Trends & Reports

Glen Dimplex develops EfficienC range of sustainable bottle coolers

20-May-2013 - Under the Lec Commercial brand, professional appliance manufacturer Glen Dimplex has launched a range of sustainable, environmentally-friendly bottle coolers.

Tim Hulme: Pub industry should embrace BII's new direction

17-May-2013 - Tim Hulme, the newly-appointed chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has called on the pub industry to back his organisation as he attempts to push through cultural changes.

News in brief

Hospitality industry among 'most engaged' sectors on employing apprentices

17-May-2013 - The hospitality and leisure industry is one of the most engaged sectors when it comes to taking on apprentices, according to the results of Barclays Corporate Banking’s Job Creation Survey.

Luxury hostel brand Hoax to launch in Liverpool in August

16-May-2013 - Hoax, a luxury hostel featuring a design-led restaurant and bar, will launch in Liverpool in August and the brand's backers are already planning to expand the concept to the capital and beyond. 

In the limelight: Aiden Byrne, Russell Norman and Simon Rogan to star in restaurant industry TV shows

16-May-2013 - The TV industry's interest in the inner workings of the restaurant world shows no sign of slowing down after the BBC announced it had commissioned two new shows about the process of launching a restaurant which will star Russell Norman, Simon Rogan & Aiden Byrne.

Restaurants' children's menus get investigated for Soil Association and Organix campaign

15-May-2013 - The Soil Association and baby food company Organix have launched a campaign in a bid to improve the food choices offered to children in restaurants. 

VOC London to launch grill restaurant alongside punch house bar

15-May-2013 - The team behind VOC London have revealed they are transforming the Kings Cross venue to create a new 38-cover grill restaurant which will accompany the existing 17th century punch house-inspired bar.

Restaurant sales recover in April following March snow

15-May-2013 - Restaurants and pubs returned to a marginal sales growth in April following the devastating effects of the snow and freezing temperatures in March.

#SocialRestaurant: How to use Twitter effectively

15-May-2013 - They’re all on it. Big national chains, high-profile chefs and small emerging brands across the UK have realised the power of Twitter. But in the fast-moving world of social media, how can you use the networking site to convert followers to customers?

People 1st welcomes Government support of hospitality industry traineeships

14-May-2013 - People 1st has welcomed an announcement from the Government that it is planning to introduce traineeships for 16 to 19-year-olds later this year and has said it should help the hospitality industry by helping to 'bridge skills gaps'.

Ferguson farewell highlights positive impact of sport on hotels

14-May-2013 - The London 2012 Olympics may not have brought the rewards many hoteliers had expected, but almost a year on a number of sporting events and occasions - including Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement - are having a big effect on hotel prices, bookings and occupancy rates.

Boris Johnson credits London hotels with helping to boost city's business tourism credentials

13-May-2013 - London has been elevated to sixth place in the International Congress and Convention Association's list of the most popular cities for business tourism, an accolade the London Mayor has attributed in part to the capital's hotels.  

News in brief

ASK Italian gets NGCI accreditation for gluten-free range

13-May-2013 - ASK Italian has become the latest restaurant chain to receive the official No Gluten Containing Ingredients (NGCI) accreditation from Coeliac UK for its gluten-free range. 

Supermarket sweep: How to beat the meal deals

10-May-2013 - As supermarkets begin to take a bigger bite of the foodservice sector, many restaurant operators are left struggling to compete. Could an extra emphasis on lunchtime offerings and more seating options provide that crucial point of difference?

TCG targets daytime trade with pub re-openings

10-May-2013 - Managed pubco TCG has revealed it is spending £400k to refurbish two of its venues which will focus more heavily on the daytime trade when they re-open later this month.

News in brief

Burst bubble? London's managed food-led pubs feel the squeeze

09-May-2013 - Managed pubs located within the M25 are failing to perform as strongly as those outside the capital when it comes to food sales, according to a new report released by on-trade consultancy firm CGA Strategy.

DoubleTree by Hilton snaps up two more London hotels

09-May-2013 - Hilton Worldwide is set to open two new hotels in London this summer under its upscale DoubleTree brand – both of which are in the final stages of a £20m refurbishment programme.

TripAdvisor launches free review collection and management services

09-May-2013 - Review website TripAdvisor has unveiled two new developments which essentially make it easier and quicker for UK hoteliers to collect customer feedback and manage their online reputation.

UK hotels see uplift in day use by business guests

08-May-2013 - Hotels in the UK offering bedrooms to business guests during the day could benefit from a new revenue stream, according to bookings website between9and5.com, which has seen a 400 per cent rise in the number of bookings made by the corporate market in the last year.

The Cinnamon Group turns to lunch trade as business growth slows

07-May-2013 - The new operations manager of The Cinnamon Group has admitted that the business has seen little growth over the past year, but insists there is still room to expand across the UK with the lunchtime trade cited as a ‘key opportunity’.

Soaring food prices leave restaurants fighting for profit

03-May-2013 - Food prices have overtaken rent and business rates in the list of major overheads facing UK restaurants and are now second only to staff wages, according to a new industry-wide report by reservations company Livebookings.

Lack of defibrillators in hospitality industry raises concerns

03-May-2013 - The vast majority of British hospitality businesses do not have a defibrillator, despite the impact the device has on cardiac arrest survival rates, according to a recent report.

Lording it up in London?

02-May-2013 - Shifts in landlord behaviour are making it harder for smaller players to get on the property ladder in the capital, writes Restaurant magazine's Joe Lutrario.

New Tourism Strategy missed a trick, says VAT campaign

02-May-2013 - The Cut Tourism VAT Campaign is ‘disappointed’ that Culture Secretary Maria Miller and VisitBritain have both failed to realise the importance of reducing VAT for the sector after the national tourist board published its new tourism strategy earlier this week.

Hope on the Horizon: Five steps forward for foodservice

02-May-2013 - Following the annual Breakfast Briefing by foodservice consultancy Horizons yesterday morning (1 May), BigHospitality has picked out five of the big trends and forecasts for the eating-out sector to help your business plough on through the recession.