Hospitality news

Headlines

Rooney Anand raises £200m to invest in pub sector

Former Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has raised £200m to invest in Britain’s pub industry, betting on the prospects of a post-pandemic recovery for the sector.

Alex Reilley: "The end of the moratoria will leave thousands of businesses horrifically exposed"

Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley expects the end of the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria in March will lead to a 'phenomenal glut' of CVAs across hospitality.

Fireaway Pizza aims for 100 sites in 2021

Takeaway pizza concept Fireaway has launched its 50th site, with a further 50 new sites to open over the next year.

Wetherspoon eyes London expansion after raising £93.7m in new equity

JD Wetherspoon has raised £93.7m investment following a share placing to help see it through a predicted period of low sales upon reopening and drive further acquisitions in London.

How I Got Here: Sandia Chang

The sommelier and Bubbledogs co-founder reflects on her career to date, what motives her, and what advice she would give to those looking to make it in the business.

Think tank calls for London ‘College of Food’

A world-beating College of Food should be established in London with a mission to transform culinary education and support the hospitality industry to recover from Coronavirus and Brexit.

UKHospitality: 'Business rates holiday and VAT cut extension essential for hospitality revival'

Trade body UKHospitality has called for a 'bold package' of support to enable businesses in the sector to spearhead country’s economic revival in 2021.

Scottish lockdown extended into February

Hospitality venues in mainland Scotland will remain closed until at least the middle of February after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced an extension to national lockdown restrictions.

Dishoom opens Cambridge delivery kitchen

Dishoom has chosen Cambridge for its second regional delivery kitchen taking its total number of delivery-only locations up to eight.

"This is an eminently scaleable concept" - London-based chain Figo on its plans for expansion

Less than two years after launching its debut site, London-based Italian chain Figo is looking to expand across the capital. Operations director Andy Dempster explains the plans for growth.

Hospitality sector expected to employ fewer people in 2023 than in 2019

The hospitality sector will take longer than most other sectors to recover jobs lost in 2020, employing substantially fewer people in 2023 than it did in 2019, according to the latest forecast from consultancy firm EY.

Michelin awards star to vegan restaurant in France for the first time

Vegan restaurant ONA in south-west France has become the first in the country to win a Michelin star.

Prezzo's Karen Jones to represent hospitality on Government’s Build Back Better Council

Prezzo executive chair Karen Jones has been appointed to represent hospitality on the Government’s new Build Back Better Council.

Sunak urged to act on Covid business support before Budget

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the Government to announce extensions to business support measures in order to ensure the survival of firms until the economy reopens.

Three quarters of pubs yet to receive their Christmas grant

Three quarters of pubs are yet to receive the Christmas grant promised to them by the Government at the beginning of December 2020, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Birmingham chef Andrew Sheridan to launch street food van

Birmingham-based chef Andrew Sheridan is to launch a street food van that will serve French bistro dishes as well as putting on a number of collaborations with other well-known chefs.

Greene King relaunches employee support fund

Pubco and brewer Greene King is to relaunch its Coronavirus employee support fund later this month in partnership with the Licensed Trade Charity.

Pandemic pain sees over 800 branded sites close

More than 800 branded restaurants, bars and coffee shops have closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, new research shows.

UKHospitality: GDP figures 'highlight economic importance of hospitality'

Trade body UKHospitality has said the 'depressing' economic figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week highlight the economic importance of the hospitality sector.

Sacha Lord: "Hospitality must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail"

Greater Manchester's Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord has said hospitality in England must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail if the country returns to a tiered system.

Bella Italia named best hospitality company to work for in 2021

Bella Italia has been named the best hospitality company in the UK to work for by job website Glassdoor.

Flash-grilled: Marwa Alkhalaf

The co-owner of Iranian restaurant Nutshell in London on what it means to be a good chef, and why she regrets not pursuing it as career from a younger age.