Inflation
Our coverage compiles our focused reporting on how inflation is impacting the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, from rising ingredient and energy costs to wage pressures, supplier pricing, and menu repricing strategies. We cover the knock-on effects across restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, and catering firms, with expert commentary and operational insight to help owners, operators, and F&B executives respond effectively. Whether you’re managing margins, adjusting procurement, or making pricing decisions, this archive offers clarity on the inflationary forces reshaping the economics of hospitality.
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Sep- 2025 -2 SeptemberCatering Companies
Contract caterers’ sales rise 8% in Q2
Contract caterers saw sales and outlets “sharply” rise by 8% in the second quarter of 2025, according the latest Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality. This continued a “long run of growth” in every quarter since mid-2021, when caterers began to recover from the pandemic. After…
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Aug- 2025 -28 AugustFeatures
From high streets to hotels: Piccolino’s new chapter
For the second consecutive year, privately owned hospitality group Individual Restaurants has reported record turnover, achieving £76m in sales and 4% growth despite what it describes as a “challenging market.” Now, the company is looking beyond its traditional estate. Alongside new openings and refurbishments, it has branched into hotels for…
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22 AugustFood and Drink
Hospitality confidence grows in Q2 despite financial strain
Some 40% of Britain’s hospitality leaders grew more optimistic about their business prospects over the next 12 months, despite rising costs continuing to erode profits and threaten jobs, according to the latest Business Confidence survey from CGA by NIQ and Sona. The survey, which covers the second quarter of 2025,…
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21 AugustPeople
McDonald’s UK&I CEO to step down
The CEO of McDonald’s UK&I, Alistair Macrow, has announced he is stepping down after four years in the role, as he looks to “pursue other UK-based opportunities outside McDonald’s”. Macrow will leave the group at the end of September and will provide a period of transition to support Lauren Schultz,…
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19 AugustRestaurants
Wahaca returns to FY profit as DF Tacos ceases trading
Wahaca has announced plans to cease operations within its DF Tacos brand, and instead focus on the Wahaca brand as the group welcomed rising turnover and profits in its full-year results. For the year ended 30 June 2024, pre-tax profit hit £0.7m, up from a loss of £0.7m the prior…
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8 AugustFeatures
Could Gusto’s fall signal a casual dining scene in crisis?
Italian restaurant chain Gusto, once seen as a staple of mid-market dining in the UK, has become the latest brand to fall victim to the sector’s mounting structural and economic challenges. On 29 July, the 13-site operator entered administration before being swiftly acquired via a pre-pack deal by Cherry Equity…
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7 AugustNews
BoE cuts interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4%, down from the previous rate of 4.25%, marking the fifth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting today (7 August), the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5 to 4 to…
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1 AugustFood and Drink
Tough first half as mixed weather flattens June hospitality sales
Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June. It follows a drop of 1.0% in May, and means sales were static or negative in four of the first six months of 2025, with a warm April the…
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Jul- 2025 -30 JulyFood and Drink
Foodservice Price Index rises in June as inflationary pressures build
The total basket price of the Foodservice Price Index saw a strong month-on-month increase of 2.0% in June as the UK foodservice sector saw a significant resurgence of inflationary pressures, according to data from CGA. All ten categories of the index recorded month-on-month increases, and nine experienced year-on-year inflation amid…
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29 JulyFood and Drink
Welcome Break FY turnover rises 1.6% amid new catering outlets
Motorway services operator, Welcome Break, has reported a 1.6% rise in turnover to £484.1m for the year to 31 December 2024, as operating profits before depreciation and property rents increased to £77.3m from £72.7m. The group attributed its performance to strong catering sales, while fuel margins offset a slower start…
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