Hospitality

How has the pub sector fared in 2023?

Farewell 2023, here's to 2024

By Ed Bedington

There's a strange feeling of deja vu as I sit down to write my thoughts on the year and hopes for the year ahead.

Lucky Voice looks to expansion in UK and US

Big Interview

Looking to get lucky

By Ed Bedington

“It’s not about singing well,” according to the king of karaoke, Charlie Elek, md of Lucky Voice who’s on a mission to change the perception of karaoke.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 51

The Lock In podcast

Solving the staffing situation

By Ed Bedington

With the recruitment crisis still causing challenges for many operators, the Lock In team get to grips with staffing (not like that Heath!) and speak to a range of experts to get some practical (mostly) advice on how to handle the situation.

Are pubs able to weather the economic storm?

Are we all doomed?

By Ed Bedington

According to Luke Johnson, we might as well pack up our bags and go home, but are we as doomed as he suggests?

Hospitality hero: Andy Wilson at the London Marathon

Hospitality sector awarded in New Year’s Honours List

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A number of people from the hospitality sector were recognised in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List including a Greene King managing director, chef Angela Maria Hartnett MBE and hotelier Robin Hutson.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In Podcast episode 32

The Lock In Podcast

Still can't get the staff... the ongoing recruitment challenge

By Ed Bedington

The Lock In team tackle the challenges around the ongoing recruitment and staffing crisis, with special guests Osh Rogers of the Guinea Grill, Dan Razavi of Leisurejobs and Mark McCulloch of Hospitality Rising all providing some expert insight into how...

Union pushback: Unite said masks should be mandatory in hospitality venues (Getty/ Juan Jose Napuri)

Unite calls for mandatory mask wearing in pubs

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The union Unite has called for the culture secretary to ensure mandatory mask wearing at UK hospitality venues after masks became mandatory on public transport.

Pressure on the sector: Staffing levels down 18% compared to two years ago (Credit: Getty/Eugenio Marongiu)

Staffing levels 'still down 18% against 2019'

By Rebecca Weller

For the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, all sectors within hospitality saw staff headcount increase in October, compared to last year, but staffing levels were still down 18% in comparison to the same period two years ago.

What's in the news October 22

Cautious optimism for the future

By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's Ed Bedington catches up with industry legend Peter Borg-Neal, chairman of the Oakman Group, to get his views on the news that have shaped the sector this week.

The Morning Advertiser Lock In podcast episode 30

The Lock In Podcast

The Lock In Podcast: Season Finale!

By Ed Bedington

In the last episode of this series of the Lock In podcast, the team take a look back on the past year of ups and mostly downs, speak to a group of top operators and take a look forward at what the next few months might have in store. Tune in now!

London calling: many furloughed pub and bar staff returned to their homes overseas and do not wish to return because of low pay, a union has said (image: Getty / Eachat)

London staff shortage 'self-inflicted crisis'

By Emily Hawkins

London's hospitality staff shortage is “largely a self-inflicted crisis of the industry’s own creation,” a union officer has said while calling for higher wages.

Metered access: Users will be asked to give their email address and basic industry-specific demographics after consuming a certain number of articles within 30 days

Morning Advertiser update

The Morning Advertiser website is changing

By Chris Lowe, publisher, The Morning Advertiser

Like many of the biggest media websites that have put journalism at the forefront of their strategy, we are implementing something called metered access – meaning users will be asked to register after consuming a certain number of articles within 30 days.

To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2021, The MA is creating a list of 30 inspiring women under-30 to highlight the next generation of leaders in the pub trade

MA to celebrate next generation of pub trade leaders for IWD 2021

By The Morning Advertiser

To celebrate International Women’s Day and raise awareness of the remarkable people we have in the sector, The MA is creating a list of 30 inspiring women under-30 to highlight the next generation of leaders in the pub trade.

Minister meeting: 'I hope that the Prime Minister himself will consider their request that he creates a minister for hospitality to oversee Government delivery for this crucial diverse sector,' McKinnell said

Government to meet hospitality minister petitioners

By Stuart Stone

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets, Paul Scully, will meet campaigners calling for a dedicated minister for hospitality.

'Horrendous' year: 'Lockdowns kept pulling the rug out from under the sector and, just as outlets got back on their feet, they had to shut down again,' Wagestream CEO Peter Briffett said

Winter hospitality shifts down 81% versus 2019

By Stuart Stone

The number of hospitality shifts worked in 2020 was 47% lower than 2019’s overall figure – peaking at a 97% drop during the toughest months of the sector’s shutdown.

Next steps? 'the best thing for the hospitality sector is we all work together to defeat the virus, in the way I’m absolutely certain we can, with disciplined action and the vaccine roll out, and get it back on its feet,' Boris Johnson said

Analysis

MPs back hospitality minister motion: what happens next?

By Stuart Stone

A petition to appoint a dedicated minister for the hospitality sector hit Westminster boasting more than 200,000 signatures on 11 January. After a positive reception in both Houses of Parliament, where does it go from here?

Slide: confidence in business future has dipped

Hospitality business confidence slides in just a week

By Nicholas Robinson

Pub and other hospitality operators have said confidence in the future of their businesses is not as strong compared with a week ago, according to the results of the latest Hospitality Leaders poll by Lumina.

Hard stat: more than 10m people in the UK have a criminal record

Could hiring ex-offenders help tackle chef shortage?

By Nikkie Thatcher

How do you solve these problems: rehabilitating prisoners so they can rejoin society in a working capacity and an industry crying out for employees to fill huge staff shortages? Charity group Only A Pavement Away has the answers.

Digital businesses: There has been trade support for a Government suggestion that firms like Amazon could face a new tax

Support for tax on digital businesses

By Emily Hawkins

Trade organisation UKHospitality has said it hopes the Government will follow through on its suggestion that it might introduce a tax on digital businesses.

Control and stability: a wide-ranging list of factors have been blamed for the sector's low staff retention

Why is hospitality staff retention so low?

By Emily Hawkins

Unsociable working hours and low pay are among the top reasons the bar and restaurant industry struggles to retain workers, according to new research.