CLH Digital - Issue #104

Issue 104

Swift Recovery as Beer Sales Increase by 1.1 Billion Pints in 2021 www.CLHNews.co.uk

Beer sales are returning to pre-pandemic levels in the UK, with 4.6 billion litres of beer sold in 2021, up 13% from 2020, according to new research.

An estimated 4.6 billion litres of beer were sold last year, up from 4.1 billion in 2020, according to a study by accountants UHY Hacker Young.

The report said people drinking at home during the height of the pandemic replaced beer with wine or spirits, resulting in a 13% fall in beer sales in 2020.

However the study revealed that many people feel that beer is better-suited to longer, social drinking sessions. As people were forced to drink at home during the repeated lockdowns, many preferred to drink wine or spirits.

During lockdown, wine sales increased to 112m litres in 2020, up from 84m in

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2019, while spirit sales increased to 10.9m litres from 7.4m over the same period.

However, they both subsequently suffered from pubs reopening, with a drop in sales equivalent to 5.2 million bottles of wine (3%) and 1.8 million bottles of spirits (12%) in 2021 compared to 2020.

Report author James Simmonds said: “The pandemic saw a sudden shift in people’s drinking habits, with a move away from beer. That seems to have been temporary – we are now seeing consumers flooding back to beer.”

“It was a good summer for beer sales, with football’s European Championships providing a welcome sales boost for pubs.”

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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Issue 104

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH DIGITAL Great news! Our lead story reports that sales of beer in pubs/bars was up by 1.1 billion in 2021 compared to 2020 and is back to 98% of pre-pandemic levels.

Astonishing!

The signs are certainly looking good. That is not to say we are anywhere near being “out of the woods”, but just before the Chancellor’s spring budget we reported that sales in Britain’s restaurant, pub and bars sectors rose above pre-pandemic levels in February.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

This was according to market research group CGA, whose Business Tracker revealed like-for-like sales rose 3% year-on-year compared to (pre-pandemic) February 2019, after falling 1.0% on a two-year comparison basis in January.

points higher than in the December survey. Only 5% of leaders say they are making a loss.

It’s probably too early to see the impact of the Chancellor’s “catastrophic” bring budget last Friday, which saw VAT in hospitality rise from 12.5% to 20% with hospitality organisations forecasting cost inflation running at 18% for the sector.

They also reported that restaurants increased like-forlike sales by 9% in February, just outpacing the 7% growth for bars, which benefited from the scrapping of requirements for vaccination passes in late-night venues.

The country has caught in the eye of an economic storm, and the Chancellor did the industry no favours whatsoever with his budget.

Another story we are running from trade association UKInbound also paints a positive picture. (See page 24).

But all the signs above show just how resilient it is, how quick is to bounce back and the long-term success of the sector is looking positive!

Last month survey of its members reveals that over one in three (39%) of respondents stated that international bookings and visitors for April/May/June 2022 were expected to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, however the majority (61%) are expecting international bookings/visitors to be down, by an average of 47%.

But the sector desperately needs further support. Some operators believe that rising energy costs are an equal or bigger threat to their business than the pandemic. Some operators seeing energy costs more than double.

Inbound tourism businesses revenue predictions for this period were similar, with almost half (45%) expecting them to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, and 55% expecting them to be lower by an average of 49%. The US market is recovering the strongest, with one in three businesses seeing growth in this market.

Adding to that we also reported earlier this year that domestic travel (Staycation) will continue to prove attractive!

The boom in Staycation demand is expected to continue throughout 2022 as customers look to holiday domestically.

So the signs of recovery are there. Yet another report revealed that restaurant, pub and bar leaders are increasingly optimistic about prospects for this year. (See page 18).

The exclusive poll of multi-site business leaders shows 65% are confident about the next 12 months for the market—an increase of six percentage points since the last survey in December 2021. The number of leaders feeling confident about their own business’ prospects has nudged up by two percentage points to 68%.

The Survey also indicates improved profitability in the hospitality sector. More than four in five (84%) leaders say their business is currently operating at a profit—four percentage

Which makes it even more galling that the government aid has not been fairly distributed.

A report has revealed that businesses which were most impacted by the Omicron variant, in particular the hospitality and licensed on-trade, received less than half of the £635 million support package promised by Government it has emerged. (See page 5.)

Analysis of official Government data by the real estate adviser Altus Group reveals that just £305 million of the £635 million distributed to 309 English Councils had been paid out less than 3 weeks before the final cut off for applications on 18th March.

The analysis revealed that 29 Councils had failed to distribute a single penny whilst a further 89 Councils had distributed less than half of their total allocation in grant funding to those firms hardest hit.

Utterly disgraceful, and I would urge the Chancellor to step in and insist that this money is distributed to the businesses as it was intended.

Once again I would ask the favour - we are trying to maximise our advertisers reach as much as possible, without them would not be possible to run CLH NEWS, so please do follow us on Twitter, and encourage as many people you know in the trade to subscribe to our digital issue, further details can be seen at www.catererlicensee.com

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Swift Recovery as Beer Sales Increase by 1.1 Billion Pints in 2021 (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) James Simonds adds that some small breweries may have only held licenses to sell to the pub trade, but not to sell directly to the public. Many breweries potentially struggled to acquire licenses to begin direct sales to the public quickly when the pandemic began, contributing to a downturn in 2020 sales.

14 million pints sold on St Patrick’s Day This welcome news has continued into 2022 as 14 million pints were pulled and sold on St Patrick’s Day in the UK last month, as the public flocked to celebrate the occasion in pubs for the first time since 2020, BBPA analysis revealed.

An estimated £54million was lost on St Patrick’s day by the sector in 2021 due to lockdown, with celebrations in 2020 also significantly scaled back due to the impending restrictions.

However, St Patricks day 2022 saw out of home sales increase by 7% on pre pandemic levels according to insights expert CGA in their latest drink's recovery tracker.

THREAT TO CASK BEER While the news of a sales uplift in beer a sales has been warmly welcomed, a report by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has revealed a seismic shift in the UK Brewing industry over the last two years, with traditional cask beer under serious threat as consumers order more online and drink more at home.

The report found that whilst overall beer sales across the whole market in 2021 were down on 2019 prepandemic figures, the picture was much worse for small independent breweries, who saw production levels drop by an average of 40% in 2020 and 16% in 2021 when compared to 2019.

“Cask beer was sadly a casualty of the pandemic, as when pubs close small independent breweries lose the only place they can sell traditional cask beer. Because of this we have seen a huge wave of breweries creating webshops and on-site brewery shops, and many putting their beer into bottles and cans for the first time.”

James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive.

THIRST FOR CRAFT BEER However, the report did also find a consumer thirst for craft beer in their local pub, with three quarters (75%) of beer drinkers surveyed in 2022 saying they thought it was important that their local pub offered a range of craft beers from small breweries.

“This shows the growing emphasis consumers place on the provenance of the beers they buy, and this is a trend that has certainly been accelerated by the pandemic. Consumers are increasingly seeking out smaller artisan producers and expect their products to be available at retail.” Caroline Nodder, Editor of the SIBA Craft Beer Report That figure rises to more than 8 in 10 (81%) among the women surveyed, showing that provenance is of even more importance to female consumers – a part of the market small independent brewers continue to attract.

“It is clear that over the last two years people across the UK have sought out local producers – whether that means supporting their local butcher, baker or brewer. More and more people are discovering the amazing range of beers now being brewed locally and increasingly hold the view that a craft beer should be made by a small independent brewery. Hopefully as the industry begins to get back up to full steam we will see more pubs ands retailers stocking the independent craft beers consumers have discovered over the last two years.” James Calder, SIBA Chief Executive.

Hospitality Student Inspires Landmark Down Syndrome Bill A student with Down Syndrome at Aurora Foxes Academy in Minehead was the inspiration behind a groundbreaking bill which has just passed its Third Reading in the House of Lords – the final stage before it passes both chambers.

Freddie Tall, 23, is non verbal and is currently in his final year at Foxes studying hospitality and catering.

MP Dr Liam Fox put forward the Down Syndrome Private Members’ Bill after he met Freddie, one of his constituents, and his mother Annabel Tall who has been campaigning for disability rights for over 20 years.

The Bill is intended to make it easier for those affected to secure the services they need and to challenge authorities not acting on their duties.

“Freddie was one of the first children with Down Syndrome to go through education with the security of a legally enforceable education plan,” said Annabel who has been working on the Bill with Dr Fox’s team.

“Despite that, we have encountered numerous hurdles and difficulties. It’s been hard to get diagnosis and treatment for medical conditions and has been very hard to simply have the life included in society that most take for granted. As he moves into adulthood, the bill will make it easier for Freddie to find the provision and opportunities he needs

and will provide the foundation for those following us to experience an easier path.”

Freddie worked enthusiastically with other young people with his condition to support the Bill – meeting MPs, helping with information sessions and supporting an event at the Houses of Parliament on World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March.

“I’m thrilled that the Down Syndrome Bill is set to become an Act of Parliament,” Dr Fox said. “This will mean there is now a law to deal with the issues faced by those with Down Syndrome. I hope that three things will flow from this: the first is to help to de-stigmatise Down Syndrome, the second is to ensure that current provision of services is improved and the third is to look ahead and deal with future issues, such as long-term care, in an era where, for the first time, many of those with Down Syndrome will outlive their parents.”

Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, it will pass into law and mean the establishment of a Down Syndrome Act which will be the first of its kind in the world.

The next stage will be the formulation of the Guidance under the Act which will involve full consultation.

Thanks to this and his training at Aurora Foxes, Freddie has acquired a raft of qualifications and skills to help him secure work in the hospitality industry.

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Issue 104

Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and UK Hospitality

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) The government has recently launched a consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain regulations and implementation. The consultation of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is aimed to know how biodiversity net gain (BNG) will work in practice.

The consultation will create the framework of how BNG will be applied to Town and Country Planning Act development and going forward it can also be used at the higher levels to guide bigger infrastructure projects on a national level.

responsibly in reducing, treating, and disposing of waste. Hotels that are located in natural settings can support biodiversity while working with local projects.

Biodiversity, the measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels, gained importance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It became evident that the loss of biodiversity globally was a major reason for the massive spread of the virus. It’s the delicate balance of biodiversity that helps in regulating the climate and many of our basic requirements like food, fresh water, and other materials.

HOSPITALITY SHOULD NOT BE THE SPECIFIC TARGET

HOTELS IMPACT BIODIVERSITY AT EVERY LEVEL OF THEIR LIFECYCLE If we talk about hospitality, hotels are the ones that are said to be impacting biodiversity at different stages of their lifecycles, right from planning and operations to closure. The restaurant food that we eat, and the cosmetics used in the spa, all are related to biodiversity, and hence it becomes crucial that whatever choices we make, size, location, and resources used for the hotel, as well as the energy and water usage, to be in adherence of the biodiversity.

Hotels can adopt different measures to halt biodiversity loss. They can look for sustainable purchasing of food, use organic cosmetics and furniture that are in sync with biodiversity requirements, and above all can act

Organic farming minimizes the use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers; hence use of organic foods from sustainable and local farmers can help in preserving biodiversity. Similarly, the use of plant-based quality cosmetic products that have been harvested sustainably can be used in the spas, and using wooden furniture that is from a sustainable source and can be recycled would be of great help to protect biodiversity. Not only this, but hotel operators can also act responsibly by offering their patrons the option of sustainable tourism.

It is very clear that human activity is having an increasingly negative impact on the planet due to practices like excessive land use, deforestation, overfishing, and pollution, leading to biodiversity loss, which in turn is a huge risk to humanity.

As momentum is growing and awareness increasing to pause and reverse biodiversity loss. Businesses are being made accountable for improving how they measure and report on biodiversity. Saying all these, it is also important to point here that hospitality should not be targeted in the name of biodiversity conservation regulations.

The sector, like many others, has already set its net-zero targets and is working carefully to achieve it as well, but at a time when the pandemic ravaged industry is still struggling for its survival, putting regulations that are hard and expensive can derail the recovery momentum of hospitality. Rather, the government should come forward to support the industry, not only financially but also by making the biodiversity procedures simple.

Climate change is a big concern, and hospitality is fully aware of its role to play. The industry participants are already prioritizing biodiversity protection, and hence there should not be forced measures for adherence to regulations.

Greene King Pub Partners Launches Seventh Hive Pubs Site Following £400,000 Investment Greene King Pub Partners has launched its seventh Hive Pubs site.

The Orb & Sceptre in South Wootton, Kings Lynn has been transformed into a Hive Pub following a £400,000 investment and will be run by new franchisees Alan and Sam Brookes.

Hive Pubs is the new franchise pub concept from Greene King Pub Partners.

The Orb & Sceptre, previously known as The Deer’s Leap, has been transformed with a complete refresh throughout in line with the Hive Pubs brand and concept to create a modern look and feel with community at its heart. The outside of the pub has also been completely revamped with ‘beach huts’ and a large space for customers to drink and eat in.

Aimed at those with experience of running a pub, the Hive Pub franchise agreement gives licensees a ready to trade pub within a proven branded concept for just £5,000 ingoing cost and a minimum guaranteed

income of £20,000 plus additional income based on performance such as share of turnover.

Alan and Sam Brookes, franchisees for The Orb & Sceptre, said: “Going down the franchise route was the obvious choice for us.

Greene King have provided a fully invested and revamped pub with a proven concept, but we haven’t had to pay the high costs associated with such an investment. It greatly reduces risk for us as entrepreneurs and means we can focus on running and growing a great pub business.”

Wayne Shurvinton, Managing Director for Greene King Pub Partne “The Orb & Sceptre is one of our biggest Hive Pub transformations to date. Following our £400,000 investment the pub has been given a complete revamp and new lease of life. It is now positioned as a true Hive Pub with community, sport and entertainment at its heart. We look forward to continuing the rollout of our Hive Pubs franchise concept with more openings in the pipeline.”

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£330 Million In Omicron Grants Unspent By Councils Firms in England, which were most impacted by the Omicron variant, in particular the hospitality and licensed on-trade received less than half of the £635 million support package promised by Government it has emerged.

Analysis of official Government data by the real estate adviser Altus Group shows that just £305 million of the £635 million distributed to 309 English Councils had been paid out less than 3 weeks before the final cut off for applications on 18th March.

The Omicron variant unleashed a tidal wave of Covid that swept through countries at breakneck speed with firms in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors seeing a massive decline in footfall and increased cancellations over the Christmas and New Year period.

Under the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Scheme, Councils received funding to be allocated in oneoff grants to businesses worth up to £6,000 to be paid to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses in England based upon the rateable value of their properties.

Altus Group say their analysis revealed that 29 Councils had failed to distribute a single penny whilst a further 89 Councils had distributed less than half of their total allocation in grant funding to those firms hardest hit.

Carlisle City Council and East Herts District Council had both paid to local firms less than £1 for every £10

of the funding that they had received.

But 7 Councils including the London Borough of Barnet, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Leicester City Council, Warrington Borough Council, Bury Council, Burnley Borough Council and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council had actually paid out more in grants than they had received from Government ahead of the scheme closing for applications.

Robert Hayton, UK President of Altus Group, called it a “post code lottery” adding “these types of businesses saw one of their most valuable trading periods wiped out and simply didn’t get the support they needed quickly enough. I just hope Councils rallied at the end.”

All final awards and grant payments had to be made to eligible firms by 31st March 2022 with the Government saying, “any monies paid after this date will not be reimbursed under this scheme and the Local Authority will be liable for this amount.”

The one-off grants of up to £6,000 for eligible businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors in England depended on rateable value: • businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £6,000 • businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £4,000 • businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £2,667

More Support Less Red Tape to Meet “Net Zero Ambitions Says Sector Leader Representing a sector that has already set its own carbon net zero targets, UKHospitality was responding to a Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Government must consider the scale of operations and resources required for businesses to comply with the proposed regulations, and should therefore provide significant support to businesses where necessary. This could include financial help, particularly for smaller businesses set to incur significant implementation costs.

“The planning processes are already too cumbersome, stifling investment. It should be simplified, with streamlined requirements placed on businesses in providing biodiversity core information, to minimise cost-

UKHospitality also wants to see extensions to hospitality venues exempted from the regulations, as it believes such developments would have ‘minimal impacts on the environment’.

DEFRA says the consultation ‘sets out our proposals and asks questions about how biodiversity net gain will be applied to Town and Country Planning Act development, and, at a higher level, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects’, with responses helping to ‘shape developing legislation, processes and guidance’.

Kate Nicholls added: “Hospitality is supportive of the Government’s environmental goals and its ambition to become carbon net zero by 2050. Indeed, the sector remains committed to prioritising sustainable practices, and has set its own targets ahead of this date.

“The industry is fully aware that is has an important role to play in promoting sustainability and biodiversity, and many hospitality businesses are progressing their efforts to reduce emissions and meet the Government’s environmental goals. Biodiversity is important for businesses, and many already prioritise protecting the natural environment surrounding their venues and local spaces.”

UKHospitality’s consultation response also stated that it will ‘contin-

ue pursuing opportunities to help businesses improve biodiversity in order to meet sector environmental targets.’

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The trade body cautioned against placing burdensome regulations on businesses already struggling to get their post-Covid recoveries off the ground, urging the Government to strike a balance between protecting the environment and creating too much bureaucratic red tape.

ly and time-consuming administrative burdens.”

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UKHospitality has backed the Government’s biodiversity and carbon net zero ambitions – while calling for more streamlined implementation processes.

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Issue 104

Front-Of-House Hospitality Workers Set To Benefit Most From National Living Wage Rise – But It’s Another Financial Hit For Businesses The latest figures from Fourth (www.fourth.com) , a software provider for the hospitality and leisure industries, reveal that the new National Living Wage (NLW) rates will mostly benefit front-of-house workers, who will see their hourly wage increased to be more in line with that of their counterparts in back-of-house roles. For businesses, however, this means a further squeeze on margins to accommodate the new pay rates.

Back-of-house workers, typically those employed in the kitchen, are already earning above the new NLW of £9.50 per hour, that came into force on 1 April; while front-of-house workers, typically waiting and bar roles, are currently paid significantly below the new NLW rates.

Fourth’s data – which is aggregated from the analysis of more than 700 companies across the hospitality sector – reveals that wages for back-ofhouse workers have increased significantly over the last 12 months, due to the ongoing recruitment crisis as businesses have looked to fill skilled roles, such as that of chefs, by offering higher wages. Unlike front-ofhouse colleagues, back-of-house workers do not have the opportunity to earn customer tips, although they often receive ‘a cut’ of them. Those working in pub kitchens have seen the biggest rise, with rates of pay up 6.8% over the past 12 months, while wages for back-of-house restaurant workers have increased by 3.7%.

The figures show that, overall, pub and restaurant wages, broken down by age range, were tracking as follows up until the end of March 2022:

Furthermore, Fourth’s data reveals that:

• On average, over the last 12 months the rate of pay for pub workers has increased by 4.9% and for restaurant workers by 2.9%

HOSPITALITY HOURS WORKED AND STAFF HEADCOUNT

• Wages for pub workers aged 23+ have increased by 6.7% over the last 12 months; while wages for restaurant workers aged 23+ are up 4.3%

The number of hours worked in March 2022 was 12% higher than the month prior (February 2022), but still 12% down on pre-pandemic levels recorded in February 2020.

• Overall hospitality staff headcount is up by 27% on March 2021, but down by 12% on March 2020 and down by 15% on March 2019 • British workers make up 55% of the workforce, EU workers make up 28% and non-EU workers make up 17% • The number of hours worked in March 2022 was 12% higher than the previous month (February 2022), but still 12% down on pre-pandemic levels recorded in February 2020

THE MAKE-UP OF THE WORKFORCE BY NATIONALITY Fourth’s data indicates that British workers currently account for 55% of the hospitality workforce, compared to 48% at the end of March 2021 – a seven percentage point increase. EU workers make up 28% of the workforce, compared to 40% in March 2021, and workers from non-EU countries currently make up 17%, compared to 13% in March 2021. This has been a continuous trend since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, resulting in an increase in British and non-EU workers in the sector and a decrease in workers from EU countries.

When broken down by sector, the restaurant workforce has seen the biggest shift, with British workers currently making up 52% compared to 41% in March 2021. The proportion of EU workers currently makes up 31%, a significant decrease from 47% last year. Interestingly, the quickservice restaurant sector has seen a decrease in EU workers but an increase in non-EU workers from the rest of the world, rather than British nationals; the proportion of non-EU workers has increased from 7% in March 2021 to 20% now, while the proportion of EU workers has fallen from 47% to 36%.

When breaking down the number of hours worked in March 2022 versus February 2020 by sector, it is evident that pubs have seen the biggest recovery, with hours worked just 4% down on pre-pandemic levels in February 2020. This is followed by QSRs at 8% down; hotels at 11% down; and, finally, restaurants at 16% down.

When looking at staff headcount, there has been a 27% increase in the number of workers currently in the industry compared to March 2021.

Encouragingly, this is just 12% down on March 2020 – still a decrease, but the least impactful since the outbreak of the pandemic – and 15% down on March 2019.

Sebastien Sepierre, Managing Director – EMEA, Fourth, said: “As the hospitality industry continues on the road to recovery, it is evident that major obstacles still stand in the way. The Government’s decision to go ahead with the VAT increase from 12.5% to 20% has been met with disdain and the increase in the NLW rate, while good for workers, is set to put even more pressure on already squeezed margins. The sector still requires as much support as it can get, in the face of the cost-of-living crisis for consumers and soaring operating costs for businesses – the VAT hike, in particular, couldn’t come at a worse time and will force businesses to regrettably increase menu prices.

“Given these challenges, it’s more important than ever that operators continue to plan ahead to protect their bottom line and maximise efficiencies when it comes to labour and inventory management. Technology and digital solutions play a key role in ensuring businesses can hire, train, engage and retain workers, providing smart solutions to work within their means and manage consumer demand in these testing times.”

Consumer Card Spending Grew 13.7% in February as Return to Offices, Valentine’s Day and HalfTerm Holidays Boosted Hospitality Consumer card spending grew 13.7 per cent in February compared to the same period in 2020 – the highest growth since November 2021 – as the lifting of Plan B restrictions and work-from-home guidance encouraged Brits to socialise, shop, and make travel plans as the economy re-opened.

Data from Barclaycard reveals that spending on essential items rose 12.0 per cent in February. This increase was largely driven by an 11.2 per cent rise in spend on fuel, likely due to climbing prices at the pump, as well as the easing of work-from-home guidance encouraging more Brits to commute.

The travel sector, though still in decline (-13.9 per cent), had its best month since before the pandemic, as a third of Brits (33 per cent) say they are making more social or holiday plans for the rest of the year as restrictions ease.

Spending on hotels, resorts and accommodation grew 7.4 per cent, while airlines saw significant improvement, declining just -10.9 per cent compared to -42.3 per cent in January. Travel agents are also seeing a recovery, falling -15.0 per cent compared to 41.7 per cent last month. Staycations continue to be a popular choice for holidaymakers, with over two fifths of consumers (42 per cent) who are spending more on social or holiday plans prioritising spending on holidays in the UK. As couples celebrated Valentine’s Day and friends enjoyed nights out, restaurants (-10.6 per cent) saw a noticeable improvement compared to January (-17.5 per cent), while bars, pubs and clubs grew 28.7 per cent – more than double last month’s growth (14.9 per cent).

The entertainment sector also enjoyed a 3.2 per cent uplift, as families kept their children occupied during the half term break, enjoying days out and trips to the cinema to see films such as ‘Sing 2’ and

The pub, which has this year seen a £1 million renovation, occupies two grade II listed buildings partially built into the famous city walls.

The first Fat Badger opened in Harrogate in 2010 where it boasts a AA 2 Rosette kitchen for its high quality menu.

Embodying a traditional English pub packed full of Old English’ character, The Fat Badger is set to become the most playful inn in the heart of the city.

The restaurant is headed up by general manager Mike Larder, whose team will be creating seasonal menus using local produce, with the Harrogate Fat Badgers infamous Badger Burger making the menu.

There’s also a private dining snug seating up to 12 people, which is available to book for larger parties.

This is also the first of the Fat Badger venues to

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IDEAL FOR SMALL BISTRO, START UP SITES, OR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO GET INTO COFFEE!

‘Belfast’.

However, not everyone braved the cold weather; storms Eunice and Franklin meant at-home experiences – or “insperiences”* – continued to prove popular, with spending on digital content and subscriptions as well as takeaways rising 37.4 per cent and 61.0 per cent respectively.

Consumers are feeling slightly less optimistic about their household finances (63 per cent) compared to January (68 per cent), as rising living costs continue to hamper confidence. While the true impact of this decline is yet to be seen in spending levels, inflation, rising food prices and energy bills are the main sources of concern for nine in 10 Brits (89 per cent).

Nearly half (46 per cent) also expect that inflation will affect their household budgeting in 2022.

Despite these challenges, there are positive signs for the experience economy, as nearly one in four (23 per cent) consumers say they will spend more on experiences to create great memories and less money on physical items – a figure that rises to almost four in 10 (37 per cent) for 18–34-year-olds.

José Carvalho, Head of Consumer Products at Barclaycard, said: “The strong uplifts across both retail and hospitality show that the nation is keen to make the most of life following the easing of Plan B restrictions, with many Brits still purchasing treats to give themselves a boost, and making social and holiday plans for the year ahead.

“As inflation starts to have an impact on consumer confidence, we’re seeing a shift in spending habits as Brits seek more value from their purchases, particularly on supermarket shopping, which saw its smallest growth since February 2020. With energy prices rising at the start of April, we will be watching how these price-conscious behaviours evolve over the coming months.”

The Fat Badger York Opens After £1m Renovation The HRH Group has unveiled an exciting renovation of the Lamb & Lion as it evolves into The Fat Badger York, taking on the much loved personality of the group’s English pub brand.

Issue 104

have bedrooms, with the bedrooms offering city wall views or garden views and includes a range of bedroom types, from four posters to a loft suite.

The Fat Badger York’s Grade II-listed buildings are believed to have previously been a house and a shop, dating back to 1840, and another building constructed in 1782. The venue is a blend of Yorkshire heritage, Roman history and British classic style. The decor includes materials of wood and leather to give an organic feel and is accented with Badger brand style artwork.

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The pub front has also been spruced up to perfection ready to await guests, and is looking to recover “lost swearing glasses” The famous swearing glasses were so popular at the original Fat Badger in Harrogate, that the majority of them were stolen by guests! Deeply amused by this, The Fat Badger York will offer a free pint to anyone who brings in their stolen glass during opening week.

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Issue 104

Managing Food Inflation Through The Supply Chain ous factors such as product specifications, prices, their service levels, contractual terms and how robust they are. The latter helps with risk management. It’s also important to evaluate suppliers regarding how they may support any systems and accreditations.

UNDERTAKING RANGE MANAGEMENT To reduce unnecessary costs and ensure you have the right product range for quality and nutritious menus, reviewing buying lists will ensure you have just the products needed to operate your service effectively. It will also help increase volume on key lines, support stock control and drive consistency.

Reducing the ‘tail’ is a key part of this activity. The ‘tail’ is typically a high number of products with low volumes which tend to have been accumulated over time. These are generally loaded with margin by your supplier, whereas your high volume lines generally have a lower margin.

With rising food prices expected to continue for some time, a vital approach for caterers managing food costs is to become as efficient as possible. One area where efficiencies can be made is within the supply chain. Rachael Venditti, Business Development Manager at allmanhall (www.allmanhall.co.uk), looks at practical steps to manage and minimise the impact of food inflation as rising costs seep through the supply chain.

It is well reported that global food prices have reached a ten year high, with current inflation figures reaffirming that prices are being pushed by a combination of global factors throughout the entire supply chain. With food inflation expected to peak at 8% this Spring, and suppliers look to pass on their rising costs, this is a significant and real challenge for all caterers.

APPROACH TO FOOD PURCHASING Now is the ideal time to work out what approach to your catering purchasing will bring you the maximum benefit. This will very much depend on your volumes, your delivery values, delivery frequencies and the number of suppliers you use.

These are the different approaches:

Adjusting your purchase of high spend categories, eliminating any product duplications, and using a more cost-effective pack sizes is a quick way to make savings. This is a great example of where thought needs to be given to the operational impact associated with a change, and its possible unintended consequences. For example, by moving to a more costeffective pack size this could have the negative result of an increase in wastage.

Branded products are more expensive than own brands, so a shift away from well-known names could save costs.

Understand which of your products are stable and which are volatile when it comes to price movement. Stable products are typically negotiated annually, such as canned tomatoes and solid pack apples. Volatile products fluctuate more frequently, such as butter and bacon.

Before making any switches, consider the false savings that could result. For example, there could be a reduced yield from switching to a different product, or more of a new product might be required to achieve the same flavour. Understand the false economies and do try to sample products from your supplier where a big change is being made to an important product.

REDUCE COST TO SERVE

• Tender: Most impactful when carried out in advance of inflation, tendering allows you to measure suppliers against each other based on your given criteria.

• Operating dual supply: Can be very effective as it creates a sense of competition amongst your suppliers.

• Consolidating your suppliers: Where you have multiple suppliers, your delivery value is low, and your delivery frequency is high, reducing your suppliers is an effective way to reduce cost.

When looking at suppliers, the best approach involves considering vari-

The final area to consider when optimising your supply chain is reducing your cost to serve. This is the cost for a supplier to make a delivery, and is linked to pricing. This can be reduced by reducing the number of deliveries each week, increasing the value of each delivery and reducing the need for your supplier to split cases.

Split cases cost more than a full case due to the labour costs associated with picking the split case and an increase in cost for the supplier due to potential product damage and stock loss. Any benefits of reducing splits needs to be balanced with any potential increase in wastage in

your kitchen as a result of ordering larger quantities of a product. You may find some suppliers are restricting the availability of ambient and non-food split product lines, but this will help to speed up picking times and help vehicle dispatch times, thus helping to meet delivery expectations.

You may also like to consider ways to increase your delivery value to counter-balance the cost to serve, such as adding non-food orders to your food order.

Forward planning and communication are crucial when it comes to placing orders or liaising with suppliers over stock shortages and alternatives. It is advised that to reduce the risk of inconvenience, orders are placed with as much advanced notice as possible with suppliers – a minimum of day 1 for day 3 ordering wherever feasible, for the time being.

These longer lead times will reduce disappointment and help ensure orders are booked before any temporary cut offs are imposed by suppliers.

PROCUREMENT PROVIDER Another alternative is to outsource to a procurement provider, who will have a case and resolution handling service, and a helpdesk who can contact suppliers on your behalf. They will manage suppliers, undergo analysis and insight updates throughout the year on food pricing and will monitor these price fluctuations, negotiating and mitigating price increases on your behalf as much as possible.

By allocating these tasks to team members and ensuring they have the capacity to do the work along with other operational requirements, pressures can be eased. In conclusion, making changes within the supply chain may help reduce food costs, but it is important to also check there is no negative impact on operations from making any changes.

Bristol Hospitality Boss Helps Raise Thousands for Children’s Hospice A leading figure in Bristol’s hospitality industry has helped raise £12,000 for a children’s hospice.

Raphael Herzog, Chair of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA), was ‘arrested’ and jailed for his hard work, having to appeal to charitable colleagues, friends, family, business partners and customers to raise the necessary funds to bail him out.

The bail was set at a minimum of £999 and Raphael actually raised £1,800, all of which has been donated to Children’s Hospice South West.

Raphael was one of eight people ‘convicted’ as part of the charity’s Jail & Bail Bristol 2022 fund-raising initiative, and between them the eight raised a total of more than £12,000.

He said: “I was very pleased with the amount I raised, which will help Children’s Hospice South West continue to provide vital and valuable support to families in and around our city.

“The day started in the city’s former magistrates court, where eight of us were ‘arrested’. After trying to defend ourselves, we were all found guilty of

our crimes.

“My misdemeanour was denying I’m a workaholic, and after the judge’s verdict, I was sent to jail, together with the seven others.

“While in jail, we were allowed out for group exercise in the courtyard, and for a singing competition.”

Earlier this year, Children’s Hospice South West had been chosen as the charity to benefit from the BHA’s annual Night Of The Stars Awards event, a glittering gala which took place in February.

A raffle on the night raised more than £1,200 for the charity.

Raphael explained: “During the night of stars event, I found myself agreeing to take part in jail and bail.

“It was an interesting experience, but more importantly, was a pleasure and a privilege to help raise funds for such a worthy local charity.”

The Most Intelligent Wine Event In The World The 2022 hybrid edition of the London Wine Fair will celebrate both the return to Olympia after a two-year hiatus, as well as The Fair’s 40th live show - a significant milestone for what is the UK’s longest running annual drinks trade event. The live event will take place on 7th to 9th June, with the digital event running over 20th and 21st June.

The London Wine Fair is set to be the most intelligent wine event in the world. Taking place both digitally and in person, the 2022 Fair will give exhibitors access to a larger trade audience and will allow visitors unable to travel to either London or the UK, access to the exhibitors, their wines, and the show’s content. The digital element will also extend the reach of the show beyond the three physical days as access to digital stands and content will also be available for three months.

The live London Wine Fair will comprise the familiar, key elements of the show; the Trading Floor will host UK agents, international brands and generic

bodies; Esoterica will return to the gallery level, with around 100 boutique importers expected to take part; Drinks Britannia will be a celebration of British Drinks, spanning wines, spirits, beers and ciders; Wines Unearthed will feature wineries looking to export to the UK for the first time; and The Discovery Zone will host products and services championing innovation within the drinks industry at large. Non-alcoholic and low alcohol products will be given a dedicated platform for the first time, to reflect the burgeoning Low and No sector.

Content will be a key part of the 2022 hybrid event, with both the digital and live elements both hosting a programme of seminars, masterclasses and industry briefings.

Visit the London Wine Fair website to find out more: www.londonwinefair.com

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Larger Operators Must Now Display Mandatory Calorie Labelling Calories will be labelled on menus and food labels in out-of-home food businesses from earlier this week (April 6 2022).

Large businesses with 250 or more employees in England, including cafes, restaurants and takeaways, are required to display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drink items that are prepared for customers.

Calorie information will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, such as physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels. The new rule is part of government plans to tackle obesity by helping people to make healthier choices. It is estimated that overweight and obesity related conditions across the UK cost the NHS £6.1 billion each year. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity – and 1 in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese.

Some High Street chains already publish information about the calorie content of their food on their menus, such as Wetherspoons pubs and The Real Greek restaurants. McDonald’s has been doing it for more than a decade.

Critics opposed to calorie labelling say that eating out isn’t to blame for obesity levels in the UK. According to data from Statista, from 2019, 40 per cent of people asked only dined out just once a month. For the rest of the month, on average 29 days, they eat at home. Only 8.5 per cent said they eat out more than once a

week.

Masterchef winner Sven-Hanson Britt tweeted the change was a “terrible thing to happen to the hospitality industry”. He warned the regulation “could end creativity, spontaneity and lead to boring tick-box cooking”.

“Kids will grow up in restaurants, hotels and cafes only looking at that little number below a dish. Choices will be made based on a number alone. The love of flavour, ingredients, history, cooking craft or nutrition will be lost and masked by a newly perceived focus,” he said.

Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association Emma McClarkin said: “Of course, the health and wellbeing of customers is front of mind for our sector, especially after the past two years, but since being announced there has not been sufficient time or guidance given to help businesses prepare for the changes to menus. This is why we called for a delay in their implementation to give pubs some much-needed breathing space in the early stages of their recovery.

“After the pandemic pubs are already under extreme pressure. Energy costs are sharply rising, there is uncertainty in the supply chain and VAT has been increased. These new calorie labelling requirements layer on an extra burden and costs at an already difficult time.

Over £176k Raised at Lunch4Ukraine for the DEC Ukraine Appeal Lunch4Ukraine, a fundraising event launched by a collection of hospitality professionals, has raised £176k so far for the DEC Ukraine Appeal.

Taking place on 5 April at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, the lunch that sold out within just three weeks, saw over 1,000 hospitality professionals attend to raise funds for people affected by displacement and conflict in Ukraine.

The three-course Ukrainian-inspired menu was created by Chef Nigel Boschetti of JW Marriott Grosvenor House London and Richard Corrigan of Corrigan’s Mayfair, in collaboration with Yurii Kovryzhenko, ambassador of Ukrainian cuisine.

Stuart Bowery, multi property general manager, JW Marriott Grosvenor House London who hosted and organised the event with the support of UKHospitality, The Master Innholders, The Caterer, Gold Key Media, Custard Communications, Hospitality Action and the Institute of Hospitality, said: “The support of the hospitality industry coming together in raising funds for the DEC Ukraine Appeal has been staggering. In just three weeks we have turned Lunch4Ukraine from an idea into a successful fundraising event, far surpassing our original goal of raising £100,000.

“I would like to personally thank everyone who attended the lunch, those who took part in our other fundraising activities including Hospitality Auction4Ukraine, and our generous sponsors that supported our cause.”

Over 25 hospitality suppliers sponsored Lunch4Ukraine by providing food, beverages and other services for free so that the proceeds from ticket sales could be donated in full to the DEC Ukraine Appeal.

Addressing the audience via a video message, Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “This event underlines once again the importance of hospitality as a force for good in our society: bringing our communities together, looking after and caring for the most vulnerable, and providing the help and assistance that is needed at this critical time.”

Guests also enjoyed an after-lunch speech by author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, who along with the waiting staff, kindly donated his time for the appeal.

In conjunction with Lunch4Ukraine, the hospitality industry launched Hospitality Auction4Ukraine to raise further funds for the DEC Ukraine Appeal.

The auction offers some spectacular experiences donated by hotels and hospitality organisations including a sumptuous 3 course lunch or dinner for up to 12 people at Corrigan’s Bar & Restaurant; a glamorous stay in a suite at 5-star Claridge’s; and a weekend stay for two in the historic Chateau Trubetskoi in Kherson region of Ukraine as a sign of hope for a brighter future in the region.

Hospitality Auction4Ukraine is open until 14 April. View the auction here: https://superstars-auctions.com/lunch4ukraine

Government Failure to Tackle Labour Shortages Will Shrink Food Sector Permanently, Warn MPs Issue 104

However, a reliance on overseas labour must be reduced in preference for a long-term labour strategy that grows and develops home-grown talent, combining attractive education and vocational training packages with the deployment of new technology.

Despite the sector flagging significant concern, the shortage of labour in 2021 took a toll on food security, the welfare of animals and the mental health of those who work in the industry, MPs report.

While the Committee welcomes some of the Government’s work in the area, it warns that without fundamental change, the UK is facing a chain reaction of wage rises, leading to price increases and food production being exported abroad.

The Committee said it was frustrated by the reluctance of Government to engage with the industry over labour shortages. Despite valiant attempts by the industry, Ministers failed to understand the issues and even sought to pass the blame onto the sector.

Today’s report urges Government to have a radical rethink to prevent future interventions coming too late.

Revised immigration measures could address the current crisis. For example, the Report calls for a review of the Skilled Workers Visa scheme including the complexity and costs faced by employers and tailoring the English language requirement to meet the needs of the sector.

While there have been welcome changes to the Seasonal Worker Pilot, the inclusion of the ornamental sector necessitates the Government to make available the extra 10,000 visas ear-marked and for the scheme to

It’s Back! KP of the Year 2022 The Kitchen Porter of the Year is back in 2022, after a hiatus of two years. Celebrating the vital contribution that KPs make in professional kitchens across the UK, it’s become one of the most popular of the foodservice industry’s awards. Why? Because so many people in hospitality’s top jobs started as KPs. And because there’s not a kitchen in the country that doesn’t rely on them.

UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, said: “This report echoes the evidence UKHospitality gave to the committee last year, which highlighted that chronic labour shortages – 400,000 vacancies in the sector at the last count – are already harming the attempts of businesses in the sector to rebuild cash reserves and shattered balance sheets. A failure to tackle the issue now will stifle the sector’s ability to drive the wider economic recovery and we share the committee’s warning that fundamental change is needed to if wage rises are not to trigger significant price increases in the sector, further damaging hopes of recovery.

“We want to work hand-in-hand with the Government to examine, review and reset all the policies that we had pre-Covid in order to ensure that the immigration, training and skills policies we have now are fit for purpose in a post-pandemic market.” behind the awards. “On top of an already tough job, over the past two years kitchen porters have had to show both determination and the flexibility to adapt to major changes in working practices.”

For 2022 nominating a KP for the award is easier than ever, with a short questionnaire that can be found via kpoftheyear.com. Meanwhile the package of prizes is as exciting as ever. Along with the kudos of being KP of the Year, the winner gets an eye catching trophy, £1,000 cash and a slap up dinner for family and friends at a restaurant in their area. Plus, two runners up receive cash prizes. Plus, every single KP that’s nominated gets an exclusive KP of the Year apron in a presentation tin. In addition, the winner’s kitchen gets a brand new Winterhalter warewasher.

Closing date for entries is 29th July. The awards will be judged by a panel of top foodservice industry names.

“I know how hard a KP’s job is, because I’ve done it myself,” says Kinkead. “I’d encourage people from every sector of the industry to nominate their kitchen porters for this award.” In the past KPs from hotels, hospitals, pubs, prisons and schools have all been in the running for the award.

And because, until KP of the Year came along, they didn’t get the recognition they deserve.

“Foodservice is bouncing back from the pandemic, so it’s high time to turn the spotlight on KPs again, and the brilliant work they do” says Stephen Kinkead, managing director of Winterhalter UK, the company

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be made permanent.

A report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee has revealed that COVID19 and Brexit I've had a huge impact on the food and farming sector.

WINTERHALTER SEARCHES FOR THE UK’S TOP KITCHEN PORTER

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KP of the Year 2019 Davie Fleetham with head chef Jim Jawor at BaxterStory at RBS.

Visit www.kpoftheyear.com for details.

VAT Increase: Have Costs in the H&L Sector Reached Boiling Point?

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By Simon Armstrong, senior manager at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP (www.menzies.co.uk) At a time when costs are soaring and many businesses are still in recovery mode as a result of the pandemic, the return of 20 per cent VAT is likely to bring significant financial hardship for many hospitality and leisure (H&L) businesses. To remain viable, it’s vital that they manage costs carefully and keep a close eye on cashflow.

On 1st April, the Government’s temporary reduction in VAT rates, introduced to support one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, came to an end. However, with the financial position of H&L businesses being put under pressure for a number of reasons, the return to 20 per cent VAT (from 12.5 per cent) has come at a challenging time.

Facing a variety of inflationary pressures, which are contributing to rising costs for goods and services, H&L businesses, which may have large premises and restaurant kitchens, are especially vulnerable to rising energy prices. The impact of inflation and difficulties securing workers are pushing up wage costs, while ongoing supply shortages, including those caused by the Ukraine crisis, are also having a financial impact.

According to findings from UK Hospitality, the sector is facing a 95 per cent hike in energy bills, 19 per cent increase in labour costs and 17 per cent increase in food costs.

Businesses may also need to repay Coronavirus Bounce Back Loans, taken out to help them survive the pandemic, while the cost-of-living crisis means that consumers may have less disposable income for activities such as eating out.

When it comes to strategies for mitigating the financial impact of the VAT increase, businesses have two main options. On the one hand, they can opt to pass cost increases onto customers by way of higher prices for their goods and services. The alternative is to absorb the VAT rate increase by accepting lower margins, or reducing costs across other areas of the business.

With many consumers already feeling the squeeze, the decision to increase prices is reliant on customer goodwill and driving costs too high could see companies losing market share. Businesses should therefore adopt a big picture approach to cost reduction, considering how to improve the efficiency of the entire organisation. For each line in their profit and loss account, it’s important to consider whether it’s actually contributing to the success of the business and identify areas where they may not be achieving value for money. For example, can they negotiate with suppliers to gain more favourable contracts, achieve economies of scale through their purchasing practices or drive down overheads by installing solar panels or heat pumps, or outsourcing certain activities?

Restaurants and hotels should also consider ways to optimise their procurement activities and reduce wastage. There is now intelligent software available, providing businesses with enhanced visibility of vital sales data, such as understanding which products are providing the biggest margins. This can help companies to improve their menu planning and make the most out of each cover, while improving efficiency levels.

Decision makers should also focus on improving cashflow management. In the short term, this should involve making the most of payment terms with suppliers. For example, this could involve making payments on day 30, if they have 30-day payment terms. Thinking ahead about when rental and staff payments will be due and conducting cashflow predictions will also help them to plan ahead and ensure they’re able to cover any debts. At tough times, it might also be worth taking out short-term loans to get the company through a tough period, for example, securing an overdraft. In recent years, HMRC has shown greater flexibility with regards to agreeing payment plans in order to help businesses catch up with their tax payments, if they’re falling behind.

In the long term, techniques such as three-way forecasting, which involves combining data for a business’ profit and loss account, balance sheet and cashflow, can help companies to gain more certainty by assessing the financial impact of a number of different scenarios on their business model. For example, this might be a major recruitment drive or the launch of a new restaurant branch. Ultimately, decision makers should also ask themselves whether the business is viable in the long term, and seek expert support if the answer is no.

With H&L businesses facing a perfect storm of cost-related challenges, the VAT increase could prove the last straw if they don’t take action now. By investing in a thorough cost reduction drive and implementing effective cashflow planning, businesses stand a better chance of improving their profitability and withstanding current and future challenges.

Entries are Being Sought for the National Pubwatch Awards 2022 Entries are being sought for the prestigious National Pubwatch Awards 2022, which recognise the work of local pubwatch schemes and their efforts to provide safe drinking environments for customers and staff.

Finalists will get to attend a prestigious awards dinner in House of Lords on 18th October 2022.

Do you think that your pubwatch scheme deserves recognition? Do you have evidence of the schemes good practice? Has it made a real impact on safety in the evening and night-time economy?

If the answer is yes then National Pubwatch wants to hear from you.

The 2021 award winner was the Bedfordshire ‘Bedsafe’ scheme. Its chairman Mark Judd, licensee of The Pilgrims Progress in Bedford town centre, said: “Our award has been well received in the community and as a result we feel that we are stronger

together and the night-time economy is thriving.

“On a personal level, being invited to attend the House of Lords was one of the great highlights of my career.”

Chair of National Pubwatch Steve Baker OBE said: “One of main aims is to promote good practice and what better way to do than giving people the opportunity to enter for a national award which celebrates achievement at a truly prestigious event.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the work of a local Pubwatch scheme and receive recognition at a national level.”

To submit an on-line application to enter the National Pubwatch Awards 2022 now go to www.nationalpubwatch.org.uk/pubwatch-awards/

Thousands of UK Firms Expected to Unite Against Visa and Mastercard to Contest Excessive Corporate Card Payment Fees A class action lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard on behalf of a large number of claimants will be launched imminently. Harcus Parker, a UK commercial litigation law firm specialising in group litigation, competition litigation and class action lawsuits, will bring the corporate card claim at the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the UK’s specialist judicial body for hearing competition cases. The class action seeks compensation for UK businesses, which were charged Multilateral Interchange Fees (MIFs) for accepting payments using UK corporate* credit cards, and credit and debit cards from overseas visitors.

Harcus Parker claims that Visa and Mastercard have forced banks to agree to a level of MIFs set by the two giants, which are “anti-competitive and unlawful”.

“This case is about putting pounds back into the pockets of businesses across the economy, and making a stand against unlawful interchange fees. The fact is that the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice have both condemned this practice for consumer credit and debit cards. UK courts should now clamp down on commercial card and inter-regional fees.” said Jeremy Robinson, competition litigation partner at Harcus Parker.

Multilateral Interchange Fees make up the greater part of the service charges levied by banks on businesses when customers pay by card. Typically, for every £100 spend, around £1.80 is charged by the credit card giants

on payments made by corporate cards, costs which are borne by companies throughout the UK. Since 2015, UK law capped Multilateral Interchange Fees at 0.3 percent on consumer credit card transactions, and 0.2 percent for consumer debit cards. However, this cap did not apply to corporate credit and debit cards, or for inter-regional transactions. These sales have continued to attract fees of up to 1.8 percent per transaction. Harcus Parker accuse Mastercard and Visa of imposing anti-competitive MIFs on the banks, since the MIFs that banks charge each other were set by the schemes, rather than by market competition. These MIFs for corporate and inter-regional payments should be zero per cent, say Harcus Parker.

The class action is open to all business, including large international companies and local businesses, as well as some non-UK companies. Many of these businesses, particularly in the travel and hospitality sectors, have been particularly hard hit by Brexit and Covid-19.

UK businesses with an annual pre-Covid turnover of £100 million or more are invited to opt-in to the claim.

Businesses with a turnover under this threshold will be automatically included unless they choose to opt out.

The CAT is expected to hear the first round of the case in 2022, when it will decide whether the case can be certified to go forwards to trial. The case is financed by a third party litigation funder, Bench Walk Advisers, and is fully insured.

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What Menu Calorie Information Means for Both the Consumer and the Industry 16

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By Johanna Bolinder, Head of Health & Sustainability, Spoon Guru (www.spoon.guru) From April, the UK Government has implemented legislation which requires the out of home food sector to display calorie information on menus and food items. These rules have been put in place to help the public make healthier, informed choices when eating out. “In a Public Health England survey on calorie reduction, 79% of respondents said they think that menus should include the number of calories in food and drinks”.

Eating out is usually seen as an occasional treat, however for some households this has become habitual. According to Mintel report, the COVID-19 pandemic initiated a surge of demand in home delivery services and gave more varied food choices for consumers. It also declared “half of Britons ordered takeaways from fast food burger/ chicken outlets in 2021, reaching the highest point since we started to track this measure in May 2017”.

This policy has been put in place as our diets in the UK are becoming detrimental to our health overtime as

a population. There needs to be changes in our food environments and calorie labelling on menus is one way the Government can respond to a public health crisis.

Calorie labelling has been in place in the retail environment for many years, and there is no reason the out of home sector should not also be held accountable to the same standards as retail. Transparency is key in order to convey trustworthy information to consumers and until now this was not clear in the restaurant space. Consumers can now make informed choices and get more information on the items they are choosing to eat. Whether this policy will have a large impact on reducing calories in the UK diet or not is still uncertain, as much of consumer food choice still needs elements of self-regulation, this continues to be underpinned through educating consumers on healthier choices.

However, no public health policy is a one size fits all approach, the UK has 1.25 million people suffering from eating disorders that oppose this legislation. Calorie labelling is not an exact science and does not represent other areas of food choice such as taste, cost, cultural preference, nutritional quality of a meal and this should also be understood. The UK Government has compassion for this limiting aspect of the legislation and allows menus to be presented without calorie labelling if requested.

Apprentices Across the UK Hospitality Industry Came Together for Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase 2022 this event in the prestigious surroundings of the House of Commons.”

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase 2022 welcomed apprentices from the following companies, including The Berkeley Hotel, British Institute of Innkeeping Awarding Body, Brewhouse and Kitchen, Compass Group PLC, Everards of Leicestershire, Fallen Acorn Brewer, Five Points Brewery, Greene King, Grosvenor House Hotel, Hill House Nursing Home, Hilton Hotels, HIT Training Ltd, Holroyd Howe, Institute of Hospitality, Marston’s PLC, Mitchells and Butlers PLC, Littleover Brewery Limited, PPHE– Sherlock Holmes, Red Carnations Hotels, Remit Group, Royal Household, Skills and Education Group, Sodexo Ltd, Stonegate Group, UK Hospitality, Umbrella Training, Wantsum Brewery & Taproom, WSH Bartlett Mitchell Head Office – Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Work with Mum Ltd.

Last week, over 200 people from across the hospitality industry gathered in the House of Commons, Westminster for the sixth Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase (HAS).

The Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase welcomes apprentices from some of the leading hospitality businesses to come together and meet with MPs and Ministers. In this annual event at the House of Commons, they discuss the future of industry and showcase the incredible careers apprenticeships can lead to.

This year’s host, Mike Wood MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG), opened the event by remarking: “It is a pleasure to host another Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase. Last year’s event was online out of necessity, but it was not quite the same as hosting

Speaking at the event, Head of Youth Engagement and Apprentice Participation of the Department for Education, Carolyn Savage OBE, said: “Apprenticeships are not just for young people, but also for those who want to change careers and come into a new sector. I have met a lot of people who started their career through an apprenticeship and have been great examples for the industry. Some of the people who came into the hospitality industry, through an apprenticeship will be our future business owners and leaders.”

UK Hospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, took to the stage next and said: “It’s good to be back, once again, in the House of Commons.

We are pleased to celebrate once more the unique opportunities that our industry presents and provides from entry-level jobs to management positions. We are one of few sectors in the economy that people can enter with no experience and rise very rapidly to management and senior levels.”

A research survey commissioned by HIT Training has shown that 76% of the parents that were asked, believed that jobs in hospitality sector can offer a long-term career root. Moreover, 89% of parents and 79% of the teachers would recommend an apprenticeship as an effective career route for young people when they finish school. Also, 78% of the employers said that hiring an apprentice has improved the productivity of their business. Furthermore, a 74% of employers said that apprentices improved the quality of their products or services.

Mike Wood concluded: “I would like to thank all those who supported our cause once again and took part in this showcase. I am looking forward to our next Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase.”

Admiral Taverns supports New Charity Partner, Chasing The Stigma Admiral Taverns has announced its new charity partner for 2022, Chasing the Stigma. Chasing the Stigma is a national mental health charity, which aims to normalise mental health and ensure it is easy for everyone to find support when they need it.

During 2022, Admiral’s target is to raise as much vital money as possible for the charity through a range of fundraising events, from office activity to pub charity events.

Admiral has also launched a newly branded website with a fresh look and feel, that showcases the full breadth of the business following the acquisition of Hawthorn Community Pub Company in August 2021. The new site will enhance the experience of potential Admiral licensees, helping them to locate pubs they might consider running.

The website also aims to increase understanding of the strong ethos of the business and the support available as part of the Admiral community.

As well as the new website launch, Admiral Taverns ha begun merging its Operator Managed pubs into the Proper Pubs division, which was ranked No.1 in the recent Operator Managed Index*.

Chris Jowsey, CEO of Admiral Taverns, said: “Chasing the Stigma is an important charity which focuses on a crucial issue today. It’s vital that mental health is talked about to help prevent future suffering, and I’m delighted on behalf of everyone at Admiral Taverns that we will be supporting

CEO, Jake Mills and his team, in their journey to normalise mental health.

“Our new website, and the recent licensee index results*, show that we are committed to recognising and meeting our licensee needs, as well as our broad offering and focus on running brilliant, sustainable community pubs, across the country. I’m very proud to be part of the Admiral community as we support Chasing the Stigma in its mission to normalise discussions around mental health over the forthcoming year.”

Jake Mills, CEO of Chasing the Stigma said: “We are really pleased Admiral Taverns has chosen Chasing the Stigma as its charity partner.

Being in a pub with your mates can be the perfect place to open up and talk about mental health and the more we can tell people about our Hub of Hope app, which is the only service of its kind that brings NHS, Samaritans, Mind and 4,000 registered national and local voluntary, grassroots, private and third sector mental health support services to- gether in one place, the better.

“We are also extremely grateful that the guys at Admiral Taverns are going to be fundraising for us. We are a charity, and we want to keep the Hub of Hope free to download and free to use and also free to mental health organisations to register their details, so this money will go towards ensuring we continue to do this.”

Leaders’ Confidence Levels Rise, but Cost Pressures Threaten Hospitality’s Recovery 18

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Operators also face ongoing problems in the supply chain, which began after Brexit and accelerated during COVID-19. Four in five (82%) have seen products not turning up and large numbers have faced reduced product lines (77%) and delayed deliveries (64%).

Restaurant, pub and bar leaders are increasingly optimistic about prospects for 2022, CGA and Fourth’s Business Leaders’ Survey reveals.

The exclusive poll of multi-site business leaders shows 65% are confident about the next 12 months for the market—an increase of six percentage points since the last survey in December 2021. The number of leaders feeling confident about their own business’ prospects has nudged up by two percentage points to 68%.

Phil Tate, CGA Group CEO, said: “After two years of COVID-19-related disruption, our survey shows that multi-site businesses are finding their feet again. Hospitality remains a very attractive sector for consumers and investors alike, and as we move into the second quarter of 2022, we can be cautiously confident that sales and profits will continue to build. However, businesses that were weakened during the pandemic now face more fierce headwinds, and inflation is making it tough to achieve real-terms growth. The end of VAT relief and lack of government support in the recent Spring Statement risks stalling hospitality’s recovery just as it gathers pace.”

The Survey also indicates improved profitability in the hospitality sector.

More than four in five (84%) leaders say their business is currently operating at a profit—four percentage points higher than in the December survey. Only 5% of leaders say they are making a loss.

However, hospitality’s recovery from the pandemic is being threatened by mounting costs for both businesses and consumers. More than four in five (93%) leaders say they are concerned about inflation in food and drink prices, and nearly as many (79%) are worried about the public costof-living crisis. Almost two thirds (63%) are concerned about VAT and the end to relief for the hospitality sector, and there is widespread anxiety about rising costs in energy, labour and other key inputs.

Nine in ten (90%) leaders say they have been impacted by higher costs across the supply chain. The large majority have passed, or are planning to pass, some of the costs on to consumers via higher food prices (87%).

On average, menu prices are rising by 8%.

Sebastien Sepierre, managing director – EMEA, Fourth, said: “While it’s encouraging to see business confidence climb, the impact of rising costs, supply chain issues and the ongoing recruitment challenge continues to be extremely threatening to the sector. These challenges are amplified by the return to 20% VAT rates and the National Living Wage rise – both of which came into force last week and are set to hit finances hard, at a time the industry can ill afford. It’s vital that businesses continue to do everything they can to plan ahead, in order to protect their bottom line and also maximise efficiencies related to their workforce and inventory.”

WTTB – Print Ordering Made Easy…

To take liberties with a popular phrase, “no business is an island.”

To succeed there are so many other factors to take into consideration, which is why it’s important to ensure that you have reliable, cost effective and professional suppliers in your corner.

WTTB is one such ally, so much so that we don’t see ourselves as service to your business but rather an extension of it.

Our print on demand and up-to-the-minute technology means that we can provide everything you need for your offline marketing – from banners to flyers to signage and all points in between.

Through our state-of-the-art site you can manage your print requirements

seamlessly and easily, with a fast turn around time. And although we’re a digital service, we’re there every step of the way to give you our support or answer any queries.

Our products are suitable for an endless range of sectors and particularly for hospitality.

From information packs to menus, from promotional materials to vouchers and loyalty cards – we’re about producing everything your business needs to keep your existing customers happy and to help you win new ones.

We have a long and strong track record in helping boost our customers’ bottom line with endless solutions to help you get your business noticed and keep it front of mind.

Print is an essential tool for any successful business so find out what we can do for you by visiting www.wherethetradebuys.co.uk

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Pub is The Hub to Support Welsh Pubs After new £25K Grant Award Pub is The Hub will be supporting diversification projects for Welsh pubs after receiving a grant of £25,000 from The Prince’s Countryside Fund.

Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification so they can provide viable local services at the heart of their community.

The new two-year programme will enable Pub is The Hub to help some pubs provide much needed local services and amenities in rural areas across Wales. This could include a wide range of diversification projects such as village stores, community cafes, IT Hubs, allotments and libraries.

Malcolm Harrison, Wales advisor and director at Pub is The Hub, said: “This marvellous support and encouragement from The Prince’s Countryside Fund will make a big difference to many rural communities in Wales, enabling Pub is The Hub to support local diversification projects at a very challenging time for people and businesses in many rural areas.

“We are looking for good publicans in Wales with pubs that can offer a vital service to people in their local

area.”

Pub is The Hub chief executive John Longden said: “This new project funding from The Prince’s Countryside Fund will allow Pub is The Hub’s Community Services Fund, to offer small grants together with advice and guidance, to help local publicans make a difference in their rural Welsh communities.”

Keith Halstead, executive director, of the PCF said: “The PCF is pleased to support Pub is the Hub in developing its support to rural communities across Wales. The pub is often at the heart of community life and the PCF’s investment in this vital project will enable more publicans to provide essential services which residents need.”

Pub is The Hub successfully completed 20 projects in Wales between 2009 and 2013, when previous funding was in place, and had contact with over 100 pubs that were interested in diversifying.

Find out more about Pub is The Hub at www.pubisthehub.org.uk get the full details on the criteria and an expression of interest form by emailing support@pubisthehub.org.uk

Hotelier Expanding & Investing £1,200,000 to Renovate the Woodside in Doune “After a successful career in the corporate world and surviving several redundancy scares and numerous restructures we felt we would like to be masters of our own destiny. We also felt that we could do it better than the nationals. At that point, I was 36, I handed back my company car keys and we created The Riverside” – Stuart Riddle

Stuart Riddle along with his wife Joanna have established a portfolio of pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Their latest venture is the £1,200,000 renovation of The Woodside in Doune due to open late July 2022.

Stuart, started his career working as a Commis Chef in the kitchens of AA Rosette awarded Hotels and had had a successful career with national pub/restaurant groups prior to starting his portfolio. He became head chef at the 2 AA Rosette Dunain Park Country House Hotel (aged 25) before going on to impress in various roles including, Menu Development Manager at the Spirit Group, Catering Controller at Bellhaven Pubs and finally as Head of Food Development (premium) at Greene King.

After the success of their Riverside venture, the pair invested £1,200,000 renovating The Allan Park Hotel in 2018. Located in Stirling, it was renamed “The Allan Park - pub, restaurant & coffee house w/ rooms” and transformed into a contemporary 120 cover venue with 8 letting rooms.

“My now wife and I had talked about having a restaurant when I was a young chef and she worked as a restaurant manager in the late 1990’s, but we didn’t feel it was realistic and wouldn’t have known where to start”.

In 2013, Stuart and Joanna started their first hospitality company and embarked on a £700,000 development of the Stirling Arms to create “The Riverside - pub, kitchen & coffee house”.

In November of 2021 they took ownership of their third property, The Woodside Hotel now known simply as “The Woodside”. The Woodside is located in the heart of the Forth Valley and is being heavily developed to offer a modern 140 cover venue. The opening of which is scheduled for late July 2022.

The Woodside will be accessible to residents and non-residents alike and will feature a pub, coffee house, restaurant, terrace dining, 11 letting rooms and a function suite. Renovation costs for the property are expected to reach £1,200,000.

AA Announces Date for the AA Hospitality Awards 2022 The AA is delighted to announce that the AA Hospitality Awards 2022 will be held on Monday 26 September at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, in the first in-person ceremony in three years.

Recognising the excellence of hotels, restaurants and their teams across the UK, the AA Hospitality Awards is one of the industry’s most prestigious and highly anticipated events. Spanning 15 categories, the Awards will name the best hotels, restaurants, and spas across the UK, and celebrate individuals with awards such as the Lifetime Achievement Award, Chefs’ Chef Award and more.

New to this year is the AA Accessible Award, sponsored by Blue Badge Access Awards, the global initiative that celebrates thoughtful and stylish inclusive design across the world, and the only awards scheme that focuses exclusively on accessibility. Robin Sheppard, Co-founder of the Blue Badge Access Awards and President of Bespoke Hotels, won the AA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

The winner of the Chefs’ Chef Award 2019, Jason Atherton, founder of The Social Company, will be creating the menu for the Awards, catering for the 1,000 attendees, including key industry figures from world famous chefs and prominent hoteliers, to restauranteurs and hospitality experts.

The AA Hospitality Awards are currently accepting nominations from AA-Rated establishments for the AA Accessible Award, as well as the AA Sustainable Award, recognising clear commitment to sustainability, and the AA Housekeeper of the Year, awarding outstanding commitment and performance from a Housekeeper who

goes above and beyond the call of duty. Nominations can be submitted here.

Jason Atherton said: “As per tradition, the previous winner of the AA Chefs’ Chef Award is always asked to cook; the pandemic delayed this for two years but it is now time to return to how things were and I can’t wait. I am so excited to finally be able to get together with everyone and share some of my favourite dishes as part of such a special occasion.”

Robin Sheppard, Co-founder of the Blue Badge Access Awards said: “We are so excited to be part of this year’s AA Hospitality Awards, especially as this will be the first ‘in-person’ ceremony in two years. We believe the AA Awards align with our fundamental and core beliefs and are proud to announce that this year we will be sponsoring the AA Accessible Award. As the co-founder of the Blue Badge Access Awards, alongside Fiona Jarvis, we have made it our mission to advocate for inclusivity in the hospitality sector and make the hotel experience more joyful and inclusive for both disabled and non-disabled guests.

We believe the AA Awards will encourage hospitality industry bosses to better recognise accessibility in hospitality, and cannot wait to see the high-calibre of submissions put forward for this year’s AA Accessible Award. Our ultimate goal is to replace reference to DDA compliant rooms and re-title them as ‘Liberty’ rooms.”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said: “We are beyond thrilled to be able to celebrate the greatest hospitality establishments in the UK and Northern Ireland in person this September, after two years of hiatus.

We are delighted that Jason is creating the menu as the food will be tremendous, and we are excited to be introducing the AA Accessible Award. The AA Hospitality Awards are a key date for the industry, and we are proud to reward and recognise the hard work and passion of so many teams behind these incredible businesses.”

Beat the Blues by Bringing in the Jazz!

Whether you own a pub, bar, café or restaurant it’s important your business reflects the positive atmosphere you want your customers to experience.

That’s why playing music, particularly upbeat songs and other well-known tracks, could help to create an upbeat, happy environment and potentially relieve stress for your staff. It could help to provide an added burst of energy throughout the day and improve concentration and focus, especially during long hours and repetitive tasks.

Playing music that suits a style or a certain occasion, in your venue, could help to create the right feel, whilst distinguishing your brand and helping to make it stand out. It could also help to promote customer loyalty and ensure the experience is both unique and memorable for customers.

You may want to create a lively environment during the evenings as opposed to perhaps a more relaxed and calming space during the day, or how you might want to reflect a certain theme at events or other occasions. Whatever the situation, the right music can help to create a unique and appealing space and can even influence consumer behaviour.

Music can be an important part of day-to-day life for many people, particularly during their leisure time, which is why something could seem lacking without it in a hospitality environment.

For more information on the benefits of music and TheMusicLicence contact us today on 0800 0868 803 | pplprs.co.uk/get-themusiclicence/

Three Ways to Use Technology to Enhance the Customer Experience and Boost Your Sales 22

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Scott Muncaster, Managing Director at Adactus (www.adactus.co.uk), explains how to use the latest in technology to enhance your customer experience and build a long-lasting relationship with each person that walks into your establishment.

Gaining a single view of your customer today has never been more important. Customers want brands to interact with them personally, expecting an experience that they’re in control of and that’s tailored to their specific needs.

When this happens not only does it leave an everlasting positive impression but it can then be the start of a long and fruitful relationship.

This is where technology comes into play, capturing intelligent data on every one of your customers from when and how they like to interact with your brand to what they like and dislike, their dietary requirements, or when it’s their birthday. Online reservations and ordering systems, as well as other customer touch points like your website, in store WIFI and social media, are all key to giving you the permission and insight you need to start conversations with your customers.

RESERVATIONS Take reservation software as a starting point. Imagine that a new customer has booked a table via your App or website. They have paid a deposit online, which reduces the chances of a ‘no-show’ while the data

is captured giving your business valuable insight information on that person and party. You may even offer a pre-order service of the menu, so their food choices and dietary requirements are captured. Or ask for other pre-arrival needs from champagne on the table, wheelchair access, highchair for the children, etc. The customers arrive to a bespoke service and the data gives the chance to start more personalised and relevant customer conversations.

owner, so it is crucially about the ease of view and value of this information at the time required to then translate back to the customer. That's the clever bit about the technology.

The technology will flag up each customer's requirements, capture the relevant detail to then continue the conversation. A vegan customer does not want to hear about the new meat offering on the menu. They want to know when it's a vegan day at the restaurant or sending parents the half-term kids' offer via a newsletter. Imagine a booking is received, you note from the intelligence that they enjoy that glass of champagne to start, and when they arrive, be ready to offer this. Now independent hospitality businesses have reliable and accurate technology to do this.

There is also walk-ins too. Having a reservation facility to add guests to a waitlist at busy times to then message when there’s availability, means capturing a sale that would have normally been lost along with the contacts to keep in touch.

ORDERS But data capture doesn’t stop there. Whether it’s order at the table, waiter service, drive thru or delivering, giving customers the choice to place their own order on arrival or pay for their meal when it’s time to go, allows them to manage the pace of visit and the business the chance to keep building its data. It’s a chance to learn the customers’ favourite dishes, their preferred drink, their dietary requirements, whether they have kids etc. It’s a chance for the front- and back-of-house team to consistently and accurately be informed on what the guest wants, to give a great service. All valuable data to keep refining the way you talk to your customers in a more personalised and relevant way.

INTELLIGENCE It’s a cyclical process - the more data you capture on customers, the more targeted and relevant you can be in your marketing to attract and retain them further, and then the more data you can continue to gather on them upon each visit.

But there’s little time for analysis for a busy independent business

Finally, customer experience technology is also about choice for a business and flexibility to keep pace with growth. Whether using this technology for customer online ordering, reservation bookings and data intelligence, these systems work on their own, performing their individual task for your business – or can be deployed together to offer a powerful combination where the booking journey leads seamlessly into ordering, and the data captured is used in communicating to the guest to ensure they visit again. The cost has dramatically decreased too over time and flat-rate packages are available to suit business needs.

So, get set to improve the quality, consistency, efficiency and profitability of your customers’ reservation and ordering experiences and start talking to them in more relevant ways. The right technology can transform your operation, improve customer satisfaction, and lay a foundation to grow your business.

Adactus offers a range of configured and branded customer experience products in Ordering, Reservations, and data Intelligence. The hospitality technology specialists have been transforming some of the biggest names in the industry for more than 20-years.

British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Further Extends its Independent Expert Support for Members insurance, the necessary skills & expertise and industry experience. This will ensure licensees get effective business advice allowing them to start, protect and develop their businesses with confidence. The BII also remains committed to continuing to provide a highly regarded independent member helpdesk providing access to support with Pubco and Landlord matters, which has taken nearly 2000 calls since the introduction of the Pubs Code in 2016.

Further to the recent announcement that the BII was extending its support for members by setting up panels of independent accredited advisors, they are delighted to announce the launch of the scheme.

Steven Alton, CEO of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) commented: “Our members who independently operate pubs across the UK are now facing exceptional challenges for their businesses. Whether they are considering new agreements, substantial changes to existing agreements or capital investment opportunities, access to high quality expert advice is critical. We are proudly extending our proven business support for members with BII Accredited Advisors – Accountants, Charted Surveyors and Solicitors.

This will ensure that our members are able to access vital, independent expert support from the BII’s Accredited Advisors. In the current trading climate this has never been more important with key business decisions critical to future business success.”

The BII has facilitated independent expert panels to accredit these professional advisors for the licensed trade for Chartered Surveyors, Accountants & Solicitors. The panels led by leading professionals in their respective fields, have set accreditation criteria, overseen the appointment of accredited advisors against these criteria, and will review complaints which may ultimately result in formal removal of the accreditation from advisors. An independent Governance board will ensure the accreditation scheme is delivered effectively and deal with any appeals from the independent expert panels.

These professional advisors for licensees, meet the highest standards of professionalism, have full liability

The accreditation scheme will be open to all members of the BII and, in addition, for those pub estate businesses fully committed to the BII, we have arranged for prospective tenants to have full access to membership as soon as they have been appointed, giving them the professional help they require prior to signing an agreement.

Members can access the full service here: https://bit.ly/BIIAccreditedAdvisors Fiona Dickie, Pubs Code Adjudicator commented: “I welcome this industry initiative and I’m pleased to see participating pub-owning businesses seeking to ensure tenants, and prospective tenants, receive good quality professional advice. This advice can be key to tenants using their Code rights successfully throughout their tenancy – including before they sign on the dotted line”.

The BII has proudly supported licensed trade individuals running pubs across the UK for over 40 years.

Having provided essential business support across all critical areas of their businesses, the BII continually looks to further enhance their services, keeping pubs thriving at the heart of their communities.

Panasonic and Regal Microwaves Formalise Supply Partnership Global brand Panasonic and Regale Microwaves of Gosport announce a new distribution agreement, formalising Regale as Panasonic’s sole supply partner for its range of commercial microwaves and speed ovens.

Jared Greenhalgh, European Sales Manager, Panasonic; “Our key focus is to continue to grow relationships with our customers and the future growth of our business will be supported by nurturing our distribution network.

“Our recent partnership with ENSE has confirmed this commitment and with that in mind, we are delighted to announce that our long-standing affiliation with Regale Microwaves has now been extended to that of Supply Partner. This means that now, any operator will be able to purchase a Panasonic oven from their preferred supplier, either via our direct distribution network or through a distributor supplied by Regale, who will be offering an unrivalled service to any distributor who

doesn’t have an account with us directly, making it easier to procure Panasonic microwaves.”

Iain Phillips, Deputy Managing Director, Regale Microwaves; “Winning new business is tough enough; ordering the stock and having it delivered when you want it should be the easy part, but global supply setbacks are presenting challenges across the board.

Normally, Regale would hold ample stock of the entire Panasonic range but one of the advantages for the operator of this new partnership is that we will be running forecasts directly with the Panasonic factory ordering system ensuring enough stock to satisfy demand; all orders received by 2pm will be dispatched that day, on a next working day service, with free delivery too.”

To find out more about Panasonic’s range of commercial microwave ovens, email commercial.ovens@eu.panasonic.com or go to panasonic.co.uk/pro-cooking

Confidence to Travel Returns but 2019 Prosperity Out of Reach 24

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Trade association UKinbound has released new figures for 2022, showing the industry is beginning to recover.

In a March survey of its members, undertaken by Qa Research, over one in three (39%) of respondents stated that international bookings and visitors for April/May/June 2022 were expected to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, however the majority (61%) are expecting international bookings/visitors to be down, by an average of 47%.

Inbound tourism businesses revenue predictions for this period were similar, with almost half (45%) expecting them to be the same or higher than pre-pandemic, and 55% expecting them to be lower by an average of 49%. The US market is recovering the strongest, with one in three businesses seeing growth in this market.

Parallels also emerged when businesses were asked to consider international bookings and visitors between July and December 2022, compared with pre-pandemic. 50% are expecting figures to be the same or higher, and 50% are expecting international bookings and visitor numbers to be lower by an average of 41%.

Business confidence continues to rise, with 63% of companies confident about the impending 12 months, up from 56% in January 2022. April 2020 saw confidence levels at an all time low, 11%, but they have steadily risen

every quarter since then.

Commenting on the results, Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said: “It’s fantastic to see international travellers returning to the UK and we’re delighted to see the strongest growth from our number one market, the USA. The ending of all UK travel restrictions has given international consumers the confidence to begin travelling here again. Compared with 2020 and 2021 business is booming but we’re significantly lagging behind 2019 prosperity and our competitors.

“Inbound tourism is the country’s second largest service export industry, second only to financial services. It can accelerate the UK’s economic recovery but it’s a competitive industry and more needs to be done to entice international visitors back to the UK. We need a more competitive visa system, to rectify the devastating impact the removal of ID Card usage has had on the UK’s inbound youth traveller sector, and resolve the substantial negative impact the removal of tax-free shopping is having.

“Our welcome is also critically important, whether that be processing at our borders, or the service received at our hotels, cultural attractions and restaurants. Continued Government investment in the promotion of Britain abroad and the implementation of policies and funding that support the recovery and growth of businesses across the sector continues to be vital.”

Diageo World Class GB Returns to Launch Scaled-Up Education Programme to Help Bartenders

Globally acclaimed Diageo World Class GB is launching a new, scaled-up World Class Studios education programme to support the bartending community in GB, following a challenging two years.

Through “World Class Studios Tours 2022”, World Class GB will provide opportunities for those in the trade to develop and refine their skills, and help prepare for the World Class GB 2023 competition, which will kick off during London Cocktail Week this coming October.

World Class designed the new programme as a replacement to the World Class GB 2022 competition, instead offering bartenders an opportunity to further their learning and participate in some specific competition related elements. With just over six months until entries open for World Class GB 2023, these elements will act as a tool, helping bartenders to prepare.

World Class Studios tours will take place live and in-person throughout May, June, July and August. Two exciting new modules have been designed by worldleading drinks professionals specifically for this year’s programme which include Future Proof with Seedlip and The Singleton & Talisker Cocktail Cartography –

with more information to be revealed soon.

Nicci Kendall, Head of Brand Advocacy, Diageo GB, says: “Community within our industry has become more important than ever and after these challenging few years, we really wanted to make sure we were giving back to the industry and supporting them in any way we can. We’ve reshaped our education programme and are hoping to reach more bartenders than before, helping them to upskill so they are best placed to excel in their careers as well as prepare for World Class GB 2023, which will come back bigger and better in October.

“Although World Class GB is taking the time to reform and reshape the local competition programme, the Global World Class programme and final will be happening in Sydney. We wish all competitors luck and look forward to joining them again next year!”

This year’s education programme will focus on more subjects than ever before, with an emphasis on leading trends in the global drinks industry. World Class will also work with key trade partners, concentrating on inclusivity to introduce adults into a career in bartending.

Dalata Hotel Group Drives Further UK Expansion with Opening of £50 Million Hotel in Bristol Dalata Hotel Group Plc (“Dalata” or “the Group”), the largest hotel operator in Ireland, growing rapidly in the UK with a presence in continental Europe, today officially opens the Group’s first hotel in Bristol.

Clayton Hotel Bristol City is ideally located in the centre of Bristol city and marks the Group’s 17th hotel in the United Kingdom (“UK”). The Group currently operates eleven Clayton hotels and six Maldron hotels across the UK. 2022 is a significant year for Dalata’s UK growth plan with the opening of four new hotels, making it one of the fastest growing hotel groups in the UK this year. In addition to Clayton Hotel Bristol City, the first quarter saw the opening of both a Clayton and a Maldron hotel in Manchester and later this year will see the opening of a Clayton hotel in Glasgow.

Post 2022, Dalata has a further pipeline of new hotel openings across the UK, which includes hotels in London, Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester. The Group’s current growth plans will see Dalata increase its UK footprint by 65% between the start of 2022 and 2024, bringing its UK room total to over 5,000 rooms.

Dalata is an award-winning employer, providing direct employment to more than 1,200 people across the region. The Group’s ambitious UK expansion plan will see it employ just under 1,400 people by 2024.

Adding 80 jobs locally, the new 4-star hotel is close to Bristol’s commercial centre and within walking distance of the main shopping and leisure districts. The hotel boasts 255 air-conditioned bedrooms, a bar, restaurant, gym, and extensive conference facilities. The new hotel represents a £50 million investment, converting the former Edward Everard’s Printing Works on Broad Street in Bristol’s city centre. The hotel’s main entrance is framed by the historical Art Nouveau façade, dating back to the 1900’s, which pays tribute to printing and literature greats Johannes Gutenberg and William Morris.

The decision to refurbish the existing building, rather than demolish and build anew is estimated to have

saved 2,084 tonnes of CO2 emissions. These carbon savings are equivalent to the CO2 emitted in powering 264 homes in one year.

Bristol is the eighth most visited town or city in the UK, by international visitors. It is an attractive destination for both business travellers and tourists and welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors in 2019[1]. It has a vibrant and fast-growing economy with burgeoning engineering, aerospace, fintech, digital and creative sectors and was recently named the most innovative UK city outside of London[2].

Commenting on the opening, Dermot Crowley, CEO of Dalata Hotel Group said: “The opening of the Clayton Hotel Bristol City is a further demonstration of our Group’s ambition to grow our presence in the UK market. It is a fabulous property in one of the UK’s most popular destination cities. We are confident of the continued recovery in the hospitality sector and look forward to investing in other targeted UK locations throughout 2022 and beyond.

Our greatest asset continues to be our engaged people, in Ireland, the UK and Germany, and we are proud that we are generating significant new employment in the market. This will be the 17th hotel operated by Dalata in the UK, and our pipeline includes hotels in London, Brighton, Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester.

This is definitely a time to look forward.”

Shane Casserly, Corporate Development Director of Dalata Hotel Group added: “Today’s opening of the Clayton Hotel Bristol City is another significant milestone in our growth story and demonstrates the strength of the partnerships we have across the UK. I am encouraged by the opportunity that remains across the region, which is a key focus for our team.

We were delighted to work with our valued partners, Artisan Real Estate Investors, Abrdn and McAleer & Rushe Construction on this development, which will be a flagship property in the heart of Bristol City Centre.”

New UK Calorie Legislation Likely to Influence Choice of Food & Restaurant for Over 50% of Brits 26

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as well as where the food comes from. This requirement is only going to increase, with younger generations taking even more interest in what they eat and how it is sourced.”

New research shows calorie labelling legislation*,that came into force on the 6th April 2022, is likely to influence more than half of consumers’ choices when it comes to choosing what to eat (57%) and where they eat, with 43% of consumers saying they’d be more likely to select a restaurant with calorie labelling on the menu.

“There are many restaurants already doing this like LEON, Nando’s and YO! It is these restaurants that will be more successful in retaining existing customers and attracting future generations, taking their customer experience to the next level, and empowering them to make the right meal choice to meet their needs.”

Whilst there has been some public scepticism around whether the new legislation will support the Government’s aim of tackling obesity, it is clearly welcomed by many consumers – 68% of consumers surveyed feel the new legislation is a ‘good’ move.

The latest consumer research on calorie labelling was carried out by technology company, Vita Mojo in partnership with Kam Media and based on a nationally representative study of over 1000 participants.

Other key findings from the research: A low proportion of consumers (21%) think that the legislation will have a positive effect on the nation’s obesity levels, however, the majority of consumers do track calories – 48% actively keep track or have awareness of the calories that they consume (15% to a great extent and 33% to some extent) – 24% say they keep track of calories/track them a little Gen Z more focused on tracking calories than millennials 32% of Gen Z say they track calories to a great extent, compared to just 23% of millennials.

Consumers living in urban areas are more influenced by calories – 55% of those living in urban areas say they are more likely to choose a restaurant with calorie labelling on the menu, compared to 37% living in suburban areas and 35% in rural areas.

– 66% of those living in urban areas say calorie labelling is likely to influence what items they choose, compared to 54% in suburban areas and 52% in rural areas.

– 49% of those living in urban areas say they are more likely to return to a restaurant that offers calorie labelling, compared to 39% living in suburban areas and 37% in rural areas.

BOTH MEN AND WOMEN TRACK CALORIES Only 30% of men say they don’t track calories in any way, similar to women (25%) .

Vita Mojo, whose technology powers over 90 UK restaurant brands, urges all restaurant owners, including smaller businesses, to look beyond the legislation and focus on the consumer. Stefan Catiou, co-founder says, “Our research shows consumers want to know more about what they eat, both in terms of how it impacts and supports their health goals

Hugo Engel, Head of Digital at LEON said, “Our commitment to making food that tastes good and does you good has been at the heart of our brand since we launched in 2004. Giving our customers full transparency about our menu is incredibly important to us and we are always looking for ways to keep one step ahead. In the future, we see calorie and allergen labelling being just as important as being transparent about the environmental impact of our menu.”

Katy Moses, Founder & MD of KAM Media, says, “We know consumers are increasingly asking questions about the food and drink they consume. From food miles and sustainability through to calorie count and allergen labelling, Brits want easy access to the information which is important to them. The research highlighted that for restaurants in urban areas, home to high populations of Generation Z, it’s particularly important to make this information available. Giving these customers easy access to a clear breakdown of calories, dietary tags and allergens makes good business sense.” * The new legislation, part of a wider government strategy to tackle obesity and promote healthy eating, requires all cafés, restaurants, and takeaways run by companies with more than 250 employees to include calorie labelling and counts on their menus.

Under Pressure Hospitality Workers Want More Flexibility and Appreciation Front-line teams in hospitality are feeling under increased pressure as the sector emerges from the COVID pandemic, with industry staff shortages a major contributor.

As a result, many workers have become less satisfied with their jobs with nearly half (45%) saying their employment is less appealing now than it was previously.

The findings come in a new survey-based report, Transforming The Employee Experience In Hospitality, from employee experience platform Harri and data and insight consultancy CGA. The survey also shows that teams would welcome more and better implemented technology in the workplace, with digital clocking-in and out, smart scheduling and shift management highlighted as areas that technology could help improve their work experience the most.

Unsociable hours (cited by 54%), increased workload (49%) and pay not matching the job (47%) were the top reasons given by employees to explain current staff shortages.

While some workers say they lack appreciation, nevertheless, the report reveals that 61% of hospitality employees remain satisfied in their current roles, enjoying more flexibility (54%) and greater appreciation (42%). Those that saw their jobs as less appealing highlighted insufficient pay rises (72%), a lack of appreciation from their employers (53%) and a decrease in tips (34%) as key reasons.

When considering accepting a job, pay (stated by 63%) and flexibility (49%) were the main deciding factors, the survey found. Almost all those surveyed agreed that employers could make better use of technology to improve their work experience, with nine out of 10 saying technology needed to improve within the work-

place and 38% believing technology was more important to their role than it was pre COVID. Overall, employees see staff shortages, mentioned by 58%, as the biggest challenge in hospitality now, followed by unsociable hours (51%) and inexperienced staff (37%).

“Employers can’t do a great deal to fix some of the employees’ challenges mentioned, such as unreasonable guest demands, but it is possible to tackle other bugbears like ineffective communication, lack of flexibility and pressure from managers. By addressing these, businesses can make a significant difference to retention rates,” commented Pete Willis, Harri’s commercial director UK & EMEA. “Now is the time to repay employees; the industry has taken a massive hit and one of the biggest priorities is to improve their work life; give them the right technology to elevate their employee experience and help them achieve the work-life balance they need through efficient shift management and payroll functionality,” he added.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director, hospitality operators & food, EMEA, commented: “This research provides fascinating intelligence about the attitudes of current and potential staff, and emphasises how COVID-19 has made them think much more about wellbeing, flexibility and long-term career paths. It also highlights the crucial role of technology in keeping staff closely engaged with their businesses and colleagues. It’s abundantly clear that as hospitality builds back and battles some fierce headwinds, businesses that can deliver good experiences for their employees will have a huge advantage.”

Ringing the Changes at The Bell in Ticehurst spaces where everyone feels welcome and well looked after. The Bell has all the right ingredients within its walls, with a great team, to deliver extraordinary experiences that are about to get even better”

As The Bell undertakes Phase II of a development plan that has already delivered an extended function room and bar, two key new appointments have been made take the business to the next level. Quirky in the truest sense of the word, The Bell’s reputation for eclectic design, great service and amazing food means there is pent up demand for more rooms and a glorious new restaurant. The completion of the project, with an investment of £2.5million, will result in a better segmented busines to deliver bespoke weddings, maintain a local pub that welcomes all and enhances the village of Ticehurst, as well as a rural destination that delights.

Daniel Courtney has been appointed as General Manager. Daniel spent his formative years in hospitality at luxury hotel and spa, Calcot Manor in Gloucestershire where he stayed for 10 years progressing up the ranks. He was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Lausanne Hospitality School in Switzerland before moving on to Middleton Lodge in Yorkshire. Here he played a key role in developing this historic property as their Estate General Manager. Daniel will lead the team to realise the ambition of a boutique hotel with 17 rooms, a unique pub and restaurant as well as a prominent wedding venue.

Working with Daniel is new Head Chef, Mark Charker. Cutting his culinary teeth at Ockenden Manor Hotel, under the guidance of a Michelin Star chef, at just 23 he was the youngest successful candidate for the Roux Scholarship. Mark believes in cooking for the guest, not the chef, and promises an honest, clean and creative menu of essentially British cuisine with French influences at The Bell. There will be burgers but they will be the best bloomin’ burger you have ever tasted, as well as many new dishes on a seasonal menu to relish.

Daniel feels he has found his niche at The Bell; “Hospitality is all about individual expression and creating

WHAT NEW AND IMPROVED LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE Over the coming year a striking new restaurant with an adjacent kitchen to cope with increasing demand will be built and the existing kitchen will service an increasing number of weddings and functions. The new restaurant will give space back to the pub allowing more tables for drinkers, mindful of keeping local and loyal customers happy. Amazing food will be served in the restaurant of 62 covers but there will also be some simple but beautifully done pub favourites.

In the summer months, the kitchen is designed to create a buzz for alfresco dining, giving the garden a chilled holiday atmosphere with great music and lighting.

Four more bedrooms and three more lodges will be created, welcoming guests from far and wide. This additional footfall will help to ensure significant ‘secondary spend’ in other village businesses and more employment for local people, important in this part of rural East Sussex.

TIMESCALE Barring pandemics and world crisis, the aim is to have project completed by the end of this year/early 2023 with the ambition of being fully operational in time for they busy Spring season next year.

Hospitality’s ‘Soft Power’ Is Key To Weathering Endemic Labour Shortage 28

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By Jennifer Johansson, founder and CEO of Placed App (www.placed-app.com) Another week, another story about the grim outlook for the hospitality sector, beleaguered by labour shortages and restaurant closures. Last month, Westminster City Council announced a £1m scheme to drive recruitment within London’s hospitality and tourism sectors. But are interventions like this substantial enough to address the engrained issues that lie at the heart of hospitality’s recruitment woes?

Covid has seen hospitality businesses struggle more than twice as much as other industries to fill vacancies (ONS, 2021). This is, in part, exacerbated by Brexit but also as a result of negative perceptions regarding jobs in hospitality.

Hybrid working, now widely the norm, is giving people an alternative to the hard slog of shift work demanded by industries such as hospitality and care work. With mental health issues being a particular feature of the pandemic, people desire employment that fosters better work-life balance, more flexibility and more wellbeing benefits from their employer. If more consumers are being choosier in who they shop with – particularly in light of how badly some corporations have treated their staff – then the same can be said for the number of candidates looking to work for a socially responsible and caring employer. It is the strength of this ‘soft power’ that will determine how well and effectively businesses can attract talent in these turbulent times.

I’ve worked in the hospitality sector since I was 14 and I’ve always been curious about the industry’s UK’s recruitment problem. It’s a vibrant, sociable, exciting and creative industry in which to work if you’re a people person. In my native Sweden, if a graduate has ambitions to build a career in hospitality, no one challenges, belittles or judges this desire. They’re not considered to be over-qualified and the sector is not perceived as an unattractive one in which to enter. When it comes to growing professionally in nearly all sectors, one always starts off at the bottom and progression occurs with hard work and experience. Hospitality is no different in this respect.

Yet the UK hospitality industry’s image ‘problem’ is preventing prospects from considering a long-term career in the sector and has, in some respects, contributed to the industry’s perpetual high-churn rate. When it comes to recruitment, the applicant now has the upper hand. This is not such a bad thing. The wielding of such power may force organisations, including those in high churn sectors, to innovate their propositions to attract personnel that will drive their success. Innovation rarely happens when one operates within their comfort zones. Covid and Brexit have definitely not given the hospitality industry an easy ride.

There has never been a more opportune moment for an industry reset; where businesses in the sector may reappraise how they can draw in talent, not just through policies and operations that show themselves as responsible employers with wellbeing, work life balance and flexibility at the heart of their employee engagement schemes. There also needs to be a wider effort to position hospitality as a rewarding career route where wait staff et al. can envisage a pathway towards sitting in the highest offices of an organisation one day, give or take the right attitude and training to support them on that journey. And of course businesses need to publicise all the compelling reasons why people should apply to work with them.

Prior to starting my business, back when I was working for a luxury concierge service and talking to managers and owners of hospitality businesses every day, I saw how they were always recruiting for positions. It was hardly modern and completely misattuned to the way Gen Zedders consume information and look for work. Herein lies a problem to their recruitment strategy that is easily solvable if technology is employed and a more considered effort was made to show how they are appealing employers.

Then there’s the cost of working in hospitality and the unshruggable belief that hospitality jobs pay poorly.

Money is king, so the saying goes, and never has this been more apparent in a world where cost of living is rising exponentially.

Yet the pandemic has revealed two things within us: firstly, a greater appreciation for the intangible things in life that money can’t buy and, secondly, an even greater intolerance for businesses and brands who fail to support the community in their greatest time of need. In a new values-driven world, it is the hospitality businesses that are able convey themselves as caring, responsible employers that will win the war for talent.

Jennifer Johansson is founder and CEO of Placed App, a service that uses AI to matchmake recruiters and job candidates in sectors like hospitality using a mobile-first platform.

The 12 Best UK Cities for Your Food Start-Up

Article suppled by www.customplanet.co.uk As restrictions ease and the world starts to resemble some form of pre-COVID normality, many people across the UK are making the most of their newfound freedom. According to a survey from Preoday, over half (58%) of Brits said the first thing they were looking forward to doing after lockdown was visit a restaurant or pub. So, if you're thinking of opening your own food business, now is the perfect time to draw in a crowd of hungry customers.

But where in the UK is best for your start-up? We've analysed every city in the UK and shortlisted the best places to open your new food business, so you can hit the ground running and make the most of your location.

It's certainly no surprise that some of the UK's capital cities made it to the top of the list. The likes of London and Edinburgh have long been hotspots for businesses in England and Scotland, and with such high populations (8,961,989 in London and 524,930 in Edinburgh) along with a high proportion of tourists and students all hungry for new dining experiences, you certainly won't have a shortage of customers.

As expected, a few other major UK cities also came on top.

Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, and Glasgow appear in our top 12, along with major tourist sites and student cities like Westminster, Cambridge, Brighton, and Oxford.

What is surprising though, is that Glasgow and London emerged with the most points overall, putting Glasgow above the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. But this isn't the most surprising result, as there were some underdogs on our list that we didn't anticipate seeing.

Armagh was the most unexpected result. While Northern Irish cities are much smaller than those in England and Scotland, Armagh still made it onto our list with the same number of points as Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Stirling, and Westminster. As one of the cheapest UK cities for business outgoings such as trading licence costs and food essentials, residents of Armagh may also expect to pay more for an inexpensive meal and a regular cappuccino, which is great news for your profit margin.

While eight of our 12 cities are in England, Stirling sits as the third Scottish city on our list, proving that the country has just as much to offer. This city has some of the lowest business rates in the whole of the UK, plus a higher average monthly disposable income compared to other major cities.

WHICH CITIES CAME OUT ON TOP?

Although no Welsh cities appeared in our top 12, Bangor just missed out on a spot in our ranking with three points. With considerably low business rates and an average annual salary similar to that in Stirling, this could be the place to go if you're looking to open your new business in Wales.

Commenting on the findings, Andrew Dark, Director and Co-Owner of Custom Planet (www.customplanet.co.uk), said: "The location of your business can play a huge role in your success.

Choose the right one, and you could benefit from increased footfall, bigger profit margins, and fewer business costs overall. But, when starting a business, it can be tricky to know just where to go. That's why we've created our ranking of the top 12 UK cities for food start-ups, to give new business owners a helping hand.

"While some of the cities in our top 12 don't come as a surprise — London was always going to be up there for example — there's definitely a few that we didn't expect. Stirling made it as the third Scottish city in our top 12, but perhaps one of the most surprising is Armagh in Northern Ireland. While it may be small, Armagh has plenty of potential for those looking to start their own business venture.

"Meanwhile, other larger cities such as Swansea, Sheffield, and York, for example, didn't make the top spot. This list just goes to show that many factors contribute to the best location for a food business. Larger locations such as London and Edinburgh benefit from a high population, student numbers, and tourism, but you'll also face higher running costs.

Meanwhile, smaller cities such as Armagh have a smaller population, but cheaper costs mean your business could thrive. So, there's certainly somewhere for every business owner."

METHODOLOGY To create our list, we looked at all 69 cities across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and compared them using 14 different ranking factors. These factors were used to judge how much custom a business could expect to get and its profit potential, as well as how much it may cost for rent, supplies, and staff salaries. These were: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Whether the city had an enterprise scheme The average rent for a retail space Business rates Cost of a street trading licence application and licence Tourist population Student population Total population Cost of living per month before rent Annual salary before tax Average sales assistant salary Annual and monthly disposable income Average cost of an inexpensive meal and regular cappuccino Average cost of food essentials Based on these factors, we then narrowed down our data to a top 10 for each category. Then, we looked at which cities appeared most often in our top 10 lists, to discover our top 12 overall best UK cities for food start-ups.

The location you choose for your start-up depends entirely on your business idea and target audience, but our ranking of the best UK cities for food businesses should provide you with a great starting point on your journey to success.

Your location isn't the only thing that can take your business from strength to strength. Even if you find the perfect location, your work isn't done yet, and you'll want to spread the word about your business to make the most of your ideal location and customer base. Solid branding and marketing are vital if you want to get your new start-up seen by potential customers, so don't forget to take a look at our range of promotional products and branded clothing, including our hospitality uniforms. Everything can be printed with your logo, so you can get your new business in front of hungry customers.

Newcastle Plays Host to Popular CAMRA Podcast 30

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The Campaign for Real Ale’s popular podcast Pubs. Pints. People. kicked off a new season by shining a spotlight on Newcastle ahead of the local Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival.

live entertainment and drink great ale, cider and perry.”

Admission to the Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival is free for CAMRA members and £3 for all other visitors. The festival boasts over 100 beers, 40 ciders, a gin bar, music and food and will be located on the first floor of Northumbria Student’s Union from 6 to 9 April.

Episode 1 of the new season airs today (6 April) looking at “what’s in a bottle (or can)?”. The hosts sit down with award-winning beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones to discuss his new title United Kingdom of Beer, which identifies 250 of the best beers available in bottles and cans across the British Isles.

The podcast, which covers a range of topics and issues relating to beer, cider, pubs, clubs and more, has essentially gone “on tour” this season, travelling around the country to shine a spotlight on local CAMRA branches and their activity.

The hosts also sit down with local CAMRA volunteer Martin Ellis, a regular contributor to BEER Magazine and a beer, brewery and pubs writer. He leads regular walking tours visiting Ouseburn’s breweries and tells listeners how the Tyneside has become one of the premier beer destinations across the UK. Ellis says: “I have seen Tyneside transformed from a real ale desert to a real ale mecca. The Ouseburn, just outside Newcastle city centre, has possibly the greatest concentration of microbreweries in the country.”

Listeners can expect a new episode to air on the first Wednesday of each month from April to September.

Martin is also joined on the programme by Anthony McMullen, organiser of the Newcastle Beer & Cider Festival who talks through what it’s like to kick start the local festival after a two-year hiatus.

Podcast producer Katie Wiles says: “The CAMRA podcast has been a huge success since we launched during the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020. Now in its third year and operating in an incredibly different environment, we want to travel the country to highlight that our local festivals are back and shine a spotlight on the fantastic work of our local branches in furthering the cause of great beer and pubs across the UK.”

McMullen says: “It’s an exciting time to be running a beer festival, showcasing the talent of our local breweries and those further afield. It’s great to be able to once again get together, make new friends, watch amazing

New episodes will air on the first Wednesday of every month and can be accessed through Apple Podcast, Spotify or Acast.

Community Pub Welcomes New Licensees Following £140,000 Refurbishment The Trafalgar, a local traditional community pub in the seaside town of Dovercourt in the historic parish of Harwich, reopened on the 24th March following a transformational £140,000 refurbishment.

At the helm are passionate and local licensee team, Joann and Joanne Krisman with the investment in the Trafalgar funded by leading community pub group, Admiral Taverns, who own 1,600 pubs across the country.

The refurbishment has ensured the Trafalgar is in “Ship-Shape” for a busy Summer season ahead and has included a full refresh to the exterior of the pub, with new paintwork and signage.

Once inside, residents will be able to enjoy a more welcoming look and feel whilst taking in a drink at the pub’s new bar. A new beer garden, refurbished as part of the project, can fit up to 100 people and is set to be incredibly popular in the summer with lots of events in the pipeline, including BBQ’s and charity fundraisers.

Licensees Joann and Joanne are no strangers to the local area, with Joann having lived in Harwich for over 20 years and Joanne her entire life. The duo are also practiced pub operators, having run the nearby Kings Arms together for five years.

To ensure the pub supports the local community as much as possible, Joann and Joanne hope to partner with a local charity to host regular fundraising events and reach out to local businesses offering their support, including working with foodbanks to ensure no food goes to

waste.

The pub will also boast a fantastic drinks menu, including a different Ale each month, which donates 10p to The Harwich Museum for every pint sold.

Joann Krisman, licensee at the Trafalgar, commented: “We are over the moon to take on the Trafalgar and the local community have already shown us incredible support. The refurbishment looks amazing and our aim is to make the Trafalgar the ‘go to’ social hub of Dovercourt, welcoming everyone in the local community. We’re thrilled with the new look and can’t wait for all the locals to see it for themselves.”

The opening night, an invite only event for the community, welcomed over 200 residents to enjoy live music from local singer, Mike Carran.

The team at The Trafalgar will be looking to host a range of local music throughout the year, as well as quiz nights.

Local Mayor, Cllr Ivan Henderson visited the pub on opening night. He commented: “It was an honour to be invited to the opening of the Trafalgar, a fantastic community pub that is an important asset to Dovercourt. The investment from Admiral Taverns looks amazing and I’m confident of the pubs success with two passionate licensees at the helm, who work so hard to bring the community together.”

SPECIAL CLH OFFER GET 10% OFF LIST PRICE DURING MARCH 2022

BY QUOTING ‘CLH10’ Telephone 01329 285518 for full details

Products and Services Old Jamaica, The UK’s Number One Ginger Beer Brand

Old Jamaica, the UK’s number one ginger beer brand, has the perfect range of soft drinks to appeal to all those who like to mix it up. All of our drinks pair perfectly with gin, vodka, rum and whisky; in fact almost any spirit you can think of, there’s an Old Jamaica product that can pair perfectly with it!

From Old Jamaica Ginger Beer – with Regular, Light and Extra Fiery to choose from – through to our recent launch of our Ginger Ale, as well as a Rhubarb & Ginger Ale, we are the OG’s of ginger beer and the only brand that uses authentic Jamaican root ginger across our range.

In addition to ginger beers, Old Jamaica has a range of Sodas too. Our Tropical Soda joined the family in 2021, with Grape Soda, Cream Soda and Pineapple Soda continuing to delight consumer tastebuds across the country!

All of the products in the Old Jamaica portfolio deliver a bold and unique flavour, meeting the increasing needs of UK consumers, as one in four consumers already mix Old Jamaica with alcohol.

Terri Cooper, senior commercial manager at Old Jamaica, said: “We’re excited to see Old Jamaica continue to be the UK’s no.1 ginger beer brand and consistently tap into consumers' growing demand for quality, versatile, flavoursome mixers that pair perfectly with a variety of spirits and are suitable for all occasions.”

A wide-ranging communications strategy will support the brand throughout 2022 and aims to broaden Old Jamaica’s brand appeal, increase awareness, and position the brand as the authentic alternative to the ‘norm’ within the soft drinks category.

Visit www.refresco.com or www.oldjamaicagingerbeer.com for details.

Isle of Wight Distillery - Free Your Spirit Robert’s Dorset - Handmade in Britain Rooted in the natural landscape of a unique island, we are the Isle of Wight’s first and only distillery. Our founders Xavier and Conrad and our small team distil spirits shaped by our stunning surroundings and the unique character of our island. Doing things differently, minimising waste, using ethically sourced and often local, foraged ingredients to craft a range of smooth, complex spirits.

Our signature spirit Mermaid Gin delivers a smooth yet complex blend of fresh organic lemon zest and peppery grains of paradise, with a hint of sea air from locally foraged, fragrant rock samphire - a refreshing and invigorating serve. Mermaid’s name was inspired by

its lead botanical rock samphire, known locally as ‘mermaid’s kiss’. This aromatic succulent clings to the cliffs surrounding the island and marks the high tide line on its majestic beaches.

Alongside Mermaid Gin, we produce subtly sweet, naturally flavoured Mermaid Pink Gin, infused with fresh Island strawberries grown in the rich and fertile microclimate of the Arreton valley and Mermaid Salt Vodka (a favourite with mixologists), using salt harvested from the flood tide off the island’s southern coast.

Mermaid is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Our spirit range also includes HMS Victory-branded Navy Strength Barrel-aged Gin and Rum, which incorporates real oak from the famous warship,.

We blend traditional methods with contemporary techniques, hand-crafting our spirits in small batches and slow distilling before cutting with local spring water and bottling on the island. The result is an awardwinning range of spirits with a contemporary style, layered complexity and signature smooth delivery.

Contact: +44 (0)1983 613653 or Web: www.isleofwightdistillery.com

Robert’s Dorset is a family owned and operated company and we know the value of our stockist.

All orders are made to order giving you the freshest product available.

One area we differ from everyone else is each box we send out. We don’t insist on each box being a single flavour. We tailor every box to exactly what you require.

We offer 11 flavours of Proper Pork Crackling so if you only want 8, that’s exactly what we will send you.

Our minimum order is just 1 box with carriage or £150 with carriage paid.

We specialise in 3 core products, Pork Crackling, Nuts and fudge but we offer both reusable and recyclable

packaging in both.

In today's market place we try to tick as many boxes as possible to make us a one stop for the snack requirements.

Allegan Free, Keto, Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Carbohydrate, No Cholesterol, High Protein.

All of our products are British sourced with the exception of our nuts but hopefully in time, who knows.

For own online catalogue with visuals & prices please email trade@sct-sct.com or give one of the team a call 01202875280.

If you have an online store we are happy to send you visuals to ad to your website. Those with store we will provide full POS free of Charge.

Best London Dry Gin In England and Other Disposable Straws Created by Nature Award-Winning Gins From Henley Gin The Henley Distillery is one of the newest and most exciting distilleries in the UK. Based from a restored threshing barn just outside Henley-on-Thames, the Distillery was established last summer by Jacob Wilson, one of the youngest Master Distillers in the country. A few months later Wilson launched his Henley Gin brand and among other plaudits, he has just taken home the award for Best London Dry Gin in England at the World Gin Awards for his Classic Dry. Despite his young age, 27, Wilson’s CV is impressive and now as one of only a handful of distilleries in the UK owned and run by a Master Distiller, he is showcasing leading edge, contemporary spirit innovation rooted firmly in traditional, artisan methods.

HENLEY GIN Wilson’s small batch, hand-crafted Henley Gins are available in three expressions: Henley Gin, Classic Dry, the Best London Dry Gin in England and GOLD medal winner at The Spirits Business Gin Masters is a contemporary twist on a London Dry. A signature sipping gin, it builds on the familiar juniper foundation with citrus flavours of orange peel, lime leaves and lemongrass. Warmth flickers from the bold Szechuan peppercorns before mellowing with the rich notes of cardamom and vanilla-like tonka beans to create a smooth, refined balance.

Henley Gin, Rhubarb & Orange, a MASTER medal winner at The Spirits Business Gin Masters, is deceptive in blushing pink. This fruity, single-shot, artisan gin has been layered with fresh hand-peeled orange zest and tart English rhubarb to create an elegant and refreshing gin.

Henley Gin, Oriental Spiced offers a complex blend of rich spices inspired by the Silk Road, combining long pepper and cubeb with fiery ginger and a hint of lemon zest.

For more information visit www.thehenleydistillery.co.uk, or to place an order please call Alan Wilson or Jacob Wilson on 07511208490.

Frogut Straws produces natural disposable drinking straws made from wild grass (Lepironia articulata) growing in the Mekong Delta. The straws are produced in Long An province in Vietnam in the production plant established together with our Vietnamese partner Natufarm. The grass is hand-picked by the local farmers living in wetlands so that improves their livelihoods. On the other hand, growing Lepironia grass helps maintaining wetlands in their natural state. Therefore this is a great example of integrating ecosystem conservation and poverty reduction in the wetlands.

The straws are stored in Gdansk/Poland, and from there we distribute them to any place in Europe.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well we only supply premium German manufactured products from stock at incredibly low prices. The insulated box manufactured from top quality expanded polypropylene is a dense closed cell insulation material but incredibly light to handle when empty for example the GN insulted box with a 117 mm internal depth only weighs just over a kilo and yet holds a massive 21 lts capacity. Now combine the Kanga box with a Carbon Heater and the magic begins, hot food all the time!

Our range of Carbon heaters offers two voltage options 12 volts for car operation using the cigarette lighter socket or 230 volt mains voltage for internal or external mains use. The big advantage of the Carbon Heaters they are absolutely fool proof just insert them in the bottom of the box turn on and forget, there are no consumer controls the temperature is pre-set at the factory at 75 deg C. The Carbon Heater is very light at only 700 grammes and does not take up much room only being 10mm thick. Dishes can be place on the Carbon Heater straight out of the oven up to 120deg C. Finally quick and easy to clean just wipe over with a damp cloth.

Contact Catering Equipment Limited on Tel: 0121 773 2228 or visit www.clickonstore.net or www.kangaboxuk.com

Our grass straws are an ecological and sustainable alternative to paper straws. They do not soften, keep their shape and stiffness in both hot and cold drinks. They are ideal for water, carbonated drinks, juices and alcoholic beverages. They remain hygienic and functional even after years of storage.

For further information see www.frogut-bio.pl

Is TEAPY T-4-1 The Future Of Tea Service?

Keeping Food Hot? We Have All The Answers First of all, you will want one of our world beating Kanga boxes and a Carbon Heater. You can then keep food hot indefinitely and fully comply with HACCP regulations.

Frogut supplies both wholesale market (250 or 500 pcs carton dispensers) and retail market (50 and 100 pcs boxes).

The straws come in three lengths and can be individually wrapped in tissue paper. In the production we follow strict hygiene rules, as a result of which we obtained the German LFGB (food contact) certificate, issued by TÜV Rheinland.

Perfect brewing conditions, a proven 40% saving in staff time compared to teapot service, and a unique “aroma burst”, make TEAPY T-4-1 an obvious choice for any foodservice operation. Mosaic Hospitality have over five years experience of TEAPY T-4-1 used with tea bags at The Stables Kitchen, Bramall Hall. According to director Kirsten Inverarity, “I immediately saw its advantages for busy operations like ours.” Not far away, at MarJoe’s speciality tea and coffee shop, tea aficionado Lawrence Turner serves only loose leaf teas, offering a choice between TEAPY T-4-1 and teapot service. “The majority of our customers choose TEAPY T-4-1 and we prefer serving with it, providing the best possible tea with the least possible effort”.

TEAPY T-4-1 is the clear preference of serving staff, a complete tea service safely carried in one hand, or more servings

on one tray, fewer pieces to dishwash, and easy to store ready for the next use, saving up to 70% shelf space.

The latest TEAPY designs include no less than three inventions, two already patented and one patent-pending, that enable these breakthrough benefits in serving and enjoying tea and other infusions. TEAPY T-4-1 is also used for hot chocolate, mulled wine and coffee bags.

Serial inventor Roland Hill’s one-way vision inventions are used on bus and retail window advertisements worldwide, including Pret, Eat, Costa and Starbucks. They have won three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, two for Innovation and one for International Trade. He believes TEAPY T-4-1 will be just as successful, “All TEAPYs are made in the UK, of either Eastman Tritan copolyester or bone china, each providing the perfect tea experience.”

Visit www.teapy.co.uk, www.contravision.com or see the advert on page 6.

Products and Services

Plant Purity from Glebe Farm Foods Stock Your Perfect Snack Range We’ve all seen a significant increase in demand for plantbased dietary alternatives – and now every good business wants to ensure they can offer a variety of options to suit every need.

Milk alternatives have made a big splash everywhere recently – with oat, almond, rice, pea, hemp, soya, coconut, and potato all being options to traditional dairy. Out of these, oat is widely seen as the most popular in the UK, having overtaken soya in the last few years.

Oats are a natural superfood, rich in vitamins, minerals, and soluble fibre. They are also naturally gluten free – but only when they are completely pure. Most commercial oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. This opens them up to cross-contamination, making them unsuitable for consumers who suffer with gluten allergies and intolerances (such as Coeliacs). However, all Glebe Farm Foods oats are milled on a dedicated gluten free farm.

This then ensures 100% complete oat purity and no cross-contamination.

Glebe Farm Foods is the leading gluten-free oat grower and manufacturer in Europe – with all oats being grown right here in the UK on an independent family-run Cambridgeshire farm. So, all the oats that go into making their PureOaty oat milk (as well as their porridge oats, oat flour and cereals) have far fewer miles to travel from farm to fork or seed to shelf. Their farm also utilises solar panels and biomass generators for renewable energy, and they have won awards for their excellence in sustainable business practice.

Buying local produce, supporting British farmers, and choosing the companies who care about their carbon footprint are all effective ways to showcase the ethics of your own business – and reflect what modern consumers are looking for. Good choice, good taste, good values!

Visit www.glebefarmfoods.co.uk for details.

Microsave - Every Commercial Microwave Should Have It! In most hospitality businesses the commercial microwave oven has become a useful tool.

In most kitchens the interior (cavity) of microwaves can suffer from splashes and spills which means that food particles can be left on the ceiling plate, base plate, sides, back, base and lens light cover which, unfortunately, if not cleaned off can start to deteriorate the cavity causing burning and damage which intern can cause break downs of parts not included in the manufacturer’s warranty.

This is where the invention by Regale Microwave Ovens in Hampshire comes in! The directors of the

Monster Mesh Monster Mesh is a leading events and construction branding company, specialising in supplying large format printed products.

We specialise in large format full colour and dye sublimation printing for weather resistance, strength and durability. Our top-quality products match the service you should expect, and we supply direct to brand owners, event management, construction, and signage companies.

We can provide a range of custom designed and printed products for HERAS fence covers, PVC and ACM Hoarding panels, PVC and mesh banners, and large scale scaffold wraps. We have been in operation

company saw the problems and spent over two years researching and developing the now sought after Microsave® Cavity Liner. The Microsave protects the entire of the microwave’s oven cavity – the ceiling plate – the base plate and lens light cover! All the operator has to do is take the Microsave Liner out, wash quickly in the pot wash, dry and replace and that is the microwave oven interior clean, hygienic and protecting the parts in the matter of two or three minutes – saving hundreds of pounds in repairs yet costing less than one engineer service call!

For special offers see the advert on page 31. for 4 years now, continually growing year on year thanks to both new and return clients.

At Monster Mesh we agree that your brand needs to generate the right impact. Getting an eye-catching design is the most important when displaying your banner amongst others, so at Monster Mesh we offer a complete inhouse design service. Most of the time this is a free service where our team of designers will take your logo and a brief sample of text to create your individual design. Throughout our years of experience in large format design, we have learnt several ways to produce the impression you desire.

The majority of our products include free delivery and typical lead times are just 7 working days, with some products available through our 5-day express service.

To find out more, please visit www.monster-mesh.co.uk.

By Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks Bagged snacks represent a critical opportunity for pubs and bars to drive their sales, increasing spend and tempting customers on drinks-only visits to trade up. With social calendars filling up and several major sporting events coming up this year, there will be plenty of opportunities for pubs and bars to capitalise on snack sales.

KP Snacks is the number one supplier of Bagged Snacks in pubs and bars. From tasty nuts, perfect when paired with a cold beer, to premium crisps, KP Snacks has a popular and recognised portfolio to help bars gain sales.

52% of customers purchase snacks on impulse and pubs and bars can turn these impulse opportunities into incremental sales by stocking a range of best-selling snacks that are recognisable and trusted.

Ensuring a core range is available and, importantly, visible to consumers is key to making the most of this opportunity.

Familiar brands that are matched to your customer base are extremely important in driving snacks sales and the KP Snacks portfolio is extensive. Tyrrells is an award winning hand cooked English crisp brand, while KP Nuts is the UK’s number one nut brand with 5 packs sold every minute in bars . Hula Hoops is ideal for a family audience, whilst popchips and POMBEAR are brilliantly placed to capitalise on healthy snacking trends.

With five packs sold every minute in pubs and bars, KP Nuts is the UK’s number one nut brand .

The KP Nuts portfolio includes a broad range of exciting flavours that cater to all tastes and occasions.

KP Honey Roast peanuts compliment cream and red ales, bringing a delicious sweetness and subtle salt flavour. Meanwhile, KP Salted Peanuts create a perfect balance when matched with the malt character of a pale ale. Our KP Spicy Chili Peanuts make a thrilling combination with IPAs as the bitterness of an IPA acts as a cleanser for the lingering heat of these tasty nuts.

Our snack brand Tyrrells pairs exquisitely with a variety of beers and ciders to make a visit to a pub or bar feel like a more premium experience. As we welcome Spring, cider can be a more refreshing choice of drink. Our Tyrrells Mature Cheddar & Chive are the perfect pair for a dry cider for a full and rich taste experience. For a more dynamic combination, our Tyrrells Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper crisps can be paired with sweeter ciders based on dessert apples which cut through spice and savoury flavours for a delectable contrast.

Pubs and bars can give themselves the best possible opportunity to maximise snacks sales by following a few simple tips: • Credibility: Stock a range of best-seller snacks and NPD to meet all your customer needs • Consumers will be be looking for something new from ‘hunger fill’ to ‘treat’ to ‘better for you’ • Availability: Ensure your range is always available to purchase • Visibility: Position your snacks with high visibility 37% of customers purchase snacks because they noticed them while at the bar!

KP Snacks has also invested in providing simple and relevant advice via its ‘Behind the Bar’ platform which offers category support and guidance to get snack sales moving for all types of outlets. This includes support and advice on what to stock, point of sale materials, and merchandising recommendations.

Pubs and bars who want help getting snacks sales moving can contact KP Snacks at thebar@kpsnacks.com.

Zep - Leading in Cleaning and Maintenance Since 1937 maintenance needs; helping you save time, helping you save on costs, and helping you to reduce risk – all without compromising on standards.

Zep is the global manufacturer and supplier of chemical cleaning products.

Zep aims to make the planet safer, cleaner and more productive by delivering superior and differentiated solutions, service and technical expertise.

Zep offers a wide variety of high performing chemical solutions to help with all your cleaning, disinfecting and

From the bedrooms to the kitchen, the pool to the gym, from the restaurant to the laundry Zep is a valid partner for all the needs of every facility. www.zep.co.uk

Raise the Bar of Your In-Venue Entertainment with NSM's Hottest Jukeboxes Leeds Based Jukebox Manufacturer NSM Music has a rich heritage of pioneering jukeboxes using the state of the art technologies for over 70 years, for customers across 5 continents.

Whether it’s licensed music content, Video’s or the latest technological hardware, NSM Music prides itself as a one stop shop music solution with fantastic technical support and after sales.

• Tell us more about your interactive digital jukeboxes.

How do they affect customer experience?

It’s no fluke that NSM has been manufacturing jukeboxes for over 70 years. All NSM products have been developed off the back of customer and operator feedback, We believe we have something for everyone, for example;

• On Screen Visual Advertising • Contactless payments.

• Online connection gives customers the use of both NSM Apps, daily music updates, the Official Big Top 40 and access to our entire music library.

A key area when developing our jukeboxes user interface is to make it simple and easy to use, this way the customer doesn’t get frustrated and walk away and instead feels comfortable and takes pleasure from interacting with the jukebox.

• How has ‘NSMMusic App’ affected business? Any increase in attendance and/or footfall?

Customers just love jukeboxes, many of times Licensee tell us how the jukebox keeps their customers in their venue longer which increases wet sales.

The app has been an amazing addition to our jukeboxes. NSM’S Alex Kirby explains, the “NSMMusic” App is for customers to browse the jukebox, buy credits and make selections, all without having to leave their seat, It’s certainly a great facility for shy customers.

Customer simply download the app from the Google or App Store, cre-

• All our jukeboxes have the option to be an audio or ate an account, then your all set. Once logged in you can buy credits via audio/video jukebox and can be changed at a press of Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Debit Card or Credit Card. a button.

We have also a second app called “Co-Pilot”, Co-Pilot is an app which

was developed so operators can manage their jukeboxes remotely, for example; Operators or location staff can use Co-Pilot on their phones to pause, reject, change the volume up and down or even reboot the jukebox.

They can also use the app to create and schedule adverts by choosing from one thousands of our predefined templates and adding their own text, they can even create ads by using their own photos from their phone.

Other Co-Pilot uses are as follows; • Check Jukebox Internet Connections – know which devices are in an error state, haven’t connected to the NSM network recently, or need to be tended to immediately • Access Location Details and Controls – view and manage all jukeboxes including money collections.

• Receive Jukebox Notifications – get alerts for power downs, overheating & door opens Over the next few years we will continue to develop this powerful tool and add many new exciting features including Back Ground Music Control. www.nsmmusic.com Tel: +44 0113 2713 708 Email: info@nsmmusic.com

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Invest Northern Ireland as Great Taste, the Quality Food Awards and most recently the Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards. Key to this success is our unique blend of tradition and innovation. Invest NI’s Pure, Natural, Quality strapline summarises the goodness of Northern Ireland’s produce, which emanates from our rich pastures and sustainably managed farms. High quality local ingredients ensure guaranteed provenance and short supply chains, giving full confidence in food security and traceability.

Northern Ireland is well known for the quality of its beef, dairy and bakery products. In each of these sectors, suppliers are melding established production techniques with the latest technology, enabling them to access opportunities in the growing plant-based and free-from sectors.

Finnebrogue is at once a leading supplier of sausages, nitrate-free bacon and plantbased meat alternatives, operating from several discrete production facilities. In the bakery sector, traditional craft soda farls and wheaten breads sit alongside glutenfree and vegan options from Stone Bakery and Graham’s.

Food and drink is a vital and growing industry in Northern Ireland. In terms of turnover, employment and cultural significance, this £5bn sector continues to extend its reach in GB and in international markets. Whilst 50% of turnover comes from our top 10 companies, family-owned businesses remain prominent, resulting in an industry that is flexible, authentic and straightforward in its dealings.

A diverse range of food and drink brands from producers of all shapes and sizes brings warmth and personality to the sector. Northern Ireland’s produce has proven award-winning status, the result of many years of success in schemes such

Invest NI’s dedicated food business development team supports local companies to develop their business with customers in GB and beyond. Visit our website or contact us directly to learn how our worldclass food and drink can help grow your business. www.buynifood.com

HOTMIXPRO EASY : The EASY way to MIX and BLEND, HOT or COLD. Having introduced the Thermal Mixing concept to the UK many years ago, the Barbel brand has been recognised and highly regarded throughout the professional kitchen world ever since.

Before being added to the Barbel range every product will have been thoroughly ‘tried & tested’ and approved.

HotMixPro Easy is manufactured by Vitaeco S.r.l., the world-famous manufacturer of many high-quality products such as the unrivalled HotMixPro thermal blender range, Sanozone, Giaz

and more.

HotMixPro Easy fits into every professional kitchen and is also particularly suitable for hospitals and care home areas, where absolute hygiene and self-sterilisation is mandatory, The Barbel team always provide prompt professional advice and reliable back up service.

For full details, see the advert adjacent and visit www.barbel.net

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Fly the Flag this June to Celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Urges Chevler

Chevler, the UK’s leading manufacturer of baking cases and a major player in the bespoke printed greaseproof sheet market, is urging bakers, coffee shops, retailers, and foodservice operators not to miss out on the opportunities offered by what it is describing as a truly momentous event and unprecedented anniversary – the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“As the country is now rapidly coming out covid of restrictions and with the four-day bank holiday in early June in order to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70th year on the throne approaching we hope that bakers, cake makers, coffee shop owners and retailers will get into the spirit of the event and seize the opportunities the fourday bank holiday offers,” explained Chevler’s director of sales and marketing Garry Parker.

“That’s why we have we have been forced by popular demand to reintroduce two of our specially designed baking cases which feature the Union flag. This means it is not too late for cupcake makers to take advantage of the growing excitement and build on the red, white and blue theme I know many are planning.”

The cases are available in the ever-popular 51mm x 38mm size and in quantities as low as 360 giving every

business, whatever its size, the chance to participate.

Chevler is unique in that its printing and converting is carried out in-house. “We do not rely on stock shipped from abroad or depend on outside printers or converters, explained Mr. Parker. “This means it is a truly British manufactured product. And we only use water-based, odour-less food safe inks. We have responded to our customers’ requests in order that they can be as innovative as they like this summer and take full advantage of the opportunities the snack cake market will offer.”

To also help tap into the excitement the company is offering a food-safe, printed natural greaseproof sheet featuring the Union flag marketed under the company’s Gourmet Food Wrap brand.

The 255mm x 406mm sheet with its rich luxurious feel has numerous potential uses and applications in the retailing, presentation and serving of both cold and, because of its excellent thermal properties, hot food.

These range from a simple sandwich, panini or burger wrap to, a liner for wire baskets and stainless-steel buckets, a place mat, or it can be simply put on a wooden board or slate on which sizzling or cold food can be placed.

Mr Parker stressed: “It is very important to remember that we print on natural greaseproof paper which does not have any chemical treatments or coatings. It acquires its greaseproof properties during the pulping process. Its fibres become so tightly entwined that the spaces between them are smaller than a grease molecule. It is therefore recyclable and a sustainable option for your business.”

They are available in individual packs of 500 sheets within boxes of 2000.

For further information visit www.chevler.co.uk or call 01844 344231.

Katana Saya is the Universal Knife Brand of our Times, Encompassing the Very Best of our Different Cultures and Traditions The Katana was the prized sword of the Samurai with its extra sharp blade fashioned from folded steel. The blades of our knives are similarly crafted from 67 layers of Japanese VG-10 Damascus Steel.

The comprehensive collection evolves from its Eastern traditions to Western culinary classics.

Comprised of 16 essential knives and additional accessories including whetstones, sharpening steels & carving sets, Katana Saya offers all that any chef could need.

For Japanese traditionalists, we present the traditional Japanese style knives with traditional Wooden Saya, to match the knife handles. For those of a more Westernised nature, we have adapted the series to represent all the popular Western style blades and provide a more modern and practical storage and safety solution, with a real leather sheath.

Furthermore, each of our Katana Saya Knives comes complete with a durable wooden presentation case. Whilst offering additional protection, the case provides the perfect gift for someone in your life who loves to cook!

The handles of our Katana Saya knives offer a further choice. They are all crafted from the finest wooden material in the traditional chestnut shape to give a safe grip and perfect balance. You may choose either the traditional dark Pakkawood handles, or the light Olive Wood handle alternative.

So… Old, New, East, West, you choose whatever’s best for You! Our knives are available through selected stockists.

For more information, and to view the complete collection you can visit our partner Knives From Japan at their website www.knivesfromjapan.co.uk or pay a visit to our showroom, SANTOKU at 100 Great Portland Street, London.

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It's Time To Get Real

LittlePod’s responsibly-sourced product range includes our innovative, easy-to-use natural vanilla paste Are you squeezed for time? Why not try our quality and organic vanilla Vanilla Bean Paste in a tube. pods, as well as our It has been specially created to provide top-quality extracts of vanilla, vanilla in an easy and versatile form, with no wastage and coffee and chocoless flavour bake-off. Each tube has a two-year shelf life late. These ingrediand contains the equivalent of 20 pods, seeds and all. ents not only Put it in coffee, porridge, smoothies and ice cream, rub support each other in the rainforest, but it into meats like duck and pork, use it in your cakes and bakes, or as a marinade for fish! Sweet and savoury are also perfect alike, LittlePod products are gluten free, suitable for veg- flavour partners in the kitchen. ans and kosher certified.

Visit www.littlepod.co.uk

GLOBAL Knives Need Little Introduction in the Culinary World

The Komin Yamada design has become a true icon. Hand crafted in Japan for over 35 years using the best raw materials available.

Like the samurai swords before them, each knife is carefully weighted to ensure perfect feel and balance in the hand.

In 2021 Global knives was awarded The Icon Award at the prestigious Excellence in Housewares Awards, solidifying Global’s truly iconic status.

It is this iconic status along with unfailing quality that has drawn the attention and trust of some of the world’s most renowned and exceptional chefs. Global have established a long-standing relationship with the legendary Roux family as a key supporter of the prestigious Roux Scholarship since its inception in 1984.

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

Michel Roux Jr’s signature range has been popular amongst professional chefs and keen amateur cooks

alike. Personally curated from the GLOBAL classic collection and stamped with the Michel Roux Jr signature, emblemizing the relationship between Roux and Global.

Here we offer a selection of three carefully selected knife sets ideal for chefs. Whether you choose the 3 Piece, 6 Piece or 9 Piece there really is the perfect tool for any kitchen task.

This tremendous offer is only available for a limited time, so do not hesitate in taking the chance to own one of these fabulous knife sets.

This offer is available online exclusively through our partner website, Knives From Japan - www.knivesfromjapan.co.uk but you can also visit us in our London showroom, SANTOKU at 100 Great Portland Street.

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Lancashire Supplier Brings Edible Print to the Food Service Market Food Service from Eat My Logo Launches Established UK based bakery business Eat My Logo has set its sights on the UK foodservice industry after high demand for their products in 2021. The company specialises in bespoke fully finished cake, biscuit and chocolate products, all printed with company branding or themed images.

The award-winning business has supplied bespoke products to UK businesses big and small since 2014. Work has now been carried out with some key catering and hospitality businesses to bring new and exciting options to market.

There has been demand for bakery treats decorated with a company logo or themed image for several years, with catering businesses looking to offer their clients unique products for celebrations, staff engagement, awareness days, and events.

The businesses core range includes frosted cupcakes, biscuits, brownies along with more unique options such as cake jars and cake pops. Also available is a range of printed toppers, for use by chefs on their own creations. As part of their launch, the business has developed a website and brochures for industry professionals from chefs to buyers and business owners.

Business Development Manager Daniel Clarke commented that ‘having spoken to dozens of catering and

Total Produce

Total Produce has become one of the UK's largest and most accomplished fresh produce providers, with an extensive network of depot operations throughout the UK, reaching from Cornwall to Edinburgh.

Total Produce sources and distributes an extensive range of fresh produce across all major categories including fruits, vegetables and salad - extending from the more familiar to the truly exotic. Total Produce also supply an extensive range of dry goods and dairy.

Serving the retail, wholesale and food service sectors, Total Produce UK is a complete fresh produce solution provider, offering a comprehen-

hospitality businesses we know that time, staff and resources can be a limitation at times, so we’re offering an easy way to provide themed or logo branded solutions at the right price for end-clients. Offering themed or branded solutions can make all the difference to your client’s event, awareness day, celebration or reward’, and could enhance your proposition and generate additional revenues.’

Eat My Logo is an innovative supplier of sweet treats, decorated with a themed image or company Logos.

Established in 2014, we work with catering and hospitality businesses to offer their clients unique products for celebrations, staff engagement, events and conferences. We specialise in irresistible cakes, biscuits and chocolates.

Contact: Eat My Logo Limited Phone: 01772 273137 Email: catering@eatmylogo.co.uk Website: www.eatmylogo.catering

sive menu of services to our customers, ranging from simple service provision to an independent grocer to complete category management for major multiples.

Continually striving to offer the highest quality fresh produce along with the best possible service, Total Produce offers national distribution through our fleet of 200 temperature controlled vehicles. Through our unrivalled infrastructure of depots nationwide, we are uniquely positioned to deliver value to both national and independent customers - supplying both locally grown and globally sourced produce from the finest producers across Total Produce's extensive supply base.

A strong, vibrant and accomplished business, Total Produce UK is part of the worldwide Total Produce group.

Telephone: (01208) 77911 Fax: (01208) 261400 Answerphone: (01208) 261407 Email: bodminsales@totalproduce.com Website: www.totalproduce.com

Wholesale Fruit & Vegetable Importers

2-5 Callywith Gate Industrial Estate Launceston Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2RQ Suppliers of quality fresh produce and dry goods to the wholesale, retail and catering trade throughout Devon & Cornwall.

DAILY DELIVERIES LARGEST RANGE OF EXOTIC FRUITS IN THE SOUTHWEST 24 HOUR ANSWERPHONE SERVICE QUALITY PRODUCE ON THE MOVE WHEN YOU NEED IT, WHERE YOU NEED IT!

Telephone: (01208) 77911 Fax: (01208) 261400 Answerphone: (01208) 261407 Email: bodminsales@totalproduce.com Website: www.totalproduce.com

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Pioneering Axiene Hygienic Door Handles Glana Ltd has developed the Axiene VH01 Clean Touch system to improve hygiene when multiple people touch the same surface. Axiene provides continuous active disinfection on the touch surface to reduce infection transmission risk.

The pioneering level of hygiene protection continually kills more than 99.999% of bacteria, including coronavirus, norovirus, MRSA and E-coli.

Unlike shot-per-use dispensers, the innovative design means that Axiene disinfectant lasts longer and so, in addition to improved protection, Axiene also reduces costs.

hand hygiene and infection risk reduction.

Broad spectrum protection is provided by the bespoke and certified Axiene fluid, a formulation approved by the WHO for hand sanitation in the fight against coronavirus. Being water-based, Axiene fluid safely provides ongoing active disinfection on the handle surface and a lingering disinfection on the hands.

Axiene VH01 is based on a standard pull-handle size, is straightforward to fit, can replace existing pull handles and as Axiene requires only simple maintenance, can easily be looked after by existing staff.

Independent lab results from trials at a university, an office complex, a primary school and several care homes consistently demonstrated that Axiene significantly surpasses international food & healthcare sector legislation for surface cleanliness. Results show that normal manual cleaning of a door handle can lead to bacteria growth of 24,000 times that found on the Axiene handle.

As Axiene fluid lasts longer than existing gel dispensers this offers a more sustainable hygiene solution with reduced waste and reduced fluid use and so Axiene makes good hygiene, economic and environmental sense for businesses looking to protect their staff or customers.

Continual protection and very low surface contamination makes Axiene a world leading product in offering user protection, improved

For further information and contact details please see www.axiene.com or email info@axiene.com

Infection Control - Why Rotowash?

Rotowash, one of the pioneers in the design and production of compact floor cleaning machines, was established in 1981 to distribute high quality industrial floor cleaning equipment, manufactured to BSI and similar International Standards by the Rotowash factory. We have a significant presence in both the private and public sectors with many businesses entrusting their cleaning regimes to Rotowash equipment.

In some establishments just the “appearance” of cleanliness can be sufficient, but cleaning is paramount and needs to be consistent and effective to ensure the possibility of infection is eradicated, or at least significantly reduced. The Rotowash system works exceptionally well on textured surfaces, such as safety flooring, tiles and carpets, and carries many endorsements from leading flooring manufacturers. The small footprint allows easy storage and the requirement to have only one machine to efficiently clean both hard flooring and carpeted floors reduces costs to labour, downtime, training, mainte-

nance and of course machine investment. Recognising the importance of infection control, we are also able to provide a full range of colour coded brushes that helps eliminate any fears of cross-contamination, enabling you to safely use the same machine throughout your facilities.

All our machines are extremely portable, easy to operate and clean after use and use up to 90% less water and chemical than other.

On-site training is available free for the life of the machine, and our own service engineers are available to carry out on-site maintenance across the UK. 020 884 74545 cleanfloors@rotowash.com www.rotowash.com

• • • • •

Infection Control Why Rotowash?

Cleans both carpets and hard floors Lightweight and dries as it cleans Easy to use with free operator training National support with on-site service Colour coded brushes helping to reduce cross contamination • Uses up to 90% less water & chemical • Made in Austria • 3 year warranty 020 884 74545

cleanfloors@rotowash.com ROTOWASH LTD

The Wireless Factory | Fleming Way | Isleworth | Middlesex | TW7 6DB

www.rotowash.com

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OptiClean Rapidly Reduces Levels of Virus-sized Airborne Particles Carrier's OptiClean™ air cleaner for hotels, restaurants and pubs is proven to rapidly reduce levels of ultra-fine, virus-sized particles in the air.

OptiClean uses a highly effective High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, which operates with an efficiency rating of up to 99.995% at the most penetrating particle size.

Research carried out by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) demonstrated that OptiClean cuts levels of airborne particles in the critical size range (up to 1 m diameter), covering viruses and virus-containing droplets, by around two thirds in just 30 minutes.

To broaden protection, OptiClean comes with optional internal UV-C lamps to target pathogens on surfaces within the unit and activated charcoal filters to reduce odours and absorb Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

The results also show OptiClean is as effective when located in the corner of a room as at the centre.

The unit is easy and quick to deploy, with smooth-running castors enabling it to be moved rapidly to areas requiring treatment.

Matthew Maleki, the company’s air quality specialist, said: "These independent findings demonstrate that OptiClean effectively targets ultrafine virus-sized airborne particles and can be installed in hospitality settings as part of a risk reduction strategy.”

OptiClean is part of Carrier's Healthy Buildings Programme, a suite of advanced solutions to help deliver healthy, safe, efficient and productive indoor environments.

In the US, where OptiClean was introduced first, the device was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020. In the UK it was selected as Air Conditioning Innovation of the Year in the Cooling Industry Awards.

Matthew Maleki said: “Good air quality is as important as safe drinking water. With people now returning to pubs and restaurants, OptiClean offers owners and managers a practical and visible means of reassuring customers and staff and supporting premises."

For more details: www.carrier.com/commercial/en/uk/products/air-treatment/air-scrubber/39uv/ OptiClean can be used in hotels, pubs, restaurants, offices and classrooms to reduce risks from airborne pathogens. Pictured is an OptiClean unit protecting players and staff in the changing rooms of Sale Sharks Rugby Club.

Hospital-Grade Air Purification Made Portable Rensair is a specialist in portable air purification, protecting and enhancing lives

through clean air.

Our patented technology, which combines H13 HEPA filtration with germicidal UVC light, was originally developed to meet the strict standards of Scandinavian hospitals and is now trusted across all sectors. It is independently validated by scientific research laboratories, including Eurofins, Norconsult, and Oslo University Hospital.

Rensair air purification units destroy a minimum of 99.97% of airborne viruses, including coronavirus, and meet all the standards recommended by the UK SAGE committee. A powerful fan ensures effective air circulation, cleaning up to 560m3 of air per hour.

In a test to determine Rensair’s performance in reducing the concentration of MS2 bioaerosols as a proxy for SARS-CoV-2, a particle reduction rate of 99.99% was recorded in 30 minutes (Danish Technological Institute, March 2021).

We collaborate with clients to develop the optimum indoor air quality for meeting

building requirements, as well as government recommendations for mitigating the risks of Covid transmission. We take into account floor plans, existing HVAC systems, occupancy rates and noise tolerance, before recommending a tailor-made solution based on our portable, modular units.

Rensair has been included in Newsweek’s list of Best Infection Prevention Products 2021. To make the list, a selection committee evaluated the product against several criteria: effectiveness; safety; successful real-world implementation; the quality of research studies demonstrating the product's effectiveness; and the stability of the company (to support future implementations).

Rensair’s mission is to provide clean air for every space and to help the hospitality industry get back on its feet after the pandemic. contact@rensair.com +44 (0)20 3973 8927 www.rensair.com

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FarUVC Could Really be the Magic Bullet in the Hospitality Industry Far-UV is a new and innovative light technology that kills all viruses, bacteria and moulds in seconds, including Coronavirus. Far-UV actively decontaminates occupied areas while people are present and going about their day, reducing the ongoing viral load. The technology protects against future variants, deactivating all viruses and bacteria.

By Nick Falco, Product and Technical Director at Mechline Developments:

The Far-UVC 222nm wavelength is harmless to humans, but lethal to bacteria and viruses.

FAR-UV comes as a safe alternative to other wavelengths of UV light, as it has now been proven that it can be used in indoor, occupied spaces safely, with no damage to human skin or eyes. Far-UV solutions are proven to be lethal to bacteria and viruses within seconds of the lamp activation.

The technology is by far the most advanced pandemic management technology on the market, and is beginning to be used on a global scale as standard. Far-UVC provides the equivalent of three thousand air changes an hour and is far more effective than air filtration devices and fogging.

Our products have now been used by a wellknown UK coffee chain, dental practices, retail stores, and across various healthcare environments.

Wherever there is demand for a bacteria and

pathogen free environments Far-UVC is the most effective solution.

Rebecca Elliot, Marketing Manager of Scoffs Group said “One of the great features of this technology is that after it’s installed, unlike other covid related precautions such as mask wearing and sanitisation, there's no further action required. It’s just discreetly doing it’s job.”

Systems are quickly deployable, and are installed as light fittings or as portable devices such as a hand held Wand (light saver) or walk through gateway.

Or contact us: 01225 825997 Email: Philip.emsley@uec-energy.co.uk www.far-uvc-systems.com

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Mechline - Covering All Your Clean Air Needs

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In the colder winter months, hospitality operators face the challenge of controlling the spread of Coronavirus, improving indoor air quality and maintaining hygiene standards especially as leaving doors and windows open to facilitate the flow of fresh air is not always feasible or desirable when it comes to customer comfort and sustainability.

The good news for operators is that a recent independent laboratory trial conducted by Campden BRI confirmed that HyGenikx, the wall-mounted air and surface sanitisation system from Mechline is effective at removing airborne Coronaviruses, including SARSCoV-2 which causes Covid-19. The results of the trials proved that HyGenikx removed up to 99.99% of an airborne Covid-19 surrogate. * These results back up the real-life experience of our customers including Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL, owner of Café Spice Namasté who said: “HyGenikx has proven what it can do for us – keeping the air and surfaces clean, pure and fresh and controlling odours. I would not hesitate to recommend HyGenikx to other foodservice or hospitality businesses.”

James Wilson, Managing Director at healthy fast food and casual dining chain, Kauai UK commented: “In our Edinburgh restaurant we have four HyGenikx units front of house, two in the kitchen and one in

each toilet, to help protect all areas, staff and customers, and so far, our staff have reported no viral illnesses. Our air is permanently cleansed, and, without question, HyGenikx has helped us maintain a healthy work environment.”

The HyGenikx range quietly and efficiently eradicates bacteria, viruses and microbes on contact — providing 24/7 hygiene and safety protection.

HyGenikx also neutralises odours and is proven to extend the shelf-life of perishable food on average by 58%, and up to 150% for certain produce. ** There are Hygenikx models to suit every business from restaurants to bars, hotels, care homes and offices - with specialised units available for food preparation areas, cold rooms, washrooms and refuse areas. *For more information on the HyGenikx testing at Campden BRI visit: https://info.mechline.com/hygenikx-testing **For more information on the ALS fresh food shelf life study visit: https://www.mechline.com/wpcontent/uploads/2020/03/HyGenikx-Success-Story_-Testing_-SHELF-LIFE.pdf

For further information visit: www.mechline.com/hgx or see the advert on page 42

Hospitality Technology Run A Leaner, More The Next Generation Hotel Booking Platform Turn Lookers Efficient Finance System into Bookers with Style 44

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Organisations within the hospitality sector, from conference venues to independent restaurant chains, all share the same challenge of consolidating financial data.

With complex revenue streams and often disparate systems, it can be difficult to see where your business is heading.

Travel during the pandemic has changed, with guests now increasingly likely to directly book via a hotel’s website. Consequently, an advanced booking engine that boasts seamless integration with your hotel website is key to boosting direct bookings.

We understand that changing financial systems can often fill teams with fear, but that need not be that case. Xledger is here to streamline, digitise and automate your finances, helping you run a leaner more efficient business.

Xledger is a leading provider of cloud-based finance software, empowering more than 10,000 businesses across 60 countries worldwide. As a true cloud solution, you have access to financial data anywhere on any device – all you need is an internet connection.

With one, live version of your data across all entities, Xledger’s powerful system allows you to drill-down into your finances and cross-check reports, enabling indepth insight and a 360-degree overview at the click of a button.

Effortless configuration allows custom integrations with your existing systems, giving you more time to focus on value-added activity for your business.

Next generation hotel booking engines are more than just the source of direct reservations. They act as a comprehensive and easy-to-use platform that’s tailored to fit hoteliers' needs, helping properties to stand out within a highly competitive market by delivering a brand experience that guests will remember.

Xledger automates more functions than any other provider. With built-in OCR, costly and risky data entry errors are eliminated. Consolidated reports can be created in seconds rather than weeks. Plus, a host of other benefits from on-the-go expenses to GL posting, and fully automated digital workflows and purchase-to-pay process.

If your organisation is facing any of these issues, don’t hesitate to contact Xledger’s Business Development Manager, Phil Chalmers on: phil.chalmers@xledger.co.uk or call 07425 638 718.

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It’s all about results - supercharge your direct bookings and stand out online If you run a premium leisure hotel or resort, you will need a premium booking solution that’s been designed for your unique needs. The right solution will help you know your guests better thanks to powerful, data-driven insights, which enable you to provide the best possible online guest journey.

For guests, it’s all about clear navigation and easy access to relevant information in a minimum number of steps. A powerful booking platform maximises the potential of (up)selling offers, enabling hoteliers to achieve the greatest possible increase in sales per room.

To help defend against third-party online providers, the right booking platform will allow you to offer unique incentives to book directly, such as tailored packages. Advanced database segmentation lets you create personalised communications, tailored offers, newsletters and/or campaigns that are aligned to individual guest’s preferences. By creating specific landing pages that can use sophisticated offers or

upsell ‘experiences’ or even suggest more flexible payment plans, hoteliers can offer a value-added experience to those booking directly, helping to foster long-term relationships.

Premium booking platforms such as Profitroom’s Booking Engine 360 deliver real added value for both hoteliers and their guests by offering vouchers, alternative suggestions for dates in case of no availability and attractive discounts for direct bookers. Ultimately, it’s about tangible results, which is why Profitroom’s award-winning Customer Success team works with our clients every day to use all the data that’s coming in to drive conversions, improve performance and boost revenue.

The Profitroom Booking Engine 360 is a prime example of a solution that offers all these advanced features, having been developed exclusively with leisure hotels and resorts in mind.

For more information visit www.profitroom.com or scan our QR code for a personal consultancy.

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Leading Restaurant Technology Provider See 20% Uplift in Business A leading restaurant technology company has paid tribute to the resilience of the UK hospitality industry as it records a 20% uplift in business.

NFS Technology, suppliers of the popular Aloha and Cloud POS restaurant management systems, say the restaurant sector led the way in innovative thinking and creativity when dealing with the challenges of 2021.

CEO Luis De Souza said: “The restaurant industry has proved itself to be incredibly resourceful, and we were delighted to see many longstanding NFS clients not only weathering the storm, but also opening new branches and expanding their business.

“They include Brewdog, who continue their rapid growth, Dishoom, who were recently ranked the best hospitality company to work for, and Big Easy, which has grown to five restaurants across London. Other existing clients such as Hawksmoor, Gaucho and Tomahawk expanded their operations. Among the new NFS clients is the fast-growing brand Doner Shack, with locations from Leeds to Glasgow.”

“We saw many prestigious new brands coming on board with NFS during this time,” said Luis. “We feel this is a testament to the forwardthinking nature of restaurateurs, who fully grasp the benefits of restaurant management technology and understand how it can help them gain a competitive advantage.”

As restaurant groups and standalone businesses sought all options to make their operations more efficient, NFS Technology saw demand for restaurant management technology grew across all sectors – quick service, casual and fine dining – with quick service growing fastest.

In the competitive conditions of 2022 and beyond, Luis De Souza says operators are strongly focused on providing an enhanced, more convenient customer experience. They are also seeking to provide better working conditions that support staff wellbeing and promote talent retention.

“We’ve seen a step change in consumer behaviour and requirements, and both operators and technology providers are responding well,” he said. “I believe the future is very bright.”

Video https://www.nfs-hospitality.com/videos/ discover-the-restaurant-management-technologytoolkit-you-need-to-succeed/ www.nfs-hospitality.com

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New Labour Scheduling Tool To Juggle Student’s Working Hours Across the country, many towns or cities depend on a level of student labour across a number of sectors, particularly hospitality. As operators gear up to welcome new and returning student employees in September, workforce management specialists Bizimply are launching new features designed to help businesses make the most of these valuable team members.

Most operators recruit students for their flexibility, enabling them to fill the gaps in their staff rotas.

Juggling students’ availability around their lectures can be a challenge for whoever has to create the staff rota. This is why Bizimply’s ‘Unavailability’ and ‘Deactivate/Reactivate’ features are being welcomed by their customers.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw said: “So many of our

HOP Software

As experienced hoteliers, we have hands-on experience in the hospitality industry. We understand the daily challenges and the pain points. That's why we created Hop and continue to develop the intuitive tools you require to free yourself of the daily hassles, which allows you to get on with what you do best.

You look after your guests, we’ll do the rest.

Our cloud-based and responsive all-in-one Property Management System and range of contactless tools including a commission free booking engine and range of contactless tools empowers hoteliers to manage their properties, teams, and daily operations more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Our experienced UK-based customer service and technical teams are here to support you 24/7 for total peace of mind.

Our sole mission is to support

hospitality customers rely to some extent on students and it’s a relationship that brings benefits to employer and employees. Managing a team where some members are unavailable for certain shifts and not able to work for months at a time, was clearly making staff rota creation more time-consuming than it needed to be.

The Unavailability feature allows managers – or the team members themselves, via their employee portal – to mark students as unavailable for work around their weekly lectures, eg every Monday and Thursday mornings. A second Deactivate/Reactivate feature makes it easier for operators to manage students’ longer-terms unavailability, eg returning home for the holidays.

Visit Bizimply at www.bizimply.com our clients by developing technology that frees management and staff from daily hassles. All we want is to make your life easier.

We strive to simplify your problems and believe our clients deserve an easier life. We achieve this by delivering a straightforward and affordable all-in-one service that covers all the bases.

With a team full of knowledge and hospitality expertise, we are experienced, skilled and passionate about creating solutions at affordable prices. We are reliable and honest, when we say we'll deliver, we will.

We are proud to say that Hop now operates globally, is trusted by hoteliers around the world and that we are an integral part of our clients' day-to-day business.

Whether you are a B&B, guest house, an independent hotel or a group, if you sell rooms, Hop has a solution to run your property more cost-effectively whilst delivering an enriched guest experience.

Book a free and no-obligation demo at www.hopsoftware.com

Energy Solutions

Prepping To Decarbonise most cost-effective answer to reducing energy consumption, reducing CO₂ and lowering long-term operational costs. The high-temperature demands of commercial hot water systems do however curtail the current generation of heat pumps as a singular response, with existing, poorly insulated buildings further reducing efficiencies. For this reason, you will need to consider more complex hybrid systems, or if on gas, look to solar thermal as a practical way to reduce energy use and decarbonise a building.

The government’s recently published Heat & Buildings Strategy aims to start guiding commercial operations towards reducing energy use by at least 20% by the end of this decade as the first step toward achieving net zero by 2050. Whether in new buildings or replacing existing ageing systems, new low-carbon heating sources will help provide substantial savings on energy bills as the industry recovers from the disruption caused by COVID-19 and also create more hygienic and safe working environments.

Currently, the government favours air source heat pump (ASHP) based applications as the simplest and

Faced with varied building stock and fluctuating user demands from showers, washbasins and kitchens, as well as complex space heating demands, applications will vary dramatically across each bespoke case, making decisions on decarbonisation all the more complex and difficult without specialist support. Consulting with Adveco’s expert sales and engineering staff can help you truly understand your needs, limitations, and the options best suited to your bespoke situation.

Talk to us about heat pumps, solar thermal and electric or gas water heating and get your decarbonisation plan on track. www.adveco.co

AHTIDAIKIN Heat Recovery Solutions • ENERGY PRICING IS AT HISTORICALLY HIGH LEVELS • CHOOSE AHT/DAIKIN AS YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER • PREPARE FOR THE CHANGING COST OF ENERGY AHT/DAIKIN have leading edge energy saving solutions including fully heat recovered technology.

AHT/DAIKIN provide low GWP, high efficiency products.

The lowest GWP in the market (R290).

Our refrigeration systems can be used to power instore heating.

AHT Cooling Systems (UK) Ltd

Drastically reducing energy usage and providing up to 95% of all heating.

Email - info@aht.at

Phone - +44 1280 826 600

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Play Facilities Attract Customers and Encourage Repeat Visitors HAGS offer the opportunity for children to explore and be imaginative through the world of play. With a huge range of playground equipment, the creative opportunities are unlimited and provide play areas for children of all ages and abilities. HAGS playground equipment can keep children entertained for hours with a variety of inclusive features. Each playground HAGS makes is designed specifically to suit the needs of each individual client and to suit the needs of your customers.

By installing a play area in your restaurant, customers will stay longer and spend more as they enjoy spending time with each other. Play areas allow everyone to be happy, as the kids can go and interact with each other, and adults can relax whilst knowing that their children are entertaining themselves through play and exercise in a safe space. Relaxed families will spend hours at your restaurants, especially knowing that their kids are enjoying themselves and having a good time.

er, as well as have time for themselves. Having a playground area set up on your business allows the kids to have some fun whilst the adults enjoy the scenery and ambience of your restaurant. After having a wonderful and relaxed experience at your business, a HAGS playground is guaranteed to keep those customers coming back!

As we approach the Easter holidays, most families will be looking to set off on a mini holiday or go out to family dinners where they can spend time togeth-

For further information Tel: 0845 2601655, E-mail: sales@hags.co.uk or visit www.hags.co.uk or see the advert on the facing page.

Stylish Luxury Gazebos From White Pavilion Hi, I'm Tim Burdekin, and I've designed and built the White Pavilion Garden Gazebo to be your perfect, all-weather gazebo for all the seasons.

I designed the White Pavilion Garden Gazebo range to be combined with a variety of lighting, heating, coloured canopies and side screen options to help create the perfect gazebo for your outdoor space, garden, patio or hot tub area. They're 100% waterproof and designed to withstand the very worst the British weather can throw at them. And they're guaranteed to survive 100 Mph Winds - see 100 Mph Windproof.

Our stylish hospitality gazebos Generate More Income from your outdoor space. Keeping your customers comfortable outdoors, the more time they will spend with you…. which means more money they will spend with you.

A White Pavilion Gazebo gives 100% Waterproof Protection...100 Mph Windproof Guaranteed...100% Sun Protection......and comes with a 5 Year

Guarantee - Your gazebo choice doesn't get better than this.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to get in touch. Give our team a call - 01653 695 285 or visit www.whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk We're here to help you get the very best from your outdoors.

Country Benches - High Quality Benches Country Benches is run by a vastly experienced and time served tradesman who has been serving in the trade for over 25 years. The business was started 15 years ago and we have provided our services independently ever since. In this time he has developed the business into being family run, amassed a loyal customer base and welcomes new customers on a regular basis.

Country Benches creates high quality benches, picnic benches and garden furniture. We only work with the best quality of wood to bring you the highest standards of benches and garden furniture. Country Benches can create benches to exact specifications as well as offering a large variety of standard design garden furniture. Call Country Benches to see what we can do for you.

SPECIAL OFFER Buy 11 get 1 FREE!

Although based in Bedfordshire we cover the whole of the United Kingdom on trade offers. Country Benches is also pleased to be able to offer you a delivery service for smaller orders with a delivery cost. In addition to this, Country Benches can offer you these prices much cheaper than our competitors.

Our services are great value for money and are of the absolute best quality.

All our products are built to order and delivered within seven days and we also operate a "payment on delivery" basis. So contact us today so that we can build your order to your exact specifications.

For details call 07446 101657 or email countrybenchesltd@aol.com

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Outdoor Spaces

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CLH DIGITAL

Swinging With The Sausage Man Bavarian style swing grills are really hot right now. A practical way of cooking large quantities of sausage and steak quickly, it’s no wonder that these awesome grills have fast become Christmas Market and event favourites the world over.

SCHWENKER GRILLS It’s rumoured that this distinctive fire pit style grill originated in South America, before being popularised in Southern Germany – where the worder “Schwenker” originates – and then spreading around the world. The person grilling on a Schwenker grill may also be referred to as a Schwenker, or a Schwenkermeister.

COMMERCIAL CHOICE Mark Coles, Key Account Manager with The Sausage Man, spent some time visiting Xmas events across the UK this winter and reports: “Bavarian Swing Grills are fast becoming the weapon of choice for our commercial customers. They’re open sided, so the people get a great look at the products and cooking process. The cooking smell circulates fantastically across the site, so it’s great at attracting people to your stall. The firepit also keeps your cooking team nice and warm in the winter weather,

which is always welcome in temperatures like we’ve been having lately!”

VERSATILE GERMAN SAUSAGE FOR EVERY OCCASION No matter what type of cooking method you use in your outdoor space, The Sausage Man has the products for you. You don’t need a Swinging Schwenker Grill to prepare Sausage Man products, but you can certainly use one.

Jorg Braese, Managing Director of The Sausage Man, had this to say: “Our sausages are extremely versatile.

We’ve cooked them in pans, microwaves, ovens, grills, hot dog machines, hot water, deep fryers, barbeques and steamers. Each preparation adds and highlights different flavours. There’s no wrong answer, as the results are always great!”

Find out more and set up your Commercial account now with The Sausage Man. You can also save 10% on your first order over £125 when you set up your account online at wholesale.sausageman.co.uk. Be sure to enter code CATER10 at checkout to secure your saving before the end of March 2022.

Utilise Your Outdoor Spaces with Indigo Awnings

At Indigo Awnings, the UK’s market leader in external shading, we offer we offer commercial grade shading products and provide expert advice, unrivalled customer and after-sales service.

With today’s trend in alfresco socialising and dining, we can offer you made to measure shading that will enhance the beauty, and accessibility, of your business – with the added bonus of instant leasing options and monthly payments to suit you Custom branded products by Indigo Awnings provide efficient weather protection, create extra outdoor space, and drive revenue by making it easier for customers to find your business.

We have a wide range of commercial grade retractable awnings, giant parasols and fixed roof structures that will enhance any outdoor area and thus the comfort of your guests.

Crafted from the highest-quality materials, all our

products are fully customisable and built to your required specification. Frames can be powder coated in a range of RAL colours, with a huge selection of fabric shades and patterns to choose from, all of which can be printed with your branding.

With the addition of quality infra-red heating and LED lighting you can create a whole new dining experience for customers to enjoy all year round, consequently, a healthy return on investment – simply creating “money from fresh air”, regardless of the weather!

Backed up by a national capability and support network, all installations are completed by our highly experienced fitting teams, ensuring continuity with only one point of contact for our customers to have the best experience possible.

Contact our friendly Indigo Awnings team on 01352 740164 or at www.indigoawnings.co.uk

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LeisureBench are Expanding Their Range for 2022 LeisureBench Limited, one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of commercial quality outdoor furniture has announced exciting new additions that will be available soon to their already extensive range, for 2022.

The Company has built its reputation on outdoor products offering excellent value for money, with many years experience in meeting the needs of the hotel, pub and hospitality sectors and are heavily investing in manufacturing and finishes.

OUTDOOR FURNITURE Wooden round and A Frame picnic tables, in a number of styles and sizes, brings style, comfort and practicality to your outside space, as do their teak and pine range of benches.

The classy collection of Rattan dining sets, chairs and sofas will add a touch of luxury, comfort and elegance.

Teak, Hardwood, metal furniture, table tops and bases, gazebos, outdoor buildings, parasols and planters etc. can all be viewed in a range of styles on the LeisureBench website.

The list is endless. The Company is also able to offer a bespoke service, including planters, to create furniture to match your own specifications.

INDOOR FURNITURE LeisureBench are expanding their range of indoor specific tables and chairs for the commercial sector in 2022. Look out for new ranges that will be available soon.

RECYCLED PLASTIC FURNITURE LeisureBench has put in place a substantial ongoing investment to manufacture their own environmentally friendly furniture in their own factory, using 100% UK recycled plastic materials, that will be available in late Spring 2022.

The range will include benches and a wide variety of picnic tables in both ‘A’ Frame and 8- seat square designs in a choice of colours. They will all be hardwearing, easy to maintain, and a strong powder coated underframe will guarantee them for a minimum of 15 years.

There will also be stylish recycled plastic planters available. Register your interest now.

LeisureBench are also increasing their stockholding of all products for 2022 to enable a fast delivery from their 50,000 sq.ft. of on-site warehousing space. Bulk discounts are available.

Website:www.leisurebench.co.uk E: sales@leisurebench.co.uk Tel: 01949 862920

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

We are an independent supplier serving the outdoor restaurant trade with supplies for outdoor seating areas. We have some large clients including Gondola group along with many smaller cafe bars, restaurants and public houses.

We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to buy budget as the continual bumps and scrapes

outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job.

We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand.

Bespoke goods are also a speciality with custom made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement. If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz

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Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out See us at

HRC 21 - 2 3 M arch ExCeL Lo nd o n

Space Saving Solutions Without Compromising On Performance

By Tim Charlton, managing director of Euro Catering Equipment, UK distributor for Giorik.

What are the latest and greatest features chefs should look out for when it comes to this equipment?

Space is one of the biggest limitations in any pub kitchen, as operators try to strike the right balance between maximising space for paying customers whilst providing enough room back of house to serve them.

Whether it’s a historic building or a new-build, ask any pub chef and they’ll tell you they’d like more space in the kitchen.

Of course, space constraints don’t just pose logistical challenges for staff, they also impact what equipment can be installed. That’s why slimline ovens are proving increasingly popular and manufacturers are working incredibly hard to deliver the same performance from a T smaller footprint.

Giorik offers a number of slimline models across its Kore and Movair combi oven ranges, including a choice of ten countertop Kore ovens (6 or 10 x 1/1gn) which

EAIS - The Ideal Solution EAIS are your one stop solution for all of your storage and handling needs. Our vastly experienced and award winning team are on hand to support our distributors and to help them overcome any challenge that they may face.

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are just 520mm wide and can be stacked two high to get the most capacity from the smallest footprint.

Unique to Giorik, a gas slimline model is also available in both 6 and 10 x 1/1gn format, as well as models with an internal boiler.

Or for complete flexibility, the Movair MTE523W from Giorik is a 13amp countertop 5 x 2/3gn model universally popular in pub kitchens because it can be plugged in anywhere. And still just 637mm wide.

The most important thing with any slimline model is that they don’t compromise on performance or functionality. All of Giorik’s slimline combi ovens are fitted with touchscreen programmable controls, an automatic wash system, multi-level shelf timers and a core probe – for maximum performance from a minimum footprint in smaller kitchen spaces.

Visit www.euro-catering.co.uk/shop/brands/giorik or www.giorik.com/en/home.html

Follow this up with a huge range of trolleys and transportation system you will find all that’s needed to support all types of commercial catering applications. We are proud of our ability to hold vast stocks of racking and trolleys, allowing us to accommodate urgent next day delivery requests if required.

In addition to standard products one of our strengths is our flexibility. Our on-site in-house manufacturing facility allows us to offer bespoke items to our customers. Therefore if our standard product doesn’t quite tick your box our engineers and designers will work closely with a client to ensure the correct bespoke solution is offered.

We offer 16 different As well as supply only we can also offer an efficient types of racking to choose and economical installation service with our highly from including chrome, nylon, stainless steel solid, per- experienced and qualified teams of fitters. forated & wire as well as lift-out systems. All of these For more information visitInstallation our websiteSystems – East please Anglian Ltd are available in wide range of sizes which will helpEAIS to Ltd @EAISUK www.eais.co maximise every area of a busy commercial kitchen.

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FFD - Commercial Refrigeration & Catering Equipment The FFD Group are the UK's premier suppliers of commercial refrigeration, commercial catering equipment and grease management solutions for the hospitality and foodservice industry. Comprising of FFD Commercial Refrigeration, FFD Catering Equipment and FFD Grease Management Solutions we have successfully helped businesses the length and breadth of the country to find the perfect piece of commercial equipment to take their operations forward.

Also offering equipment to educational, health and correctional facilities, the wide product range, competitive prices and excellent customer service guarantees total customer satisfaction.

With comprehensive product knowledge and years of experience in the industry, the team are trained to listen to individual business requirements and pair customers with the most suitable solution. Offering a wide range of equipment from leading commercial manufacturers including Foster, True, Adande, Lincat, Blue Seal and Rational, there are plenty of choices.

New Premises, New Websites…

Fry More For Less with OilChef The foodservice and hospitality industry have suffered greatly since the shutdowns started in 2019.

Since then, there have been gradual re-openings of hotels, bars, restaurants, and takeaways.

However, the cost of food has risen greatly.

One food group – cooking oil – has more than doubled in price and is set to rise even further. Some of the reasons are weather related which has reduced crop yield and other reasons are economic. Supply chains have been hit with rising costs of fuel, distribution, and labour. In addition to this, farmers are being offered a higher price for their crop seeds to make biofuel instead of edible oil and this impacts supply.

How can the food service and hospitality industry protect against these risings costs? One way is to make the cooking oil last longer. In fact, the awardwinning accessory for deep fryers, is doing just that.

The OiLChef device is a catalytic convertor for deep fryers!

The FFD Group have recently relocated to new premises with increased office space and warehousing facilities to ensure that they are well placed to expand in the future. With a trio of new websites having also launched complete with a new design, improved navigation and a 3 in 1 approach, customers can access commercial refrigeration, commercial catering equipment and grease management all from a single place. Providing a fully rounded, one stop shop for the foodservice and hospitality sector, convenience is guaranteed alongside quality products and exceptional customer service.

Whether looking for commercial bottle coolers, catering refrigeration, multidecks, serve overs, prep counters or cold rooms plus much more, FFD Commercial Refrigeration can meet and exceed all demands. For a full range of catering equipment including commercial combination ovens, commercial fryers, oven ranges, sous vide machines, glass washers, commercial dishwashers and all of the essential cooking equipment and utensils, FFD Catering Equipment have also got you covered.

Tel: 01455 815200 or www.fridgefreezerdirect.co.uk; 01455 815215 or www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk or email: sales@ffdgroup.co.uk

It keeps the cooking oil in a fresher condition, by slowing down oxidation, stopping polymerizations of the oil molecules and by retarding the buildup of free fatty acids, peroxides, total polar materials and most importantly of all the carcinogenic acrylamides in frying oil.

The OiLChef device is not a filter, it is not a chemical, it adds nothing to the oil, it takes nothing out of the oil, it is an inorganic device that helps you keep your oil alive for longer.

A simple 3 second self-installation which is virtually maintenance free, and only needs replacing every 3 years. OiLChef is a dream come true for professional kitchens that operate deep fryers. OiLChef is in thousands of deep fryers around the World and comes with a full 3-year warranty and saves you up to 50% on oil purchases every month. Check them out at www.OiLChef.com Contact their CEO direct: sean.farry@oilchef.com

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Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Cemco (The Catering Equipment Maintenance Company) Cemco (The Catering Equipment Maintenance Company) first opened for business in 1990, and have been serving Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Bath, and the rest of the South and Southwest, ever since.

We offer a full range of services, including servicing and repairs for all commercial catering appliances, ranging from small local projects to major national work, and everything in between. Specialising in commercial Glasswasher and Dishwasher repairs sales and service our reputation is second to none.

We can offer you a no obligation quote now, so contact us for more information.

CEMCO also carry out repairs to commercial catering equipment Dishwashers, Glasswashers, Ovens Grills Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset and The Southwest. We undertake

repairs and servicing to ALL, types, makes and models of commercial catering equipment.

A repair is often far cheaper then a replacement! 30 Years in this Industry gives us the edge over our competitors, with time served Commercial Catering Equipment Engineers our clients have found we save them the cost of purchasing new equipment time after time…why buy new when a guaranteed repair is often all your Catering Equipment requires…

We are based in Bournemouth & Poole, covering the whole of Dorset, as well as Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Call 01202 377205 now, to arrange a site visit www.cemcoltd.co.uk

Temporary Catering Facilities For Events NEW DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump) from Pump Technology Ltd. Launched at HRC & Kitchen Refurbishments The standard specification of our smallest Production Kitchen unit includes a six burner oven range, salamander grill, twin basket fryer, upright fridge, hot cupboard, single bowl sink unit with integral

Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale of temporary catering facilities and foodservice equipment.

Ideal for events or to provide temporary catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economic solution to the caterers’ needs.

Production Kitchens, Preparation Kitchens, Warewashing Units, Dry Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they can be linked together on site to form a complete complex.

Alternatively, we can offer modular, open-plan facilities, usually for larger, longer-term hires.

We offer a free design service, and project management from concept through to delivery and installation on site, plus full technical support throughout the hire period.

hand wash basin, plus ample power points to plug in Microwaves, Food Processors, Toasters etc. Internal equipment can be interchanged and clients can effectively specify their preferred layout.

We have many tried and tested design layouts and would be pleased to put forward our recommendations for your project.

So if you’re planning a refurbishment or need to cater for an event then why not give us a call and we’ll be happy to provide advice and put forward a competitive proposal.

For further information or to arrange a site visit, email: sales@mk-hire.co.uk or call us on 0345 812 0800, or visit our website: www.mk-hire.co.uk

The DrainMinor C Combi oven waste pump can be seen in operation at the Hotel Restaurant Catering, HRC Exhibition 21-23 March 2022 ExCel London on Stand P621 which we are sharing with Combi Oven servicing experts R-Tec Services & Innovation Ltd, (previously known as Rational Technical services UK Ltd.)

Combi Oven cleaning cycles require hot wastewater to be pumped away if gravity drainage is not available.

The New DrainMinor C Combi Oven waste water drainage Pump has been developed specifically for this demanding application and offers users excellent reliability and ease of operation.

The compact wastewater collecting tank with low level inlet height, which can be decided onsite to suit the discharge run from the Combi Oven, is fitted with a Specialist Submersible pump. It features a rigid external float arm with large triangular float. This robust design ensures accurate and reliable automatic stop/start of the pump even when the hot wastewater is greasy. It can also cope with food debris or

turbulence within the collecting tank.

A Silicon Carbide mechanical shaft seal, oil chamber and inboard shaft seal ring protects the motor within the submersible pump. This arrangement is an engineered solution for leak and ingress protection of the motor windings when pumping hot wastewater with diluted cleaning chemicals and food waste debris. It ensures considerably longer product life and operating reliability over submersible pumps fitted with standard diaphragm shaft seals.

Pump Technology Ltd., established 1992, is a specialist wastewater pump and pumping system provider.

The company’s DrainMinor, DrainMajor and DrainKing wastewater pump systems are renowned as robust and reliable commercial kitchen drainage solutions. For all kitchen wastewater pumping requirements call the technical team to discuss an application. They will be able to select a proven wastewater pumping system for you.

Specialists in Servicing, Repairs and Maintenance of all Commercial Catering Equipment

Cemco undertake Service and Repairs to ALL Commercial Dishwasher and Glasswasher Manufacturers Including Hobart, Electrolux, Meiko, Winterhalter to name a few.

CEMCO carry out repairs, servicing and routine maintenance to all makes and models of commercial catering equipment, including dishwashers and glasswashers.

We can also supply you with a new or used dishwasher …simply Contact Us for details of available Used Stock

We are based in Bournemouth & Poole and cover the whole of Dorset, along with the neighbouring counties of Somerset, Devon, Hampshire and Wiltshire.

Trust CEMCO for commercial catering dishwasher servicing!

Call us now, on 01202 377205 for a free quote to repair your dishwasher

www.cemcoltd.co.uk

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Commercial Kitchen Design Advice from Alliance Online

Designing a kitchen for your home is stressful enough so scale that up to a commercial size then the task can seem over facing. Between the associated costs and need to get the design and execution of installation right it can appear very daunting, so allow Alliance Online to offer a few tips to help make the process a little easier:

1. Opt for Professional Help: If you a redesigning a commercial kitchen whether it be a restaurant, school, care home or elsewhere always consult a commercial kitchen specialist. A professional will already be aware of common issues that arise and also design with HACCP regulations compliance in mind.

2. Efficiency and Flow: As much as professionals will consider industry standard design, you know how you and your staff occupy your current workspace. In a commercial kitchen you want to minimise the distance your staff have to travel whilst carrying food so ensuring your kitchen is designed with a flow that follows the natural cooking order is best practice.

3. Know Your Regulations: Your designer of choice should be fully aware of all industry rules and regulations but make sure you read up on them yourselves.

The HACCP rules are not the only ones you need to consider, an emergency eye wash station should be in situ along with walk-way widths being wide enough to allow for paramedic access. Also check where all your utility inlets are as these will influence your placement options.

At Alliance Online we have over 20 years of supplying the hospitality, healthcare and public sectors with non-food catering equipment which includes capital equipment and commercial kitchen design. Our capital equipment specialists have superior industry knowledge and understanding and are more than happy to answer your queries.

To discuss your commercial kitchen whether it be a new design, or upgrading your equipment please contact Alliance on 01270 252 333 or email us at hello@allianceonline.co.uk

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

A Fresh Take on Grease Filters

In a busy food operation, you probably don’t even think about your grease filters, they’re just there building up dirt, fat, oil and grease; but when was the last time you had your kitchen grease filters cleaned? Not only are they the first part of your extraction system, they are also a legal requirement in the prevention of fire and compliance with health and safety. There are many other benefits to having clean filters, such as improved kitchen cleanliness and reduced levels of carbon dioxide, to ensure top air quality for your staff.

You may not be surprised to hear that 57% of kitchen fires in restaurants result from issues with cooking equip-

ment; that’s why it’s important to identify the exclusions of your insurance policy because many insurers demand regular deep cleaning of filters which, let’s face it, is inconvenient and time-consuming. If you do suffer a kitchen fire and can’t evidence that you’ve been having your filters correctly and thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis, your insurer may reject your claim.

The answer? Our professional cleaning service means your dirty filters are exchanged with clean ones in minutes, as part of our package we provide a free set of standard sized filters for your kitchen, prolonging the life of your own. Our service also evidences due diligence to your insurer and fire safety officer, as we provide an online client portal where you can download full service history and certification.

We do Just Filters, so let us keep your kitchen running and compliant.

01279 420289 | justfilters.co.uk | info@justfilters.co.uk

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Barton Reed & Co Barton Reed & Co is the leading supplier of quality furniture to hotels, restaurants, public houses and leisure facilities in the South West. We can supply beautiful leather sofas, stylish high bar stools, comfy tub seats, elegant restaurant tables and chairs, and relaxing beds.

From laid back, seaside charm to cutting-edge design our extensive product range will suit your style and give your business the look that you want to achieve.

We have a huge choice of colours, fabrics and finishes and all our furniture comes with a two-year warranty.

Barton Reed & Co is a family-run business and we have been involved in the furniture industry since 1945. Over the years we have forged strong relationships with our suppli-

ers to give you the best furniture available with a service that goes above and beyond our customers’ expectations.

Seven reasons why you should choose Barton Reed & Co to supply your contract furniture: • Wide range of styles • Easy ordering and re-ordering • Single point of contact • Short lead times • Direct delivery • After sales service • Two-year warranty on every item Get in touch to discuss your furniture requirements or to order our new brochure – we’re here to help.

Call us on 01409 271189, visit www.bartonreed.co.uk or email info@bartonreed.co.uk

Increase Profit with CardsSafe The CardsSafe system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab.

CardsSafe works with the hospitality industry to assist with bar tabs which undoubtedly help to increase profits.

Young’s pubs, Hilton Hotels, and many independent and chain restaurants and pubs have been using CardsSafe for many years. The system helps them increase the bottom line by reducing charge backs and walkouts, while fighting card fraud at the same time.

Many businesses are relying on CardsSafe to create the opportunity to upsell by retaining cards and encouraging their customers to order more. As Phil Dixon, a former advisor to the BII, explains, “If you want to increase spend, you must retain cards.” A simple solution, and one that could be a quick and easy win.

Increasing profit and reducing walk-outs, CardsSafe

Southern Contracts is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of industrial laundry, catering and commercial cleaning equipment.

Working with care homes, hotels, restaurants, holiday parks, cruise lines, marine companies and local authorities, the NHS, the MoD as well as schools and colleges, we are a third generation family run business, founded in 1964.

Today we are proud to boast global clients to whom we deliver and maintain the very latest products and service, being ever mindful of sustainability and keeping our carbon footprints down.

We understand the importance of minimal disruption to our clients and cover all aspects of installation to customer training and ongoing maintenance service and repair.

For more information regarding our services for : • Laundry equipment • Kitchen appliances • Commercial cleaning equipment

Contact us now on 03301 222888 www.southerncontracts.co.uk Follow us on : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

offers a multitude of benefits to its customers. No wonder that over 5000 major brands and independents in the UK trust CardsSafe.

“Average spend is up and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.”

Timothy, Young’s Bar manager CardsSafe is affordable and pays for itself. Each unit, which contains ten card drawers, can be hired for just £9.99 per month. Each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and free replacement keys.

Additional units can be added at any time. The question is, can you afford not to consider CardsSafe as a part of your business?

Sign up to CardsSafe here https://cardssafe.com/account/create-account Or call 0845 500 1040

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Caterquip Ventilation – For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 22nd Anniversary this year.

This Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs: free site surveys, quotations and designs (CAD), quality bespoke and standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation. Affiliated members of Constructionline, CHAS and B&ES, Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, The Truck Stop at Anglesey, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses. They ensure their systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

With extensive knowledge of manufacturing and installing ventilation systems, they can help you design the best kitchen within the space available.

Call: 01926 887167, visit: www.caterquipventilation.co.uk, email: info@caterquipventilation.co.uk

Give Yourself a Fresh New Look with Mayfair Furniture

Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 10 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

We keep in stock a huge variety of items ready for immediate dispatch, and can fulfil a wide range of bespoke orders. We deliver to all areas of the UK, Ireland & Europe.

We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like

to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance service. We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted.

01733 310115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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Just Artificial - Plants • Trees • Flowers Established in 2004, Just Artificial have many years’ experience as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high quality artificial plants, trees, silk flowers and related accessories, which we offer at competitive prices.

Artificial Plants & Trees for Businesses

At Just Artificial, we work with interior designers, decorators, set dressers, architects and more to set your premises apart from the rest. Our artificial plants, flowers, and trees are highly realistic to look and touch, as well as being durable and attractive.

We have a range of fantastic options which will set your space apart from the rest, allowing you to create an indoor Eden. Our products are highly realistic, durable, and designed with particular care and attention by our master craftsmen, all of whom are experts in their field.

Our range is always growing, supporting current modern trends as well as traditional needs, for indoor and outdoor use, tailored to complement any business.

We offer a complete product range including silk flowers, floral

arrangements, artificial plants, trees (even palm trees), topiary, exotics, plant and tree displays, hedges, fruit, hanging baskets, ivy garlands and other foliage, synthetic lawn grass and astroturf, planters, pot pourri, organza ribbon, decorative butterflies, essential oils, oasis foam, metal wall art, and Christmas supplies.

Whatever your choice, we have the design experience and the tools to make your space stand out.

Whatever the case, we have the perfect solution for your décor – one which will transform your space into something extraordinary.

Contact (01524) 858888, sales@justartificial.co.uk or visit www.justartificial.co.uk

Hybrid Heating For The Modern Property Our master craftsmen construct our hand made bespoke Artifical Trees with painstaking care and attention to detail, to create an exceptionally 'real' Artificial Tree. We can offer bespoke solutions to suit the needs of your space, business and tastes.

UV Outdoor and Fire Retardant ranges available.

(01524) 858888 sales@justartificial.co.uk www.justartificial.co.uk

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EHC offer a comprehensive Range of Electric Products that are all controlled by the well-established DSR Technology Control System.

It enables you to select a Hybrid Heating Solution from the range for the various rooms within your property to suit your design style and budget – the choice is yours.

All DSR Controlled Heaters are manually operated using the “easy to use” Controller located on the Heater. They also have WiFi capability that can be activated when you purchase the optional DSR Smart Gateway which will allow you to control your Heaters Anytime, Anywhere 24/7 up to a maximum of 30 Heaters per gateway using our free bespoke APP. The DSR Control APP has many features designed to enhance your comfort levels and provide essential

information regarding your heating system. There is also an optional Power Meter Clamp available for Load Shedding Control.

The DSR range of heaters are ideal for the likes of Bars, Restaurants or Hotels as the DSR control system allows for each heater to be controlled remotely from a smart phone or controlled centrally from a PC at a hotel reception. This level of control helps keep running costs to a minimum and removes the inconvenience of staff members going from room to room to adjust heating temperature when customers check in or out.

For further information or a free Brochure contact 01698 820533 or visit www.electric-heatingcompany.co.uk

Design and Refit Fast and Fresh Facelift Options for Hotels, Pubs & Restaurants Create a new look and feel to your dining space without the expense of a full refurb In the wake of the pandemic, budgets are tight and the idea of a full refit and refurbishment could be one expense too far for many restaurateurs.

However there are a number of ways to give any premises a facelift by creating a more luxurious and fresh feel to the restaurant space, and enhancing the allround customer experience, without breaking the bank.

The simplest and quickest way to do this is of course to add tablecloths to a dining room. Raj Ruia, Director at Richard Haworth explains: “Tablecloths create an instantly more classic look, and can hide old, tired-looking tables in a matter of seconds.

“The tablecloth look is synonymous with the expectation of a luxurious dining experience, and can absolutely make an impactful first-impression. This can be a dealbreaker when it comes to attracting walk-in customers who may not have a reservation, but have spotted that glimpse of finery through the window.

“However, if tablecloths are too much of a conventional choice for your restaurant, small touches such as linen napkins, can be enough of a change to freshen things up.

They can inject a splash of colour to restaurant interiors, whilst communicating that sustainability is something you care about as a restaurant-operator.”

Richard Haworth’s popular Amalfi table linen range is regularly used in high profile restaurants across the country, including P&O Cruises, The Goring and The Clove Club. Available in 27 colourways to suit every season and interior style, the Richard Haworth

Amalfi range is made from revolutionary cotton soft fabrics to ensure ultimate durability, providing a more sustainable solution to paper towels and other one-use options.

Raj explained: “Today’s customers are extremely savvy and educated when it comes to understanding the impact that one-use products can have on the environment. Diners are increasingly making considered choices in all aspects of their lives and that includes where and how they dine out.

Whether that’s understanding where their food has been sourced and the carbon footprint of the furniture and interiors inside the restaurants they frequent, they want to know they are supporting businesses with ethics.

“Our stain-release fabric technology means lower temperature washes, with less rinsing and chemicals required, resulting in a more environmentally-friendly and durable product for you and your guests.”

Personalisation of table linens and staff uniforms is another way to create a new, professional look in a restaurant, and this is a truly cost-effective way to elevate your all round interior appeal. Front and back of house staff with matching aprons instantly feel more ready for a busy service and look in-keeping with the restaurant, especially when selecting a colour that compliments the restaurant’s overall interior design scheme.

“Chefwear becomes truly unique when embroidered with staff names or a restaurant logo. This gives customers a fantastic impression, since your apparel is an extension of the work you do in the kitchen,” added Raj. For further information call 0845 337 7732 or visit www.richardhaworth.co.uk

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MST Auctioneers

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods.

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs. We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA).

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as

well as private and corporate vendors. We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances.

We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England. Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days.

We have storage and removal facilities. In addition we have forklifts for machinery up to 5 tons.

We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line" See the advert on this page for further details.

Upgrade Your Chairs with Trent Furniture’s New Reupholstery Service If the metal or wooden chairs in your hospitality setting are looking tatty but the frames are still robust, there’s no need to throw them away. You can easily extend their lifespan and have them looking as good as new again with Trent’s new reupholstery service.

of the amount needed to buy new chairs, prolonging the life of the chairs you Trent’s team of expert upholsterers, who already own is a more eco-conscious choice work on many of the new chairs we supply, too. What’s more, the process couldn’t be are now able to provide that service for simpler – all you need to do is email a photo older chairs that require a facelift or need to of the chair stating how many you need be recovered to fit in with a new décor reupholstered for a competitive quote. scheme. With a choice of hundreds of conTo find out more about how Trent’s tract-grade fabrics to choose from, you are reupholstery service can give your chairs a sure to find the perfect choice for your new lease of life in 2022, please call us on venue.

0116 2864 911 or fill in our contact form at Not only does reupholstery cost a fraction www.trentfurniture.co.uk

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Having Successfully Launched the ILF Chairs New Comprehensive Website, ILF Have Now Added Further Stock Product Colours www.ilfchairs.com

email: terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

Their new online website offers both indoor and outdoor seating and table solutions.

Divided into Contemporary seating, Barstools, Lounge Seating, Period Seating, Outdoor seating and tables plus Indoor Dining & Coffee height tables, offering a great selection of products to view at your leisure. They have also now added a range of stock chairs and barstools.

Most indoor seating and indoor wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification.

Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Also included is a link to priced chairs and table bases plus a selection of priced made to order seating in a selection of Faux Leather upholstery colours and wood frame colours. These products can also be sup-

plied to customer specification, just ask for details.

Enquiries can be sent to them directly from the website and they will reply within 24 hours. They hope you will enjoy the experience of viewing their easy to navigate website and they look forward to helping clients get the best products for their hospitality site.

Craftsigns - Signmakers and Signwriters Craftsigns Ltd has been established for over 40 years and specialise in signage for the brewing industry as well as national food chains and retail in general.

We offer a nationwide survey & installation service alongside design & consultation for any requirement.

All our signage is manufactured in-house by our experienced, skilled workforce who pride themselves on innovation & quality.

We endeavour to bring to our design & manufacture a fresh approach to achieve maximum impact combining modern & traditional methods to enhance and optimise your visual presence.

Craftsigns Ltd offer a range of disciplines from tradi-

tional signwriting direct to brickwork, pictorial swing signs, traditional signwriting & gilding to glass along with the latest CNC technology to produce modern signage. From three dimensional lettering to large totem signs all fitted with various options of LED illumination in material ranging from aluminium to stainless steel and also copper, brass and bronze with a choice of aged and patination finishes.

We also manufacture menu cases to order in freestanding, wall mounted & lectern formats in various finishes to accompany your signage & display installation. We also manufacture, to your bespoke design planters & barrier systems, awnings and point of sale terminals.

Visit www.craftsigns.co.uk

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Craftsigns Ltd has been established for over 40 years and specialise in signage for the brewing industry as well as national food chains and retail in general.

We offer a nationwide survey & installation service alongside design & consultation for any requirement.

All our signage is manufactured in-house by our experienced, skilled workforce who pride themselves on innovation & quality.

We endeavour to bring to our design & manufacture a fresh approach to achieve maximum impact combining modern & traditional methods to enhance and optimise your visual presence.

WWW.CRAFTSIGNS.CO.UK

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Issue 104

VAT Considerations For Catering And Hospitality Operators Seeking To Terminate Leases Early

By Adam Cutler, director in Crowe’s VAT and Customs Duty Services team (www.crowe.co.uk)

Changes to the way we live and work have meant some commercial premises are no longer viable locations for catering and hospitality operators. Terminating leases early can result in various payments and HMRC’s views on the VAT treatment of these has been unclear.

Crowe’s Adam Cutler welcomes HMRC’s recent confirmations in this complex area.

Even with the introduction of the temporary VAT rate for the hospitality sector, the food and accommodation business has been one of

the hardest hit by the pandemic. While the remaining COVID-19 restrictions are finally easing across the UK, it is clear that the impact of the last two years is leading many businesses to reconsider their operating locations. Where these are now no longer viable, operators may be looking to terminate their leases early and this brings some potential complexity in relation to VAT. In September 2020, HMRC revised its policy in respect of the VAT treatment of early termination payments. Following representations, these changes were withdrawn and reconsidered, leading to a period of unwelcome uncertainty. In February 2022, HMRC confirmed its new approach, which must be applied from April 2022.

For most tenants, early termination of a lease will involve making a ‘surrender’ payment to the landlord, or if the landlord wishes to terminate the lease early they may pay the tenant a ‘reverse surrender’. As payments for supplies of interest in land, these are exempt from VAT unless the party being paid has opted to tax the property.

HMRC now views nearly all payments for early termination as further consideration for services for VAT purposes, even if the payment is described as damages or compensation. So, if you are also terminating equipment leases at the same time, VAT will be due on these charges.

HMRC now accepts that dilapidations (a payment the tenant agrees to pay if the property is not returned in the same condition as it was provided to them at the end of a property lease) will normally be outside the scope of VAT as it is in effect a damages or compensation charge.

Alternatively, a lease may be assigned to another party or the property sub-let. These have different VAT treatments, so it is important to consider the implications of both.

Assignment: 1. a.

A payment to a new tenant to take on the lease is not considered a supply of land and will be standard rated.

A payment from the new tenant to the existing tenant is a b. supply of land by the existing tenant and will be exempt from VAT unless an option to tax is in place.

2.

Subletting: the rent will be exempt for VAT unless an option to tax is in place. If opted, the rent will be subject to VAT at the standard rate.

The payment to the landlord to assign or sub-let is a supply of land by the landlord, so will be subject to the standard rate of VAT if the landlord has opted to tax the building.

Operators receiving a payment to surrender, assign or sub-let their lease will find themselves providing VAT-exempt services if they do not opt to tax the property. While this may be welcome by the other party, it may restrict the operator’s VAT recovery.

While there may be an understandable desire for landlords and operators to terminate leases quickly, in our experience VAT is not often considered; or, if it is, it is only done so when it is too late. These transactions are often high value and typically businesses are not familiar with the complex VAT property rules, so taking advice early can avoid expensive and unexpected issues arising later on.

We’re Here To Support Your Hospitality Business Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

W! NE

PRICE: £495,000

W! NE

PRICE: £620,000

• Quintessential 17th Century Village Inn in the Heart of Bridford • Substantial Open Plan Character Main Bar/Dining Room, Full Equipped Commercial Kitchen & Extensive Back of House Space • Village Shop, Landscaped Outside Trading Areas & Large Car Park • Attractive Three Bedroom Owners Accommodation • Turnover in the Region of £300,00 ex VAT Per Annum with Strong Net Profit

BRIDFORD, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4156

FREEHOLD

REF: 4184

• Well Established & Successful Restaurant in the Heart of Dartmouth • Dining Area with Spectacular Panoramic Window with Harbour & Estuary Views • 3/4 Bedroom Apartment – Could be Used for Holiday Letting/Staff/Owners • Highly Profitable Business, Ideal for ‘Owner Operator’ Couple • Must be Seen to be Appreciated – Retirement Sale

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

PRICE: £150,000

W! NE

PRICE: £795,000

TORQUAY, DEVON

PRICE: £18,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4008

• Beautifully Renovated & Refurbished Seafront Holiday Letting Property • Designed to be used as a Large Holiday Letting House/Airbnb/ Private Guest House • Sea Views and Less than a Minute's Walk to Preston & Paignton Beaches • 10 Superior En-Suite Letting Rooms including Disabled Room with Wet Room • Gross Internal Area 3,401 sq ft (316 sq m)

PAIGNTON, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4165

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4050

BOVEY TRACEY, DEVON

HATCH BEAUCHAMP, SOMERSET

• A Substantial, Completely Refurbished 18th Century Coaching Inn • 2 Spacious, Character Trading Areas (54+ covers) • 5 Superior En-Suite Letting Rooms & Very Well Presented 3 Bed Private Accommodation • Outside Courtyard Trading Area, Car Park & Skittle Alley • Stunning Property and Business, Must be Seen

• Fish & Chip Takeaway in Prominent Location • Within Residential & Commercial Area of Torre • Well Equipped Plus Ancillary Areas • Currently Closed - Huge Potential to Grow & Develop Business • 10 Year Lease From September 2020 with Repairing & Insuring Obligations – Rent £10,000 PA

PRICE: £695,000

W! NE

• Superb Café/Restaurant Located at the ‘Gateway to Dartmoor’ • Benefitting from Spacious Residential Accommodation • Well Maintained Garden Seating Area & Large Customer Car Park • Operated Under Management with Owners Overseeing • Internal Seating for 85, External Seating for 80+

FREEHOLD

REF: 4078

• Stunning Country Inn Situated on the Edge of Dartmoor National Park • Situated in the Affluent & Pretty Village of Chardstock • Main Bar, Locals Bar, Snug and Games Room • Restaurant, Commercial Kitchen, Trade Gardens and Car Park • 4 En-Suite Letting Rooms in Separate Detached Annexe & 3 Bed Owners Accommodation

CHARDSTOCK, DEVON

PRICE: GUIDE RENT OF £35,000 PA (FREE OF TIE) - NIL PREMIUM REF: 2435

W! NE

• Stunning Seafront Property with Views Over the Coastline • Spacious First Floor Glazed Trading Space (up to circa 70 covers) • Lower Ground Floor with Potential to be Reconfigured • Possibility to Add Outside Trading Areas (By way of Separate Negotiation) • Proposals to be Submitted by 2pm, Wednesday 16th March 2022

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON

PRICE: TO LET BY INFORMAL TENDER

REF: 4163

For almost 15 years, Capify has worked closely with the hospitality sector, providing them with much-needed funding when some of the more traditional routes for financing have been closed to them. Now is no different as we have a £40m fund to help your business recover as the economy opens up again.

A Capify business loan is easy to apply for and can be approved and paid out in as little as 24 hours. Our business loan's flexibility means that you can use it for any business purpose, such as; • managing short-term cash flow issues • purchasing extra food and drink • hiring additional staff • purchasing new catering equipment Capify's lending criteria will consider the challenges of the past year. Our flexibility means we will try and look beyond your credit history when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth.

If you'd like to find out how much finance you qualify for to help you continue your post-Covid recovery, visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund. You'll be taken to Capify's website, where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes. You'll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments.

To find out more see the advert on page 10, visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.

Are You Struggling to RUN PROFITABLY Your Business?

If so, our bespoke Hospitality Mentoring & Consultancy service can help. Our Managing Consultant, David Hunter, has been a recognised Management Consultant specialising in the Hospitality sector for over 30 years.

David’s mission is to provide practical advice, knowledge and expertise that will help your business to reach its full FINANCIAL POTENTIAL. Our bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service focuses on the key areas of your business, such as PROFITABILITY, MANAGING PEOPLE, MARKETING and OPERATIONAL STRATEGY. As part of his Mentoring-driven service, David has always provided ‘’free-of-extra-charge’’ key weekly figures, analysis & reporting so that your finger is always on the pulse of your business’s finances and performance.

The GOOD NEWS is that David has now made this service even more accessible, with a lower ‘’entry level’’ ongoing Mentoring arrangement that is ‘’strapped on to’’ our providing those vital weekly figures to you.

So … instead of just getting our own well-established, tried and tested and very popular, weekly figures reporting system, you can now access David’s KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and EXPERTISE via INCLUSIVE, and AT NO EXTRA COST, four half-day on-site Mentoring & Consultancy visits every year (or two full days, depending on your location).

You get even more than that … David is always available to you at the end of the phone or via Email, and always on-hand when you need advice or guidance.

There is MORE. You would also get access to “tried and tested” experts through our Bowden Group Alliance, where our fully approved colleagues are ALSO at your disposal for advice on areas such as legal advice, saving money on Utility bills, Marketing and more. OUR BOWDEN GROUP ALLIANCE MARKETING COLLEAGUE MATTHEW WILL EVEN GIVE YOU A MARKETING REVIEW … COMPLETELY F.O.C. … to help you to get your business going.

Without cost or obligation, David will also take a look at your figures and discuss what could be ACHIEVED … again COMPLETELY F.O.C. …

If your business is struggling with financial or operational challenges, then get in touch today.

MAXIMISE YOUR FULL POTENTIAL by calling David Hunter confidentially on 07831 407984 or 01628 487613, or message us via our website at: www.bowdengroup.co.uk

Property and Professional

Issue 104

CLH DIGITAL

63

Straight Forward Insolvency Advice from Oury Clark We know that the last couple of years have been tough, especially in the hospitality sector. Not to worry, our Insolvency Practitioners are here to help advise and guide you if your business is struggling.

Oury Clark has been helping people since 1935 and our Insolvency Practitioners have over 20 years of experience in both Personal and Corporate Insolvency. We are a family run professional firm that provides the highest professional standards to all our clients.

If your business is in financial difficulty it is important to take advice well in advance to avoid any wrong doing as a director. At Oury Clark we will hold your hand from

the beginning to the end of the Insolvency process, whether it’s you or your company. We will explain clearly the best insolvency scenario/option that’s applicable to you depending on your circumstances. We will ease your stress and deal with your creditors directly on your behalf. We will not load you with jargon, but will explain matters in plain language.

Insolvency could be the right thing to do if your business is struggling. You can bury your old debts and make a new start.

So, don’t lose sleep over threatening creditors. At Oury Clark we are more than happy to assist and make your life simpler.

If you require advice and support on any sort of formal insolvency procedure we are only a telephone call away. Please ring us on 01753 551111 and ask to speak to Kalani or anyone in the Oury Clark Insolvency team.

Kalani.Gunawardana@ouryclark.com

Help Is At Hand For Businesses Devastated by the Covid–19 Virus

The Government is backing a new lending scheme that is aimed at getting funds out to struggling businesses that have seen profits impacted by coronavirus and whilst hotels, restaurants and public houses along with B&B’s and other hospitality businesses all struggled through the lockdowns we are pleased to let you know help is at hand.

Repayments will be anything up to a 25 year profile, meaning repayments will be low and give the best chance for business recovery.

Loans will normally be secured against the freehold, or long leasehold value, but can be used for any purpose including refinance, debt consolidation, providing additional working capital and even purchasing of another business.

Professional brokers, Global, have 31 years’ experience in introducing business owners to helpful and competitively priced banks, often not on the High St. but based in The City, with regional offices and a fresh modern way of working and providing business loans nationally.

Global will help you with the funding options and chat to the lenders to obtain the best terms before presenting them too you. Once you choose a loan option, Global will work to obtain an approval from the lender prior to any business valuation, so you know the bank is supportive and wants to take the process forward towards a loan pay out.

Email mvhwiddows@aol.com

T H E W E S T C O U N T RY S P E C I A L I S T S

EAST DEVON COAST

DARTMOOR VILLAGE

CORNISH COASTAL TOWN

Desirable 10 Bedroom Guest House

Stunning & Renowned Quintessential Village Inn 5 Letting Bedrooms Stylish Character Bar & Dining Areas (92+) Attractive Beer Gardens (60+) Sought After Idyllic Dartmoor Village

Character Licensed Cafe & Bistro 36 Seats Inside and 48 Seats Outside

FH £1,200,000

LH £135,000

2 Bed Chalet & Owner’s Accom.

Prominent & Visible Trading Position Trading On a Bed & Breakfast Only Basis Impressive Levels of Trade

LH £95,000

6011

4812

Trading 7 Months Of The Year Only Strong Profits With Low Overheads Potential to Increase Trade Levels

2134

SOMERSET VILLAGE

SOMERSET VILLAGE

DEVON COASTAL TOWN

Exceptional High Turnover Free of Tie Inn

Substantial & Deceptively Spacious Inn

Quality Delicatessen & Coffee Shop

Bar & Dining Areas (140)

Main Bar (35+), Restaurants (50)

Equipped To Extremely High Standards

Trade Gardens & Patio Ares (64)

4 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms

Prominent Town Centre Trading Position

6 Double Bed (2 Ensuite) Owners Accom.

3 Bed Owner’s Accom. & Sep. Flat

Unique & Profitable Business

Sought After Free of Tie Leasehold

Strong Trade & Profits

Alfresco Seating For 24 Customers

LH £150,000

4815

FH £597,000

4811

LH £89,950

2131

DARTMOOR DEVON

DEVON VILLAGE

EAST DEVON COAST

Day Time Only Café & Restaurant

Character Detached Village Inn

Award-Winning Tearoom & Restaurant

Excellent Reputation With Potential

Interconnecting Bar & Dining Areas (66+)

38 Covers & Commercial Kitchens

30 Covers & Commercial Kitchen

3 Letting Bedrooms (2 With Hot Tubs)

3 Bed Owner's Accom. & Roof Terrace

2 Bedroom Owner's Accommodation

2/3 Double Bedroom Owner’s Accomm.

Sought After East Devon Coastal Town

Quality Business In Sought After Town

Completely Refurbished

Garage, Parking & Close To Beach

LH £89,950

2133

FH £395,000

PLUS VAT

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

4816

LH £89,950

2129

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk