Lockdown

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.

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.

Glasgow to move to Level 2 as Sturgeon puts the brakes on Scotland's lockdown easing

01-Jun-2021 By James McAllister

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that Glasgow will finally move from Level 3 to Level 2 of Scotland's five-tier system of Coronavirus restrictions from Saturday (5 June).

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.

'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.

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.

Only two in five hospitality businesses are currently turning a profit, research shows

24-May-2021 By Restaurant

Only two in five hospitality businesses are currently trading at a profit but confidence about future trading is on the rise, a new survey from CGA and Fourth has revealed.

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.

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).

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.

One in three hospitality employers don’t have enough staff for next week's reopening

14-May-2021 By Restaurant

One in three hospitality employers don’t have enough staff to cope with the reopening of indoor hospitality next week, a new survey has found.

Hospitality to benefit from £2.5bn sales increase in first week of full reopening

13-May-2021 By Restaurant

Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues in the UK are set for a much-needed £2.5bn sales increase next week as indoor service resumes, according to a new report.

Pubs and restaurants in England will be able to reopen on 17 May, Prime Minister confirms

10-May-2021 By James McAllister

Boris Johnson has confirmed that indoor hospitality settings will be able to unlock next Monday (17 May), as England moves into the third phase of its roadmap out of lockdown.

Welsh pubs and brewers demand clear roadmap out of restrictions

10-May-2021 By James McAllister

Companies representing hundreds of Welsh pubs and brewers have written to newly re-elected First Minister Mark Drakeford urging him to deliver grants for pubs and a roadmap for their reopening.

High Court challenge to the Government's delay to reopening indoor hospitality fails

04-May-2021 By Restaurant

A High Court challenge to the Government's decision to delay the reopening of indoor hospitality until 17 May has failed.

Pandemic wipes out £80.8bn of sales in hospitality

30-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

The Covid-19 pandemic has wiped a staggering £80.8bn off hospitality’s sales in just 12 months, the latest edition of the UKHospitality Quarterly Tracker with CGA reveals.

Outdoor hospitality sees 'encouraging' first week of sales though recovery has long way to go

21-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in England enjoyed a stronger bounce in sales than they did after the first national lockdown in July 2020, despite being limited to outdoor service.

Restaurants and pubs in Wales to be allowed to trade outdoors from next week

20-Apr-2021 By Restaurant

Restaurants and pubs and other hospitality businesses will be able to reopen for outdoor trading from next Monday (26 April).

'Hope on the horizon' as Northern Ireland Executive sets indicative dates for hospitality reopening

19-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

The Northern Ireland Executive has confirmed that outdoor hospitality settings will finally be able to unlock later this month.

Just one in four licensed venues trading in England after first week of outdoor service

19-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Just under a quarter of England’s licensed premises have reopened for outdoor-only service since restrictions were eased last Monday (12 April), according to latest data from CGA and AlixPartners.

UKHospitality Cymru urges Welsh Government to bring forward indoor reopening date

16-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

UKHospitality Cymru (UKHC) has urged the Welsh Government to bring forward the reopening date for indoor hospitality in Wales and at least align with England and Scotland's plan to unlock on 17 May.

Hospitality businesses believe vaccine passports will likely be introduced, poll finds

16-Apr-2021 By BigHospiality

Hospitality businesses are anticipating the introduction of vaccination passports once restaurants and pubs reopen fully, a latest poll has found.

Drink sales rocket on hospitality's first day of trading

14-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Like-for-like drink sales were up by more than 110% on hospitality's first day of trading (12 April) compared to the same day in 2019, according to CGA data.

Festival-style food and entertainment venue to launch as al fresco lockdown lifts

08-Apr-2021 By Restaurant

An outdoor festival-style street food, drinks, and entertainment venue will open in North Shields next month to take advantage of the lifting of restrictions on outside dining.

Independent restaurants 'will be diners' first choice post lockdown', says Kantar

08-Apr-2021 By Restaurant

Independent restaurants will be the first choice for diners when the hospitality lockdown lifts, Kantar has predicted.

Liverpool ONE to double outside seating capacity for hospitality for 12 April

07-Apr-2021 By Restaurant

The property company behind city development Liverpool ONE will be hoping that the snowy days are behind us having revealed plans to double the outdoor seating capacity at the development.

Matt Hancock summoned to High Court to explain delayed hospitality reopening

06-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has until 10am this morning (Tuesday 6 April) to respond to a High Court legal challenge against the decision not to allow hospitality to reopen for indoor service until five weeks after non-essential retail.

Johnson confirms reopening of outdoor hospitality on 12 April

06-Apr-2021 By James McAllister

Boris Johnson has confirmed that outdoor hospitality settings in England will be able to unlock next Monday (12 April).

Majority of Brits support need for a vaccine passport to go to the pub or eat out

01-Apr-2021 By Restaurant

The majority of customers are in favour of needing a vaccine passport to be able to go to the pub or eat out in a restaurant, a new Ipsos MORI UK poll has found.

Fuller's announces share placing as it prepares for reopening

31-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

Fuller's is to raise around £53m through a share placing that it says will strengthen its balance sheet and liquidity position in preparation for a strong reopening.

Report suggests room for optimism in restaurant sector post lockdown

30-Mar-2021 By Sarah Coleman

With the prospect of turnover rents and a glut of properties on the market, there is cause for optimism among small and medium-sized restaurant businesses in 2021 and beyond.

Wetherspoon to invest millions in pub development

30-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

JD Wetherspoon is to invest £145m into developing new pubs and upgrading existing ones over the next 10 years.

Welsh hospitality demands clarity over reopening

29-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

The Welsh hospitality sector has demanded clarity from the Government on when it will able to unlock, warning that the ongoing delay risks further job losses and business failures.

Return of track and trace "an opportunity to replenish decimated customer databases"

29-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

The return of track and trace for hospitality will give venues an opportunity to rebuild their customer databases as the sector starts to reopen, according to one industry expert.

Comment

Time for a proper bailout of our beloved hospitality industry

29-Mar-2021 By Daisy Cooper

Headline grabbing Government initiatives might have provided a short-term boost for the hospitality sector, but more genuine long-term security is now required.

'Significant' number of licensed venues will not reopen in April

29-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

Just two in five licensed premises will have space to trade from when outdoor hospitality settings begin to unlock on Monday 12 April, data from CGA and AlixPartners reveals.

Welsh operator launches crowdfund to challenge Government over hospitality reopening

25-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

A street food operator in Wales is looking to mount a legal challenge against the devolved government's failure to provide the country's hospitality sector with a reopening date.

Energy providers come under fire 'for refusing to supply pubs'

24-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

Energy providers have been criticised for refusing to supply energy to families living in pubs that are closed due to lockdown restrictions.

Makeaway market to stay robust post lockdown, Barclaycard data shows

23-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

The market for makeaway meal kits is booming with 10% of the British population having ordered one for the first time during lockdown, according to data from Barclaycard Payments.

Government urged to allow ordering at the bar from May

22-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

The Government is being called on to allow people to be able to order at the bar from the indoor opening of restaurants and pubs on 17 May, and for customers to be allowed to consume drinks while standing outdoors.

More than 7,500 of Britain's licensed premises 'lost to Covid'

22-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

Britain has 7,592 fewer licensed premises than it did before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, according to a new report by CGA and AlixPartners.

Scotland extends rent moratorium

18-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

The Scottish Government has extended its rent irritation moratorium for a further six months until the end of September.

Punch invests £1m on outdoor spaces ahead of al fresco reopening

18-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

Punch Pubs is investing £1m on its beer gardens and outside spaces ahead of the unlocking of outdoor hospitality settings on 12 April.

Sacha Lord legal challenge against delayed hospitality reopening date heads to High Court

18-Mar-2021 By James McAllister

Sacha Lord is taking his legal challenge against the Government's decision not to allow hospitality to reopen for indoor service until five weeks after non-essential retail to the High Court.

Government urged to show basis of lockdown restrictions imposed on hospitality

17-Mar-2021 By Restaurant

The Government is being urged to publish the data that underpins its decisions on the restrictions imposed on the hospitality sector, according to a new report published by the House of Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.