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.

Apr- 2020 -

14 April

Coronavirus

Food and beverage inflation hits 12-month low

Foodservice pricing reached its lowest point for 12 months in February 2020 with the majority of food and beverage categories showing no or minimal year-on-year inflation, the latest edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed. However, with the global Covid-19 pandemic now causing “major disruption” to global…
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14 April

Coronavirus

Feed the NHS campaign reaches £1m target

The ‘Feed the NHS’ crowdfunding campaign has reached its £1m amid the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign, which was launched by actors Damain Lewis, Helen McCrory and Matt Lucas last month, was created to help feed NHS workers one “hot healthy meal” each day during the Covid-19 crisis. At the time…
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9 April

Coronavirus

UKHospitality welcomes licensing flexibility during Covid-19 lockdown

UKHospitality has welcomed the Government’s recommendation of “additional flexibility” for licensees affected by Covid19. The Home Office has written to local authorities recommending “flexibility when safeguarding the licensing objectives”. The letter recommends a “considered and pragmatic approach should be taken to breaches of licence conditions and procedural defects caused by…
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9 April

Leon launches Feed Britain initiative

Leon has announced the launch of Feed Britain, a new online delivery service that provides customers with fresh grocery essentials and ready meals amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Whilst Feed Britain is designed in the long run to be a commercial enterprise that makes it possible for suppliers to sustainably…
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9 April

Coronavirus

AAB calls on government to enhance support for businesses

Accountancy firm Anderson Anderson and Brown (AAB) has called on the UK Government to implement a series of “wide-reaching” measures aimed at helping businesses to survive the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lyn Calder, managing partner and also the firm’s head of deals for the Central Belt in Scotland,…
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9 April

Pubs and Bars

CAMRA urges pub owners to cancel rents amid Covid-19 crisis

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is urging pub companies to cancel rents for their tenants, while coronavirus pandemic keeps pubs doors closed. Ei Group, Punch, Greene King, Star and Marstons are some of the companies being called out by the group as it wants rent payments to be cancelled…
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8 April

Comment

Covid-19: A pragmatic, proactive and positive response through PR

Few of us will ever forget March 2020 as the month that almost everything we thought we knew about the world and business changed substantially, and possibly forever. The Coronavirus ‘crisis’ grew so rapidly that the background news agenda changed from Brexit to Covid-19, almost overnight. All of the Suzanne…
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7 April

Catering Companies

Sodexo reveals new employee relief programme in response to Covid-19 pandemic

Sodexo has revealed a new employee relief programme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. It comes after the catering company closed down sites, lowered service frequency and canceled some services in response to the outbreak. It added that this would regrettably result in a reduction of its…
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6 April

Coronavirus

‘Massive surge’ in applications to hospitality jobs amid lockdown measures

Applications to hospitality jobs “soared” by 119.9% month-on-month in March, as the industry’s professionals “desperately scrambled” for work amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest report from independent job board CV Library. The study, which explores job market data from March 2020 and compares this with figures from February…
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6 April

Coronavirus

3,650 pubs and restaurants will miss out on funding due to ‘anomaly’, says Altus Group

More than 3,650 small shops, pubs, restaurants will lose out on £15,000 of government grant funding following an “anomaly”, according to the Altus Group. Last week, a payment of £3.4bn was made to councils to ensure that grants of up to £25,000 would reach businesses “as soon as possible” to…
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