Operating Costs
Focused reporting on the rising pressures and cost variables affecting foodservice businesses across the UK. This section explores key factors such as energy bills, rent, labour, insurance, business rates, and supplier pricing, alongside F&B margin management and cost-control strategies. Built for operators, chefs, and hospitality executives, it delivers insight into navigating inflation, protecting profitability, and adapting business models to withstand ongoing economic volatility.
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Aug- 2025 -20 AugustPubs and Bars
Industry urges tax reform as over 200 pubs close in six months
More than 200 pubs in England and Wales were demolished or converted for other uses in the first half of 2025, according to new government figures. An average of eight pubs closed each week between January and June, with the South East experiencing the sharpest decline – losing 31 venues…
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19 AugustPubs and Bars
Brakspear FY turnover rises 7% to £41.3m
Brakspear has reported a 7% rise in turnover to £41.3m in 2024, despite seeing its profits get squeezed by higher operating costs. The Henley-based pub operator, owned by JT Davies and Sons Holdings Limited, saw revenues increase from £38.6m in 2023, with growth across all divisions. However, adjusted EBITDA fell…
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1 AugustFood and Drink
Tough first half as mixed weather flattens June hospitality sales
Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June. It follows a drop of 1.0% in May, and means sales were static or negative in four of the first six months of 2025, with a warm April the…
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Jun- 2025 -11 JunePeople
The Revel Collective appoints new CFO
The Revel Collective, an operator of premium bars and gastro pubs, trading mainly under the Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Peach Pubs brands, has appointed Matthew Fowler as chief financial officer, effective 16 June. Fowler is an experienced public markets chief financial officer, having most recently held the same position…
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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 -8 MayRestaurants
Spending squeeze keeps delivery and takeaway sales flat in March
UK restaurant groups achieved fractional year-on-year growth of 0.7% in their delivery and takeaway sales in March according to data from CGA. It ends a slow first quarter of 2025 for the sector, after a like-for-like increase of only 1.7% in February and a 0.6% drop in January. However, the…
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Mar- 2025 -5 MarchFeatures
The AA Rosette Awards: a benchmark of culinary excellence
For almost 70 years, the AA Rosette Awards have been a trusted mark of quality within the UK’s dining scene. First introduced in 1956, the AA Rosette scheme was the first nationwide system for assessing food quality in restaurants and hotels. “Our long-established Rosette scheme celebrates successful cooking at different…
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4 MarchPubs and Bars
The Revel Collective H1 sales fall 22% amid bar brands challenges
The Revel Collective has reported that sales for the 26-week period to 28 December 2024 were 22% lower at £64.2m than in the same period last year, due to “challenging” conditions in bar brands which made recovery “slower than expected”. The fall in sales reflects a “significant” reduction of venues…
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Feb- 2025 -25 FebruaryNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief – 25/02/25
Prosus has agreed to acquire Just Eat for €4.1bn (£3.4bn) to create the fourth largest food delivery group globally. Prosus acquires Just Eat’s entire issued share capital for €20.30 (£16.8) per share via a recommended all-cash public offer on the Amsterdam exchange. The acquisition provides an opportunity for Prosus to…
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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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