Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

On-trade in central Scotland to close

Published: 07 October, 2020

On-trade businesses across Scotland’s central belt, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, have been ordered to shut down for 16 days from this Friday.

New Covid clampdowns wreck hospitality recovery

Published: 05 October, 2020

The introduction of new government restrictions to tackle the Covid-19 crisis has wreaked havoc on the nascent recovery in the UK’s hospitality industry, acording to the latest survey from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

On-trade groups less pessimistic but overall market confidence plunges

Published: 30 September, 2020

The number of on-trade business leaders feeling confident about the general market has dipped to just 9% — half the level in June (16%), and a fraction of the four-year high of 60% at the start of this year, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth.

Quarter of licensed premises remain closed as ‘rule of six’ rolls out nationwide

Published: 14 September, 2020

Nearly a quarter of Britain’s licensed premises were still to reopen at the end of August, with the London market particularly slow to recover, new data has shown.

Hospitality gets behind Kickstart initiative

Published: 10 September, 2020

The HospitalityUnite website, set up to help hospitality workers find alternative employment during lockdown, has switched its focus to support the government’s Kickstart initiative for young people.

Portman Group launches pandemic blog series

Published: 07 September, 2020

The Portman Group is launching a new bi-weekly blog to examine how the drinks sector is confronting the responsibilities and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Restaurants look to extend success of Eat Out to Help Out

Published: 27 August, 2020

The government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which ends on 31 August, is to be extended by some pubs and restaurants – but without support from the government.

Slow return for consumer confidence

Published: 20 August, 2020

Consumer confidence with regard to eating and drinking out dipped in the UK in July as the reality of an altered hospitality landscape sank in.

Pubs lead uneven on-trade reopening

Published: 10 August, 2020

The on-trade still has a long way to go before it is fully re-opened as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease, according to new research.

Second wave lockdown spreads from Manchester to Aberdeen

Published: 05 August, 2020

Aberdeen has become the latest city to suffer from a second spike in coronavirus cases, leading pubs and bars to close.

On-trade versus schools debate rumbles on

Published: 05 August, 2020

Schools must “come before pubs and restaurants in future” England’s children’s commissioner has said, re-igniting a burgeoning stand-off between the education and hospitality sectors.

Over three-quarters of hospitality businesses at risk of insolvency

Published: 04 August, 2020

More than three-quarters of hospitality businesses in the UK are at risk of insolvency within 12 months, according to a new survey by UK Hospitality.

Beer is the big post-lockdown winner as pubs lead on-trade recovery

Published: 03 August, 2020

Out-of-home drinks sales are continuing to nudge upwards after the end of lockdown, with pubs and beer in most demand so far, it has emerged.

On-trade groups continue to nudge up sales as more sites reopen

Published: 31 July, 2020

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups open across England and Scotland are seeing a steady improvement in sales as more sites reopen, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Brits almost halve alcohol intake during lockdown

Published: 29 July, 2020

Brits consumed 1.3 billion litres of alcohol during the UK’s lockdown period, almost half the 2 billion litres recorded during the same period last year, according to new data from Nielsen Scantrack and CGA.

Hospitality needs customers if it's to stop going hungry

Published: 28 July, 2020

The hospitality sector is beginning to reopen, but it needs many more customers if its future is to be secured. By Andrew Catchpole

On-trade trading at near 70% of pre-Covid norms

Published: 24 July, 2020

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups in England have reported improving sales in the second week after shut-down was lifted, boosted by the reopening of more sites, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data.

On-trade reports 40% drop in weekly sales

Published: 17 July, 2020

Sales across on-trade sites open in England in the first week after lockdown was lifted were down 39.8% compared to the same week last year, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data released today.

Six-month VAT cut to 5% for hospitality and tourism

Published: 08 July, 2020

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a major cut to VAT for the hospitality and tourism sectors as they emerge from lockdown, as well as a first of its kind government-backed discount to help encourage customers to get back to the nation's bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes.

On-trade re-emerges with professional calm and strong bookings

Published: 06 July, 2020

Early indications from those on-trade operators that chose to reopen over the weekend suggest good numbers of customers and both guests and staff taking safety guidelines in their stride.