Government

Government to set out details on business energy support at mini-budget next Friday

16-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The Government is set to deliver a mini-budget on Friday 23 September, which will include details of Prime Minister Liz Truss's plan to support businesses struggling with soaring energy costs.

Menu calorie counts could be scrapped as Government reviews anti-obesity strategy

14-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Larger hospitality businesses in England may no longer be required to display calorie counts on menus after Government ministers ordered an official review of its anti-obesity strategy.

Business leaders calls for clarity over energy support

13-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Business leaders have urged the Government to set out further detail over the extent of support firms will receive to pay soaring energy bills.

The Lowdown: Liz Truss

09-Sep-2022 By Joe Lutrario

What might the appointment of the new Prime Minister mean for the beleaguered hospitality sector?

Hospitality pays tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

09-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Restaurants and chefs across the country have paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following her death yesterday (8 September) after 70 years on the throne.

Hospitality sector calls for clarity on six-month support plan

08-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Hospitality businesses need clarity on the Government’s six-month energy support plan for businesses or face an uncertain future, trade bodies have warned.

Liz Truss unveils six-month energy support plan for businesses

08-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Businesses are to get a six-month support package to reduce their energy bills, Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced.

Hospitality sector faces 'hundreds of thousands of closures' unless Government acts on energy crisis

08-Sep-2022 By Restaurant

Hospitality leaders are piling pressure on the Government and newly-appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss to act on spiralling energy costs, saying that hundreds of thousands of businesses will close if it doesn’t.

Viable businesses 'face ruin', hospitality bosses warn

06-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The bosses of KFC, Itsu, Just Eat, Pret a Manger, Pizza Hut and the Kebab Alliance have demanded a rapid VAT cut to protect businesses facing unprecedented short-term headwinds.

Businesses told to invest in UK workforce as hospitality staff shortage petition dismissed by Government

06-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

The Government has dismissed a petition calling for EU nationals to be permitted to come to the UK to work in hospitality, telling businesses to invest in the UK’s domestic labour force instead.

Hospitality warns Government 'must act quickly and decisively' as Liz Truss named next UK Prime Minister

05-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

Hospitality trade bodies have warned the new Government 'must act quickly and decisively' to address soaring energy bills, after Liz Truss was named the UK's next Prime Minister.

Night time economy's future 'finely balanced' as operators demand support package

05-Sep-2022 By James McAllister

More than 6,000 night time economy and hospitality businesses have written to their MPs demanding an emergency financial package to support them through the current cost of living crisis.

BrewDog's James Watt condemns 'clueless Government' as bar group permanently closes six sites

31-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

BrewDog co-founder James Watt has announced that six of the group's UK bars are to close permanently in the face of soaring energy and cost price increases.

'Widespread business failures' predicted across hospitality as calls grow for Government support

31-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has called on the Government to introduce a business rates holiday for the sector and reverse April's VAT rise to avoid the collapse of thousands of firms this winter.

Hospitality faces 'existential threat' as soaring energy bills leave sector facing 'mass business failures'

30-Aug-2022 By James McAllister and Stefan Chomka

The soaring cost of energy threatens to cause 'mass business failures' across the hospitality sector, industry leaders have warned amid desperate calls for the Government to take immediate action.

Trade bodies renew call for Government help as energy crisis deepens

26-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

Hospitality trade bodies have renewed their call for urgent Government help amid soaring energy costs following today’s (26 August) energy price cap announcement from Ofgem.

'Serious concerns' over CO2 supplies as UK’s last fertiliser plant to pause production

25-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

There are 'serious concerns' in the hospitality sector for the sustainable supply of CO2 after it was announced that Britain's last fertiliser plant will temporarily stop ammonia production.

Time at the bar: three quarters of pubs facing extinction

24-Aug-2022 By Ed Bedington

More than 70% of operators do not expect to make it through the winter without Government intervention, according to a new survey.

Petition launched to tackle UK workforce shortage in hospitality

22-Aug-2022 By Restaurant

A petition calling for EU nationals to be permitted to come to the UK to work in hospitality has been launched.

'More unwelcome news for hospitality' as inflation hits new 40-year high

17-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

UK inflation hit a new 40-year high of 10.1% in July, official figures show, with industry voices demanding the Government finally introduce a reduction on VAT for the sector.

Rapidly escalating energy bills 'killing pubs', warns BII

11-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has warned that spiralling energy costs are 'killing our nations’ pub' and called on the Government to provide urgent, essential support to businesses.

Operators 'in deeper trouble now than during pandemic' as utility bills triple

09-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

Pubs, restaurants and bars are seeing outgoings triple, and are in deeper trouble now than during the pandemic, one of the UK's Night Time Economy Advisors has said

Further business failures 'inevitable' without Government support as interest rates rise

05-Aug-2022 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality says further business failures are 'inevitable' without additional Government support amid warnings of a looming recession and energy prices rising further.

Thousands of businesses ‘could be forced to close’ unless Government intervenes on spiralling utility bills

27-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

Thousands of hospitality businesses ‘could be forced to close’ over the next few years unless the Government intervenes to help with spiralling utility bills, a procurement firm has warned.

Hospitality operators ‘labouring under extreme pressure’ as costs soar

27-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

Hospitality operators are ‘labouring under extreme pressure’ with costs soaring to a new record high, according to the latest UKHospitality Christie & Co Benchmarking Report.

UKHospitality responds to business rates consultation

21-Jul-2022 By Joe Lutrario

UKHospitality has called for reductions under reformed business rates to be reflected in bills ‘as quickly as possible’.

UKHospitality welcomes second reading of 'Tips Bill'

15-Jul-2022 By Restaurant

A private members’ bill that would require employers to ensure all tips and service charges they receive are paid to workers in full has had its second reading in Parliament.

Jane Hunt replaces Paul Scully to oversee Government's hospitality remit

12-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

Jane Hunt MP has been confirmed as the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), replacing Paul Scully in the role.

Menu calorie counts are changing dining habits, says research

11-Jul-2022 By Restaurant

Calorie counts on menus are having an impact on diners’ eating habits and dish choices, new research has found.

'Bleak picture' for night time economy with nearly half of businesses 'barely breaking even'

04-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has issued a fresh call for VAT across the sector to be reduced to 12.5%, amid warnings businesses are facing 'a bleak summer'

Government ad campaign to warn students of needle spiking

04-Jul-2022 By Georgi Gyton

Students beginning university in September are to be targeted with Government ads warning them about the risk of being spiked with needles in nightclubs.

Pub numbers plunge to record low

04-Jul-2022 By James McAllister

The number of English and Welsh pubs fell below 40,000 for the first time during the first half of 2022, research by the real estate adviser Altus Group reveals.

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).

Industry criticises Government price cut campaign

30-Jun-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

A Government campaign asking businesses to lower prices due to the cost of living crisis has been met with criticism from across the hospitality industry.

Government review of short-term letting market welcomed

30-Jun-2022 By Restaurant

The Government’s call for evidence on England’s short-term letting market has been welcomed by trade body UKHospitality following years of it pushing for a review.

NTIA: 'Government must recognise economic, cultural and community value of night time economy'

29-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has said the Government must recognise the 'economic, cultural, and community value' of the night time economy.

Fundamental questions on Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme remain 'unanswered'

29-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

UKHospitality Scotland has warned that the country's forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) could become another form of taxation on businesses and customers, adding to the cost-of-living crisis.

Hospitality faces 'critical situation' as only one in three businesses reported as profitable

28-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses across the UK are facing a 'critical situation' with only 37% currently turning a profit, a new study has warned.

UKHospitality Scotland calls for Covid underspend to be used to ease energy costs

17-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

UKHospitality Scotland has called on the country's devolved government to repurpose underspend from Covid support funds to help ease hospitality's spiraling energy and supply costs.

Muted response to Government food strategy

14-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby has criticised the Government's newly-published food strategy, which he advised on, saying it is 'not a strategy'.

UKHospitality: Government needs to help sector attract investment

08-Jun-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

A lack of a coherent Government strategy to tackle the cost of living crisis is negatively impacting investment in the sector, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls has said.

More than 10,000 hospitality businesses at risk of closure

06-Jun-2022 By James McAllister

More than 10,000 pubs and restaurants are at risk of closure due to 'perfect storm' of inflation and surging energy costs, UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls has warned.

Opportunities from new points-based visa scheme

31-May-2022 By Helen Gilbert

UKHospitality has called for increased use of youth mobility schemes with other nations in order to maximise the potential of the government’s new points-based visa scheme.

Sector pleads with Chancellor to 'act now' and alleviate financial pressures

26-May-2022 By James McAllister

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been accused of being 'out of touch with the reality of cost inflation' after failing to offer additional financial support for businesses in today's Commons statement.

National rail strike would 'jeopardise hospitality recovery', warns UKH

25-May-2022 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has warned that a national rail strike would 'further jeopardise' hospitality businesses working hard to rebuild following the pandemic.

UKHospitality calls for online sales tax and reduced business rates

20-May-2022 By Shwetali Sapte

UKHospitality (UKH) has urged the Government to introduce an online sales tax to reduce business rates for hospitality.

Calls for VAT reduction on business energy bills as inflation hits 40-year high

19-May-2022 By James McAllister

Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester's night time economy adviser, has called on the Government to implement a temporary reduction in VAT on business energy bills in the face of rocketing inflation.

Three quarters of nightlife businesses say door staff shortage impacting public safety

16-May-2022 By James McAllister

Three quarters of nightlife businesses say door staff shortages are impacting public safety, according to new data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and UK Door Security Association (UKDSA).

Scottish Government to bolster outdoor dining by streamlining planning processes

12-May-2022 By James McAllister

Outdoor restaurant seating could be permitted without a planning application in Scotland under new proposals designed to support the hospitality industry.

Queen's Speech 'a missed opportunity' for night time economy

11-May-2022 By James McAllister

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has said yesterday's (10 May) Queen’s Speech was a 'missed opportunity' as far as the night time economy is concerned.