New variant bears down on hopes of buoyant festive trade

The enforcement of ‘Plan B’ rules continues to dampen spirits across the sector this festive season, as a growing number of venues report mass cancellations.

Symington taps into rebellious side for Port-inspired speakeasy

With the mantra of “not your grandfather’s port club”, Symington Family Estates has teamed up with Rebel Port Club to launch a speakeasy style pop-up experience in London aimed at initiating a new generation of port drinkers.

Bouncing Back Q&A: Quique Dacosta, owner, Arros QD, London

With three Michelin stars under his belt, Spanish chef Quique Dacosta opened his first London venue, the paella celebrating Arros QD, in 2019. He talks to Harpers about surviving the perfect storm of Covid, Brexit and the ongoing difficulties for hospitality.

A Plan B Christmas will put the industry under “severe pressure”

A re-tightening of restrictions is threatening to put a pin in Christmas celebrations, causing more gloom for the hospitality sector as the government rubber stamps plans to introduce vaccine passports for late-night venues.

London's Connaught triumphs as 'World’s Best Bar'

The Connaught Bar in Mayfair has for the second year running being awarded the title of World's Best Bar, in a ceremony which took place yesterday (7 December).

Boparan group achieves carbon neutral certification

Every brand owned and operated by the Boparan Restaurant Group has been certified as carbon neutral by Carbon Neutral Britain, after offsetting all their direct emissions.

Concerns over Christmas bookings for hospitality

Leading trade associations have raised concern about the impact that Covid-19 and the new variant Omicron is having on Christmas bookings for the sector.

Premium wine sales on the rise

Michelle Perrett dives into Liberty Wines’ latest on-trade focused report, rounding up the top takeaways. 

Scotland delays implementation of Deposit Return Scheme

A perfect storm of Covid-19, Brexit and a struggling hospitality sector has delayed the introduction of Scotland's inaugural DRS scheme, according to Scottish Minister Lorna Slater.

Hospitality Rising launches recruitment campaign

Hospitality Rising, a collaborative movement dedicated to increasing recruitment levels in the industry, is aiming to raise £5m by running “the biggest hospitality recruitment advertising campaign the world has ever seen”.

CGA report hints at hospitality recovery

New data released by CGA Strategy offers a glimpse of a beleaguered industry in resurgence, with total sales rising in Britain's managed pubs, restaurants and bars.

Hospitality is in ‘peril’ and ‘fighting’ for survival

The hospitality sector is “an industry in peril” that is fighting for its life, the latest edition of the UKHospitality (UKH) and CGA Quarterly Tracker has said.

Winner unveiled for AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year award.

Sally Abé has been selected as the winner of this year’s AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year award.

Bibendum’s Bordeaux Project grows with new estates

Bibendum Wine has announced that another three top Bordeaux estates have joined its Bordeaux fine wine project, which was launched in partnership with négociant, Compagnie Medocaine, in 2020.

Liberty report: Reversal of off/on-trade trends buffers hospitality recovery

Liberty Wines’ latest report has noted the positive effect of the reversal of the trends from the on to the off-trade over the course of the pandemic, with the growth in popularity of independent wine retailers during lockdown and an overall move towards experimentation feeding back into the on-trade and helping to boost sales.

Young consumers set to embrace Christmas trading

Young adults are set to embrace pubs, bars and restaurants for Christmas celebrations, but older people may be more hesitant about eating and drinking out, new research from CGA has revealed.

Business rates for hospitality cut by 50% for one year

Today’s Budget announcement included a year-long cut to business rates for the leisure and retail industry, meaning pubs, restaurants and bars will pay 50% less for 12 months.

Vaccine passports halve late-night sales in Scotland

The fast supper: The new pace of casual dining

Jo Gilbert reports from last month’s Casual Dining Show, where the FutureFoodservice report, The Rebuilding of Hospitality, predicted the shift of the sector towards faster, ‘social re-fuelling’ occasions

Delivery and takeaway sales not compromising consumers’ out of home spending

Delivery and takeaway are still booming having become a “crucial part of restaurant and pub operations”, the latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker, which covers the month of September, has said. Encouragingly, this is not compromising consumers’ out of home spending, which is also on the rise and recovering post-pandemic.