Government

Clarity regarding National Living Wage rise and Job Retention Scheme (update)

01-Apr-2020 By James McAllister

The National Living Wage (NLW) increased today (1 April) by 6.2%, however, Government guidance suggests furloughed workers will not benefit from the rise, despite HMRC initially telling BigHospitality they would.

Industry calls on Government to increase grant support

01-Apr-2020 By James McAllister

Voices from within the hospitality industry are calling on the Government to lift the threshold on its Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme so that more businesses can benefit.

What we've learnt about the Government's Job Retention Scheme: 10 questions answered

31-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

We take a look through the Government guidance for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS) to see how it works, who’s eligible, and how you make a claim.

United We Stand

What the Government's financial package means for the hospitality sector

26-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

The Government has introduced a £350bn financial package to help businesses navigate the Coronavirus crisis. But how does it work, and what does it mean for the hospitality sector?

United We Stand

Does the Government's Business Interruption Loan Scheme provide a lifeline to hospitality businesses?

26-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

The Government’s financial package made for a nice headline, but the reality is that much more support is needed if the hospitality sector is to survive the Coronavirus crisis.

Immigration bill will leave more than 200k jobs unfilled

09-Mar-2020 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has warned that more than 200,000 job vacancies across the sector will be left unfilled if the Government’s new immigration bill is enforced in its current form.

Des Gunewardena: "Restaurants will need to operate with fewer staff after Brexit"

25-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Restaurants will have to adapt to managing with fewer staff once post-Brexit immigration rules come into force, according to D&D London’s chairman and CEO Des Gunewardena.

Hospitality professionals call on Government to rethink proposed immigration laws

24-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Industry figures including Hoppers director Karan Gokani, chef Asma Khan, and Oklava founders Selin Kiazim and Laura Christie have spoken out against the Government designating hospitality workers as ‘low skilled’.

UKHospitality calls for ‘sector-specific guidance’ after revamp of name and shame scheme

12-Feb-2020 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has called for ‘sector-specific guidance’ after the government announced is to resume naming and shaming businesses failing to pay staff the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

National Living Wage rise could cause "unprecedented" cost pressures

01-Oct-2019 By James McAllister

The Government’s plan to further increase the National Living Wage (NLW) over the next five years could cause an “unprecedented cost increase for employers” trade body UKHospitality has warned.

Prue Leith to advise on hospital food review

23-Aug-2019 By James McAllister

Great British Bake Off judge and restaurateur Prue Leith is to advise on a review announced by the government today (23 August) into hospital food.

UKHospitality warns of 'inherent risks' to prospective immigration system

27-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has reiterated the need for the Government’s future immigration policy to prioritise supporting businesses to deliver economic growth over political considerations.

Henry Dimbleby to lead major review of UK food system

27-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Leon co-founder Henry Dimbleby has been appointed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove to lead a year-long review of the UK food system.

UKHospitality: new allergen labelling rules 'potentially hazardous'

25-Jun-2019 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has described measures requiring all businesses selling pre-packaged food to include full ingredient labelling on products as a ‘retrograde step’.

Chefs called upon to cut food waste

07-May-2019 By James McAllister

Chefs and hospitality professionals are being urged to act now to reduce the amount of food waste the industry creates over the next 12 years.

Government appoints Ben Elliot as Food Waste Champion

02-Jan-2019 By Stefan Chomka

The government has appointed its first Food Surplus and Waste Champion to help promote awareness of the issue of food waste across the hospitality, food manufacture and retail sectors.

UKHospitality and key industry players call on Government to protect the sector

08-Oct-2018 By Georgia Bronte

Trade body UKHospitality and a coalition of the UK’s leading businesses in the industry have written to Chancellor Philip Hammond, calling for targeted support to protect the sector.

Government to ban restaurants from taking cut of staff tips

01-Oct-2018 By Sophie Witts

Restaurants will be legally banned from deducting money from staff tips under plans to be announced by Theresa May today (1 October).

Mandatory calorie labelling for restaurants could lead to price rises, says trade body

05-Sep-2018 By Stefan Chomka

The trade body for the UK hospitality industry has warned that the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling for restaurants could present a serious burden for hospitality businesses and lead to a rise in menu prices.

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. 

Brexit could boost VAT Campaign, says new letter to 40 MPs

17-Nov-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Brexit could have a positive effect on the hospitality VAT Campaign, a letter from the Campaign to 40 Conservative MPs has said.

Hospitality benefits from £40m fund as Government pledges to boost UK tourism

30-Aug-2016 By Emma Eversham

Seafood restaurants on the South Devon coastline, hotels and restaurants along the South West coast and golf resorts are some of the tourism businesses set to benefit from a share of the Government's first £40m Discover England Fund.

Government tipping report cautiously welcomed by hospitality groups

03-May-2016 By Hannah Thompson

Hospitality groups have welcomed the Government recommendations that restaurants and bars should not take deductions from staff tips, and that all tips left by customers should be collected directly by staff.

Budget 2016: Five things the hospitality industry wants to see

02-Mar-2016 By Helen Gilbert

With Chancellor George Osborne set to unveil his 2016 Budget Statement on 16 March, BigHospitality rounds up the key issues the industry would like addressed. 

Jamie Oliver's sugar tax raises £50,000

15-Feb-2016 By Sophie Witts

Restaurants signed up to Jamie Oliver’s voluntary sugar tax have raised over £50,000 towards the opening of free public water fountains in some of the most deprived areas of the UK.

Industry responds to business rate appeal consultation

06-Jan-2016 By Emma Eversham

Hospitality trade bodies the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) have responded to the Valuation Office Agency’s consultation on the business rates appeals system.

Employers warn apprenticeship levy could lower quality of training

02-Oct-2015 By Sophie Witts

A government levy designed to boost the number of apprenticeships on offer could lower the quality of training programmes, employers warned today.

MPs vote against bid to tighten pub planning laws

26-Jan-2015 By James Wallin, M&C Report

A Parliamentary vote to stop pubs being converted or demolished without planning permission has been narrowly defeated.

Former Tourism Minister calls for VisitEngland refocus

30-Oct-2014 By Melodie Michel

Former Tourism Minister and MP for Weston-super-Mare John Penrose has said VisitEngland should be independent from VisitBritain and gradually move away from government funding.

Government bans exclusivity clauses on zero-hour contracts

25-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

The government’s announcement that zero-hour contracts would not be banned, but that exclusivity clauses would have to be removed, has been met with mixed reactions in the hospitality industry.

Hospitality businesses 'named and shamed' for failing to pay minimum wage

09-Jun-2014 By Carina Perkins

A pub, a restaurant and two hotels were among 25 businesses ‘named and shamed’ by the government for paying staff less than the legal minimum wage.

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.

Queen’s Speech: Hospitality round-up

04-Jun-2014 By Melodie Michel

BigHospitality looks at the key announcements made in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June and how they affect the hospitality industry.

Hospitality 'walks the talk' on job creation

21-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Following another successful National Apprenticeship Week for the hospitality industry, a number of other hotels, restaurants and pubs have since stepped up to the plate to offer training and apprenticeship initiatives of their own.

Tax Equality Day to highlight benefits of VAT cut

19-Mar-2014 By Carina Perkins

Campaigners are once again asking restaurants and pubs to slash prices on food and drink for a day in September to highlight the benefits of a VAT cut.

Call Time on Duty: Pubs, bars and restaurants face extra £100m alcohol tax bill

20-Jan-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants will be £100m worse off if the Government goes ahead with plans to hike alcohol taxes in this year’s Budget.

Statutory code for pubs: Demand for action grows

19-Dec-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The debate over a Statutory Code of Conduct for pubs, which proponents argue would improve the pubco-tenant relationship, has taken another turn this week, with a number of individuals, companies and industry bodies speaking out about the issue.

Hospitality trade associations call for Government re-think on personal licences abolishment

06-Nov-2013 By Emma Eversham

A number of pub, hospitality and drinks trade associations have joined together to ask the Government to re-think its plans on abolishing personal licences. 

Apprenticeship reform: Will it help hospitality?

31-Oct-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Government’s announcement that it is putting the development and implementation of apprenticeships at the hands of employers has been welcomed by People 1st, but the sector skills council fears that the models developed in other sectors will not be...

Personal licences: Should they be scrapped?

17-Sep-2013 By Luke Nicholls

The Government has this month launched a consultation into whether personal licences should be abolished, enabling licensing authorities to apply relevant conditions to premises licences where appropriate. 

British Hospitality & Tourism Summit 2013: Government urged to take hospitality seriously

12-Jun-2013 By Emma Eversham

The Government is not taking the hospitality industry seriously enough and should take greater notice of the UK’s fourth largest industry to help drive economic growth.

Tim Hulme: Pub industry should embrace BII's new direction

17-May-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Tim Hulme, the newly-appointed chief executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has called on the pub industry to back his organisation as he attempts to push through cultural changes.

James Martin and Vineet Bhatia restaurants close as Alea Leeds ceases trading

06-Mar-2013 By Emma Eversham

Alea Leeds, the casino and entertainment venue which houses restaurants run by chefs James Martin and Vineet Bhatia, has closed with immediate effect with owners London Clubs International (LCI) citing frustrations 'over the pace of change'...

The A-Z of Pubs and Bars

30-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

While publicans might not be faced with as baffling a list of acronyms as hoteliers or as driven by fashion as some restaurateurs, our handy A-Z glossary of key industry terms and trends is a must-read for those looking to make a few pounds from a few...

BBPA criticises Government plans to regulate 'unfair practices' in the pub industry

09-Jan-2013 By Peter Ruddick

There has been mixed reaction from the pub industry to Government measures announced yesterday to greater regulate against what it calls 'unfair practices' in the sector with the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) describing the plans as...

Pickles pledges more support for Indian chefs of the future with new scholarship

18-Oct-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles this week joined Britain’s leading Indian chefs and restaurateurs to launch a new scholarship programme for students to develop their careers in high-end Asian cuisine and restaurant management.

ALMR accuses the Government of 'moving the goal posts' on minimum pricing

18-Sep-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has called the Government response to the Health Select Committee report on alcohol minimum pricing 'disappointing' with fears the policy will not significantly tackle the problems caused...

The BHA's Ufi Ibrahim: What the Government must do for hospitality businesses

12-Sep-2012 By Luke Nicholls

With Hugh Robertson promoted to the role of Minister for Sport and Tourism in last week’s Cabinet reshuffle, the British Hospitality Association’s chief executive Ufi Ibrahim insists there are still ‘critical barriers to growth’ which must be removed...

John Penrose Video Interview: Hospitality industry still needs to show Government why its VAT cut is different

24-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

In a wide-ranging, exclusive video interview for BigHospitality, Tourism Minister John Penrose has ruled out making a VAT cut for the hospitality industry a long-term ambition for the Government and has said businesses still need to show why a cut would...

Government minister claims beer duty escalator 'helps' publicans and drinkers

05-Jul-2012 By Peter Ruddick

A Treasury minister has pledged the Government will continue to monitor the impact of the alcohol duty escalator but claimed the rising beer duty was a 'help' to publicans and drinkers as it was contributing to deficit reduction.