Coronavirus
We reported extensively on the impact of coronavirus across the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, from the initial lockdowns and emergency legislation to the reopening phases, staffing challenges, and long-term recovery. This brings together our coverage of how restaurants, pubs, cafés, bars, and catering firms navigated one of the most disruptive periods in industry history. From furlough and financial support to operational pivots, supplier disruption, and shifting consumer behaviour, our reporting offers critical context for hospitality professionals reflecting on the crisis and preparing for what comes next.
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Sep- 2020 -24 SeptemberCoronavirus
Chancellor set to unveil furlough replacement after Budget cancellation
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has cancelled this year’s Budget but is set to unveil new measures aimed at protecting employment and the UK economy in parliament later today (24 September). It is thought the new measures will replace the current furlough scheme, which is set to expire at the end of…
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23 SeptemberCoronavirus
TUC calls for ‘smarter, targeted version’ of furlough scheme
Representatives of the TUC and Cambridge Econometrics have called for the government to seek more industry counsel and create a “new and improved” furlough scheme, in order to support affected businesses through the latest restrictions. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Andrew Sentance, senior advisor to Cambridge Econometrics and…
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22 SeptemberCoronavirus
PM announces new 10pm curfew for hospitality
All pubs, bars and restaurants will be required to close by 10pm from Thursday 24 September, the prime minister has announced, as the government aims to curb the rise in coronavirus infections. All venues will now be required to operate via table-service unless offering takeaway and retail and indoor hospitality…
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21 SeptemberCoronavirus
Chef Sabbir Karim reopens two London restaurants
Chef Sabbir Karim has reopened two of his London venues after a period of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurants, Namaaste Kitchen in Camden and Salaam Namaste in Fitzrovia, both offer a wide array of modern Indian cuisine. Karim said: “It’s been a tough time for the hospitality…
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18 SeptemberCafes and Coffee Shops
‘Rule-of-six’ will seriously impact hospitality sector, says poll
The majority of business operators said the new ‘rule-of-six’ will “negatively impact” the industry moving into autumn, according to the latest Lumina Intelligence Hospitality Leaders poll. Out of 219 operators questioned, 21% expected the negative effect to be “major”, 37% “moderate” and 27% “minor”. The study found that the remaining…
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16 SeptemberCoronavirus
‘Rule of six’ knocks consumer confidence to eat out, study reveals
The British public is now 31% less confident about visiting restaurants and pubs, following new legislation announced on 14 September that social gatherings of more than six people will be banned. The ‘rule of six’ has been imposed to limit the spread of Covid-19. CGA’s consumer pulse survey found that…
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16 SeptemberCoronavirus
UK inflation slumps to five-year low
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate fell to 0.2% in August 2020, down from 1.0% in July, according to new data from the ONS. The ONS said falling prices in restaurants and cafes, arising from the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, resulted in the largest downward contribution (0.44…
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14 SeptemberCoronavirus
A quarter of licensed premises yet to reopen
Nearly a quarter of licensed premises were yet to reopen at the end of August, according to the latest market recovery monitor from CGA and AlixPartners. Its latest data found that the London market was “particularly slow” to recover, while only 76.3% of sites have returned to trading since the…
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14 SeptemberComment
The green initiative overlooked by the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry has a significant role to play if the UK is to achieve its ambitious recycling targets, and to this end there are many carbon reduction measures catering businesses have adopted in recent years. With the media spotlight on the problem of waste packaging, and food waste becoming of…
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11 SeptemberCafes and Coffee Shops
Caffe Nero drafts in KPMG for landlord negotiations
Caffe Nero has drafted in KPMG in a bid to negotiate high street rent cuts with landlords, according to Sky News. It comes as the coffee chain, which operates 660 stores across the UK, is looking to “review its options” regarding its property portfolio amid the latest government restrictions concerning…
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