Published: 14 November, 2025
Hospitality is an extremely wasteful industry. According to Juliane Caillouette Noble, MD of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), this is because the sector operates on a linear economy model, where goods are used then thrown away. The aim of her organisation is a more ‘circular’ future, which means redesigning supply chains and rethinking the lifecycle of products so resources are reused for as long as possible. In a circular economy, recycling is a last resort, especially with the amount of ‘recycling’ that goes to landfill. Attendees of the launch learned that circularity is intimately connected to so-called zero-waste solutions (defined as diverting at least 90% of waste from landfill by reducing and reusing resources) as resources are reused, lowering business waste.
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Published: 12 November, 2025
This is Amy Poon’s first permanent venue, continuing but evolving the legacy of her parents’ famous Chinese restaurants. The idea is to serve high-quality dishes that are often unfamiliar in the west yet are cooked regularly in Chinese homes – Poon says it’s “where you come if you don’t have a nice Chinese friend who will cook for you at home”. Fundamental to this is a focus on steam cooking, alongside some Poon’s staples, such as claypot rice (first introduced to the UK by Bill Poon, Amy’s father) and both traditional and experimental presentations of Poon’s wind-dried meats (created by her grandfather). The wine list will demonstrate the versatility of wines with Chinese dishes, focusing on cool-climate wines, family-owned producers, biodynamic practice and female winemakers.
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Published: 10 November, 2025
Luca Dusi, founder of the original Passione Vino in Shoreditch, is celebrating over 20 years in London by opening his latest venture. Part shop, part bar and restaurant and located in a former Italian tattoo parlour, this new location will continue to reflect Dusi’s passion for Italian wine producers – he even designed the bar himself. To pair with the wines, a series of bold sandwiches has been created by chef Pascal Lazzarotto from carefully chosen Italian ingredients such as oxtail, smoked trout, cotechino and sardines. Each guest will have a pairing individual to them, as there is no wine list at Passione Vino – instead, Dusi and the team recommend their favourite bottles.
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Published: 10 November, 2025
Stamina is not only needed by revellers at this time of year but also spirits suppliers, who need to sate the cyclical rise in demand for everything from single malt to mezcal. Harpers spoke to distributors – whose agility and innovation set the standard for UK spirits suppliers – about their expectations for the Yuletide period.
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Published: 03 November, 2025
Pub insolvencies saw a marked increase during Q2 and Q3 of 2025, reversing a tentative recovery seen earlier this year. According to accountancy firm Price Bailey, 219 pubs entered insolvency in Q2, followed by 189 in Q3. Q1 saw 161 establishments not able to pay their debts.
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Published: 31 October, 2025
A new generation of winemakers has recharged the country’s standing in the on-trade. Hamish Graham reports.
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Published: 29 October, 2025
The Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA) is open for entries to its 2026 round of judging.
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Published: 27 October, 2025
According to trade bodies UK Hospitality (UKH) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) 500 high street retail premises will be at risk of closure if the planned business rates surcharge goes ahead.
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Published: 20 October, 2025
The founders of London Cocktail Week – Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhán Payne (pictured) – have acquired both the London Cocktail Week and London Wine Week brands from previous owners Speciality Drinks Ltd.
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Published: 20 October, 2025
Bonhams’ online auction of well-known Italian restaurant Locanda Locatelli’s wine cellar is now over, having sold all lots.
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Published: 13 October, 2025
A recent string of restaurant closures associated with chef Victor Garvey has revealed the potential for improvement in the wine trade to avoid being stung by rogue actors.
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Published: 10 October, 2025
The third iteration of Brazilian restaurant Beleza Rodizio is due to open in the West Midlands in November. Beleza translates to ‘beauty’ in Portuguese, and to many a carnivore, the sight of flame-grilled meats carved tableside will inspire feelings of wonder. The meaty fare is served rodizio-style, with wait staff visiting hungry patrons to carve meat off of a large skewer. Balancing the protein bonanza will be an array of fresh Brazilian salads, specialities and other sides. The drinks menu will serve a series of Brazilian-style cocktails, with cachaça-based Caipirinhas likely to buoy many an evening meal. The more than 550sq m venue will host to up to 147 guests, while a heated outdoor terrace will ensue an alfresco option could be on the cards year-round.
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Published: 08 October, 2025
For the 15th anniversary of its original opening in Fulham, self-pour wine bar Vagabond has opened a new location in Paternoster Square. The business has had an impressive lifespan – serving over 3.25 million guests and stocking more than 9,800 wines since 2010. Its £6.5m acquisition by Majestic Wine last year has entailed significant investment – this being the first of several new sites planned over the next 12 months. Customers are once again invited to ‘tap and pour’, with the new bar boasting 110 wines by the glass, the most to explore of any Vagabond. There will also be a seasonal selection of small plates, designed to share.
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Published: 06 October, 2025
Founded in 2021 by chefs Hari Shetty and Ori Geller, this is the second Nela restaurant now open outside of Amsterdam, following a recent launch in Ibiza. Nela means pure, which emphasises its philosophy – high-quality hand-picked ingredients, cooked with fire. Along with flame-cooked dishes, there are also standout cured and raw offerings, such as yellowtail with burnt aubergine and pickled turnip. Expect an extensive and diverse wine list plus a line-up of innovative cocktails. Nela will welcome guests for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday and for lunch from Friday to Sunday. The 175-cover restaurant also features elevated banquette seating, along with pillars that emulate water droplets throughout, all of which work towards creating an atmosphere of elegance and style.
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Published: 24 September, 2025
I recently read that the UK is on the verge of a sake boom. The trade press article reported “a healthy increase in popularity”, with the St James’s wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd noting “a 1,000% increase in sales between 2023 and 2024” and “heaps of coverage in the press”. Normally sake gets next to no coverage in the press so this was news to me. I thought then that I should check and see if there really is a breakthrough, or if, like previous claims for Riesling or Muscat, the hype outweighs the evidence.
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Published: 22 September, 2025
Walk into any pub or bar in the UK and you’re likely to find at least one decent non-alcoholic beer on offer. It’s great news for those off the booze, but with a range of innovative options now available, from kombucha to adaptogenic spirits and CBD soft drinks, bars relying on beer to satisfy the growing demand for low & no may be missing out.
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Published: 17 September, 2025
New research from Drinkaware and Anglia Ruskin University can reveal that approximately 2% of UK adults have been a victim of drink spiking in the past year.
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Published: 29 August, 2025
A recent report by Zonal and CGA by NIQ Insights has revealed that the average preferred time for dinner bookings now is 6.12pm, which suggests that for every group sampling a set menu at 7.30pm, another is sharing small plates and a mineral water at 5.00pm.
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Published: 26 August, 2025
Fresh analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) jobs data by UK Hospitality can reveal that more than half of all job losses since the Autumn Budget have been in the hospitality sector.
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Published: 20 August, 2025
A new survey from leading hospitality trade bodies has revealed that 69% of businesses queried are operating at or below 85% capacity.
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