Business failures and job losses loom with Welsh Covid passports

The introduction of Covid-19 passports for venues in Wales will be an extra burden that could bring business failures before the end of the year, industry bodies have warned.

Long Read: Daring to dream of a Golden Era of hospitality

Hugh Jones fell into the drinks industry 14 years ago while trying to become a rock star and never left, learning his trade at Majestic Wine, Pernod Ricard, and Mentzendorff. After a locked-down winter teaching strangers how to make cocktails over Zoom, he is now sales manager at Colwith Farm Distillery.

Inflexible hospitality sector faces continued labour crisis, as job vacancies surge past one million

The UK’s hospitality industry must embrace more flexible working patterns if it intends to survive, a leading commentator has claimed.

Ready-made cocktails take off

Pre-batched cocktails hit the spot when it comes to consistency, reducing waste and prep time, according to their advocates, as Lisa Riley reports.

UKH: ‘Mandatory vaccine passports unworkable’

UK Hospitality (UKH) has said a mandatory Covid vaccine passports scheme for certain venues and events would be unworkable, cause conflict between staff and customers and would force business to deal with “complex equality rules”.

Scottish vaccine passport plan ‘threat hanging over the whole hospitality industry’

Industry bodies have voiced their concern following the Scottich government’s announcement yesterday that vaccine passports will be required for entry to nightclubs and many large events in the country from later this month.

No-shows cost sector £17.6bn

Customers not turning up for their bookings are costing the hospitality sector £17.6bn each year, according to a new CGA and Zonal report.

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.

Hospitality overpays business rates by £2.4bn per year

UK Hospitality (UKH) and the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) have called on government to introduce business rates reform after estimating that the sector overpays by £2.4bn each year.

Deliveries and takeaways to maintain significant share of restaurant and pub sales

Deliveries and takeaways are set to maintain a “significant share” of restaurant and pub groups’ operations despite restrictions on indoor service lifting following Freedom Day, the latest CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker has predicted.

Customers return to on-trade quicker than last summer

A total of 56% of consumers visited a hospitality venue in the first 10 days following July’s Freedom Day, according to a new UK Hospitality (UKH) survey, supported by data from CGA, released today.

Spirits boost drinks sales recovery while wine trails behind

Drinks sales have continued to edge further back towards pre-Covid levels in August, with spirits emerging as the leading category helping to catapult the on-trade towards recovery.

The Drinks Trust and The Burnt Chef Project partner to broaden mental health services

The Drinks Trust and The Burnt Chef Project have joined forces to extend their mental health services, with the Drinks Trust making their helpline available to users of The Burnt Chef Project and vice versa.

Drinks Trust backs PR internship for pandemic-affected workers

The Drinks Community – the professional members platform from The Drinks Trust – has partnered with UK drinks public relations agency Domino Communications to offer an internship for those working in the hospitality and drinks industry, whose livelihoods have been negatively affected by the pandemic.

Restaurants and bars emerge as the big winners of Freedom Day

Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups lifted sales back close to pre-Covid-19 levels in July, new data has revealed, with restaurants and bars benefitting the most from the easing of restrictions.

‘Pingdemic’ eases as self-isolation rules change

Hospitality workers who are double-jabbed will no longer have to self-isolate at home for 10 days after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid.

The Langham appoints new Artesian bar manager

The Langham, London has appointed Lorenza Pezzetta as bar manager of its ‘World’s 50 Best’ Artesian bar.

Bar trend for cocktails spills into nightclubs

Nightclub visitors have, in line with trends seen after the restart of restaurants, pubs and bars from April, been celebrating reopening of the sector with cocktails, according to CGA research.

Bouncing Back Q&A: Des Gunewardena, D&D London

C&C Group appoints Harriet Kininmonth as wine trading director

C&C Group has appointed Harriet Kininmonth to the newly created position of wine trading director.