Economics - Hospitality

Hospitality 'left out in the cold' as Chancellor announces sweeping tax cuts

23-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Industry leaders have warned that today's mini-budget, which promises sweeping tax cuts but fails to offer firms any immediate financial support, will mean 'last orders' for thousands of hospitality businesses.

Hospitality welcomes NI reverse

23-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will announce a reverse of April's 1.25% National Insurance (NI) rise as part of his mini-budget this morning (23 September)

British Beer & Pub Association calls for permanent tax relief to encourage investment

01-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

The Government should introduce a permanent tax relief to encourage more investment by businesses, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

BHA and ALMR approve merger to create joint hospitality trade body

22-Feb-2018 By Sophie Witts

Members of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) have voted to approve a merger to create a new trade body, UKHospitality.

Hospitality leaders optimistic despite rising cost concerns

23-Feb-2017 By Hannah Thompson

The hospitality industry has rising concerns about cost rises and property price hikes, a new survey suggests, although optimism about business prospects overall is growing.

MPs asked to tackle rural tourism challenges post-Brexit

14-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

MPs are being asked to consider the challenges facing hotels and other tourism businesses situated in the countryside as the organisation representing them contemplates how rural tourism will be supported post-Brexit.

Serviced apartment operators optimistic for 2017

01-Dec-2016 By Emma Eversham

The majority of serviced apartment operators are optimistic for the year ahead, with almost a third planning to accelerate expansion plans in 2017.

What does the Autumn Statement mean for hospitality?

23-Nov-2016 By Sophie Witts

The Autumn Statement has received a lukewarm response from the hospitality industry after the Chancellor offered help for rural businesses, but failed to cut tourism VAT.

ASK THE EXPERTS

How to value your hospitality business correctly

01-Feb-2016 By Darren Seward

Darren Seward, hospitality specialist at commercial insurer, NFU Mutual, discusses the importance of valuing the business assets of a pub, hotel and restaurant correctly.

London hospitality trade down following Paris attacks

10-Dec-2015 By Liam Garrahan

London’s eating and drinking-out markets have been hit by a decline following the Paris terror attacks, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

Millions of ‘lost’ UK entrepreneurs could benefit hospitality

28-Oct-2015 By Sophie Witts & Liam Garrahan

A scholarship to tackle gender and race gaps in UK start-ups has been launched by business leader Reuben Singh.

Third of hospitality business owners turn to close relations for investment

22-Oct-2015 By Liam Garrahan

Hospitality business owners are likely to consider a wide range of options when seeking information about expanding their businesses with just under a third choosing to approach their friends and family for investment, a report has found.

'Haggle' with suppliers on Christmas produce prices, hospitality operators told

07-Oct-2015 By Emma Eversham

Operators in the restaurant, pub and hotel sectors are being advised to engage in 'old-fashioned' haggling over prices with suppliers this Christmas to take advantage of lower production costs of festive favourites such as turkey and ham.

Hospitality SME's optimistic about growth

04-Sep-2015 By Sophie Witts

Small and medium-sized hospitality businesses (SMEs) such as restaurants, pubs and bars are more optimistic about future growth than those in other major sectors.

BBPA renews call for beer duty cut to support industry's 870,000 jobs

05-Feb-2015 By Emma Eversham

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has renewed calls for a cut in beer duty at the next Budget after a report it commissioned showed that the brewing and pub sectors contribute £21.7bn to the economy and employ 870,000 people.

Warm weather and business travel drive hotel growth

21-Jul-2014 By Carina Perkins

Good weather and a strong corporate market helped drive further growth for both regional and London hotels in June, according to preliminary figures from business advisory firm BDO LLP.

Serving the UK: McDonald’s at 40

23-Jun-2014 By Mark Wingett

To mark its 40th year in the UK, McDonald’s has produced a report highlighting its contribution to the economy, the number of jobs created and its ongoing investment in restaurants and its supply chain. We take a look at some of the key findings and also...

Manifesto for change: ALMR outlines key policies to encourage growth and jobs

04-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

In the wake of the government's announcement on a new statutory code for pubs, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has called for more action to encourage growth and increase jobs in the licensed hospitality trade.

Local businesses come together for the Big Hospitality Conversation Manchester

12-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

On 12 May hospitality and tourism businesses from Manchester came together at the Radisson Blu Edwardian for the latest Big Hospitality Conversation, where they were able to pledge to create jobs, apprenticeships and work experience for young people.

Going green: The hospitality sector announces benchmark on energy consumption

07-May-2014 By Lauren Houghton

A number of pub and restaurant groups came together last week to benchmark their energy consumption efficiency and discuss the impact it has on their profits and environmental impact.

Hazy sunshine with cloudy spells is forecast for UK eating-out market

08-Jan-2014 By William Drew

Increasing consumer confidence will drive growth in the UK restaurant sector through 2014, according to industry experts, but will be tempered by the continued squeeze on operators’ profit margins.

Strong London market helps boost October restaurant and pub sales

13-Nov-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Britain’s pub and restaurant groups enjoyed a sales boost last month with collective like-for-likes up 1 per cent year on year fuelled mainly by a strong London market.

Restaurants, hotels and pubs at busiest since 2007, yet profits fall sharply

27-Aug-2013 By Emma Eversham

Restaurants, hotels and pubs have seen business volumes rise at their fastest rate since August 2007, according to the CBI's quarterly Service Sector Survey with further growth expected 'through this year and into next'.

A Steak in the Economy: Government warned not to overlook food start-up businesses

20-Jun-2013 By Peter Ruddick

The Government is in danger of stifling and overlooking food and restaurant start-up businesses which could hold the key to economic growth, a new report has claimed.

Pickles' planning proposals to benefit pop-up restaurants

10-May-2013 By John Harrington

New planning rules are likely to make it easier to open pop-up restaurants and cafés, and convert disused farm buildings for these uses.

Adnams finding it 'difficult to be too positive' about pub trading conditions

27-Mar-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Adnams, the Suffolk-based brewer, distiller and retailer, has revealed its profits jumped by 3.5 per cent in 2012 but has admitted difficult pub trading conditions are continuing and are making it difficult for the company to be 'too positive'...

English Tourism Week 2013: Travelodge calls on MPs to ‘stand up and fight’ for the industry

18-Mar-2013 By Luke Nicholls

With English Tourism Week having kicked off on Saturday (16 March), Travelodge’s chief executive Grant Hearn has written to 106 MPs from the country’s key tourism constituencies to ask them to stand up in the House of Commons and ‘fight for the industry’.

Economic recovery 'critical' for regional hotels

27-Feb-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Provincial hotels risk experiencing yet another year of profit decline unless 2013 brings better economic news, according to a new report released by TRI Hospitality Consulting.

Business confidence hits new low, BHA remains optimistic for hospitality

11-Feb-2013

Confidence among UK businesses has hit its lowest level in at least 21 years but the hospitality industry has 'reason to be confident’ as one of the few sectors planning for growth and creating jobs.

Encouraging year-end trading for D&D London on day Old Bengal Warehouse opens

17-Sep-2012 By Emma Eversham

D&D London's chairman and chief executive Des Gunewardena today reported an 'encouraging' performance at his London restaurants after profit across the group rose 4 per cent to £4.2m despite a 'continuing backdrop of economic uncertainty'.

Big restaurant chains see turnover rise, tough outlook for smaller businesses

08-Aug-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The top 100 restaurant chains saw turnover increase by 5.6 per cent last year, a big improvement on the 2.6 per cent increase of 2010. But the market isn't becoming any easier for smaller businesses as the beleaguered state of the UK economy is making...

BHA to host first Tourism and Hospitality Summit ahead of bumper British summer

03-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is bringing together hospitality business leaders, investors and high-level Government officials for discussions that will ‘shape the future of the industry’ in what will be the the first-ever Tourism and Hospitality...

Half of hospitality operators feel positive about business for 2012

11-Apr-2012 By Emma Eversham

Almost half of restaurant, hotel and pub operators feel positive about the year ahead with just 8 per cent believing the economy will slip back into another recession this year.

Mitchells & Butlers 2011 festive pub sales buoyed by good weather

26-Jan-2012 By Emma Eversham

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.

UK hotels lag behind other industries on protecting against fraud

16-Jan-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The UK hotel sector needs to do more to protect itself against fraud which could cost the industry over £2bn a year, according to a new report published today by the accountancy firm PKF and the University of Portsmouth.

Westminster parking charges to cost West End businesses £800m a year and threaten 5,000 jobs

08-Dec-2011 By Luke Nicholls

The proposed night-time parking charges for London’s West End will cost businesses in the area £800m a year and threaten over 5,000 jobs, a study has found.

People 1st receive funding boost to spark economic growth for hospitality businesses

02-Dec-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Hospitality businesses have been boosted by the news that People 1st has secured £6.8m from the Employer Investment Fund in a bid to reduce youth unemployment, increase professionalism and ultimately achieve economic growth for the industry.

Business rate appeals costing hotels 13m a year

08-Nov-2011 By Luke Nicholls

Delays in processing business rate appeals are costing hotels in England over £13m per year, according to new research from business rate specialists CVS.

'Unjustified, unsustainable and unacceptable': Trade bodies unite against PPL fee hike

19-Oct-2011 By Luke Nicholls

The UK’s leading industry trade bodies have united to strongly oppose proposals for huge fee rises in the Specially Featured Entertainment (SFE) Tariff, which covers the playing of music at discos in pubs and nightclubs.

Strong performances at Avenue and Royal Exchange help push up profits at D&D London

17-Oct-2011 By Emma Eversham

Strong performances at Avenue, Royal Exchange and Bluebird have helped push up profits at D&D London over the past year according to the company's financial results released today.

Luke Johnson’s tips on running a successful business

27-Jul-2011 By Becky Paskin

Businesses must be tech-savvy, improve their service standards and ensure their menus and design are innovative if they are to succeed in the future.

FSB calls for 5% VAT for hospitality businesses

18-Jul-2011 By Lorraine Heller

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the government to temporarily lower VAT for the tourism sector in order to give businesses the chance to stimulate economic growth in a time of low consumer confidence.

Ask the Experts

How to write an effective business plan

16-May-2011

With most banks seeing hospitality as a high risk sector, a business plan is a critical document that potential lenders will interrogate in depth. Shirley Smith, a partner at hospitality business advisers Reeves, highlights key points that will improve...

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