Covid-19
Our COVID-19 coverage captures the full impact of the pandemic on the UKโs 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- 2020 -17 AugustRestaurants
Tea at the Ritz diners targeted by credit card scammers
Scammers have targeted guests of Tea at the Ritz, the Ritz Hotelโs iconic dining venue, after posing as staff in order to steal card payment information over the phone. According to the BBC, the scammers, who had the guestโs exact booking information, called diners to confirm their card details. They…
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14 AugustBeverages
BBPA welcomes no US tariff on beer for British brewers
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed the decision from the US not to place tariffs on beer imported from the UK. According to the trade union, the US Trade Representative (USTR) was considering revising the retaliatory tariffs it has placed on various goods imported from EU countries…
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13 AugustCoronavirus
Hospitality sector urged to support customer tracing schemes
UKHospitality (UKH) has โreiteratedโ the importance of hospitality businesses to playing their part in supporting the test and trace schemes across the UK. The trade associationโs recent member survey results showed that the vast majorityย of businesses (more than nine out of 10) are taking appropriate measures to record customer…
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12 AugustCoronavirus
Manchester pubs flouting guidance, undercover report finds
Pubs and bars in a Manchester borough are ignoring Covid-19 guidance and potentially endangering customers, an undercover Sky News investigation has found.ย A team of undercover reporters posed as walk-in customers at a range of pubs and bars in a Greater Manchester suburb, and discovered the majority of sites were…
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12 AugustCoronavirus
UK in recession following 20% GDP slump
The UK economy has entered into a โtechnical recessionโ following a โrecordโ fall in gross domestic product (GDP) during the second quarter of the year. According to the Office for National Statistics, GDP slumped by 20.4% between April and June 2020, compared with the 2.2% drop seen during Q1 2020…
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11 AugustTrade Associations
UKH calls for investigation into hospitality energy market
UKHospitality has written to the energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng calling on the Government and watchdog Ofgem to investigate unfair practices in the energy market. The trade body said it has been contacted by hospitality businesses with evidence that they are being โunfairly targetedโ by energy firms. UKHospitality chief executive Kate…
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11 AugustCoronavirus
Dominoโs welcomes โresilientโ performance despite profit hit
Dominoโs UK and Ireland has welcomed a โresilientโ UK and Ireland performance in its half-year results, with UK like-for-like sales up 4.8% in the period ended 28 June, 2020.ย In its second quarter, however, collection orders were down by 87% as this service was halted amid lockdown, though delivery orders…
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10 AugustBusiness
Pret A Manger reduces staff working hours
Embattled sandwich chain Pret A Manger has reduced the working hours of its staff in a bid to retain jobs. It comes as the group’s sales are currently down 65% compared with pre-Covid levels. In London sales are down 80%, where the challenges are reportedly most acute. It said that…
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10 AugustBeverages
The Great British Beer Festival goes virtual
The Great British Beer Festival, which usually takes place this week at Olympia in London, is making its virtual debut from 11-13 September 2020. For the first time ever, visitors to CAMRAโs beer event can purchase a ticket to a weekend of live beer tastings that will run from 2pm…
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7 AugustComment
The right menu for reducing bacterial transmission
Studies have shown that some of the โgermiestโ things on a menu may literally be the menu itself! Indeed, a study* by Charles Gerba from the University of Arizona revealed that menus carried the most amount of germs, with an average count of 185,000 bacteria. He claimed that there are…
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