As we press ahead with our summer Q&As, next up is leading sommelier Luke Harbor, group beverage director at The Pig Hotels, who reflects here upon on-trade trends; the exciting prospects for English wine; and why more young people should take a chance at a career in hospitality.
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Over half of Scottish people (58%) are cutting back on both drinks and meals at hospitality venues, according to a new survey from The Knowledge Bank, the insight hub from trade body Scotland Food & Drink.
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Pubs at risk of closure for conversion to another use are set to receive protections under new planning regulations in England, which come into force today (Monday 17 August).
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This autumn, Vagabond Wines is set to open a new location in Brighton’s Duke Street, its second bar outside London.
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Scotland’s largest whisky trail, Whisky Week, is set to return on 20 August, with more than 50 venues across Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh participating.
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Iconic St James’s venue Quaglino’s is set to reopen its doors on 7 October 2026 after a significant restoration by new owners The Evolv Collection.
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Wines of Georgia UK is launching a new Georgian Wine Month initiative, inviting wine shops, restaurants and bars to take part in a celebration of the ancient winemaking country.
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The annual Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Spotlight Awards – which recognise exceptional black and ethnic minority talent across the UK’s hospitality, food and drink sectors – has announced its finalists for this year.
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The government has announced that pubs, clubs and live music venues across England are set to receive a 20% business rates cut from April 2027.
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Claridge’s director of wine Emma Denney has been awarded the UK Sommelier of the Year 2026 title, after two days of high-level competition.
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Times are tough for the UK hospitality industry at the moment, with operators facing considerable challenges from what seems like every quarter. Yet there are operators who are, in spite of everything, making it work. Among these is Adam Handling MBE, chef and owner of the eponymous Adam Handling Collection. “Hospitality has never been an easy industry, but margins are now so tight that even well-run businesses are having to work harder than ever just to stay afloat,” he says.
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Monica Berg and Alex Kraterna – the founders of cocktail bar Tayēr + Elementary – have announced the launch of a new pop-up series called ‘What if?’.
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Wine Australia has announced the six sommeliers and on-trade buyers that will be joining it on their first-ever trip to the country’s wine regions in November 2026.
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The most recent company insolvency statistics can reveal that in May month on month hospitality insolvencies were down 9%, following a difficult start to the year for the sector.
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In a well needed boost for the hospitality industry, data from hospitality technology firm Zonal can reveal that pub bookings are up 293% year-on-year when comparing today (17 June) with the same day last year.
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Estelle Manor’s head of wine Zareh Mesrobyan won the 2026 UK Ruinart Sommelier Challenge yesterday (8 June), following a hard-fought contest at London’s Dorchester hotel.
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A campaign to cut VAT for the hospitality sector to 10% has already garnered massive support, with more than 10,000 people signing the #VATsTheProblem petition within 72 hours of its launch.
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Chef and publican Tom Kerridge is urging the hospitality industry to sign a new petition backing VATsTheProblem – a campaign to cut VAT for the sector to 10%.
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Nominations are open for Harpers Top 50 Sommeliers 2026 listing, with all in the UK drinks world invited to propose candidates for consideration.
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UK Hospitality (UKH) has responded to the recent Milburn review interim report on youth unemployment, saying that it demonstrates “the damaging impact of increasing costs on job opportunities”.
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