Hospitality leaders fight to recruit and retain staff as labour shortages bite

One in six (16%) hospitality jobs currently lie vacant, triggering intense competition among firms to recruit and retain team members, the latest Business Confidence Survey from CGA and Fourth has said.

Price spikes predicted as 3/4 of hospitality prepare to pass on costs

Costs resulting from ongoing supply chain issues are likely to be passed onto the customer this autumn, CGA has predicted, with three-quarters of hospitality businesses admitting that they are likely to raise prices as a result.

Charity report finds racism continues to affect UK hospitality

A survey commissioned by the not-for-profit organisation Be Inclusive Hospitality suggests that racial discrimination continues to be an issue for the UK's service industry.

Fine wine becoming a ‘regular luxury’ for British consumers

A recent survey commissioned by fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index suggests that the pandemic has led to a surge of interest in fine wine buying – either for immediate consumption or longer term investment.

Optimism among hospitality professionals dips

Optimism among hospitality professionals has dipped amid staffing challenges and safety concerns, according to a new survey by CGA and CPL Learning.

2021 Drinks Wholesaler Spotlight

We surveyed the trade asking how drinks suppliers have evolved their businesses in response to the pandemic. Andrew Catchpole rounds up the responses. 

Only two in five hospitality business leaders say they’re trading at profit, though confidence is on the rise

Only two in five hospitality businesses are now either trading or are expected to trade at a profit by the end of June, a new survey from CGA and Fourth has revealed.

Hospitality to help ‘reignite’ UK economy

Hospitality can play a critical role in rebooting the UK economy if it receives the necessary levels of support from government.

Indies survey: Health check 2020

The loss of the on-trade was obviously a huge blow to the UK drinks sector in 2020. In all parts of the UK, the forced shuttering of hospitality has wreaked havoc on both economic and mental wellbeing. For independent businesses, this has often meant the loss of a major chunk of sales in terms of wholesale trade, with an entire source of revenue lost overnight.

Drinks Trust survey highlights need for upskilling and greater diversity inclusion

The drinks industry still has a way to go to being a more supportive place for those facing employment, mental health and inclusion issues, the Drinks Trust’s annual survey has found.

The survey, which aims to inform the objectives and support offered by the charity each year, found that 66% of respondents believe that diversity has remained the same in the industry in 2020, with only 29% receiving any kind of training on diversity and inclusion. A further 23% revealed they had faced discrimination due to race, gender, sexuality or disability in the workplace.

Cautious optimism returns for hospitality’s businesses prospects

A new survey has revealed a rise in optimism among hospitality operators for the future of their business over the next 12 months, albeit from a very low threshhold – but representing a substantial increase from the third quarter of the year.

BAME in Hospitality survey to help drive change

BAME in Hospitality and CPL Learning are calling on members of the trade to complete an Inside Hospitality Survey, as part of a strategy to “measure, track and make incremental changes”.

Paving the way back to tasting

Restaurant outings rise increasingly driven by all age groups

UK consumer confidence to eat out continues to rise, with 10 million more people visiting bars and restaurants in August over June, with an additional 2.4 million also likely to venture out for the first time during the next fortnight.

Approval rating of ‘new look’ on-trade reaches 94%

The vast majority of consumers who have visited pubs, restaurants and bars in England in the two weeks since reopening have been satisfied with safety measures and their overall experience, a new survey has revealed.

Strong support for return of physical tastings

Some 85% of wine professionals have said “yes” to wine tastings in response to a survey organised by leading UK wine PR agencies and generic bodies.

British vineyards hit by Covid crisis

The Covid-19 outbreak is causing serious damage to the UK’s wine industry, according to a survey of its members commissioned by Wines of Great Britain.

Innovation Survey: All change

For this year's Innovation Focus, Harpers once again surveyed the trade to uncover the latest business-improving innovations in the drinks world. Andrew Catchpole reports on the findings. 

On-trade operators should plan ‘relaunch', not ‘reopening’, ahead of 4 July

On-trade operators should “step away from emotion”, challenging themselves to think back to when they started their businesses and consider it a relaunch, not a reopening, when they once again open their doors.

US on-trade reopening gives near-future glimpse of path ahead for UK

Reduced food and drink ranges, continued off-trade sales, ongoing food take-out, plus the need for support from suppliers to ‘optimise drinks assortments’ are among the main takeaways from a recent Nielsen CGA survey of the US restaurant and bar sectors.