News
The News section on Catering Today delivers the latest updates and developments across the UK hospitality and catering industry. Covering restaurants, pubs, quick service brands, and catering groups, it reports on company announcements, market performance, government policy, and sector-wide trends. With a focus on commercial and operational impact, Catering Today’s news coverage keeps hospitality professionals informed of the events and decisions shaping business conditions and strategic opportunities across the sector.
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Mar- 2021 -2 March
The Restaurant Group burns through £5.5m per month amid lockdown
The Restaurant Group has revealed it has burned through £5.5m in cash per month during the ongoing national lockdown, adding that the cash burn rate is expected to stay at this level until the end of the current restrictions for hospitality businesses. Nonetheless, it has since secured £500m in new…
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2 March
Sunak’s ‘unrealistic’ rent figures spark uproar among pub tenants
A recent comment made by Rishi Sunak has “sparked uproar” amongst the nation’s tenant publicans after the chancellor quoted “wholly unrealistic figures” regarding the amount of rent they pay when speaking on a recent TV appearance. According to Campaign for Real Pubs, on Sunday 28 February when talking on the…
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2 March
Japan Centre to expand flagship London site
Japanese food hall, Japan Centre, has announced plans for a 7,000 sq ft expansion to its flagship London site in mid-March. Founded in 1976, the food hall located on Panton Street currently offers a range of over 3,000 products spanning food, drink, and lifestyle. The group will extend its ground…
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2 March
Substantial meal rule dropped following legal battle
Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s night-time economy adviser, has won a legal challenge forcing the UK government to drop its “substantial meal” rule for bars and restaurants. High court judges ruled in favour of Lord, who brought a legal case against health secretary Matt Hancock with the claim certain lockdown measures…
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1 March
30 licensed premises closed a day in 2020
Nearly 12,000 licensed premises have closed in Britain since December 2019, an average of around 30 a day and the highest rate on record, according to research from the new edition CGA and AlixPartners. While 4,170 new sites have been recorded since December 2019, the loss of 11,894 venues means…
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1 March
‘Decisive financial support’ needed to save hospitality, says APPG
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hospitality and Tourism (APPG) is urging chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide “decisive financial support to protect sector businesses crucial to communities around the UK”. The plea comes in a letter signed by more than 80 MPs written to Sunak ahead of this week’s Budget, with…
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1 March
Chancellor to unveil £5bn support package
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to offer over 700,000 retail, hospitality and other businesses grants of up to £18,000 as part of a £5bn rescue package to be included in his Budget speech on Wednesday (3 March). The new ‘Restart Grants’ will be directly distributed from local authorities from April…
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1 March
Wimpy profits surge to almost £1m
Wimpy Restaurants Group, owner of the Wimpy burger chain, has reported a rise in profits to almost £1m for the year ended 29 February 2020. Climbing from £716,319 to £990,663, the firm’s profits for the year represented a year-on-year increase of 38%. While the group’s revenue for the period did…
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Feb- 2021 -26 February
Yo Sushi appoints new chair
Yo Sushi has announced that John Walden has joined the group as its new chairman. It comes as present chairman Eric Nicoli is stepping down to pursue other interests, having joined the group in 2015 following the acquisition of the company by Mayfair Private Equity. According to the group, he…
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26 February
Deliveroo partners with Costa Coffee as growth plans for 2021 continue
Deliveroo has announced a new delivery partnership with Costa Coffee, which will see customers able to order goods from the chain via the Deliveroo app. The service will be available across 500 of Costa Coffee’s stores in England, Scotland and Wales and will launch 1 March. It comes as part…
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