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.

  • Jan- 2021 -
    22 January
    Trade Associations‘Stark reminder’ for action amid 6,000 sector closures, UKH warns

    ‘Stark reminder’ for action amid 6,000 sector closures, UKH warns

    UKHospitality (UKH) has called for action after figures published today (22 January) by CGA revealed a net decline of nearly 6,000 licensed premises in the UK. The trade association has issued a warning that businesses in the hospitality sector must receive further financial support in order to survive the third…

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  • 21 January
    CoronavirusChancellor considers further furlough extension in March budget

    Chancellor considers further furlough extension in March budget

    Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering another extension to the government’s Job retention Scheme (JRS) as it continues to try and mitigate the impact of covid-19 on the UK economy. According to Bloomberg, Sunak is considering a fifth extension to the furlough scheme that will cover roughly 5 million workers…

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  • 21 January
    CoronavirusDining Street Limited calls in administrators

    Dining Street Limited calls in administrators

    Dining Street Limited has fallen into administration resulting in 147 staff redundancies.  The restaurant group, which operated under brands such as Richoux, Zintino, Friendly Phil’s, and The Broadwick, has cited “ongoing uncertainty” surrounding Covid-19 as the reason for its collapse.  All of the company’s restaurants have been operating under limited…

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  • 20 January
    BusinessM&A in the Food and Beverage sector down to 2009 levels

    M&A in the Food and Beverage sector down to 2009 levels

    The UK F&B M&A market showed “encouraging signs of recovery” in the last four months of the year, however deals were still “significantly down” on 2019 levels according to the latest report from Oghma Partners.   The report found that total deal volume for the period amounted to 28 transactions which…

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  • 20 January
    Pubs and BarsJD Wetherspoon undergoes £90m share placing

    JD Wetherspoon undergoes £90m share placing

    UK pub company, JD Wetherspoon, is raising capital through its investors for the second time during the pandemic via an accelerated share placing of over £90m. A total of 8,370,000 new ordinary shares have been placed on the exchange by Investec Bank at a price of 1,120p per share, bringing…

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  • 19 January
    CoronavirusFood trends accelerated by Covid-19 could cause ‘fundamental shift’

    Food trends accelerated by Covid-19 could cause ‘fundamental shift’

    The effects of Covid-19 have caused an “acceleration in foodservice trends which are set to continue long after the pandemic”, according to a new report. ‘Foodservice Trends 2021 and Beyond’ points to some of the “new and innovative” ways in which operators have reached their customer base, and examines how…

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  • 19 January
    Pubs and BarsGreene King to launch Covid-19 emergency funds for staff

    Greene King to launch Covid-19 emergency funds for staff

    Greene King has announced it will be launching its second Covid-19 emergency support fund to help its team members during the third lockdown. The new Team Member Support Fund follows the first fund which ran from March to June last year, in which the pub group donated £650,000 in grants…

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  • 19 January
    GovernmentSunak looks to raise corporation tax in March budget

    Sunak looks to raise corporation tax in March budget

    Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly looking to raise corporation tax in the upcoming March budget to pay off the estimated £400bn borrowed by the UK throughout the pandemic. According to The Financial Times, the alleged move has sparked uproar among business owners who claim they are still struggling with the economic impact of Covid-19. However, it…

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  • 18 January
    CoronavirusSacha Lord calls for hospitality to reopen alongside non-essential retail

    Sacha Lord calls for hospitality to reopen alongside non-essential retail

    Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s night time economy advisor, has claimed that hospitality “must reopen” alongside non-essential retail as part of a return to the Covid-19 tiered system. The comment came in response to Dominc Raab’s confirmation on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show that a phased transition out of national…

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  • 15 January
    FeaturesQ&A with Larkin Cen

    Q&A with Larkin Cen

    Where did your passion for food come from? I grew up like many British-born Chinese kids, in a Chinese takeaway which is where I developed my love for Chinese food. We came from very modest beginnings yet we used to eat like kings, because there was a great passion with…

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