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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Dec- 2020 -17 DecemberComment
Did the EOTHO scheme actually help out?
On the surface, the Eat Out To Help Out scheme looked like a great idea, didn’t it? There’s no question that extra importance was placed on the economy coming out of the first lockdown in late spring. Held during the course of August, Eat Out To Help Out was one…
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17 DecemberCoronavirus
Furlough scheme extended until April 2021
The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages to employee’s pay, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today (17 December). The government will also extend current government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March. This includes…
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17 DecemberCatering Companies
SSP revenue halves as sales dented by Covid-19
SSP, one of the UK’s leading travel food and beverage groups, has reported that revenue plunged by 47.9% to £1.4bn in the full-year ended 30 September 2020. The group’s like-for-like sales also fell 50.8%, after they were “heavily impacted” by the various lockdown measures resulting from the pandemic and the…
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17 DecemberCoronavirus
Welsh hospitality businesses to close from 6pm on Christmas Day
All Welsh hospitality businesses will close from 6pm on Christmas Day, as the country moves into level four restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19. In an announcement made on Wednesday (16 December) the First Minister, Mark Drakeford said there are now more than 2,100 people with coronavirus symptoms in…
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17 DecemberNews
Revolution Bars swings to £32m loss in full-year results
Revolution Bars Group, the city centre bar chain that trades as Revolution and Revolución de Cuba, has announced a statutory loss before tax of £31.7m for the full-year ended 27 June 2020. The group, which had operated over 74 properties at the period end, also saw total revenue fall from…
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16 DecemberCoronavirus
Burger King to promote independent restaurants through Instagram
Burger King has announced that small restaurants owners can promote their businesses on its Instagram, in a bid to support the hospitality sector as parts of the UK enter into tier three. In a post on the chain’s Instagram, Burger King revealed it was “taking a break” from publishing promotional…
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16 DecemberNews
Restaurants face increased food wastage in Tier 3
The new tiered restrictions in London, Essex and Hertfordshire could see millions of pounds worth of food and drinks get thrown away, according to The Guardian. Kate Nicholls, chief executive for UKHospitality, told the paper that as with previous short-notice lockdowns, the new tiered restrictions will cause a “glut of…
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15 DecemberNews
Tier 3 will cause rise in business failures, UKH warns
UKHospitality has warned businesses will be pushed towards failure and more jobs will be put at risk as a result of the government’s announcement to move London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire into Tier 3 this week. The trade body said that the government’s tier system places an “unfair,…
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14 DecemberBusiness
Pub and restaurant sales dive 90% in November
Managed pub and restaurant groups across the UK saw sales drop 90.2% in November, as lockdown hit England and trading restrictions continued in Scotland and Wales, according to the latest data from CGA. Its research collected sales figures directly from 48 out of the 60 leading hospitality companies that provided…
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11 DecemberCoronavirus
Pub sales down 84% on first weekend of re-opening
Overall sales across pubs in the first weekend of December were 84% lower than last year, a study by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) reveals. The trade group which has touted “tighter covid restrictions” as the reason for this slump also revealed that just four in ten pubs…
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