Food and Drink

The latest news and updates on food, from the business journalists at Catering Today. We bring you the latest on what’s happening in the restaurants, bars and catering industry, with exclusive stories, analysis, best practice and industry comment.

Jan- 2025 -

3 January

Hospitality sales rise 2.7% in run-up to Xmas

Hospitality groups recorded year-on-year sales growth of 2.7% in the run-up to Christmas during the week beginning 16 December, according to CGA by NIQ’s Hospitality Business Tracker. It comes as year-on-year sales failed to meet inflation in six out of the past 11 months, which left operators to balance fine…
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2 January

Eataly sees losses reach £5m

Italian food hall and market Eataly has seen its pre-tax losses rise to £5m for the year ended 31 December 2023, compared with a loss of £1.29m in 2022. The company stated that its sales and margins increased, and labour cost decreased from the previous year, however energy prices had…
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Dec- 2024 -

23 December

Wingstop UK sells majority stake to Sixth Street

US private equity firm Sixth Street has announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Lemon Pepper Holdings, the UK arm of Wingstop. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed but according to City AM the value of the deal is at least the £400m asking price.…
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23 December

Network Rail and SSP partner with Olio to tackle food waste

Network Rail and SSP Group have partnered with food sharing app Olio to tackle food waste through its Food Waste Heroes programme. It is estimated that the partnership could feed nearly 11,000 households annually by donating 150 tonnes of food every year. This partnership will see a total of 34…
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19 December

Chopstix to place 100 neurodiverse people into work by 2027

Chopstix has launched an employment initiative to place 100 neurodiverse young people into work in the Chopstix estate by 2027. The chain has partnered with not-for-profit organisations DFN Project Search and Mencap, and London South East Colleges, to support internships for young people with learning difficulties. This latest announcement is…
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10 December

Moana Poke opens in the Trafford Centre

Hawaiian restaurant Moana Poke has announced that it has opened a new venue in the Trafford Centre, its second UK site. The new Moana Poke kiosk opening aligns with Trafford Centre’s focus on providing healthy fast-food options. The arrival of Moana Poke in the Lower Orient also coincides with Trafford…
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10 December

Tortilla expects FY revenues to exceed expectations

Tortilla now expects its revenue forecast for the year to 29 December to exceed expectations, and as a result, has adjusted its guidance range to between £64m and £64.3m. This follows the continuation of the strong sales recovery for the group’s UK business, which has further accelerated following the successful…
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Nov- 2024 -

25 November

Drinks sales edge up 0.7% in mid-November

Drinks sales increased 0.7% above the same week in 2023, CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker shows. The slight increase in average sales in managed venues in the seven days to 16 November was a “very modest” increase, but raises hopes that festive occasions may start to unlock more consumer…
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19 November

Wendy’s UK to open four new restaurants

Wendy’s UK has announced that it is set to open four new restaurants as part of an expansion drive. The brand will open new sites in Newcastle, Rutland, Colchester and another in London on Fulham Road. The brand has also entered into a development agreement with Khidmat Limited to bring…
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Oct- 2024 -

28 October

Weekly drinks sales drop 5% amid tough comparatives

Average drinks sales in managed venues in the week ended 12 October were 5% down on the same period last year, according to data from CGA. October 2023 benefited from warm weather across most of the country and the closing stages of the Rugby World Cup. The latest numbers continue…
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