On-trade: Survival game

True hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests,” once observed Eleanor Roosevelt. But after two years of relentless inflation, compounded by April’s increases in wages and business rates, few operators can still afford to be generous. The UK’s beleaguered hospitality sector finds itself at a critical juncture – venues have already streamlined, simplified and raised prices as far as they dare. Yet further increases may be unavoidable, creating the very real risk of significant impacts on footfall and average spend.