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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Jan- 2022 -20 JanuaryCoronavirus
Removal of Plan B signals ‘gradual return’ to normality, says UKH
Hospitality sector trade association, UKHospitality, has “heralded” the announcement of the return to Plan A as a key milestone on the road to recovery for the sector. Yesterday (19 January) the prime minister announced in Parliament that 26 January would mark, among other things, the end of the ‘work from…
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13 JanuaryPubs and Bars
Hospitality recovery dampened by Omicron as December takes £3bn hit
The hospitality sector has suffered “devastating” sales falls in the last week of the year, according to the latest pub, bar and restaurant market figures from UKH and CGA. The wider hospitality sector witnessed a 40% drop in sales for the month versus the same period in 2019, as depleted…
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11 JanuaryTrade Associations
UKH calls for Platinum Jubilee extended licensing hours
UKHospitality has backed plans to extend licensing hours in England and Wales to 1am for this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for HM The Queen. The trade association has said that the extension could give businesses “vital extra trading time” during the four-day weekend. Recent national celebrations that have seen longer…
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Dec- 2021 -21 DecemberCoronavirus
Sunak unveils £1bn support package for Omicron-hit businesses
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further £1bn support package for businesses impacted by the new Omicron variant. As part of the support, businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises. There will also be more than…
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21 DecemberNews
Weekend hospitality sales plummet 40%, UKH finds
New figures show over half (54%) of venues were down more than 40% in revenues last weekend, according to industry body UKHospitality. One in five businesses reported a sales drop of more than 60%, whilst 88% of operators say they feel negative about the potential of New Year’s Eve trading.…
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20 DecemberCoronavirus
UKH calls for gov support amid threat of further restrictions
UKHospitality has called on the government to provide the necessary support to the hospitality sector amid reports that further restrictions to help battle the surge in Omicron cases could soon be announced. UKH chief executive Kate Nicholls said that need for support comes as trading has already been “hugely damaged…
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14 DecemberFood and Drink
UKHospitality launches partnership with Dettol
UKHospitality has launched a partnership with Reckitt’s Dettol Pro Solutions in a bid to restore consumer confidence in the hospitality sector in the wake of the pandemic. Dettol has already partnered in the UK with prominent brands such as Hilton hotels, British Airways and Avis Budget Group. It revealed the…
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9 DecemberGovernment
Hospitality industry calls for support following Plan B announcement
The hospitality industry has called for more government support following the Prime Minister’s announcement that England will move to Plan B following the spread of the Omicron variant in the UK. Associations across the industry warned of the impact the announcement will have on consumer confidence over the Christmas period.…
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6 DecemberFood and Drink
One in five restaurants forced to shut amid supply issues
Almost one in five partner restaurants have been forced to close their doors during business hours over the past three months because of supply chain issues, according to a new survey by Deliveroo. Of the restaurants polled, 54% have had to remove items from their menus due to lack of…
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Nov- 2021 -12 NovemberBusiness
Hospitality remains an ‘industry in peril’, UKH warns
The hospitality sector is ‘an industry in peril’ according to the latest edition of the UKHospitality and CGA Quarterly Tracker, which has revealed both Q3 2021 sales and full 12-month figures are nearly half what they were over the same period pre-pandemic. The data shows a 45% drop in sales…
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