London
From the West End to the East End, our London coverage keeps hospitality professionals in the know. Our dedicated reporting on London’s vibrant and highly competitive foodservice market, spans restaurant group expansions, new pub and bar concepts, catering contracts, high-street openings, licensing changes, staff shortages, and operational trends shaping the capital. Whether you’re a central London restaurant operator, a neighbourhood café owner, a high-volume catering contractor, or an F&B executive overseeing multiple venues across zones, this archive delivers actionable insights and strategic updates designed for decision-makers navigating the capital’s fast-moving hospitality landscape.
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Jun- 2018 -6 JuneBusiness
Busaba Eathai closes all restaurants outside London
Busaba Eathai has now closed all of its branches outside of London after reporting pre-tax losses of nearly £18m. The Thai restaurant chain’s only remaining restaurant outside of the capital was St Albans. The chain also acquired premises in Leeds in 2016 but financial woes and recent closures cast doubt…
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6 JuneRegulations & Policies
Network Rail to restrict plastic use for food retailers
Network Rail has announced plans to tackle environmental issues in the country’s biggest and busiest rail stations. The group plans to ban retailers from supplying plastic cutlery and cups in managed stations, implement a coffee cup recycling scheme for managed stations, and expand the role out of coffee ground recycling…
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4 JunePubs and Bars
Greene King removes ‘inappropriate’ Saudi Arabia flags from World Cup bunting
Pub group Greene King has instructed its staff to remove the Saudi Arabia flag from hundreds of its pubs after it was deemed “inappropriate” by customers. The flag contains sacred Islamic text, or Shahada, which says: “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.” The group said…
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4 JuneApps & Technology
Absolute Taste to allow diners to scan and track history of meals
London-based catering specialist Absolute Taste has announced a partnership with blockchain platform Omnitude to allow customers to track the history of their meals. Absolute Taste provides food experiences to international and domestic events such as Formula E; The British Grand Prix at Silverstone; The Fever Tree Championships at Queens and…
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4 JuneRestaurants
UK crab crisis continues as restaurants warn it could go on for ‘years’
Restaurants across the country have been pulling crab dishes from menus as fishermen report low catch rates. Fishermen from Norfolk and the south of England reported winter storms have killed many young crabs, however they say there is still an unknown factor causing the shortage. Some restaurants approached by Catering…
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1 JuneRestaurants
US chain Wingstop secures flagship London store in West End
US chicken wing dining chain Wingstop has secured a flagship site at London’s Cambridge Circus. The chain launched in Texas in 1994 and has more than 1,000 restaurants internationally, including 25 owned by US rapper, Rick Ross. Westminster City Council has granted planning permission and a premises license to run…
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May- 2018 -30 MayFood and Drink
KFC to trial ‘vegetarian fried chicken’ as company cuts calories
KFC has announced plans to cut 20% of calories per serving by 2025 as part of its calorie reduction commitment which will also see the chicken restaurants only launching low calorie soft drinks. The fast-food giant is also set to launch ‘vegetarian fried chicken’ later this year, and wants to…
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29 MayApps & Technology
Just Eat’s takeaway AR experience sees increased orders
Just Eat’s new AR campaign has seen 102,000 unique interactions, 10% of which resulted in an order. The AR campaign ran by Byte London used Facebook’s AR studio and drove a better than expected result in orders. Ben Carter, UK marketing director at Just Eat, said: “Too many people dismiss…
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25 MayBusiness
Private equity firms flirting with Costa Coffee
A group of private equity firms are attempting to purchase Costa Coffee, despite owner Whitbread’s desire to float it on the stock market. The Press Association said that it understood Whitbread had been approached informally over a buyout of the firm. Despite potential interest from elsewhere Whitbread is continuing plans…
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24 MayEntrepreneurship
Westfield competition offers chance to open popup restaurant
Westfield has announced a new competition offering participants the chance to open their own pop up restaurant. The competition, in partnership with Omar Allibhoy, will see the winner awarded a space in the newly refurbished food court of Westfield London, as well as 20 hours tuition from Allibhoy. The competitors…
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