Coronavirus

Mar- 2021 -

15 March

Scottish trade bodies offer gov route out of lockdown

Scottish Hospitality Group, UK Hospitality Scotland, Scottish Licensed Trade Association, Night Time Industries Association and the Scottish Beer and Pub Association have written to the government setting out a “pragmatic approach that will avoid catastrophic business failure across the sector”. A united set of recommendations from organisations representing Scotland’s hospitality…

15 March

Hugh Osmond joins legal battle to reopen indoor hospitality

Hugh Osmond, the current director of Various Eateries, has joined Sacha Lord’s legal challenge against the government to reopen indoor hospitality at the same time as non-essential retail next month. Osmond, founder of Punch Taverns and former Pizza Express director, wrote to Boris Johnson about the prime minister’s “irrational decision”…

8 March

Hospitality ‘generally optimistic’ despite Covid disruption, study finds

Despite the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry, hospitality businesses are “mostly positive” about the future, according to a survey of 141 sector operators by accountancy firm Haysmacintyre. The 2021 Haysmacintyre ‘UK Hospitality Snapshot Survey’ revealed “encouraging signs of confidence” amongst the sector, even before the prime minister…

5 March

UKH warns business rates cap may endanger mid-sized firms

UKHospitality has warned that the £2m cap the government has imposed on business rates relief “could threaten the survival of jobs and businesses” for many mid-sized firms. The warning comes after the cap was unveiled as part of the chancellor’s budget announcement on Wednesday (3 March). As part of the…

3 March

Sunak to extend furlough scheme until September

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to extend the furlough scheme until September as part of his March Budget which will be announced today (3 March). According to The Times, Sunak will state that the country is in a “moment of crisis” as he extends furlough for another five months, taking…

2 March

The Restaurant Group burns through £5.5m per month amid lockdown

The Restaurant Group has revealed it has burned through £5.5m in cash per month during the ongoing national lockdown, adding that the cash burn rate is expected to stay at this level until the end of the current restrictions for hospitality businesses. Nonetheless, it has since secured £500m in new…

2 March

Substantial meal rule dropped following legal battle

Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s night-time economy adviser, has won a legal challenge forcing the UK government to drop its “substantial meal” rule for bars and restaurants. High court judges ruled in favour of Lord, who brought a legal case against health secretary Matt Hancock with the claim certain lockdown measures…

1 March

‘Decisive financial support’ needed to save hospitality, says APPG

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism (APPG) is urging chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide “decisive financial support to protect sector businesses crucial to communities around the UK”. The plea comes in a letter signed by more than 80 MPs written to Sunak ahead of this week’s Budget, with…

1 March

Chancellor to unveil £5bn support package

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to offer over 700,000 retail, hospitality and other businesses grants of up to £18,000 as part of a £5bn rescue package to be included in his Budget speech on Wednesday (3 March). The new ‘Restart Grants’ will be directly distributed from local authorities from April…

Feb- 2021 -

26 February

Over 200 hospitality leaders plead for emergency support

More than 200 industry leaders and trade bodies representing the UK’s hospitality and pub sectors have warned the Government that, unless a “substantial package of support” is announced at the Budget, nearly two thirds of businesses may not be able to make it to the end of lockdown. UKHospitality, the…