Labour Costs
Coverage examines how wage increases, scheduling practices, and staffing challenges are impacting labour costs across UK restaurants, pubs, bars, and catering businesses. Reporting includes analysis of National Minimum and Living Wage uplifts, employer pension contributions, rota optimisation tools, recruitment trends, and cost-control strategies used by multi-site and independent operators. Insight is designed for finance leads, GMs, and HR teams balancing team performance, compliance, and profitability in a competitive labour market.
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Jun- 2025 -6 JuneFeatures
Predictions vs reality: testing OakNorth’s outlook on hospitality
The hospitality trade is a hard one. It runs hot in summer, cold in winter, and never moves in straight lines. Despite costs rising and customers shifting, the doors must open and the lights must stay on. As a lender to hotels, pubs and restaurants, OakNorth sees much of this…
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May- 2025 -6 MayFood and Drink
Drinks sales boosted by Easter’s warmer weather, CGA finds
On Premise drinks sales were boosted by warm weather, school holidays and Easter during the first half of April, CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker revealed. Trading momentum has been building for a while, with a “decent” March followed by a “bright” start to April, and the upward trend is…
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Apr- 2025 -15 AprilFood and Drink
Drinks sales jump 5% thanks to good weather in April
Average drinks sales in managed venues in the week to 5 April were up by 5% from the same period in April thanks to bright weather. The CGA by NIQ’s Daily Drinks Tracker revealed that the April increase raises hopes for some sustained real-terms growth for the On Premise after…
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Mar- 2025 -21 MarchPubs and Bars
Tim Martin: NICs and labour rates to cost JD Wetherspoon £60m
JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has warned that the imminent increases in National Insurance and labour rates will result in company cost increases of roughly £60m, which would mean about £1,500 per pub, per week. He said: “Since labour costs are around 35% of the pub industry’s sales, compared to…
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Feb- 2025 -25 FebruaryFood and Drink
Confidence of hospitality bosses falls for fifth quarter in a row
The confidence of hospitality leaders has fallen for the fifth quarter in a row as pressure mounts on operating costs, according to CGA by NIQ’s latest Business Confidence Survey. The poll revealed that only 33% of leaders feel confident about prospects for their business over the next 12 months –…
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10 FebruaryPubs and Bars
Number of late-night hospitality venues falls by 2.8% in 2024
Britain’s late-night hospitality sector had a total of 2,264 nightclubs, late-night bars and casinos at the end of 2024, spelling a reduction of 2.8% in a year and 25.2% less than pre-pandemic, according to CGA by NIQ’s first edition of the Night Time Economy Market Monitor. Nightclubs have borne the…
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Jan- 2025 -27 JanuaryRestaurants
Tasty expects drop in FY24 sales amid challenging H2
Tasty, the owner and operator of restaurants in the casual dining sector, has announced that it expects to report total sales of £36.6m, down from £46.9m, and adjusted EBITDA of £3.8m in FY24, amid “challenging” trading during the second half of the year. According to the group, although the group’s…
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14 JanuaryFeatures
How will businesses deal with increased costs in 2025?
Since chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget those in the hospitality industry have been bracing for a year of increased costs. The question on everyone’s lips as we enter 2025 is what effect these changes will actually have on the industry and how the industry will go about combatting them. How…
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14 JanuaryRestaurants
Comptoir sees revenues rise 9.5% to £34.5m
Comptoir Group, the owner and operator of Lebanese, Middle Eastern and North African inspired restaurants has reported a 9.5% increase in revenues to £34.5m for FY24 (FY23: £31.5m). The group’s restaurant sales also recorded a positive increase, with like for like sales in the second half year of +2.9% and…
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Sep- 2024 -26 SeptemberPubs and Bars
Mitchells and Butlers sees LFL sales rise by 5.2%
Mitchells and Butlers has reported a 5.3% like-for-like sales growth for the 51 weeks ended 21 September 2024 and a 5.9% increase in total sales in the year to date. The group’s food sales were up 5.3% for the year to date, while its drink sales increased by 4.9%. Like…
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