Recession
Essential coverage on how economic downturns and financial pressures are affecting foodservice and hospitality businesses across the UK. This section explores rising costs, shifting consumer behaviour, staff retention challenges, and the operational strategies that restaurants, pubs, bars, and caterers are adopting to protect margins, manage demand, and maintain resilience. From pricing decisions and menu engineering to supplier negotiations and business model adaptation, the insights here support leaders navigating uncertainty in a volatile market.
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Mar- 2023 -15 MarchNews
Spring Budget: Corporation tax to rise to 25%
Corporation tax is set to rise from 19% to 25% for firms with profits over £250,000, as part of a number of measures announced in chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget. To help offset the corporation tax rise, Hunt also announced a provision of £9bn of “full capital expensing” which for…
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Feb- 2023 -2 FebruaryNews
BoE raises interest rates to 4%
The Bank of England (BoE) has announced that interest rates will be raised by 0.5%, bringing the base rate of interest to 4%, the highest level in 14 years. The increase, which is the tenth consecutive increase, was decided after the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority…
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Jan- 2023 -23 JanuaryBusiness
Consumer confidence improves for first time in 15 months
UK consumer confidence in the final quarter of 2022 improved by half (+0.6) a percentage point, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker, marking the end of a 15-month period of consecutive decline. Deloitte said overall confidence was boosted by “significant” quarter-on-quarter improvement in sentiment towards levels of debt (+3.8…
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16 JanuaryCatering Companies
The front of the Q: Q Catering’s plans to hit £20m turnover by 2023
Q catering appointed three new members of staff from Kent Frozen Foods towards the end of 2022; Tony Blake as commercial director, Caroline Martin as sales director and Nick Jennings as financial director. How pleased are you with your recent appointments? These were people that I worked with at KFF.…
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Dec- 2022 -1 DecemberRestaurants
Loungers revenues rise by 53% in H1
Loungers has reported that it is “well-placed” to out-perform during a recession as its revenues grew by 53% in the 24 weeks ended 2 October compared to the first half of 2020. Over the period, Loungers’ accrued an adjusted EBITDA of £19.3m, a growth of 33.4% compared to the same…
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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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15 NovemberFeatures
The viability of the roadside dining market
Roadside dining had its heyday some 50 years ago and when Little Chef, one of Britain’s most iconic and successful diner chains became defunct in 2018, it seemed like the extinction of the UK’s tenuous motor dining culture was finally complete. Four years on, and the nationwide operator Loungers of…
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15 NovemberRestaurants
Byron Burgers hires consultant in search for new investors
Calveton, the parent company of Byron Burgers, has reportedly hired business management consultants Interpath Advisory in a bid to find new investors as the business is to be flipped to a new owner. The news comes as the hospitality industry tackles stiff economic headwinds, while casual dining chains contend with…
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3 NovemberBusiness
BoE raises interest rates to 3%
The Bank of England (BoE) has raised the base rate of interest to 3%, an increase of 0.75%, as it warned that the UK is set to face its longest recession since records began. At its meeting ending on 2 November 2022, the Bank’s MPC voted by a majority of…
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Oct- 2022 -25 OctoberFeatures
In conversation with the co-MD of Heavenly Desserts
Can you tell me about your career and how you came to be managing director at Heavenly Desserts? When I left school at 16, I went to college and then went on to university, but decided that the academic route wasn’t for me. I was always somebody who enjoyed working,…
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