Government

The latest news and updates on government policy, 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.

Feb- 2020 -

24 February

Hospitality insolvencies at highest level in seven years

Insolvencies in the hospitality sector increased by 10.4% in 2019, the highest amount in seven years, according to analysis by real estate adviser Altus Group under the Freedom of Information Act. The Insolvency Service, an agency of The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, paid out a total a…
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19 February

New immigration laws will be ‘disastrous’ for hospitality, says UKH

Kate Nicholls, the CEO of hospitality trade body UK hospitality, has said the government’s proposed pos-brexit immigration laws will be “disastrous” for the sector. The new proposals unveiled by the government today (19 February) are aimed to “urge” employers from moving away from “cheap labour” in favour of investing in…
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Oct- 2019 -

31 October

Treasury Committee urges MPs to reform ‘broken’ business rates

The government has been urged to fix the “broken” business rates system as it is continuing to affect high street retailers, a Treasury committee has said. An influential group of MPs has asked the government to examine alternatives to property tax, which puts more pressure on high street retailers than…
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Sep- 2019 -

12 September

Government risk ‘watering down’ food regulations in pursuit of US trade deal

The UK could face the prospect of “watered-down” food regulations after Brexit with Parliament having little say, the UK Trade Policy Observatory (UK TPO) is warning. Analysis by legal experts at the University of Sussex-based group, warns that stringent regulation, which currently restricts some US food produce from UK supermarket…
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11 September

Corbyn’s £10 minimum wage pledge ‘difficult to stomach’ for restaurants

Jeremy Corbyn has pledged a £10 an hour minimum wage for all workers over 16 if the Labour party is elected to government. In a speech delivered to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, Corbyn said Labour would also deliver action on the gender pay gap, equal rights for…
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6 September

‘Natasha’s law’ enacted in parliament

‘Natasha’s Law’ was enacted yesterday (5 September), which will require businesses to include full ingredients labelling on direct sale foods, and will go into force in October 2021. Following the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, the…
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Jul- 2019 -

25 July

Jailed restaurateur hit with 12-year ban after £1m tax fraud

Jailed restaurateur Lam Chin Seong, from Barnet, has been banned from running companies for 12 years after he was found to owe HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over £1m. Seong was the sole director of Novari Limited and Novari (at the O2) Limited, which were both incorporated in 2012. The…
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1 July

Supplier at centre of listeria outbreak goes into liquidation

The Good Food Chain, the company which was investigated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) following a recent listeria outbreak, has announced it has gone into liquidation and will cease trading. On Wednesday 26 June, the sandwich maker was found to not be the source of the outbreak and the…
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Jun- 2019 -

27 June

FSA continues to look into Listeria outbreak

The Food Standards Agency (FCA) is continuing its investigation into the listeria outbreak, which killed five people. The evidence suggests that all individuals ate the affected products in hospitals before the withdrawal took place on 25 May. The same strain of listeria was identified in meat produced by North Country…
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27 June

Gove appoints Leon founder to oversee food system review

Environment secretary Michael Gove has appointed Henry Dimbelby, founder of restaurant chain Leon, to lead the first major review of the UK food system in nearly 75 years. Dimbelby, who is also part of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, will undertake a “field to fork” review, and highlight changes that may…
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