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.
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Jan- 2024 -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%),…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Oct- 2023 -30 OctoberNews
Demand for sweet treats in hospitality grows, says CGA
New research from CGA by NIQ and Mademoiselle Desserts points to an ongoing appetite for treats despite the cost of living crisis, making mini desserts a good solution for menus in 2024. The joint ‘Desserts and Sweet Bakery’ report reveals fewer than one in five (18%) consumers are cutting down…
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13 OctoberPubs and Bars
St Austell Brewery partners with food waste app
St Austell Brewery has announced its partnership with a food waste app, Olio, to give away surplus food from its South West pubs. Olio is a local sharing app which helps businesses to reduce food waste by re-distributing whatever’s left at the end of each day to nearby residents, by…
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10 OctoberBusiness
Pubs see increased spending in Sept as restaurants struggle
Spending in pubs increased 6.1% in September, compared with a 2.8% increase last month driven by the Rugby World Cup, according data from Barclays. Despite this, growth in spending slowed for spending in restaurants which was down 10.8% compared to a decrease of 5.8% last month Furthermore spending on takeaways…
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Sep- 2023 -22 SeptemberNews
Comptoir Libanais profits dip amid difficult trading conditions
Comptoir Group, owner of Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants, has announced revenues of £14.8m, an increase of 2.1%, for the six months ended on 2 July. Adjusted EBITDA profit was £1m, a decrease of 73.7% compared to 2022, which the group attributes to “a challenging trading environment” dictated by the…
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