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- 2020 -13 AugustCoronavirus
Hospitality sector urged to support customer tracing schemes
UKHospitality (UKH) has “reiterated” the importance of hospitality businesses to playing their part in supporting the test and trace schemes across the UK. The trade association’s recent member survey results showed that the vast majority of businesses (more than nine out of 10) are taking appropriate measures to record customer…
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11 AugustTrade Associations
UKH calls for investigation into hospitality energy market
UKHospitality has written to the energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng calling on the Government and watchdog Ofgem to investigate unfair practices in the energy market. The trade body said it has been contacted by hospitality businesses with evidence that they are being “unfairly targeted” by energy firms. UKHospitality chief executive Kate…
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7 AugustCoronavirus
Eat Out to Help Out boost praised by operators
Restaurant and pub operators such as Nando’s, Oakman Inns and Hawksmoor, have praised the new Eat Out to Help Out scheme as a “great example of government support” after seeing sales improvement during its first week. Eat Out to Help Out offers customers 50% off their food or non-alcoholic drinks…
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Jul- 2020 -28 JulyCoronavirus
Hospitality sector loses £30bn in Q2
Sales across the UK’s hospitality sector plummeted by 87% in the second quarter of 2020, equivalent to nearly £30bn in lost revenue, according to the latest UKHospitality Tracker. The “catastrophic” loss follows the widespread lockdown of restaurants, pubs, bars, hotels, and other hospitality venues from mid-March. In light of this,…
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27 JulyCoronavirus
‘Overwhelming’ number of guests satisfied with safety standards
An “overwhelming” number of consumers (94%) who have visited pubs, restaurants and bars in England in the two weeks since reopening were satisfied with the safety steps in venues they visited. This is according to responses via the ‘We hear you’ initiative, launched by the CGA, UKHospitality and Yumpingo, which…
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27 JulyCoronavirus
Mandatory calorie labelling ‘slap in the face’ to hospitality
UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, has warned the costs of the implementation of mandatory calorie labelling on menus will be a “slap in the face” for hospitality, after the government revealed a series of measures to target obesity. The measures form part of the government’s new obesity strategy to get the…
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21 JulyCoronavirus
Hospitality trade bodies outline ‘road to recovery’
A new report from UKHospitality and CGA has revealed the scale of impact Covid has had on the hospitality sector, and outlines what the industry can do to recover both sales and consumer confidence. According to the trade bodies, “rigorous” safety measures, industry collaboration and government support can “speed the…
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9 JulyCoronavirus
Industry reacts to Sunak’s summer statement
The hospitality sector has widely welcomed the series of measures announced by the chancellor in his “summer statement” yesterday, with UKHospitality saying it is “reassuring” that he singled out hospitality and tourism as a “vital part” of the UK’s economy. Yesterday (8 July), along with a £9bn retention scheme that…
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6 JulyCoronavirus
Hospitality sector calls for business investment package
Industry leaders in hospitality have urged the government to commit to an “ambitious” programme of business support and investment to stimulate the revival of the sector as restrictions begin to ease. In a letter signed by 120 hospitality leaders, the government has been called on to “act decisively” for a…
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Jun- 2020 -22 JuneCoronavirus
UKH survey reveals ‘protracted recovery’ for sector
The latest UKHospitality (UKH) survey has revealed that hospitality businesses are predicting a “lengthy and painful” recovery post-lockdown, with trade levels expected to be “significantly suppressed” for many months. The findings revealed low expectations across the sector, with responses from a range of different operators within the industry. The survey…
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