Coronavirus

Foodservice price inflation reaches highest ever level as supply struggles with reopening

08-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Food and drink prices continued their upward trend in May with basket costs up by 2.5% on April, the latest edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index shows.

Pub and restaurant groups plan to retain masks and social distancing beyond 19 July

07-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality groups including Martin Williams' Rare Restaurants and City Pub Group are planning to continue with mask-wearing rules and social distancing beyond 19 July.

Self isolation announcement 'doesn’t go far enough, quickly enough'

06-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality could face a 'cancelled' summer after the Government announced that no changes will be made to Covid self isolation rules until the middle of next month.

'A long road back' for hospitality businesses as PM sets out final stage of lockdown roadmap

05-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues will no longer be required to only operate table service and nightclubs can finally reopen when England moves to the last phase of its Coronavirus lockdown roadmap.

Johnson to confirm 19 July unlocking in England

05-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Boris Johnson is expected to confirm the lifting of most remaining Covid-19 restrictions in England will go ahead on 19 July with social distancing and restrictions on bar ordering scrapped.

UKHospitality calls for urgent review of test and trace isolation guidelines

02-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has called for the Government to immediately review and amend its test and trace guidelines on self isolation.

Welsh Government announces 'final' round of grant support for Covid-hit businesses

01-Jul-2021 By James McAllister

Businesses in Wales that continue to be affected by Covid restrictions will receive up to £25,000 of additional support from the Welsh Government, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced.

Hospitality faces lockdown 'in all but name' as isolation rules force restaurants to close

30-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality could face a lockdown 'in all but name' as more and more businesses are forced to close because of staff having to self isolate.

Hospitality costs pile up as Javid declares 19 July ‘end of the line’ for lockdown

29-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality trade bodies have called on the Government to consider introducing mitigation measures to help alleviate rising operating costs for business still facing weeks of restrictions.

Events Research Programme reports 'no substantial outbreaks' following first pilots

28-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

The first phase of a pilot scheme set up to explore the impact of large-scale events on Covid-19 transmission has reported 'no substantial outbreaks'.

Night-time economy to protest against ongoing Government restrictions with #FreedomToDance march

23-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Industry workers and business owners from across the night-time economy will take part in a march through London this weekend to protest the ongoing lockdown restrictions imposed on the sector.

Sturgeon hopes Scotland can return 'to almost complete normality' by August

22-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Nicola Sturgeon has announced all of Scotland could move to Level 0 on 19 July, with most remaining restrictions potentially set to be dropped on 9 August.

Staffing crisis 'drives up' hospitality wages

22-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Hiring bottlenecks in the UK’s hospitality sector are increasingly prompting hospitality operators to turn to temporary staff to keep up with demand, with wages increasing by nearly 14%.

Freedom day delay puts 'thousands' more venues at risk

21-Jun-2021 By Joe Lutrario

New data from CGA shows a strong reopening for some segments of the industry but 'jeopardy' remains for many independent and late-night businesses.

Plastic not fantastic: Perspex screens ‘may increase transmission’

17-Jun-2021 By Joe Lutrario

Ministers have reportedly been told that Perspex screens should be ditched in pubs and restaurants over fears they are unlikely to decrease Covid transmission and may even increase it.

Angus Steakhouse's Piccadilly flagship put on market

17-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Angus Steakhouse's flagship London restaurant in Piccadilly Circus has been put on the market.

Scottish hospitality faces 'another lost summer' as lockdown easing set to be paused

16-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Scotland's hospitality sector is bracing itself for 'another lost summer' after it was announced the nationwide easing of Covid-19 restrictions will likely to be pushed back by three weeks.

Hospitality pleads for further financial support following 'Freedom Day' delay

15-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is facing urgent calls from the hospitality sector to extend 'crucial' financial support measures following confirmation of a four week delay to England's final lockdown easing.

PM confirms four-week delay to final lockdown easing

14-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Boris Johnson has confirmed that there will be a four week delay to the final stage of the Government's roadmap out of lockdown.

Government considers proposals to ring-fence hospitality rent debt

14-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Ministers are weighing up a plan to block landlords from evicting pub and restaurant owners that have fallen into arrears as a result of the pandemic, with a decision due this week.

'Freedom Day' delay will 'decimate' night-time economy

14-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

A delay to the final stage of the Government's roadmap out of lockdown will 'decimate' the night-time economy, with a quarter of business facing imminent closure without further financial support.

'Freedom Day' delay set to cost hospitality £3bn and put 300,000 jobs at risk

14-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

A delay to the final stage of the Government's roadmap out of lockdown will have a 'devastating' impact on the hospitality sector, UKHospitality has warned.

May brings 'solid if unspectacular return' to indoor trading for managed sector

11-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Britain’s managed pub, restaurant and bar groups recorded a 26% drop in total sales in May from the same month in 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

Amended licensing regulations 'positive news' for hospitality businesses

10-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Amended licensing regulations in England and Wales that will cut certain red tape for hospitality businesses has been welcomed by the sector.

Number of pub workers still furloughed 'considerably higher' than across other sectors

09-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Some 55% of pub and bar workers remained on furlough at the start of May, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal.

Night-time economy will 'challenge Government' if denied opening on 21 June

09-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Any delay to the 21 June date for lifting all restrictions would leave many night-time economy businesses on a 'financial cliff edge', the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned.

Drake & Morgan CVA approved

09-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Bar and restaurant group Drake & Morgan has secured approval to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

UKHospitality urges Treasury action amid 'economic long Covid' fears

08-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that the pandemic will leave businesses suffering from 'economic long Covid' without more Government support and a timely lifting of restrictions.

UK eating out market to make 'full recovery' in 2022

07-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

The UK eating out market is expected to make a full recovery and exceed its pre-pandemic value by the end of 2022, according to new research from Lumina Intelligence.

Politicians and trade bodies work to tackle sector staff shortages across hospitality

03-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Politicians and hospitality trade bodies are working together to try and tackle the ‘serious’ staff shortages being faced by businesses across the sector.

UKHospitality urges sector to prepare for new business rates payments

02-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has put out a call urging sector businesses in England to fully prepare for new business rates payments that will kick in from 1 July.

BBPA urges Government to stick to roadmap as it launches 'Countdown to Freedom' campaign

02-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has launched a campaign urging the Government to remove all remaining Covid restrictions on pubs and the wider hospitality sector on 21 June.

Staffing struggles force Le Gavroche to pause lunch service

02-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Michel Roux Jr has announced that his two-Michelin star fine-dining restaurant Le Gavroche in London's Mayfair is to pause offering a lunch service as a result of understaffing.

Market Halls launches CVA proposals

01-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Market Halls has launched a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) proposal for four group entities in a bid to secure its future following more than a year of closure.

A quarter of Britain's licensed premises still to reopen after lockdown

01-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

One in four licensed premises in Britain have yet to reopen despite the return of inside service, new Market Recovery Monitor research from CGA and AlixPartners reveals.

UKHospitality warns of 'staffing crisis' as sector faces shortage of 188,000 workers

01-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has warned that the sector faces a 'staffing crisis' amid calls for the Government to stick its lockdown reopening roadmap and remove all social distancing restrictions on 21 June.

'Bitter blow' for Glasgow operators as Level 3 restrictions extended again

28-May-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Glasgow have been dealt a 'bitter blow' after Level 3 restrictions across the city were extended by another week.

Pubs to serve '21 million fewer pints' this bank holiday

28-May-2021 By James McAllister

Pubs will miss out on £80m worth of pint sales over the bank holiday weekend due to ongoing Coronavirus restrictions, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has warned.

Food supply prices start to firm as hospitality reopens

27-May-2021 By James McAllister

Inflation is starting to return to food and non-alcoholic drinks after months of falling prices, the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index reveals.

Base Face Pizza scores first permanent site

25-May-2021 By James McAllister

A pizza concept launched in lockdown as a charitable fundraiser is set to open its first bricks and mortar site in London's Hammersmith next month.

Decision on June unlocking to be decided by the end of this month

24-May-2021 By James McAllister

Boris Johnson will announce whether or not the final stage of England’s lockdown roadmap will go ahead on 21 June as planned by the end of the month.

Northern Ireland hospitality gets go ahead to reopen for indoor service

21-May-2021 By James McAllister

Restaurants and pubs in Northern Ireland will be able to reopen for indoor service on Monday (24 May) for the first time since before Christmas.

One-metre rule on course ‘to be scrapped next month’

21-May-2021 By James McAllister

The ‘one-metre plus’ social distancing rule is still set to be scrapped next month, Boris Johnson has told Conservative MPs.

First-day sales up 25% for returning pubs, bars and restaurants

20-May-2021 By James McAllister

Sales at Britain’s restaurants, pubs and bars were up by a quarter on pre-Covid levels as consumers returned for the first day of indoor service on Monday (17 May).

Young's mulls sale of tenanted estate

20-May-2021 By James McAllister

Pub group Young's has confirmed it is considering a potential sale of its tenanted estate.

Delivery and click & collect increases dominance of out of home occasions in Q1

19-May-2021 By James McAllister

Delivery and click and collect accounted for 44% of all out of home (OOH) occasions in first quarter of 2021, up from 42% in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Richoux brand sold to Cairn Group's Naveen Handa

19-May-2021 By Finn Scott-Delany

The Richoux brand and its intellectual property has been sold by administrators to Naveen Handa of Newcastle-based hotel and bar operator the Cairn Group.

Sadiq Khan launches 'London Eats' campaign

18-May-2021 By James McAllister

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a campaign to celebrate the capital's food scene and support the hospitality industry as it continues to unlock after the third national lockdown.

Concern as Prime Minister casts doubt on further lifting of restrictions in June

17-May-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has said it is vital that further financial support for businesses is forthcoming if there is a delay to the planned lifting of all Coronavirus restrictions on 21 June.

"An absolute disgrace" - anger as hospitality in Glasgow continues to face tougher restrictions

17-May-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Glasgow have reacted with anger at the decision to keep the city in Level 3 of Scotland's five-tier system of Coronavirus restrictions for at least another week.