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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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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Aug- 2023 -29 AugustFeatures
Is competitive socialising replacing the traditional pub?
“The gaming element is a great leveller and way of bringing groups together, whatever the occasion. It’s fast paced, engaging and a great way to create memories together which we hope will last long after our guests have left us,” says Juliette Keyte, marketing director, Red Engine. Research this month…
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23 AugustCatering Companies
Compass Group gifts £500k to fund apprenticeships in West Midlands
Compass Group has gifted £500,000 to West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to boost hospitality and professional services courses in the West Midlands region through the Apprenticeship Transfer Levy Fund. The new funded apprenticeships to WMCA will help budding chefs, restaurant front of house staff or other supporting roles land jobs…
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21 AugustFood and Drink
August bank holiday to generate £5.8bn for UK hospitality
The weekend of 26-28 August is expected to generate an additional £5.8bn for the hospitality industry through consumer spending in restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK, according to new research from independent finance broker Charles and Dean.Charles and Dean’s research, conducted in collaboration with Censuswide, has predicted that a…
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14 AugustFeatures
The decline and bounceback of the night time economy
Recent data from CGA has shown that Britain has lost over 100 independent night time venues in the last year and has seen a 31% decline in the total number of night time venues between June 2020 and June 2023. This paints a bleak picture for an industry that is…
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7 AugustBeverages
Drinks sales remain flat after wet July
Drinks sales for the seven days ended 29 July were flat compared with the previous week as a result of yet more bad weather. This follows year-on-year drops of 3% and 0.3% over the previous two weeks which came after 11 consecutive weeks of year-on-year growth. Daily sales comparisons ranged…
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Jul- 2023 -25 JulyBusiness
Behrouz Biryani increases number of UK franchises to 40
International food brand Behrouz Biryani increased its number of UK franchises from seven to 40 over the past six months. The brand reports it is representing an expansion rate of nearly 500% and is on track to hit its target of over 50 restaurant partners this year. Over the past…
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