National Living Wage
Coverage examines how wage legislation affects restaurants, pubs, bars, and catering businesses across the UK, including annual National Living Wage uplifts, government policy changes, and the operational impact on payroll, pricing, and staffing strategy. Reporting includes analysis of labour cost modelling, response from sector bodies, and practical adjustments made by multi-site operators and independents. Insight is tailored for operators, finance leads, and HR teams navigating rising employment costs in a tight labour market.
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Nov- 2023 -22 NovemberBusiness
Confidence in hospitality sector climbs again
Nearly half (49%) of hospitality business leaders feel confident about the hospitality market over the next 12 months, up by four percentage points from August’s figure of 45%. Only 5% of leaders say their business is currently at risk of failure, down from 11% last quarter. The number feeling pessimistic…
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Jul- 2023 -19 JulyNews
Hospitality’s recovery slowed by inflation and staff costs, CGA finds
Hospitality’s post-Covid recovery is threatened by rising prices in multiple key areas, the latest business confidence survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth has revealed. The poll shows that half of senior-level operators are now very concerned about inflation in food and drink prices. In May, the CGA prestige foodservice…
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Jan- 2023 -24 JanuaryPubs and Bars
Fuller’s issues profit warning as rail strikes wipe £4m from sales
Fuller’s has warned its full-year earnings may be lower than expected after its profitability was dented by rail strikes in recent months. Since the start of October, the group estimates that strike action wiped £4m from its sales, adding that the consequent impact on profitability means earnings may be below…
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Nov- 2022 -17 NovemberNews
Chancellor freezes tax thresholds in Autumn statement
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced a raft of measures to help “stabilise” the UK economy and reduce inflation, with tax cuts and spending cuts totalling £55bn in the Autumn statement. As part of the new measures, Hunt confirmed that tax as a percentage of GDP will rise by over 1%…
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Apr- 2022 -19 AprilFood and Drink
Recruitment and retention remain ‘major concern’ for hospitality
Staffing issues continue to set back hospitality’s recovery from Covid-19, according to new research from CGA and Fourth’s Business Leaders’ Survey. The poll shows “intense” competition for team members. Three in five (59%) say they will recruit at a greater rate than usual this year, an increase of 13 percentage…
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12 AprilPeople
Front of house workers to benefit most from NLW rise, data finds
The new National Living Wage (NLW) rates will mostly benefit front-of-house workers, who will see their hourly wage increased to be more in line with that of their counterparts in back-of-house roles, according to new research from Fourth. For businesses, however, it said this means a further squeeze on margins…
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Nov- 2021 -26 NovemberPeople
Hospitality sector sees rise in headcount and hours worked
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, all hospitality sectors saw their staff headcount and the number of hours worked rise in October against last year, according to the latest figures from software provider Fourth. Nonetheless, it said that a labour shortage was still evident in the…
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3 NovemberFood and Drink
Private equity deals surge in F&B market
Of the 32 deals announced in the food and beverage sector in Q3, 44% involved private equity (PE), a “significant” increase compared to the 33% in Q2, according to new research from Grant Thornton. Grant Thornton’s latest food and beverage insights found that the total deal value for PE in…
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Oct- 2021 -25 OctoberTrade Associations
Over 200 CEOs sign letter urging chancellor to permanently keep 12.5% VAT
Over 200 chief executives of the UK pubs, bars, restaurants, cafés, hotels, leisure parks, nightclubs, entertainment venues, and visitor attractions have signed a letter to the chancellor urging for a permanent cut to VAT. Ahead of his Budget next Wednesday (27 October), industry leaders have called for a permanent reduced…
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Mar- 2021 -3 MarchGovernment
Budget 2021: Chancellor unveils new £65bn support package
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined a new £65bn support package in his March budget, confirming the decision to extend the furlough scheme until the end of September as well as new loan schemes of up to £10m for businesses. In what is Sunak’s second budget since he joined office in…
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