Kate Nicholls
This archive features our reporting on Kate Nicholls OBE — a key voice in the UK’s hospitality and foodservice policy landscape. As Chair of UKHospitality, Nicholls plays a central role in lobbying government, shaping regulation, and influencing the commercial environment in which restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés, and catering firms operate. Catering Today covers Nicholls’ statements, policy positions, and leadership activity because her work directly affects the trading conditions, labour challenges, and long-term resilience of foodservice businesses. For operators navigating rising costs, staffing pressures, or post-pandemic recovery, her advocacy and insights are both timely and consequential.
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Jun- 2022 -14 JuneRestaurants
Hospitality sector experiencing 83% more vacancies, ONS data shows
The hospitality sector is experiencing 83% more vacancies across the sector compared to March-May 2019 (the most recent comparable period), according to latest figures released by the ONS. At the same time, the sector has created nearly 300,000 new jobs over the last 12 months,equal to one-in-three of all new…
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13 JunePeople
UKHospitality appoints new skills director
UKHospitality (UKH) has announced the appointment of Sandra Kelly as its new skills director to shape the framework of skills in hospitality, including skills in secondary, further and higher education – with a renewed focus on apprenticeships and other in-work training. This new role will reportedly be critical to the…
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7 JuneGovernment
Sadiq Khan launches £500k scheme to boost night time high streets
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced a new £500,000 programme to create Night Time Enterprise Zones in London to help support economic recovery. The programme will allow boroughs to encourage more people to use their high streets after 6pm and to increase the number of night workers that benefit…
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6 JuneTrade Associations
10,000 hospitality businesses face closure, UKH CEO warns
The CEO of UKHospitality has warned that 10,000 pubs and restaurants could face closure in light of rising inflation, energy costs and rents across the industry. Kate Nicholls told the Mail on Sunday that the hospitality sector was now facing “as big a crisis, if not bigger”, since the pandemic. …
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May- 2022 -25 MayBusiness
National rail strike will ‘jeopardise’ hospitality recovery, says UKH
UKHospitality has warned that RMT’s proposed national rail strike this summer will “further jeopardise” the recovery of hospitality businesses working to rebuild following the pandemic, in the face of rising costs and a fall in consumer confidence. Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality CEO, said disruption to the rail network will discourage both…
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23 MayRestaurants
UKH: hospitality the ‘solution’ to gov’s levelling up policy
UKHospitality has released a new report, Level up hospitality – level up society, which aims to “highlight how the sector is positioned to deliver growth and opportunity across the country and play its part in generating jobs and economic growth”. The report identifies the six areas in which the UKH…
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20 MayNews
UKH calls for online sales tax
In its response to the government’s consultation on the introduction of an online sales tax, UKHospitality has called for consideration to be given to property-based industries such as hospitality. The trade body’s submission has also called for such a tax to be ear-marked to provide a “targeted reduction to business…
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10 MayTrade Associations
UKH welcomes Gov ban on exclusivity clauses for lowest paid
UKHospitality has welcomed the news announced by the business minister Paul Scully that the Government is to widen its ban on exclusivity clauses to include those earning less than £123 a week. The proposals will widen the ban on exclusivity clauses, which restrict staff from working for multiple employers, to…
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4 MayNews
UKH calls on Gov to simplify post-16 qualifications to build talent pipeline
UK Hospitality has urged the Government to “simplify and streamline’ post-16 qualifications in order to “build a talent pipeline for the future. It was responding to the Department for Education’s consultation into post-16 qualifications at level 2 and below. Kate Nicholls, chief executive, said: “With more than 8,000 qualifications for…
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Apr- 2022 -29 AprilNews
Hospitality launches action plan to tackle sexual harassment
Hospitality has agreed a strict “zero-tolerance” approach to sexual harassment with the launch of a new action plan. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and UKHospitality have worked together to produce a “practical resource” to stop the harassment of hospitality staff being seen as ‘just part of the job’.…
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