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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May- 2020 -13 May
Police appeal following arson attack at Alderley Edge restaurant
Detectives investigating an arson attack at a Chinese restaurant in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, are appealing for information from members of the public. The YU restaurant on Wilmslow Road was broken into at around 3.30am on Saturday 9 May. Cheshire Police said the fire only caused “relatively minor” damage to the…
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13 May
UK economy shrinks by 2% as pandemic takes its toll
The UK’s economy shrank by 2% in the three months to 31 March 2020, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which also found that gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 5.8% during March, the largest fall…
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13 May
McDonald’s to reopen all Drive-Thrus by June
McDonald’s has revealed its plans to reopen all of its Drive-Thrus by early June, in line with ongoing government guidelines. News of the phased reopening comes as the fast-food giant has today (13 May) reopened 15 pilot restaurants in the South East of England to offer a delivery-only service to…
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13 May
Starbucks to reopen 150 UK stores for takeaway and delivery
Starbucks has announced the reopening of 150 of its UK sites from tomorrow (14 May), amid the Covid-19 pandemic. With the easing of restrictions allowing more travel on roads, beginning 14 May it will begin a phased reopening of Starbucks drive-thru locations across the UK as well as a handful…
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12 May
Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has extended the Government’s furlough scheme until the end of October. Announcing the decision in the house of commons today (12 May) Sunak revealed that “no changes whatsoever” will be made to the current scheme until the end of July. However he noted that…
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12 May
Pret reopens a further 71 sites
Pret A Manger has continued the gradual reopening of its UK store estate with the announcement of a further 71 of its stores now open for takeaway and delivery. Pret had previously reopened 30 initial sites in and around London last month however the new reopenings include sites in Birmingham,…
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12 May
Chancellor expected to extend furlough scheme to September
Chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is expected to extend the Government’s coronavirus furlough scheme to September, but reduce the amount people can claim to 60% of their earnings. According to Sky News, the move aims to prevent some 1.2 million redundancies, and comes after Sunak promised there would not…
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12 May
Hospitality sector must have additional furlough support, says UKH
The hospital sector must be provided with an “extended and flexible” furlough scheme in order to survive the pandemic, UKHospitality has warned. The trade body has now written to the Chancellor asking for continued support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to “ensure that businesses survive, and jobs are saved”…
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12 May
Pubs, hospitality and brewers call on chancellor to save the future of pubs
Trade associations representing pubs, hospitality and brewers have sent a joint letter to chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for measures to save the future of pubs. In the letter, The British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeepers and UK Hospitality, who between them represent owners and operators of 35,000…
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11 May
Hospitality industry responds to PM’s conditional plan to ease lockdown
The hospitality industry has reacted to the prime minister’s announcement last night that outlined a ‘conditional’ plan to ease lockdown with stores possibly reopening sometime in July. Last night (10 May), Boris Johnson gave a prospective outline for a series of phased reopenings if certain conditions of a new “Covid…
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