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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Jan- 2021 -28 January
Pandemic cost hospitality £200m a day in 2020
The pandemic and ensuing lockdowns cost the hospitality sector nearly £200m a day or £8m per hour in lost sales last year, with turnover less than half of 2019 levels, according to new data from UKHospitality and CGA. The latest edition of their quarterly tracker reveals that sales across restaurants,…
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27 January
CAMRA: Forced hospitality closure until may will be ‘devastating’
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has responded to the comments by Sage scientists that hospitality businesses should remain closed until May by suggesting that this would be a “devastating double whammy” for pubs and breweries. The organisation said it was “absolutely critical” for the government to intervene with further support…
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27 January
Tim Martin sells £50.3m of JD Wetherspoon shares
Chairman of JD Wheterspoon Tim Martin, has sold shares worth £50.3m to capitalise on the “significant buying interest” following the company placing last week. On 26 January, Martin announced that he sold 4,370,000 of the company’s ordinary shares at a price of £11.50 per share. Taking his holding in the…
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27 January
Red Mist pubs receives investor backing
Red Lion Holdings (RLH), a joint venture comprising industry investors David Ramsey, John Mayers, and private equity firm, Revcap, has acquired a majority stake in the pub company Red Mist Leisure. Established in 2004, Red Mist now operates a portfolio of ten gastropubs and inns across Surrey and Hampshire. The…
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27 January
Finance minister: ‘no current plans’ to extend VAT cut
Jessie Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire and financial secretary for the treasury, has revealed there are “no current plans” to extend the VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors. Following a question on the matter from Scott Benton, MP for Blackpool, Norman said: “The temporary reduced rate…
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26 January
Unemployment rises 5% to 1.7m
The UK unemployment rate rose by 5% in the three months to November with over 1.7 million people now out of work, according to the latest figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Since February 2020, the number of payroll employees has fallen by 828,000, however, the ONS said larger falls…
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26 January
Deliveroo reveals consumers takeaway spending habits
65% of customers are spending more on takeaways as “something to look forward to” during lockdown, research by Deliveroo reveals. The figures come as part of a report the delivery app has published to help “restaurants understand how to adapt their business to meet the growing demand for food delivery”. …
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26 January
City Pub Group positioned to ‘emerge strongly’
The City Pub Group has announced it is “well positioned to emerge strongly” once restrictions are lifted, having reduced cash burn to a minimum in the full-year ended 27 December 2020. In light of closures and ongoing restrictions, however, revenue plummeted 57% in the period, falling from £60m in 2019…
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26 January
Two London restaurants awarded three Michelin stars
Two London restaurants have achieved the highest accolade at the 2021 Michelin guide for Great Britain and Ireland that was launched via an online event yesterday (25 January). Headed by two female chefs, Clare Smyth and Hélène Darroze, the restaurants both received the maximum three stars, taking the total number…
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25 January
Milestone Group to open new Liverpool food hall
The Milestone Group, which operates under its brand General Post Office (GPO), will open a new food hall at the repurposed Metquarter in Liverpool in late Spring 2021, creating 132 jobs. GPO will be located on the Victoria Street entrance at Metquarter adjoining Everyman and will focus on a wide…
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