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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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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17 JulyComment
Loans repayment, inflation, staff shortages: what else we can expect from hospitality insolvencies?
What are the potential reasons for the continued increase in the number of hospitality insolvencies we’ve seen recently? Glyn: I think it goes back to the pandemic. Covid was a big thing for the sector and rightly, both the government and HMRC stepped in to help companies with furlough and…
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10 JulyCatering Companies
Compass Group receives Living Wage Champion Award
Compass Group UK and Ireland has won the Living Wage Champion Award in the Recognised Service Provider Category at the Living Wage Foundation annual awards. Compass has secured the recognition for its leadership in advancing the real Living Wage within its own industry and its client network, since becoming a…
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10 JulyBeverages
Alcoholic mixer sales drop 4.3% year-on-year
Sales of mixers in the UK have dropped 4.3% to £109.8m in the last quarter according to figures from CGA. Furthermore, mixers have steadily lost share in the wider soft drinks category and now account for 10.4% of sales, down by 0.9 percentage points from last year. This downward is…
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5 JulyComment
Catering to Britain’s future: Nurturing hospitality and entrepreneurship post-Brexit
As the country continues to navigate a new chapter outside of the EU, it is becoming even more crucial to identify those sectors that have the capability to drive economic growth and foster innovation. Catering is an industry that has proven its resilience and thirst for innovation over recent years,…
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