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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Mar- 2020 -26 MarchPubs and Bars
JD Wetherspoon boss bows to pressure and agrees to pay staff
The boss of JD Wetherspoon has bowed to public pressure, including calls from over a 100 MPs, and has agreed to pay his staff before his company receives financial support from the government’s wage reimbursement scheme. Yesterday (25 March) the government urged JD Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin to support his…
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25 MarchComment
The darkest of days: Why the hospitality industry must come together
At the risk of stating the obvious, I’ve never witnessed anything like this during my 30+ years in the hospitality industry. The impact of COVID-19 was exacerbated last week by the Prime Minister’s initial decision to ‘advise’ people to avoid venues such as restaurants and subsequently by the government directive…
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20 MarchAdvice
Marketing Manchester to host webinar supporting hospitality amid Covid-19 crisis
Marketing Manchester has revealed plans to host a webinar on 23 March aimed at supporting the hospitality industry amid the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe. The event will explore tourism and hospitality sector challenges that have been created by the recent Covid-19 outbreak, and how they can be overcome. The…
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18 MarchPubs and Bars
Greene King postpones rent for partners amid Covid-19 outbreak
Pub company Greene King has notified its tenants of a delay in the collection of associated payments until further notice. The news follows the government recommending social distancing to the public, resulting in hospitality footfall decreasing by 45%. According to the Morning Advertiser, Pub Partners, which oversees Greene King’s independent…
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18 MarchBusiness
Chancellor extends rent holidays to all hospitality businesses
All hospitality businesses are eligible for a one-year business rates holiday after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced a series of new measures to help weather the financial strain caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Last week in his maiden Budget Speech the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced a one-year rent holiday for…
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17 MarchGovernment
Covid-19: Social distancing measures ‘catastrophic’ for pubs, restaurants and hotels
UKHospitality has said the government’s latest advice that people should avoid pubs, restaurants, hotels will be “catastrophic” for businesses and jobs. It has now called on the government for “immediate support for hospitality”, as well as “meaningful business continuity measures”. UKH’s CEO, Kate Nicholls, said the announcement has “effectively shut…
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17 MarchBusiness
Hospitality footfall declines amid government urging social distancing
Hospitality footfall across the UK has declined by 45% yesterday (16 March) compared with the same day last year, amid the recent outbreak of coronavirus. According to research by customer data company Wireless Social, footfall decreased by 33% in the past week compared with the same period last year, with…
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16 MarchTrade Associations
UKHospitality calls for ‘enhanced’ government support amid coronavirus outbreak
UKHospitality has called on the UK Government to “step up” its package of business support as the effect of coronavirus continues to spread. It said the package of measures announced in the Budget on Wednesday were “helpful”, but do not go “nearly far enough” to support the vast majority of…
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13 MarchAwards & Events
Casual Dining Show postponed until July over coronavirus fears
Following increasing concern about the developing coronavirus situation, Casual Dining organiser Diversified Communications UK has announced it has consulted with the industry and decided to postpone the event to 14-15 July 2020, at ExCeL London. Chris Brazier, group event director of diversified communications UK, said: “Casual Dining is the single…
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10 MarchRestaurants
UKHospitality calls for business support to deal with coronavirus threat
Hospitality businesses need “immediate and wide-ranging support” to deal with the threat of the coronavirus, UKHospitality has said. The body, which represents 700 businesses, has written to the prime minister highlighting the impact of COVID-19 “already being felt by businesses around the country”. UKHospitality said hotel occupancy has fallen 15%,…
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