Legal

Business research: a survey from sector trade bodies showed a quarter of businesses are out of cash reserves (image: Getty/claudiodivizia)

1 in 4 firms out of cash

By Nikkie Thatcher

A quarter of businesses have no cash reserves left while less than a third (29%) have under three months’ left, new research has shown.

NTIA summit: A look at nightlife across the globe (Credit: Elspeth Moore)

Nightlife leaders on tackling global challenges

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Nightlife industry leaders from across the globe discussed how to overcome obstacles and help the sector thrive at the Night Time Industries Association’s NTE Summit last week.

Sector worry: the BBPA and UKHospitality highlight concerns about the UK entering a technical recession (image: Getty/yevtony)

UK entering technical recession ‘big worry’

By Nikkie Thatcher

Official figures indicating the UK fell into a technical recession at the end of last year are ‘hugely concerning’ for the hospitality sector, one trade body said.

Significant pressure: BBPA calls for change ahead of Spring Budget amid static inflation rates (Credit: Getty/Zedelle)

Stagnant inflation shows need for 'vital' changes

By Rebecca Weller

Unchanging inflation rates show the Government must make “vital” changes in next month's Spring Budget to “alleviate significant pressure”, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned.

Driving change: The mayors of the North and West Midlands discuss the night-time economy (Credit: Elspeth Moore)

Mayors of the North call for VAT cut

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Mayors of the North united to call for an industry-wide VAT cut in the Spring Budget at the Night Time Economy Summit last week.

Pubs need help: hospitality leaders have written to the Government (credit: Getty/miodrag ignjatovic)

BBPA members demand help ahead of Budget

By Gary Lloyd

Leaders of more than 80 of the UK’s pub companies and breweries – who are members of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) – have written to the Chancellor to demand action at next month’s Budget on VAT, business rates and beer duty.

No money for margin or investment: Kate Nicholls says Government demands are leaving the sector in dire straits

Kate Nicholls: Cost of doing business is too high

By Gary Lloyd

With the Spring Budget approaching, UKHospitality (UKH) chief executive Kate Nicholls has told the Government “the cost of doing business is just too high” and steps must be taken.

Licensing knowhow: Poppleston Allen answer questions around trading later hours and extending premises size (image: Getty/VTT Studio)

LICENSING HUB - LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN

Legal Q&A: trading later hours & extending venue rules

By Felix Faulkner, solicitor, Poppleston Allen

In the latest Q&A with Poppleston Allen, the legal experts tackle the rules around extending trading hours and making a premises larger.

The Onley Arms pub in Stisted Essex to shut

Village pub to shut doors

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A village pub in Essex is set to close next week after business became "totally unviable".

Turbulent economic period: venues rise prices by 7.1% to combat inflationary pressures and staff shortages (Credit: Getty/NickyLloyd)

Venues rise prices by 7.1% to offset soaring costs

By Rebecca Weller

Hospitality venues increased prices by an average of 7.1% in the year to December 2023 after being left with “little choice” in the face of rising costs and staff shortages.

Time is ticking on more than one issue: Andy Slee says the Chancellor must do something for the sector in Budget

OPINION

Utility firms’ £1bn weekly bonanza and Covid loans timebomb

By Andy Slee, chief executive, Society of Independent brewers (SIBA)

I am optimistic about the long-term future of hospitality. If lockdown taught us anything, it was people’s hunger to meet friends and family and to support local community pubs and breweries.

Speaking up: Publicans can share their views in the PCA's new survey

PCA launches 2024 Annual Tied Tenant Survey

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The pubs code adjudicator (PCA) has announced the launch of its Annual Tied Tenants Survey, calling on tied publicans to share their views on the pub company and the PCA.

Company news: there was a significant jump in the number of insolvencies in the hospitality industry in the fourth quarter of 2023, RSM UK's Robyn Duffy says (image: Getty/Fentino)

Hospitality insolvencies up more than a third

By Nikkie Thatcher

The number of firms in the accommodation and food services sector becoming insolvent has increased by 37% on an annual basis, official statistics have found.

Stark figures: almost 23,000 firms lost since December 2022 (Credit: Getty/onfilm)

Almost 23k hospitality firms lost since 2020

By Rebecca Weller

Close to 23,000 licensed businesses across the sector have closed in the last three years, figures from the latest Hospitality Market Monitor have revealed.

Outlook for 2024: Scottish venues experienced a poor new year according to SLTA MD Colin Wilkinson

SLTA ‘deeply concerned’ over state of hospitality in Scotland

By Gary Lloyd

Three out of four Scottish hospitality operators will need government support to survive this year while 96% say the Scottish government is out of touch with business community, according to the SLTA (Scottish Licensed Trade Association).

New appointment: Chris Welham will succeed Jim Brewster as CEO of the Licensed Trade Charity

New CEO for the LTC

By Nikkie Thatcher

The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) has announced Chris Welham has been appointed as the organisation’s new chief executive officer.

Licensing hub with Poppleston Allen: right to refuse service and denying entry? (Credit:Getty/SolStock)

LICENSING HUB - LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN

Right to refuse service and denying entry?

By Elizabeth Varley, trainee solicitor, Poppleston Allen

You may have faced some challenges over the festive period with customers or potential customers challenging you or your staff if you have decided to refuse them service or entry and you may now be questioning whether you made the right decision or are...

Positive step: UKH welcomes measures to ban drip pricing (Credit: Getty/istankov)

UKH welcomes measures to ban drip pricing

By Rebecca Weller

UKHospitality (UKH) has welcomed new Government legislation banning drip pricing as “important features” to help pubs with rooms are excluded from the bill.

Support an Independent Pub Day: London Pub Explorer urges people to support their local pub in the face of challenging economic headwinds (Pictured: Tuesday Roberts at the Northcote Arms)

EXCLUSIVE

Support an Independent Pub Day launched

By Rebecca Weller

The London Pub Explorer has launched ‘Support an Independent Pub Day’ in a bid to raise awareness of challenges and closures across the hospitality sector.

Call for help: UKHospitality Scotland has urged the Scottish Government to introduce a 75% business rates relief scheme (image: Getty/selamiozalp)

Scottish venues £110k worse off

By Nikkie Thatcher

A lack of support from the Scottish Government has left hospitality venues more than £100,000 worse off than their counterparts in England, figures have shown.

Property refurbs: this week's round-up features Brotherhood, Shepherd Neame and Inn Collection Group

PROPERTY

Brotherhood bars invests £500k into refurb

By Rebecca Weller

This week's property refurb round-up includes investments from sports bars operator Brotherhood, pub with rooms brand Inn Collection and Shepherd Neame.

Government support: NTIA calls for VAT cut

NTIA calls for Gov to slash VAT

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has urged for VAT to be cut for all businesses in the Spring Budget to save the night time economy from collapse.

Stop the rot: BBPA urges Gov to secure sector's future as 509 pubs shut in 2023 (Credit: Getty/	dmbaker)

More than 500 pubs closed in 2023

By Rebecca Weller

More than 500 pubs closed their doors for good last year, data from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has revealed.

Progress being made: Be Inclusive Hospitality CEO Lorraine Copes says there is more data now on the understanding of inclusivity

OPINION

Progress in EDI is on the horizon for 2024

By Lorraine Copes, CEO of Be Inclusive Hospitality

Our industry has all the essential ingredients to stand as the beacon of inclusivity and opportunity – becoming the industry of choice where individuals from diverse backgrounds can develop and flourish in their careers.

Mouse trap: operators have been urged to be robust in their attitude to food safety to avoid potential issues around rodents (image: Getty/Andyworks)

LICENSING HUB - LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN

Mice on the move

By Graeme Cushion, partner, Poppleston Allen

While I do not profess to be any kind of expert on the behaviour of rodents, I have heard anecdotally that the various lockdowns which we have all experienced may have had a knock-on effect on the rodent population as well.

Fleurets Survey of Pub Prices January 2024: pub numbers expected to continue declining (Credit: Getty/onfilm)

Number of pubs expected to decline in 2024

By Rebecca Weller

The total number of pubs in the UK will “continue to decline” as more than a third of freehold sites sold in 2023 no longer operate as pubs, according to the Fleurets Survey of Pub Prices January 2024.

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