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 -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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Feb- 2020 -19 FebruaryGovernment
New immigration laws will be ‘disastrous’ for hospitality, says UKH
Kate Nicholls, the CEO of hospitality trade body UK hospitality, has said the government’s proposed pos-brexit immigration laws will be “disastrous” for the sector. The new proposals unveiled by the government today (19 February) are aimed to “urge” employers from moving away from “cheap labour” in favour of investing in…
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17 FebruaryAwards & Events
Casual Dining 2020 confirms over 65 keynote speakers
Casual Dining, the restaurant, pub and bar event, has confirmed it has added CEOs, founders and senior directors from YO!, London Union, Loungers, Carluccio’s, Byron, Flat Iron, Imbiba, Pizza Pilgrims, Wahaca, Dishoom, Busaba, Yard & Coop, and Hippo Inns to its lineup of over 65 keynote speakers. The event, which…
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Jan- 2020 -23 JanuaryTrade Associations
Sustainability key to hospitality’s prosperity, says CGA
Consumers are demanding more engagement on sustainability from hospitality operators, according to CGA and UKHospitality’s latest Future Shock report. The new report includes data from a major survey of environmental and ethical issues across restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels. It found that 83.1% of people now expect hospitality brands to…
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6 JanuaryComment
How the blue planet effect is greening the hospitality industry 2010-2030
At the start of a new decade it seems only fitting to look back on the previous decade and forward to the next. If there is one defining movement of the last ten years, it’s got to be a growing concern for the environment and how we transition to doing…
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