Closure
In this section, we report on restaurant, pub, bar, cafรฉ, and catering business closures across the UK, and the commercial, operational, and market factors behind them. From high-street exits and group-wide restructures to insolvencies, lease surrenders, and strategic site rationalisations, we cover the real-world impacts of rising costs, labour shortages, shifting demand, and margin pressures. We go beyond headlines to explain why closures are happening and what they mean for the wider sector. Whether you’re benchmarking performance or navigating tough decisions, we provide the context hospitality professionals need to stay informed.
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May- 2021 -20 MayPubs and Bars
Youngโs losses widen to ยฃ45.2m
Youngโs, the pub chain and brewery, saw its losses before tax widen to ยฃ45.2m up from ยฃ29.1m the previous year.ย With the group only being able to trade four months in the 52 weeks ending 29 March, the pub chain also saw its group revenue fall by nearly 71% to…
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17 MayPubs and Bars
Shepherd Neame to recruit more than 300 new staff members
Shepherd Neame has revealed that it will be bolstering its team by recruiting more than 300 new members as it prepares to reopen its entire estate in the next few weeks. The Faversham-based brewer and pub company has a total of 312 pubs and hotels, of which 65 are managed…
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17 MayCoronavirus
UK to spend ยฃ2.5bn this week as indoor hospitality reopens
The UK is set to collectively spend ยฃ2.5bn this week as indoor hospitality reopens and restrictions further ease, giving a โmuch-neededโ boost to the high street.ย ย According to a new VoucherCodes.co.uk report, conducted by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), 104 million people are predicted to visit hospitality venues this…
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12 MayTrade Associations
UKH slams gov hospitality plans in Queen’s Speech
UKHospitality (UKH) has criticised the governmentโs plans to introduce legislation aimed at tackling obesity, which it believes is detrimental to the sectorโs recovery. The trade association is specifically taking aim at plans to introduce calorie counts in restaurant, cafe and bar menus, which were outlined in the Queenโs Speech. Proposed…
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11 MayPubs and Bars
The City Pub Group swings to ยฃ5.1m FY20 loss
The City Pub Group swung to an adjusted before tax loss of ยฃ5.1m for FY20, down from a ยฃ5.3m profit in FY19. The group attributed its 57% year-on-year decline in revenues to ยฃ25.8m for the 12 months ended 27 December 2020 to โlengthy closure periodsโ.ย However, since the return to…
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10 MayFood and Drink
Greggs sales recover to near pre-pandemic levels
Greggs saw its two-year like-for-like (LFL) sales close the gap to just a 3.9% decline for the eight weeks to 8 May. It follows a 13.5% fall in LFL sales for the 18 weeks to 8 May when compared to FY19, as the group also showed signs of recovery following…
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5 MayFood and Drink
330,000 jobs could be lost if rental issues remain unsolved, says UKH
Over 330,000 sector jobs are at risk if the ยฃ2.5bn rent debt issue is not resolved, according to new analysis by UKHospitality (UKH). A new survey of UKH members found that resolving the rent debt issue is โcriticalโ to ensuring the future health of a sector that prior to the…
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4 MayCoronavirus
High Court rules against Sasha Lord in hospitality reopening case
The High Court has rejected Sacha Lord and Hugh Osmondโs bid to challenge the Government’s indoor hospitality reopening stall. The case had been set in motion by Lord, Manchesterโs night-time economy advisor, and Osmond, founder of Punch Taverns, who argued that a lack of scientific evidence had been provided to…
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4 MayCoronavirus
UKH calls for โdecisiveโ government action on rent debtย
UKHospitality has written to the government urging it to adopt its proposals to help tackle the ยฃ2.5bn rent debt crisis that โthreatens to wreck the hospitality sectorโs recovery and risks further widespread job lossesโ. For more than a year, the trade association has been highlighting the threat that rent debt…
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Apr- 2021 -15 AprilGovernment
Gov set to consult on mandatory calorie labelling of alcohol
The government is reportedly set to launch a consultation into the mandatory calorie labelling of alcoholic beverages. According to a report in The Sun, the government is drawing up plans to require pub chains with more than 250 staff to display calorie information on menus or pump labels. Following a…
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