase its revolving credit facility to £30m following an agreement with NatWest. This will last until 31 August, when it will decrease to £24m as the group “begins to benefit from its normal positive working capital cycle” following the predicted easing of lockdown…

14 April

Petition for Tronc payments to be included in furlough wages hits 6,000 signatures

A petition launched on change.org calling for the government furlough scheme to include tronc payments for hospitality staff has hit over 6,000 signatures. Currently, under the Job Retention Scheme, tronc payments such as tips and gratuities are not not included in the amount paid to furloughed workers. The petition, created…

14 April

Food and beverage inflation hits 12-month low

Foodservice pricing reached its lowest point for 12 months in February 2020 with the majority of food and beverage categories showing no or minimal year-on-year inflation, the latest edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed. However, with the global Covid-19 pandemic now causing “major disruption” to global…

14 April

Bella Italia to provide 1,000 free meals to NHS staff

Bella Italia has announced its commitment to provide 1,000 free meals to NHS staff on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic this month. The dining chain has now reopened its South Kensington branch in order to begin preparing pasta and pizza dishes from its spring menu to be delivered to…

14 April

Feed the NHS campaign reaches £1m target

The ‘Feed the NHS’ crowdfunding campaign has reached its £1m amid the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign, which was launched by actors Damain Lewis, Helen McCrory and Matt Lucas last month, was created to help feed NHS workers one “hot healthy meal” each day during the Covid-19 crisis. At the time…

9 April

Greggs taps £150m from government

Greggs will receive £150m in funds from the Bank of England amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the bakery chain has confirmed. The group confirmed that it is now eligible to issue paper under the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) scheme. Through the scheme, available credit will “meet the company’s liquidity…

9 April

UKHospitality welcomes licensing flexibility during Covid-19 lockdown

UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s recommendation of “additional flexibility” for licensees affected by Covid19. The Home Office has written to local authorities recommending “flexibility when safeguarding the licensing objectives”. The letter recommends a “considered and pragmatic approach should be taken to breaches of licence conditions and procedural defects caused by…