Investment

Our coverage tracks financial activity shaping the UK foodservice and hospitality sector, from venture capital and private equity backing to corporate acquisitions, refinancing deals, and growth funding. Our reporting is focused on the operators, brands, and concepts attracting capital, and what that means for the wider industry. Whether you’re a restaurant group seeking funding, a pub chain monitoring market valuations, or a catering contractor analysing competitor growth, our investment coverage delivers intelligence that helps business leaders understand where money is flowing, and why. Expect deep dives, expert commentary, and deal-by-deal context, all tailored to the foodservice trade.

Mar- 2021 -

3 March

Features

An insight into the pub sector’s investor interest

Following a spate of high profile investment rounds and acquisition rumours within the UK’s pub sector, a number of questions have been raised. Why has investor interest recently spiked within the industry? Why are a number of high profile deals falling through? And more simply, what do these kinds of…
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Feb- 2021 -

26 February

Coronavirus

Over 200 hospitality leaders plead for emergency support

More than 200 industry leaders and trade bodies representing the UK’s hospitality and pub sectors have warned the Government that, unless a “substantial package of support” is announced at the Budget, nearly two thirds of businesses may not be able to make it to the end of lockdown. UKHospitality, the…
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23 February

Government

324,000 hospitality supply jobs at risk unless Gov takes action

324,000 jobs within the UK’s hospitality supply chain are at risk unless “businesses receive immediate financial support from the government”, according to UKHospitailty. The statement comes as part of research conducted by the group, where it was found that one in five jobs in the supplier workforce have already been…
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19 February

Government

Hospitality included in Sadiq Khan’s £5m investment proposal

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced a new proposal to invest £5m in the eventual reopening of central London, including a campaign which hopes to drive tourism back to “hard-hit” hospitality and retail venues. The mayor said he wants domestic tourism to be a central focus in London’s drive…
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18 February

Pubs and Bars

Meat-free dishes to become more ‘prominent’ on menus post-covid, says CGA

Consumers’ focus on health during the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to make vegetarian and vegan dishes more prominent on menus according to the CGA’s MealMetrics service. Drawing on £4bn of aggregated food till sales data from more than 7,000 pubs, bars and restaurants, the metric data was designed to help…
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18 February

Restaurants

Pizza Hut Delivery expands Starboard partnership with franchise deal

Pizza Hut Delivery has expanded its partnership with Starboard Dining, a subsidiary of Starboard Hotels, with the sale of 27 UK delivery and takeaway sites. The establishments will be operated as franchises by Starboard, supporting 540 jobs in the process. The transaction is intended to provide investment into communities across…
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17 February

Apps & Technology

Feast It partners with UK restaurants for new meal kit platform

Events booking platform Feast It has partnered with a number of the country’s leading restaurants and caterers to launch Feast It Deli, a new gourmet meal kits platform designed to support the hospitality industry through the pandemic. The Deli has already partnered with groups including Pizza Pilgrims, Lima London and…
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17 February

Coronavirus

UKH Scotland welcomes business rates relief extension

UKHospitality Scotland has said the decision to extend business rates relief for another year is a “very positive and pragmatic move” by the Scottish Government. The new plans, which were announced on 16 February by finance secretary Kate Forbes, are part of a £1.1bn consequential funding from UK government coronavirus…
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17 February

Cafes and Coffee Shops

Hummingbird Bakery bought out of administration

The Hummingbird Bakery, a London-based bakery chain, has announced that it has been acquired by Acropolis Capital. The American-styled bakery group has been bought through a pre-pack administration process, securing its ongoing operation in Notting Hill, South Kensington, and Spitalfields. Through the acquisition, the group has protected over 60 jobs,…
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16 February

Coronavirus

JD Wetherspoon boss calls for pubs to reopen alongside shops

Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has said the pub industry is “on its knees” and that pubs across the UK need to reopen at the same time as non-essential shops to save the industry and associated jobs. Martin, who oversees the operations of 872 pub venues in the UK, said the…
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