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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Aug- 2022 -3 AugustComment
How the Hospitality Industry can combat the insolvency crisis
After a report from UHY Hacker Young showed that UK restaurant insolvencies have jumped 64% from 856 in 2020/21 to 1,406, Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, warns that “it’s quite clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg”. The past quarter represented the largest number of restaurant…
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Jul- 2022 -20 JulyRegulations & Policies
UKH calls for reformed business rates reductions to be reflected in bills
UKHospitality has called for reductions under reformed business rates to be reflected in bills “as quickly as possible” in response to the government’s consultation on transition for the next business rates revaluation In its full response UKHospitality has called for: Assurance that the scheme will allow for all businesses to…
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7 JulyTrade Associations
Hospitality joins forces to strive for fairer treatment from the gov
A group of hoteliers and restaurateurs fed up with the industry being “discriminated against, with disproportionate business rates”, came together at Nailcote Hall Hotel, Coventry in order to help push for change. A meeting took place with CEO of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls and Midlands MP, Saqib Bhatti, to discuss…
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4 JulyPubs and Bars
Number of pubs falls by over 7,000 in past decade
The number of English and Welsh pubs fell below 40,000 for the first time during the first half of 2022 with pub numbers having fallen by 7,107 in the last 10 years, new research has revealed. Research by the real estate adviser Altus Group, found that the overall number of…
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4 JulyNews
John Lewis launch chef academy to help hospitality sector
John Lewis Partnership (the Partnership) has launched its own Chef Academy to help address the current shortage of qualified chefs in the UK A joint survey released last week by UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and the British Beer and Pub Association, revealed that staff shortages in the hospitality…
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Jun- 2022 -22 JunePeople
UKH Scotland appoints new chair
UKHospitality Scotland has announced that Chris Wayne-Wills, CEO of Crerar Hotels, has taken on the role of chairman from Calum Ross, the owner and proprietor of Loch Melfort Hotel in Argyll. Elected by the UKHospitality Scotland Committee, Wayne-Wills becomes chairman at what is described as a “crucial time for the…
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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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