All news articles for June 2022

Staffing issues: Sacha Lord also called on operators to ensure they were paying employees the right rates to help boost retention

Sacha Lord repeats staffing concerns

By Nikkie Thatcher

Night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester and operator Sacha Lord has reiterated worries about the sector’s staffing shortages and called on operators to commit to paying teams the living wage.

First of many: the Birmingham site is the first of O'Neill's remodelling plans to be rolled out across all other branches in the UK

Inside the new look O’Neill’s

By Nikkie Thatcher

Mitchells & Butlers brand O’Neill’s is being remodelled with a new look and feel, bringing a focus on showing women’s sports, starting with The Women’s Euros next month (July).

Key part: nightclubs important role in a town's identity and heritage (Credit: Getty/Maki Nakamura)

Reopening nightclubs 'key' to regenerating high street

By Rebecca Weller

UK’s late-night economy harbours “an abundance of resilience and entrepreneurial spirit”, having a huge part to play in the regeneration of high streets and towns nationwide, according to the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA).

Demising margins: proposed Government campaign encouraging businesses to offer discounts to consumers poses a “slippery slope

Gov discount scheme poses 'slippery slope' for sector

By Rebecca Weller

A proposed Government campaign encouraging businesses to offer discounts to consumers without any financial backing poses a “slippery slope” amid demising margins, according to one Canterbury-based licensee.

Jobs for all: Dharia is on a supported internship programme, in partnership with Mencap, at the Hendon pub in north-west London

GK – career advice must be same for bar work as uni degrees

By Gary Lloyd

Greene King (GK) has called for training in bar and restaurant staff to be given equal footing to university degrees in terms of career advice after its research found almost half of young people (48%) believe the hospitality sector does not offer good...

Trading update: Shepherd Neame boss Jonathan Neame said the company remained optimistic in spite of external economic headwinds

Shepherd Neame ‘actively pursuing growth’

By Nikkie Thatcher

Operator and brewer Shepherd Neame has revealed the business had emerged from the pandemic in a strong position and is actively pursuing opportunities again to invest and grow.

Court case: Stonegate is seeking to recover more than £1bn in losses

Upcoming Stonegate Covid insurance court case examined

By Bill Dunkerley, regulatory lawyer at law firm Pannone Corporate

Stonegate Pub Company is due to have a case heard within the next month at the High Court regarding a claim against its business interruption insurers over losses incurred as a result of restrictions imposed in response to Covid-19.

Black Sheep Brewery and Salcombe to release new cask ales

the cask project

New cask ales to hit pubs UK-wide

By Gary Lloyd

Cask fans will be able to enjoy new beers from Black Sheep Brewery and Salcombe Brewery Co next month (July).

Fantastic opportunity: DesignMyNight claims to have already taken a record number of bookings to watch the men’s FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup 'opportunity to increase footfall and profit'

By Rebecca Weller

Booking platform DesignMyNight has claimed to have taken a record number of bookings to watch the men’s FIFA World Cup with more than 10,000 recorded searches, up 30% in the past month, for ‘hospitality venues hosting World Cup screenings’ five months...

Potential failure: DRS scheme needs urgent review according to sector (Credit:Getty/Daniel Grizelj)

Scotland's DRS scheme needs urgent review to avoid 'failure'

By Rebecca Weller

Scotland’s Deposit Return (DRS) Scheme could “prove a costly failure” without urgent review and poses “inherent financial risks to hospitality businesses”, according to MSPs and trade body UKHospitality (UKH) Scotland.

Investor news: BrewDog co-founder James Watt has defended the company's latest initiative

BrewDog set to ‘tokenise’ Punks’ money

By Gary Lloyd

James Watt, co-founder of Scottish brewer and bar operator BrewDog, has announced the business is working with digital finance company Globacap to give its shareholders the option of having their equity “tokenised”.

Critical situation: 74% of operators surveyed stated energy costs biggest contributor to ‘plummeting’ profitability (Credit: Getty/ Dimensions)

Profitability ‘plummets’ as operating costs soar

By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality trade bodies have called on the Government to tackle inflationary headwinds and introduce a new tax and investment regime to get the industry back on track and recognise the contribution it could make to the economy.

Low levels of trade: city pubs hit hard as limited rail services provided over the weekend due to strikes (Credit: Getty/Dan Pratt)

City pubs see 50% decline in weekend sales following rail strikes

By Rebecca Weller

Weekend rail strikes saw hospitality sales “hugely affected”, particularly in London and Manchester, with some city pubs having reported a 50% decline in sales, according to S4labour and the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Warnings issued: Hospitality Ulster chair Tony O’Neill, CEO Colin Neill and vice-chair Stephen Magorrian

Triple whammy warning over NI hospitality sector

By Gary Lloyd

Hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland are facing a triple threat from rising business costs to a lack of consumers’ disposable cash and labour shortages, according to Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill.

Deal revealed: FB Taverns have acquired the seven pubs from Admiral (image: Getty/metamorworks)

Admiral disposes of pub package

By Nikkie Thatcher

Admiral Taverns has sold seven pubs, as part of its requirements from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), after its purchase of Hawthorn, the Community Pub Company.

Post-lockdown depletion: delivery and takeaway sales in managed pub and restaurant groups 29% below May 2021 levels (Credit: Getty/Luis Alvarez)

Delivery and takeaway sales more than a quarter below 2021

By Rebecca Weller

Combined delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant and pub groups have fallen to 29% below the level of May 2021, the CGA by NielsenIQ and Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker has revealed.

Legal eye: Poppleston Allen's Suraj Desor explores the late-night levy

The late-night levy – where are we now and what is next?

By Suraj Desor, associate solicitor at Poppleston Allen

With the news that Nottingham City Council is considering removing the late-night levy that is currently in place, 10 years on from its introduction, how has it fared and what next for the levy?

New products: Smirnoff, Greenall's and Beavertown feature in this weeks round up

NEW PRODUCTS ROUND UP

New serves from Smirnoff and Greenall's

By Rebecca Weller

Smirnoff launches a new berry flavoured serve and Greenall's gin goes tropical as well as new products from Beavertown, Burleighs, Brighton Gin, Mr Black Rum and Terlingham Vineyards in this weeks round up.

Critical level: staff shortages impacting industry and economic recovery (Credit: Getty/South_agency)

Staff shortages damaging economic recovery

By Rebecca Weller

Staff shortages within the hospitality sector have caused almost half (45%) of operators to cut trading hours or capacity in order to cope, costing the industry £21bn in lost revenue, a joint survey by UKHospitality (UKH), the British Institute of Innkeeping...

Cash change: all Bank of England bank notes are now available on polymer (image: Flickr/Bank of England)

100 days left of paper £20 and £50 notes

By Nikkie Thatcher

The Bank of England has urged anyone who still has paper £20 and £50 notes to use them or deposit them to the bank, ahead of the cash being withdrawn later this year.

Day part eating up: pubs have captured 13.9% of the eating-out market in the most recent 12-week period (credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Increase in spend and numbers eating dinner at pubs

By Gary Lloyd

The number of people eating dinner at pubs has risen and their average spend during this day part has increased by 10%, according to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Eating & Drinking Out Panel.

Ensuring customer safety: safeguarding schemes essential for the sector (Credit: Getty/Peter Cade)

Safeguarding schemes 'essential' for hospitality

By Rebecca Weller

Schemes such as ‘Ask for Angela’ are essential in helping hospitality venues ensure the safety of customers, especially women or those considered vulnerable, amid “increasingly common” risk of drink spiking and violence, according to independent London...

Championing hospitality: Chris Wayne-Wills becomes UKH Scotland chairman

UKH Scotland appoints new chairman

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Crerar Hotels chief executive Chris Wayne-Wills has been appointed UKHospitality Scotland chairman as the sector grapples with unprecedented financial pressures and workforce shortages.

Cost of living crisis: food prices hikes have pushed inflation to a record high

Inflation hits 40-year high at 9.1%

By Gary Lloyd

Rising food, energy and fuel costs has seen the rate of inflation hit 9.1% for May – the fastest rise in 40 years, according to the latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics.

Fibre Bottles: Carlsberg announces launch of first bio-based bottles

Carlsberg launches first bio-based bottles

By Rebecca Weller


Carlsberg has announced the launch of Fibre Bottles, its first bio-based bottle, available to 100 consumers to trial via social media giveaways throughout the summer from Friday 24 June.

Who won the BII Licensee of the Year Award?

Heron Inn scoops top award

By Ed Bedington

A Cornish operator was celebrating after taking home the prestigious title of Licensee of the Year (LOYA) yesterday.

Relocation:

Inn Collection Group relocates HQ

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Northern pubco the Inn Collection Group has relocated its head office to larger premises in Newcastle to accommodate ongoing growth across its operations.