Furlough
Our coverage of the furlough scheme and its impact on the UK foodservice, hospitality, and catering sectors. We report on government policy updates, employer experiences, sector-specific challenges, and the operational and financial implications for restaurants, pubs, bars, and contract caterers. From workforce retention and reopening strategies to lessons learned post-scheme, this content supports industry professionals navigating staffing, recovery planning, and long-term resilience in a post-pandemic landscape.
-
Jan- 2021 -11 JanuaryPubs and Bars
37 pubs closed every month in 2020
Around 37 English and Welsh pubs closed every month in 2020, according to analysis of official government data by real estate adviser Altus Group. The research showed that the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, liable for business rates, including those left vacant and being offered to let,…
Read More » -
6 JanuaryNews
UKH Cymru calls for Welsh government support
UKHospitality Cymru has called on the Welsh government to use the new treasury support funds of £227m to provide economic backing to the hospitality sector. David Chapman, executive director for UKHospitality Cymru, reiterated that the treasury announcement reflects the “serious position” that businesses are in now that once again they…
Read More » -
5 JanuaryCoronavirus
Chancellor unveils £4.6bn in new lockdown grants
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000, the chancellor has announced. The news comes after the prime minister’s announcement that businesses will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control the spread of Covid-19. This…
Read More » -
4 JanuaryFood and Drink
BAME hospitality workers face ‘pay penalties’
Around one in 12 workers from black, asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who work in the hospitality sector face significant “pay penalties” compared to white British men, according to Resolution Foundation research. The foundation claimed that BAME workers within the sector suffer penalties that account for age, qualifications, experience,…
Read More » -
Dec- 2020 -22 DecemberComment
Reflecting on 2020 as a restaurant owner
I am preparing for the new year with a sense of weariness and exhaustion. 2020 has, to say the least, had its moments of worry, pain, emotion, and tears for the country and certainly most of us in hospitality. ‘Unprecedented’ is now a hackneyed phrase and that perhaps that speaks…
Read More » -
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…
Read More » -
Nov- 2020 -30 NovemberCoronavirus
Covid impact stronger on UK coastal hospitality, APPG finds
The impact of Covid-19 will be more pronounced on the UK’s coastal and lakeside regions because of their dependence on hospitality and tourism, a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for hospitality and tourism finds. The research, which aims to highlight the damage the pandemic has had on…
Read More » -
26 NovemberCoronavirus
Hospo Demo to hold second protest on 7 December
Hospo Demo will return for a second peaceful protest outside Westminster on 7 December, it has announced. It follows the first demonstration which took place in October and saw over 600 members of the hospitality sector protest over the government’s treatment of the sector. Calling for attendees to “bring the…
Read More » -
18 NovemberBusiness
Sacha Lord warns Manchester hospitality could take five years to recover
Greater Manchester’s evening hospitality economy could reportedly take “five years to recover” from Covid-19, according to the area’s night-time economic advisor Sacha Lord. According to the BBC, Lord said One in ten night-time businesses could permanently close in the area, and 80% of restaurants have reportedly planned on making redundancies.…
Read More » -
13 NovemberBreweries and Distilleries
Whitbread to reduce number of redundancies
Hotel and restaurant company Whitbread has told The Times that it will reduce the number of redundancies at its hotels and restaurants. The owner of Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre said that redundancies will be “significantly less” than the 6,000 it announced in September. In a statement to The Times,…
Read More »
