With six months to go until the London 2012 Olympics begin, the majority of businesses have not prepared themselves for the Games, according to a survey by hospitality skills council People 1st.
Restaurants, bars and entertainment companies benefit from £1.3bn of spending a year from couples going out on a date, according to a survey from dating website match.com.
With another year plagued by a poor economic backdrop, hotels in London were able to record a second consecutive year of profitability growth in 2011, but provincial properties suffered a fourth successive year of profit decline.
Good weather around Christmas 2011 helped keep Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) festive sales buoyant, the managed pub operator has reported, with like-for-like sales up 6.5 per cent for the nine weeks to 21 January.
With more than two-thirds of chefs and kitchen staff incurring injury in the workplace at least once a month, current first aid provision in commercial kitchens needs tightening up according to a survey by food hygiene specialist DayMark.
An industry taskforce chaired by the British Hospitality Association featuring representatives from restaurants, hotels and pubs and bars has submitted a report of recommendations on cutting red tape and regulations to the Tourism Minister John Penrose.
As part of Food Allergy & Intolerance Week Allergy UK has called for guidelines or enforced training for restaurants and hospitality businesses on their diners allergens and intolerances.
The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has claimed public health has started to change as a result of the Responsibility Deal which includes calorie labelling in restaurants.
Eating out at restaurants and pubs is fast-becoming a treat reserved for special occasions, as cash-strapped consumers are more cautious with their discretionary spend, according to foodservice consultancy Horizons.
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has today urged the Government to take action to save Britain’s historic pub culture in the light of new research which reveals that 16 pubs now close across the country every week.
Beer sales continued to fall in 2011 with pub sales down by 3.4 per cent in the last year but the rate of decline has shrunk to the slowest since 2004, according to the latest Beer Barometer from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
International hotel operator Accor opened a record 39,000 hotel rooms across its global estate last year, driven in part by franchise deals that saw 24 UK hotels converted to its Mercure brand.
With fewer than 200 days until the London 2012 Olympics, the UK is preparing for an influx of visitors from around the world. But just how much of an impact will the Games have on the nation’s hotels?
JD Wetherspoon expects a continued decline in its operating margin this year due to continuing cost pressures resulting from government legislation and VAT rates.
