Cost of Living
Coverage explores the impact of economic pressures on consumer spending, staff retention, and operational costs across the UK hospitality sector. We report on inflation, wage demands, energy prices, and discretionary income trends, analysing how restaurants, pubs, caterers, and other operators are adapting pricing, staffing, and promotional strategies in response to shifting demand and household budgets.
-
Mar- 2024 -26 MarchPubs and Bars
Nearly 75% of consumers visited a pub or bar over Christmas
Nearly three quarters (73%) of consumers visited a licensed venue over the festive season, according to data from CGA. However, the number of people going out fell by five percentage points year-on-year, as high inflation put pressure on spending. Nearly all (97%) consumers told CGA they had been affected by…
Read More » -
18 MarchPubs and Bars
Nightcap revenues rise 42.1% to £33.4m in H1
Nightcap has reported that revenues grew 42.1% to £33.4m in the interim 26-week period ended 31 December 2023. The bar group has attributed its performance to the acquisition of Dirty Martini, the successful collaboration with The Piano Works over the Christmas period, and the maturing of sites opened in the…
Read More » -
Feb- 2024 -16 FebruaryCafes and Coffee Shops
Costa Coffee to boost pay in April
Costa Coffee has announced that from 1 April 2024 it will increase pay rates for over 15,000 team members in its 1,500 UK company-owned stores. This is the fifth time the company has increased pay rates for store team members since April 2021. As part of an investment of over…
Read More » -
Jan- 2024 -29 JanuaryFeatures
Franchises in and mid-market out: The year ahead for the restaurant industry
The last year has been a difficult one for the restaurant industry. While the pandemic was tough for a lot of businesses, many managed to hold on to dear life only to go out of business in the years after. This has meant that the market for buying restaurants and…
Read More » -
25 JanuaryNews
Today’s news in brief – 25/01/24
Hospitality vendors in the North have averaged 7.2% sales growth in 2023, despite the cost of living crisis and escalating business rates. New research conducted by Northern Restaurant and Bar in partnership with CGA by NielsenIQ revealed that Newcastle (12.7%) and York (9.2%) lead the uptrend, followed by Sheffield (7.1%),…
Read More » -
25 JanuaryNews
Northern hospitality venues welcome 7.2% sales growth in 2023
Hospitality vendors in the North have demonstrated growth and resilience over the past year, averaging 7.2% sales growth despite the cost of living crisis and escalating business rates. New research conducted by Northern Restaurant and Bar in partnership with CGA by NielsenIQ revealed all northern England cities saw a growth…
Read More » -
Dec- 2023 -11 DecemberNews
UK drink sales dip amid strong World Cup comparatives
Year-on-year drinks sales in Britain were down again last week—though the 2022 football World Cup made for difficult comparatives, CGA said. CGA by NIQ’s daily drinks tracker shows average sales in managed venues in the week to last Saturday (2 December) were 2% behind the equivalent week in 2022. It…
Read More » -
4 DecemberFeatures
Why have London’s restaurants continued to become more expensive?
Data from Harden’s London Restaurants 2024 guide found that the number of restaurants in London charging £150 per head or more per person for a meal has risen 46% to 54 up from 37 last year. The data also found that there has also been a 59% jump in the…
Read More » -
Nov- 2023 -20 NovemberCatering Companies
Chartwells renews University of Sussex partnership
Chartwell has announced that it has renewed its partnership with the University of Sussex for a further 10 years. Under this new contract, Chartwells will operate under a cost-plus model, ensuring that any profits generated will be reinvested back into the service. The company stated that the decision to extend…
Read More » -
15 NovemberPubs and Bars
Wet weather dampens managed hospitality venue sales in October
Britain’s leading hospitality groups saw year-on-year growth slow to 3.2% in October amid widespread poor weather, according to data from CGA. It is a 13th consecutive month of like-for-like growth for managed restaurants, pubs and bars however, it represents a slowdown from a 5.9% rise in September. The data shows…
Read More »








