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.

Aug- 2025 -

4 August

Chopstix opens first Huddersfield branch as expansion continues

Chopstix has officially opened its first restaurant in Huddersfield as part of a wider UK expansion drive. The site, located on King Street in the town centre, is the latest in a series of launches this year, following new outlets in Brighton, Leeds and Wolverhampton. The chain, which specialises in…
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1 August

Tough first half as mixed weather flattens June hospitality sales

Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June. It follows a drop of 1.0% in May, and means sales were static or negative in four of the first six months of 2025, with a warm April the…
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Jul- 2025 -

31 July

SSP sales rise 6% in Q3 despite UK and Asia slowdown

Food and drink operator, SSP Group, has reported a 6% rise in sales in the third quarter of its financial year, helped by growth in Australia, Egypt and Malaysia, but warned of softer trading in the UK and Asia. The company, which runs restaurants, cafes and bars in travel hubs…
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30 July

Foodservice Price Index rises in June as inflationary pressures build

The total basket price of the Foodservice Price Index saw a strong month-on-month increase of 2.0% in June as the UK foodservice sector saw a significant resurgence of inflationary pressures, according to data from CGA. All ten categories of the index recorded month-on-month increases, and nine experienced year-on-year inflation amid…
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29 July

Welcome Break FY turnover rises 1.6% amid new catering outlets

Motorway services operator, Welcome Break, has reported a 1.6% rise in turnover to £484.1m for the year to 31 December 2024, as operating profits before depreciation and property rents increased to £77.3m from £72.7m. The group attributed its performance to strong catering sales, while fuel margins offset a slower start…
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29 July

Greggs sees pre-tax profits fall 14.3% to £63.5m

Greggs has revealed that its pre-tax profit fell 14.3% to £63.5m, down from £74.1m, for the 26 weeks ended 28 June 2025. Alongside this, the company saw its operating profit fall 7.1% to £70.4m, down from £75.8m. Despite this, the company’s total sales rose 7% to £1.03bn, up from £960.6m.…
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18 July

Pockets of growth amid drinks sales dip in June, CGA finds

On Premise drinks sales slipped below last year’s levels in June despite some encouraging spells of growth, according to data from the CGA. Average sales in managed venues in the week ended Saturday 14 June were 5% behind the same week in 2024, and losses widened to 7% in the…
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18 July

Shake Shack UK returns to profit in FY24

Diverse Dining, which operates the Shake Shack brand in the UK, has reported that profits after tax hit £1.05m in the year ended 31 December 2024, up from a loss of £764k the previous year. It comes as the burger chain benefited from higher sales and improved profitability, as sales…
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18 July

SSP opens premium wine and dining bar at Dublin Airport

Travel food operator SSP Group has officially opened a new “premium” wine and dining bar, The Reserve, at Dublin Airport. News of the opening follows SSP’s investment in other Dublin Airport venues this year, including upgrades to The Garden Terrace and Upper Crust. Located in the centre of the Terminal…
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17 July

Caprinos Pizza hits 110 UK stores after latest openings

Caprinos Pizza has continued its rapid nationwide expansion with four new store openings over the past eight weeks. These new openings include stores in Cambridge, Watford, East Sheen and most recently Kettering bringing its full estate to 110. The openings build on a strong year-to-date performance, which has seen Caprinos…
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