Lockdown

Hospitality sector could reopen under national rather than regional restrictions

02-Feb-2021 By Restaurant

The hospitality sector could reopen from the third lockdown under national rather than regional restrictions, according to Boris Johnson.

Labour warns 650,000 hospitality businesses at risk of collapse before lockdown ends

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

More than a third of hospitality businesses – an estimated 650,000 companies – fear collapse in the next three months, Labour has warned.

Landlord launches legal action against hospitality tenants over unpaid rent

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Burger brand Five Guys and café chain Caffe Concerto are both facing legal action over unpaid rent after one of their landlords filed respective county court claims against each operator.

Returning to hospitality 'a priority' for many consumers post lockdown

01-Feb-2021 By James McAllister

Four in five consumers say they hope to return to a hospitality venue within a few weeks of them reopening, according to new research from CGA.

Business interruption insurance: five steps to making a claim

29-Jan-2021 By Jonathan Cole

Businesses across the country are seeking pay outs on their business interruption insurance as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Follow these five steps to help you make a successful claim.

Majority of hospitality operators would prefer to delay reopening to avoid restrictions, says poll

29-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

More than three-quarters of operators would rather delay reopening their businesses in order to operate with no restrictions rather than open early with high or very high-tiered restrictions, the latest Lumina Intelligence’s Hospitality Leaders Poll has...

'Three-stage' plan to end lockdown sees hospitality remain closed until May

28-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

A 'three-stage' plan to gradually ease lockdown restrictions in England will see pubs and restaurants remaining closed until May.

Sales collapse amid pandemic costs hospitality £200m a day in 2020

28-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality lost out on over half of its expected sales in 2020, with back-to-back lockdowns and ever-increasing restrictions costing the sector approximately £200m a day.

Hospitality sector worst hit by pandemic as unemployment soars

26-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

The hospitality sector has been hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of employment, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed.

Speculation over reopening date grows as 'halfway house' restrictions mooted for after Easter

25-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Speculation over when lockdown measures on hospitality could be lifted has continued to grow over the weekend, with the Government considering the introduction of 'halfway house' restrictions after Easter.

Consumer confidence sees 'sizeable' drop

25-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Consumer confidence about eating and drinking out has dropped by 10% since October, CGA’s first 2021 Hospitality Consumer Forecast reveals.

Most hospitality businesses won't survive lockdown until May without further support

22-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

The vast majority of operators (79%) will not be able to survive a lockdown until May without further Government support, according to the latest findings from Lumina Intelligence’s Hospitality Leaders Poll.

6,000 licensed premises lost for good last year

22-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

Almost 6,000 licensed premises disappeared from Britain last year as the Cornavirus pandemic took its toll on the hospitality sector, according to latest industry figures.

Fears grow of a protracted lockdown as scientist suggests hospitality should stay shut until May

22-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Fears are growing that the hospitality sector could be forced to remain closed for much of the spring, after a scientist warned against opening pubs and restaurants before May.

Richoux and Villagio operator enters administration

21-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Dining Street Limited, the casual dining operator behind restaurant chains Richoux, Villagio and The Broadwick, has entered administration with 147 jobs lost.

UKHospitality: 'Business rates holiday and VAT cut extension essential for hospitality revival'

20-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has called for a 'bold package' of support to enable businesses in the sector to spearhead country’s economic revival in 2021.

Alex Reilley: "The end of the moratoria will leave thousands of businesses horrifically exposed"

20-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Loungers chairman and co-founder Alex Reilley expects the end of the lease forfeiture and debt enforcement moratoria in March will lead to a 'phenomenal glut' of CVAs across hospitality.

Scottish lockdown extended into February

19-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in mainland Scotland will remain closed until at least the middle of February after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced an extension to national lockdown restrictions.

Sunak urged to act on Covid business support before Budget

19-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the Government to announce extensions to business support measures in order to ensure the survival of firms until the economy reopens.

UKHospitality: GDP figures 'highlight economic importance of hospitality'

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has said the 'depressing' economic figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week highlight the economic importance of the hospitality sector.

Pandemic pain sees over 800 branded sites close

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

More than 800 branded restaurants, bars and coffee shops have closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, new research shows.

Sacha Lord: "Hospitality must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail"

18-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Greater Manchester's Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord has said hospitality in England must reopen at the same time as non-essential retail if the country returns to a tiered system.

Up to 310,000 jobs on the line across hospitality and tourism without 5% VAT extension

14-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

More than 300,000 jobs across the hospitality and tourism sectors could be lost if the VAT rate reverts back to 20% in April 2021, trade bodies have warned.

Scotland tightens restrictions on takeaway and click and collect

13-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Scotland is to tighten restrictions on takeaway and click and collect services as part of a series of tougher lockdown measures set to come into force this weekend.

Tougher lockdown could see hospitality banned from offering takeaway services

12-Jan-2021 By James McAlllister

Hospitality businesses in England could be banned from offering takeaway and click-and-collect services under tougher lockdown proposals being considered by ministers.

Scottish Government announces top-up grants for hospitality

12-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses in Scotland will receive top-up grants of up to £25,000, the Scottish Government's Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has announced.

Year-on-year drink sales quartered over Christmas

11-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Drinks sales for outlets still able to trade in the run-up to Christmas collapsed to barely a quarter of 2019’s levels, CGA’s trading data shows.

Pubs and restaurants in England ‘may not open until May’

11-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in England may be forced to remain closed for five months, with the early May bank holiday being touted as a 'realistic' reopening date.

Star Pubs & Bars continues to offer 90% rent reduction during lockdown

08-Jan-2021 By Restaurant

Pub group Star Pubs & Bars is to continue to offer all its pubs on core leased and tenanted agreements a 90% rent reduction during the weeks in which hospitality businesses are required to close due to lockdown in England, Scotland and Wales.

Scottish Hospitality Group: "We’re facing the worst start to a year ever"

08-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

The Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) says its members are facing 'the worst start to a year ever' with investment and employment prospects expected to remain in doubt throughout 2021.

UKHospitality calls on members to contact MPs ahead of hospitality debate

07-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality has called on its members to write to their MPs ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on Government support for hospitality due to take place next week.

'No end date' to lockdown as MPs back new restrictions

07-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in England could remain closed until at least the end of March, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling MPs the Government will be 'extremely cautious' about lifting restrictions.

Welsh hospitality calls on devolved government to deliver targeted support

06-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Trade body UKHospitality Cymru has called for Welsh Government to use new funding provided by the Treasury to support the sector and help spark an economic revival.

McDonald’s suspends walk-in takeaway in wake of national lockdown

06-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

McDonald's is to suspend offering walk-in takeaway from its branches in the UK and Ireland in order to allow the chain time to review and reassess its safety procedures.

Takeaway alcohol ban 'a death knell' for hospitality businesses

06-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Banning hospitality businesses in England from selling takeaway alcoholic drinks during the third national lockdown will be 'a death knell' for many, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has warned.

Sunak announces additional grant funding for hospitality

05-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality businesses will receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000 as part of a new funding package announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Takeaway pints banned as England heads back into lockdown

05-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues across England will once again be banned from selling takeaway alcoholic drinks under new national lockdown measures.

Scotland to enter full lockdown

04-Jan-2021 By James McAllister

Scotland will go into full lockdown from midnight tonight, with a legal 'stay at home' order imposed across the country's mainland areas.

A bleak midwinter - pubs to serve five million fewer Christmas dinners this year

24-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) says it is expecting the quietest Christmas on record this year for pubs, as they struggle to remain open over festive period.

Annus horribilis - pandemic sees sales and confidence collapse as sector loses over £53bn in 2020

24-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

The UK’s hospitality sector has suffered lost sales of more than £53bn in 2020, with more losses to come from a collapse of Christmas trading due to ongoing Coronavirus restrictions.

2020: Review of the year in hospitality

24-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

A look back at a year dominated by the C-word and which saw the entire UK hospitality sector face its biggest crisis since the second world war.

Des Gunewardena: "Restaurants are vital to the UK's social fabric - they need to be supported"

22-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

Des Gunewardena has called on the Government to fund more support for struggling restaurants by introducing a Covid-tax on industries that have benefited from the pandemic.

Scottish Government unveils targeted support package for tourism and hospitality

22-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

The Scottish Government has pledged a £104.3m package of support for tourism and hospitality, much of which will be targeted at licensed hospitality businesses that previously fell through the cracks.

UKHospitality: 'Give the sector hope for recovery'

21-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has renewed its calls for the Government to provide a greater financial support package for businesses in the sector affected by tighter Coronavirus restrictions.

Hospitality in Wales and Scotland to close as Government introduces tighter Tier 4 in England

21-Dec-2020 By James McAllister

Hospitality venues in Wales have had to close again over the weekend under the country's 'Level 4' Coronavirus restrictions, with businesses in Scotland set to follow suit on Boxing Day.

Friday Five: the week's top news

18-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

We round-up some of this week's main hospitality news stories including the industry's dismay at London going into tier three, the end of Roganic in Marylebone and brewer SA Brain putting itself up for sale.
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Six-week Boxing Day lockdown in Northern Ireland will "sound death knell" for businesses

18-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

Northern Ireland will enter into a six-week lockdown from Boxing Day.

Industry welcomes the further extension to furlough

17-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

The industry has welcomed the extension of the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) by another month until the end of April next year.

UK pub and bar sector to miss out on £2.6bn of sales over Christmas period

17-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

The pub and bar sector collectively faces lost food and drink sales of at least £2.6bn compared to last year’s December trading, according to new data.

Hospitality businesses in Wales to close at 6pm on Christmas Day

16-Dec-2020 By Restaurant

Boxing Day has been cancelled for hospitality business in Wales, which will now have to close at 6pm on Christmas Day.