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.

Jun- 2020 -

3 June

Pan Pacific London appoints Bake Off: The Professionals judge as exec pastry chef

Pan Pacific London has announced the appointment of Channel 4’s Bake Off: The Professionals judge, Cherish Finden, as executive pastry chef. Finden has over 30 years of international experience and will be responsible for creating the hotel’s entire pastry collection. She takes the role following a stint as creative development…
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2 June

KFC reopens 700 sites across UK & Ireland

KFC has revealed it has reopened 700 of its restaurants across the UK and Ireland amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The fried chicken chain temporarily closed all of its 950 sites in March as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. However, the restaurant confirmed in a social media post that over…
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May- 2020 -

20 May

Wagamama to reopen 67 sites amid Covid-19 pandemic

Wagamama has announced it will reopen 67 of its sites for delivery and collection by the end of June. The restaurant has revealed from tomorrow (21 May) 24 of its sites will reopen, following a further 20 to be opened next week (28 May). The move comes after Wagamama temporarily…
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Apr- 2020 -

15 April

Burger King ads banned over ‘misleading claims’

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a series of Burger King advertisements after they were deemed to be “misleading”. The ruling referred to three advertisements across the brand’s Twitter and Facebook feeds which promoted its Rebel Whopper, a plant-based burger that was pictured in all ads and accompanied by…
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Mar- 2020 -

30 March

Uber Eats to support NHS staff with 300,000 meals

Uber will cover free meals and trips to NHS staff, in a bid to help “reduce the pressure on the heroes on the frontline” of the coronavirus crisis. The free rides and meals can be claimed by anyone with an NHS email address, including many of the 300,000 nurses in…
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25 March

Greggs closes all 2,050 stores

Greggs has temporarily closed all 2050 of its stores as it does its part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. All of its stores closed at the end of business yesterday (24 March) as it revealed it has “acted quickly to follow Government guidelines, helping to prevent the…
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25 March

Britain ‘sees opportunity’ for food and drink deliveries, says CGA

In the week prior to the Prime Minister’s stay-at-home order, 53% of the public used or planned to use delivery as an alternative, according to the latest research from CGA. Some 13% of the public received delivery from a restaurant or takeaway either for the first time, or more often…
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24 March

Eat to permanently close after 24 years of trading

Sandwich chain Eat has closed its UK business permanently after 24 years of trading, its owner Pret Manger has announced. Its sandwich shops closed temporarily last week after the government announced its latest social distancing measures, however Pret Manger has since tweeted announcing the closures would be permanent. It tweeted:…
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23 March

Subway to close all UK sites from today

Subway stores across the UK are set to close their doors at 5pm today (23 March). News of the closure closely follows announcements from McDonald’s, Nando’s and Costa, that they have all ceased trading amid the continued coronavirus pandemic. In a statement on its social media, Subway said: “We want…
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20 March

Itsu to offer half price meals and free miso and hot drinks to NHS staff

Itsu, the Asian-inspired food brand founded and run by Julian Metcalfe, has announced on its social media channels that it is to offer a discount of 50% off every menu item and a free miso or hot drink, for NHS staff. On the announcement, Metcalfe said: “At Itsu, we acknowledge…
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