Friday five: the week's top hospitality stories
- Dipna Anand will launch a 150-cover eponymous restaurant within Milton Keynes’ Unity Place development next month in partnership with contract catering company Restaurant Associates. Dipna Anand Kitchen & Bar is billed as a ‘flavour-rich, planet-friendly experience’ that will offer the chef’s authentic Punjabi and South Indian cuisine alongside ‘a selection of traditional favourites’.
- Restaurant group D&D London has been bought for £60m. Its new owners are Byron owner Calverton and Breal Capital, which recently snapped up Vinoteca and Black Sheep Brewery.
- Miller & Carter is facing criticism for a new policy that requires front-of-house staff to 'tip-out' up to 2% of gross sales to the kitchen, bar and management. The so-called ‘Tips for Tips Scheme’, which has been implemented in a number of the steakhouse group’s 124 UK restaurants, will see waiters lose hundreds of pounds a month, according to the Unite Union. Miller & Carter described Unite's claims related to it as being 'inaccurate and potentially defamatory'. “We are aware that third party organisations have been publicly critical and making inaccurate and potentially defamatory claims around our tipping practices. We are more than happy to be transparent about our approach which we believe is democratic, fair and ensures 100% of all tips given by guests are retained by frontline team members. Tips received by our team members are in addition to our core pay and benefits package which is always paid at, or above, national minimum wage.”
- Rick Stein’s restaurant group has blamed the rapid increase in supply chain costs, particularly the rise in fish and oil prices, for contributing to an erosion of its profit margin. In its latest financial results covering the period from 3 January 2022 to 1 January 2023, the group reported a loss before tax of £347,000, down from a profit of £3.7m the year before.
- The planned inflation-linked rise in business rates in April will cost hospitality businesses an additional £234m it has been revealed. With the £630m that the ending of rates relief would simultaneously represent, this combination would leave hospitality facing £864m in business rate costs next April, according to trade body UKHospitality.
