Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Balancing the benefits and harms of alcohol in UK society

Published: 14 June, 2024

James Bayley assesses the duality of the effects of alcohol consumption.

Insights: The new big night out

Published: 12 April, 2024

New research has laid bare the state of night-time on-trade businesses operating post-pandemic. James Bayley looks at the new trends shaping the sector.

Night-time industry evolves amid swathe of club closures

Published: 19 March, 2024

Few industries have suffered more than night-time hospitality during and since the pandemic. Last month, Rekom UK, which owns the Pryzm and Atik nightclub brands shut down 17 of its venues.

Pub closures highest for a decade in 2023

Published: 18 March, 2024

According to accountancy firm Price Bailey, pub closures reached a decade high in 2023.

Insights: The trade’s post-Covid recovery

Published: 13 March, 2024

Following the release of Liberty Wines’ premium on-trade report, James Bayley assesses the state of the trade in the period following the lockdowns.

Liberty Report: premium on-trade wine sales still below pre-Covid levels

Published: 23 February, 2024

Wholesaler and importer Liberty Wines has released its premium on-trade report covering the two years following the final Covid-19 lockdown in spring 2021.

Deliveries worth 15p per pound of restaurant spend

Published: 22 November, 2023

Delivery and takeaway sales at Britain’s leading managed restaurant groups rose 5% year-on-year in October 2023, according to CGA by NIQ’s Hospitality at Home Tracker.

Majestic announces over 50s recruitment drive

Published: 10 November, 2023

Majestic has launched a new partnership with Rest Less, an online community of over 50s, as part of a drive to attract a greater number of older colleagues into the business.

UK chains enjoy profit increase

Published: 07 August, 2023

According to research from UHY Hacker Young, the UK’s Top 100 restaurant groups have recorded a twelvefold increase in their profits in the last six months, rising from £19.9m in September 2022 to £241.8m in March 2023.

Flaming June offers some respite for hospitality

Published: 26 July, 2023

A scorching June helped Britain's managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieve a ninth successive month of year-on-year sales growth, according to the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker.

Hospitality operators report 5.6% sales growth in May

Published: 21 June, 2023

Britain’s leading managed restaurant, pub and bar groups achieved an eighth consecutive month of year-on-year sales growth in May 2023, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker shows.

Sparkling wine resilient as global market faces overall decline

Published: 07 June, 2023

OIV director general Pau Roca Blasco has presented an overview of the global wine market in 2022, delivered at the 44^th World Congress of Vine and Wine taking place in Cadiz this week.

Footfall rises in Scottish on-trade whilst the North of England struggles finds CGA report

Published: 05 May, 2023

Pubs, restaurants and bars in Britain’s biggest cities achieved solid year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2023, according to the new ‘Top Cities’ report from CGA.

UKHospitality calls for temporary licensing relaxations to be made permanent

Published: 02 May, 2023

Following a public consultation, UKHospitality has called on the government to make the temporary licensing relaxations permanent.

CGA reveals opportunity for drinks in delivery & takeaway sales

Published: 28 October, 2022

As British consumers maintain some of the delivery and takeaway habits they picked up during Covid-19 lockdowns, the latest CGA by NielsenIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker highlights a growing trend – with drinks’ share of these sales increasing by 15% versus the start of 2022.

London seated diner numbers fall short of pre-pandemic levels

Published: 05 October, 2022

According to data from OpenTable, the global restaurant booking system, dining numbers in London are falling short of pre-pandemic levels.

Record 64% of the UK’s top 100 restaurant companies are now making a loss

Published: 08 August, 2022

The national accountancy group, UHY Hacker Young, has revealed that a record 64% of the UK’s top 100 restaurant companies are now making a loss.

Virgin Wines announces year-end trading update

Published: 29 July, 2022

Online wine retailer Virgin Wines has maintained much of its lockdown growth thanks to a loyal customer base and subscription model.

Portman Group pushes back against claims made in alcohol hospital admissions report

Published: 26 July, 2022

Two new studies from the University of Sheffield and the Institute of Alcohol Studies/HealthLumen have revealed the impact of pandemic-related changes in alcohol consumption on health outcomes.

Jubilee helps on-trade achieve 5% sales growth

Published: 20 July, 2022

June’s like-for-like sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub and bar groups were 5% ahead of the pre-Covid-19 levels of June 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.