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.

May- 2020 -

4 May

Comment

What should restaurants learn from the Great COVID Lockdown?

Celebrity chefs like Mark Hix and Gordon Ramsey have had to close some or all of their restaurants due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Other celeb chefs like David Chang say they are unsure if they can reopen after this is all over and predict a bleak future for the sector.…
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1 May

Coronavirus

Hospitality takes on insurers over business interruption claims

Leading hospitality businesses have launched a campaign to force the insurance sector to honour business interruption policies. Headed by Rob Atkinson, a hospitality lawyer from Black and White Hospitality, which operates the Marco Pierre White group of franchised restaurants and manages a portfolio of hotels across the UK, a crowdfunding…
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1 May

Restaurants

Five Guys reopens eight more UK sites for delivery and takeaway

Five Guys has reopened a further eight of its UK sites for takeaway and delivery amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Restaurants in Norwich, Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, Reading,York, Southampton and London’s Kensington reopened their doors this week, following government guidelines to temporarily close last month. It comes a week after the burger…
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Apr- 2020 -

30 April

Coronavirus

New Hospitality tracker sees first quarter sales drop 21.3%

The UK hospitality sector saw sales decline 21.3% in the first quarter of 2020, as the country and the industry moved into Covid-19 lockdown, figures from the newly launched UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker reveal. The tracker combines data from all sub-segments of hospitality with it showing the “cliff edge impact” of…
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30 April

Coronavirus

‘Lack of urgency’ in handing out Covid-19 grants to SMEs, says Colliers

Colliers International said it is concerned about the “lack of urgency” many local authorities are showing in paying out “much needed” grants to businesses, including recipients in the hospitality sector. Colliers said that according to the latest data published by the Government, five weeks after the grants were announced 38%…
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30 April

Business Bites

Coronavirus treatment hopes push stock markets up, and ‘Spoons to reopen in June

Investors are chirpy this morning amid hopes of a new coronavirus treatment that has been described as promising by the USA’s top infectious disease official, Dr Anthony Fauci. The experimental drug, called remdesivir, is produced by an American biopharmaceutical firm called Gilead Sciences, and is reckoned by US regulators to…
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30 April

Restaurants

KFC announces reopening of 80 UK sites amid Covid-19 crisis

KFC has announced it is to reopen 80 more of its stores this week amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The news comes as, earlier this month the fast food chain reopened 11 of its sites for takeaway orders, following the decision to temporarily close its doors last month “protect the wellbeing…
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29 April

Coronavirus

Sodexo signs up to C-19 Business Pledge

Sodexo has signed the C-19 Business Pledge created by former Cabinet minister, Rt Hon Justine Greening and entrepreneur David Harrison. The national scheme encourages employers to join the coronavirus effort by pledging to help their employees, customers and communities during this crisis. Signatory organisations give their backing to the three…
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29 April

Pubs and Bars

Despite ‘Bounce Back Loans’ there are still huge gaps in support for pubs, says BBPA

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has said that chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ‘Bounce Back Loans’ programme announced earlier this week should help pubs currently struggling to access loans through the CIBIL scheme, many still have no direct grant support from the government. The ‘Bounce Back Loans’ will be for…
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29 April

Comment

The coronavirus crisis: The importance of adapting and reacting

Weathering the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic is a challenge for businesses of all sizes and the situation is continuing to change by the day. The food, hospitality and leisure sectors have been hit hard by the need to close restaurants and there is widespread concern over how these businesses…
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