Casual Dining

How I Got Here: Samuel Mensah

19-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Samuel Mensah is the CEO of London-based Ghanaian bakery business Uncle John's, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Patty & Bun 'cautiously optimistic for the future' with national expansion still on the cards

19-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Patty & Bun founder Joe Grossman says he believes the business is 'well placed to tackle future challenges', with national expansion still key to the company's strategy.

The Coconut Tree to extend Eat Out to Help Out discount into autumn

19-Aug-2020 By Restaurant

Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree says it will continue to mirror the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO) discount into the autumn in a bid to retain the momentum of the rise in bookings early in the week the scheme has led to.

PizzaExpress formally launches CVA with 73 sites set to close

19-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

PizzaExpress has formally launched a proposal to reduce its UK restaurant estate and rental cost base via a company voluntary arrangement (CVA).

Over 35m Eat Out to Help Out meals sold in first two weeks

18-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

New figures released by the Treasury show that businesses have claimed for over 35m discounted meals since Eat Out to Help Out launched two weeks ago.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse concept reaches 25 sites

18-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Franchise group Black and White Hospitality has opened its 25th Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill restaurant, having recently launched a new site in Swansea.

Dan Kenny and Luka Dmitryi on serving kebabs from a Brighton flat

18-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Two chefs from Brighton restaurant The Set have launched a collection-only business called Five Star Kebabs that requires customers to pick up their dinner from the window of a domestic kitchen.

Wildwood operator Tasty cuts workforce by a third

18-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Wildwood operator Tasty says it has reduced its workforce by 32%, making a total of 284 staff redundant.

Promotion

California Walnut industry manages supply amid COVID-19

18-Aug-2020 By Restaurant

Despite the recent challenging global situation, the California walnut industry, says it continues its commitment to producing high-quality, nutritious and safe walnuts for consumers worldwide.

Stronger together - why it's not too late for the hospitality industry to take on the insurers

18-Aug-2020 By Sonia Campbell

Mishcon de Reya partner Sonia Campbell on why it's not too late for hospitality businesses to take on the insurers over their refusal to pay out on business interruption claims.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants set for major expansion with 50 UK openings 'planned'

18-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Gordon Ramsay's ambition to 'create a billion-dollar dining proposition' is reportedly undented by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the chef laying out plans to open 50 new sites across the UK.

Boutique hotel The Mayfair Townhouse to open in autumn

17-Aug-2020 By Restaurant

The group behind luxury hotels Cliveden House and Chewton Glen will open its latest venue, in Mayfair, this autumn.

Eat Out to Help Out scheme not cannibalising weekend trade, says report

17-Aug-2020 By Restaurant

Sales in restaurants increased by 50% between Monday and Wednesday in the opening week of the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO) scheme, compared to the previous week, according to research from software provider Fourth.

The Ritz hotel targeted by fraudsters

17-Aug-2020 By Restaurant

The Ritz hotel in London has been targeted by scammers posing as its reservations team to try and obtain the payment card details of its diners.

Ali Nia swaps Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for The Drunken Butler

17-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Former general manager at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay Ali Nia has been appointed as general manager and partner at The Drunken Butler in Farringdon.

Ireland’s Wowburger and Elephant & Castle to make UK debut in Doncaster

17-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Irish restaurant brands Wowburger and Elephant & Castle are to make their UK debut at the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster later this year.

YO! eyes 19 closures as it launches CVA

17-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

YO! has set out a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) proposal that will see 19 of its sites closed, with a loss of up to 250 jobs.

Collection of track and trace details becomes mandatory in Scotland

14-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Nicola Sturgeon has told pubs and restaurants in Scotland to turn potential customers away if they refuse to provide contact details to help Coronavirus track and trace efforts.

Friday Five: The week's top news

14-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

We round-up some of the main hospitality news stories from the past week including the UK plunging into recession, and fears over the future of the hospitality jobs market.

Greene King becomes UK's largest pub takeaway business following delivery roll out

14-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Greene King has rolled out its ‘pub grub’ delivery and takeaway service to its entire food-led managed estate.

GBK exploring 'all options' for long-term sustainability

14-Aug-2020 By Georgia Cronin

Gourmet Burger Kitchen's parent company Famous Brands has said it is continuing to explore “all options” to ensure the long-term sustainability of the brand in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis.

Chiktopia relaunches after liquidation

14-Aug-2020 By Finn Scott-Delany and James McAllister

'Better chicken’ restaurant concept Chiktopia has relaunched as a dark kitchen, after the original business went into liquidation earlier this year.

Soho Estates hails Summer Street Festival success with 90% of operators back open

14-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

London-based commercial landlord Soho Estates has hailed its Summer Street Festival campaign a 'success'.

Graham Hornigold on bringing his high-end pastry credentials to doughnuts

14-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Top restaurant pastry chef Graham Hornigold is ramping up the expansion and reach of his doughnut concept Longboys with plans for two further London locations.

Khan calls for ‘urgent’ support to secure the West End's survival

14-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Sadiq Khan has called on the Government to provide ‘urgent’ support to protect businesses in London’s West End.

Kreidel to launch in Hoxton

13-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Yann Florio and Far Out Food director Graham Brittain will launch a bar, kitchen, events space and media studio in Hoxton tomorrow (14 August).

Mitch Tonks 'astounded' by Rockfish's initial post-lockdown trading

13-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Rockfish co-founder Mitch Tonks says he is 'astounded' by the group's sales performance during the initial first weeks of post-lockdown trading.

Opinion

To CVA or not to CVA?

13-Aug-2020 By Victoria Oates

Shelley Sandzer partner Victoria Oates explores Company Voluntary Agreement - CVAs for short - in the time of the Coronavirus crisis.

UKHospitality - sector 'must commit' to track and trace

13-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has reiterated the importance of hospitality businesses playing their part in supporting the track and trace schemes across the UK.

Shaftesbury transforms part of Chinatown into 'open air food destination'

13-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Shaftesbury PLC has temporarily transformed part of London's Chinatown into an 'open air food destination', as part of a campaign to support tenants as they reopen.

Pub and restaurant groups see sales halved in first month back

13-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups saw year-on-year sales fall by 50.4% in the first month of post-lockdown trading, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Aberdeen's local lockdown extended for at least another week

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in Aberdeen, Scotland, will have to remain closed for at least another week, after Nicola Sturgeon announced an extension to the city's local Coronavirus lockdown.

Clean Kitchen Club to turbo charge expansion with multiple sites planned

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Youtube personality Mikey Pearce's vegan burger concept Clean Kitchen Club is to open its first delivery kitchen in London next week, with further sites planned across the UK.

How I Got Here: Will Ellner

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Will Ellner operates two London sites under his pasta-focused restaurant group Bancone, with its Soho location recently reopening following the Coronavirus lockdown.

Alex Reilley: “Hospitality has finally got the respect it deserves”

12-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley says that the pandemic has brought about a welcome shift in how the hospitality sector is viewed by both the Government and the public.

Local Lib Dems demand Westminster extends street closures to include Mondays and Tuesdays

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Westminster City Council needs to ensure al fresco dining can take place every night of the week, says the Westminster & City of London Liberal Democrats.

Haidilao heads to Birmingham

12-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Chinese hot pot giant Haidilao has chosen Birmingham for its third UK site and first outside of London.

Russell Norman leaves Polpo

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Polpo co-founder Russell Norman has stepped down from his role as director of the group.

Hospitality 'worst hit' as UK plunges into recession

12-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

The UK has entered its deepest recession since records began, with figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing hospitality to have been the hardest hit sector.

Pret cuts staff hours by 20%

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Pret a Manger says it has asked thousands of its staff to work fewer hours as part of its post-Coronavirus restructuring.

Silo to temporarily relaunch as wine bar

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Chef Douglas McMaster is to temporarily 'reconfigure' his zero-waste restaurant Silo in London's Hackney as a wine bar, saying he hopes to reopen properly towards the end of the year.

Murger Han tees up third London opening

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Chinese street food restaurant Murger Han has secured its third London opening, taking over the former Spice Trader site on Philpot Lane in The City.

UKHospitality calls for investigation into hospitality energy market

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has written to the Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng MP calling on the Government and Ofgem to investigate unfair practices in the energy market.

Trade bodies call for introduction of 'Property Bounceback grant'

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Landlords and operators have issued a joint call for a joint call for a Government-backed Property Bounceback grant to facilitate in rent negotiations.

More than 10.5m Eat Out to Help Out claims made in first week

11-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

The Treasury has said that diners used the Eat Out to Help Out scheme more than 10.5m times in its first week.

Rick Stein encourages unemployed hospitality workers to move to Cornwall

10-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Following the boom in staycations, Rick Stein is encouraging unemployed hospitality workers to move to Cornwall to fill 39 active vacancies within his business empire.

Hospitality Ulster seeks rescue package for Northern Ireland's wet-led pubs

10-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Trade body Hospitality Ulster is calling on the the Northern Ireland Executive to create a rescue package for wet-led pubs, which have been told they can’t open until 1 September at the earliest.

22,000 restaurant jobs axed this year with fears worse is yet to come

10-Aug-2020 By Joe Lutrario

The number of jobs lost across the embattled restaurant sector in 2020 is already nearly double the amount shed during the whole of 2019 with experts fearing that the worst is yet to come.

Friday Five: The week's top news

07-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

This week's main news stories include the launch of the Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, and pubs and restaurants in Aberdeen being ordered to close as Scotland's first local lockdown is imposed.

Cub closes its doors permanently

07-Aug-2020 By James McAllister

Cub, the restaurant and bar opened by award-winning mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan) in partnership with Silo chef owner Douglas McMaster, has announced it will not reopen.