Covid-19
Our COVID-19 coverage captures the full impact of the pandemic on the UK’s foodservice and hospitality sector, from lockdown trading restrictions and government support schemes to recovery planning, operational adaptations, and long-term business implications. This includes essential reporting for restaurant operators, pub landlords, caterers, chefs, and F&B directors navigating one of the most disruptive periods in industry history.
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Aug- 2021 -24 AugustTrade Associations
National Pubwatch partners with Best Bar None to help licensees
National Pubwatch has announced a new partnership with Best Bar None, the Home Office backed accreditation scheme for licensed premises, to support licensees and independent operators to reduce “alcohol-related crime” and meet their obligations under the Licensing Act. It comes as the late-night market has now reopened after being closed…
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23 AugustCoronavirus
Hospitality staff top list of payday loan applications during pandemic
Hotel and restaurant staff have topped the list of payday loan applicants during the pandemic, making the most applications for short-term loans in the past year, according to new data from credit broker Little-Loans.com. Applications for short term loans from staff from the hospitality industry, such as hotel staff, waiting…
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18 AugustCoronavirus
Restaurant, pub, and bar July sales down 6% on pre-pandemic levels
Managed restaurant, pub, and bar group sales across the UK sat 6% below pre-pandemic levels in July, according to the latest Coffer CGA business tracker. Produced in partnership between CGA, The Coffer Group, and RSM, the tracker revealed that restaurants performed the strongest of the three areas in the month,…
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17 AugustBusiness
Unemployment falls to 4.7% as job vacancies hit record high
UK unemployment fell to 4.7% for the quarter to 30 June 2021, a drop of 0.2% when compared to the previous three month period. According to the ONS, this was coupled by a 0.3% rise in the UK employment rate to 75.1% in the same period, closing the gap with…
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16 AugustFood and Drink
Over 7,000 licensed premises still in ‘limbo’, CGA warns
Over 7,000 licensed premises still remain in “limbo” either planning their restart, are waiting for trading conditions to improve, or will permanently remain closed, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners. The monitor found that just under 5,000 of Britain’s licensed premises opened their doors again…
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12 AugustGovernment
UK economy surges 4.8% in June
The UK economy grew by 4.8% in June as Covid-19 restrictions surrounding retail and leisure were eased across the UK, according to figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown for a fifth consecutive month in June 2021, by 1.0%,…
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12 AugustCatering Companies
Contract catering sales soar 69% in Q2
Contract catering sector sales for the period between April and June 2021 soared by 69% compared with the same period in 2020, according to the latest edition of the Contract Caterer Tracker by CGA. Nonetheless, on a rolling 12-month basis, sales for the year to end-June were 38% below the…
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11 AugustRestaurants
Hawkswood Estate gets green light for new restaurant
A self-catering holiday park in Fife has been granted permission to build a new restaurant complete with its own helipad. The five-star Hawkswood Country Estate said it aims to create “Scotland’s finest hospitality experience” with the on-site bistro. The new restaurant will seat 38 diners inside and 28 outside, with…
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9 AugustCafes and Coffee Shops
Fhior Garden Café to close
Fhior Garden Café at the Secret Herb Garden in Scotland has announced that it will close on 30 August due to the impact of Covid-19. Owners of the venue, Scott and Laura Smith, took to instagram to confirm the closure describing it as “devastating”. The pair overtook the cafe in…
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3 AugustCoronavirus
WPBA ‘urges’ Gov to stick to reopening plans
The Welsh Beer & Pub Association (WBPA) has urged the government to stick to plans to remove restrictions to enable the sector to “return to viability”. According to the group, over 150 pubs in Wales could reopen on 7 August, if the Welsh government presses ahead with the planned removal…
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