News
The latest industry news 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.
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Feb- 2023 -27 February
UK chefs introduce tomato free pizza due to shortages
Some restaurants in the UK are having to ration tomatoes, increase prices or remove them from the menu altogether as a result of nationwide shortages, according to reports from The Guardian. The price of tomatoes in the UK has quadrupled in the last year from £5 a case to £20…
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24 February
Breweries spending extra £21m on packaging costs
Brewers have faced a 111% increase in packaging recycling costs in the past year, with further increases likely unless reforms are implemented, the BBPA has warned. The rising costs are due to the “rocketing” price of Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs), a certificate producers must buy to prove the equivalent amount…
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24 February
One in three people can’t afford to tip service workers
One in three people in the UK said they can’t afford to tip in restaurants, according to data from digital payments provider Take Payments. From a survey of 2000 people, Take Payments found that 36% of people will always leave a tip with 15% of people saying they have had…
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24 February
Leon opens two new central London locations
Fast food brand Leon has opened two new restaurants across central London in Earls Court and Hanover Square this week. The new store openings follow the brand’s other recent high-profile London openings, which included Southbank, Battersea, and Brixton. The larger of the two restaurants, which is in Hanover Square, is…
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23 February
Third of hospitality firms at risk of going under, says UKH
UKHospitality has revealed that 32% of hospitality firms are at risk of failure within the next year, despite hospitality sales in 2022 surpassing pre-Covid levels. The hospitality association said this is because sales remain “significantly behind 2019” in real terms due to inflation. The UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker, in association with…
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23 February
Foodservice price inflation sees first fall since September 2021
Foodservice price inflation dropped to 22% in January, a decrease of 0.9% from September, according to data from CGA strategy. While only a small decrease in inflation it represents the first fall in foodservice price inflation since September 2021. However, all categories remain in double-digit inflation, with oils and fats…
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23 February
KFC UK&I appoints interim CMO
KFC UK&I has appointed chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer Jenny Packwood as its interim CMO. In addition to her current duties, she will hold the role as the group looks for a permanent replacement for Jack Hinchliffe. It comes as Hinchliffe, the former CMO for KFC UK&I, has moved…
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23 February
Macellaio on Union Street rebrands to Osteriadel Macellaio
London-based Italian restaurant, Macellaio RC on Union Street, is rebranding to Osteriadel Macellaio, a restaurant serving wine and “simple, yet delicious” Italian food from this month. The rebranding of the restaurant comes as the venue wishes to offer a new sustainable menu, using all parts of the cow cooked by…
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22 February
Oasis reiterates ‘need for transparency’ amid Wagamama’s performance
Oasis, the Hong Kong-based activist investor, has again reiterated the need for transparency from The Restaurant Group (TRG) – the owner of Wagamama – following a response to its open letter which demanded sweeping changes after a 65% slump in share over the past year.In an open letter last week,…
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22 February
Hospitality sees fourth straight month of YOY growth
The UK hospitality sector saw a 10.9% year-on-year sales increase in January 2023, its fourth consecutive month of growth, according to data from CGA strategy. This figure of 10.9% is ahead of the current rate of inflation, 10.1%, as measured by the consumer prices index from CGA. However, trading in…
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