CLH Digital - Issue #107

Issue 107

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Hospitality Sector “Edges Back” as Sales and Footfall Rise in City Centres

Britain’s pubs, bars and restaurants are gradually returning towards pre-COVID19 levels of visits after two years of disruption, according to new research from CGA and Wireless Social.

The Top Cities Vibrancy Report combines CGA’s sales data with device log-in data from Wireless Social, to provide a ‘vibrancy’ ranking of Britain’s 10 most populous cities over the four weeks to 9 April 2022.

The latest rankings from CGA and Wireless Social are topped for the second successive time by Glasgow, where sales were up by 8% on 2019, and check-ins only 10% below. It is followed by Birmingham and Manchester, which also saw sales growth. London is replaced at the bottom of the chart by Sheffield, where sales have been flat and check-ins are still a third off 2019’s levels. See below for the full list of cities.

After finishing last in the list for three periods in a row, London has moved up to eighth this time. While trading remains just below the levels of March and April 2019, the return of more office workers and tourists to the capital leads to confidence that sales and check-ins will rise further as 2022 goes on.

Across Britain’s top 10 cities, CGA’s data shows that average sales in the four weeks to 9 April were 3% ahead of the same period in 2019, while Wireless Social’s figures indicate that device check-ins remain 32% down.

GLASGOW TOPS THE RANKINGS

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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Issue 107

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital Good news once again in our lead story, which reveals that sales in pubs bars and restaurants in city centres and towns throughout the UK are returning to pre COVID levels.

This is a hugely important positive “surprise”, for want of a better phrase.

I have said in recent editorial comments that the sector is extremely resilient, and better placed than any other sector to bounce back.

EDITOR

Peter Adams

There is no better place to celebrate - whether that be a birthday, an anniversary, a date, a new job or just getting together with family and friends, or commiserating, bad news - the loss of a job, getting “dumped” or just wanting some “me time”.

The surprise is that the sector has bounced back as the country is going through huge challenging economic times, the worst in 50 years. Soaring inflation, supply issues, increased energy costs, staffing issues and business and job insecurity.

Touching on the fantastic Easter weather we enjoyed a couple of weeks back, this weekend’s bank holiday is set to be the same. Very sunny here in Bournemouth, I am delighted to say, which has seen venues invest and prepare to boost trade with some wonderfully innovative outdoor spaces.

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I know the council has significantly relaxed their restrictions, which has seen pop up bars and restaurants appear on Bournemouth’s sea front and around the town, with existing businesses already expanding their outdoor facilities, which gives that continental feel about the town.

RBC Publishing Ltd Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1LG

Other positive news Is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which sees pubs staying open later as opening hours are extended by two hours over the four day bank holiday (June 2- 4).

TELEPHONE:

Home secretary Priti Patel said, when she announced the relaxing of the regulations, “it will allow people to raise a glass to Her Majesty's incredible service”, and I could not agree more!

FAX: 01202 552666 sales@catererlicensee.com

I did note that the temporary licensing extensions do not apply to supermarkets or off licences, which is great news for pubs. I’m not too sure if this was planned, but if not it is a positive unintended consequence.

Great news, but I do think that the government could have gone one more step. And yes, I did write once again to chancellor Rishi Sundak, who I am sure will be getting fed up The sector currently seems to be riding all of this, which is great to see. I said previously to the back teeth of my letters! that being based in Bournemouth I get to see first-hand if the hospitality sector is recovIt was a very simple suggestion, for the Queen’s Jubilee – reintroduce something similar ering, particularly at bank holidays. to the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, only this time not reimbursing the secWe do of course have this week’s bank holiday, but I am referring to the Easter holidays, tor with treasury money. when we were fortunate to have exceptionally good weather. This saw Bournemouth’s My suggestion was to reduce VAT over the Jubilee weekend, preferably to zero, or failing bars and restaurants absolutely packed, as was the town generally, with the beach and attractions all exceptionally busy. that back down to either 5% or 12.5%, which we saw during the pandemic.

So as far as hospitality is concerned it would appear, for the moment, that consumers are putting their “woes” behind them and flocking to the one sector that can provide a refuge!

It is a truly historic occasion. Her Majesty has been on the throne to 70 years, there will be celebrations up and down the country and that one gesture could have added a little bit more cheer.

I think the most pleasing aspect is the fact that consumers are prepared to pay a premium to get back to the normal way of life.

We hope over the coming weeks to bring some useful “Jubilee” tips, for marketing and preparation for what should be the year’s busiest weekend, with hints tips guidance and best practise on how to maximise space, increase efficiency and keep the tills ringing.

Costs are significantly higher than 2019 and that is not putting people off. Nor should it, we were starved of “much of the joys of life” for almost two years, and for part of those two years we were practically prisoners in our own homes. So it comes as no surprise whatsoever that socialising is high on the list of priorities, and I suspect that will carry on, despite of the current uncertainties. With the crisis in Ukraine, also having energy and supply implications, people are eager for that “feel good factor” where they can get it.

Putting things into perspective, a visit to the pub or a meal out is still “an affordable treat”, and if people all making cutbacks, which I am sure they are, then it may be on home improvements, holidays abroad, a new car, etc!

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EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Charlene Fox Published Publishedbyby

in the meantime do visits our website where we are in the process of putting up celebration Jubilee posters, with menu and tent card templates as well – www.catererlicensee.com/posters-for-special-events 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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Issue 107

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Hospitality Sector “Edges Back” as Sales and Footfall Rise in City Centres (CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) CGA client director Chris Jeffrey said: “Closures and the shortage of office workers, visitors and shoppers have taken a heavy toll on hospitality in London, so it’s good to see signs that much of the pre-pandemic vibrancy is returning. Regional cities are also building back well, raising hopes for a strong summer. However, cost-of-living pressures on consumers cast a shadow over prospects, and with operators’ energy, food, labour and other costs rising sharply too, we can expect more bumps on city centres’ road to recovery.”

Julian Ross, founder and CEO of Wireless Social, said: “While it’s great to see the cultural hub of London climbing the ranks, there is still a long way to go before we’re finally back at pre-COVID-19 levels of activity.

During the summer months we should see an uplift with a number of occasions set to drive excitement amongst consumers including the Jubilee, women’s EUROs and the Commonwealth Games. However, huge uncertainty remains present, as city centre-based firms continue to adopt flexible working practices that, for the most part, will continue to be damaging for hospitality. This, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis that is impacting consumer confidence, will take its toll on further recovery in city-centre hubs like London.”

MAKING UP FOR MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Consumers seem to be prepared to pay a premium to ‘live’ again, industry observers say, with the opportunity to break bread with friends, family and co-workers at a place that isn’t the kitchen table as people become increasingly confident to get out and socialise making up for lost time during the pandemic.

Data from bookings platform OpenTable shows that in March bookings exceeded levels for the same period in 2019, as people flocked to restaurants and bars to make up for missed opportunities to socialise.

RECOVERY REMAINS FRAGILE However, the withdrawal of government support for the hospitality industry in the spring statement has angered restaurant and pub bosses, who wanted to see ministers extend a cut in VAT to 12.5%, since the recovery remains fragile.

Consumers have also observed how eating and drinking out is not as cheap as it was before the pandemic, while high inflation and the cost of living crisis means that people will be looking to cut out luxuries. For pub, bar, restaurant and cafe owners, the uncertainty isn’t over yet.

The series of ‘Top Cities: Vibrancy Ranking’ reports is based on a pow-

erful combination of sales data from CGA’s Managed Volume Pool of more than 8,000 pubs, bars and restaurants, and Wireless Social’s guest data gathered from more than one million log-ins. It provides the most accurate assessment yet of the vibrancy of Britain’s key city markets for eating and drinking out.

BRITAIN’S 10 BIGGEST CITIES, RANKED BY VIBRANCY Rankings for the four weeks to 9 April 2022. Numbers in brackets indicate position for the previous four weeks to 12 March 2022.

1 – Glasgow 2 – Birmingham 3 – Manchester 4 – Leicester 5 – Bristol 6 – Liverpool 7 – Leeds 8 – London 9 – Edinburgh 10 – Sheffield

Survey Reveals Late-Night Leisure Sector is Back with a Bang The British public appetite for nights is as high as ever, according to the latest REKOM Night Index.

In spite of the devastating impact of Covid-19, including the closure of nightclubs for 16 months, the average consumer spend, frequency and duration of nights out remains robust, based on a three-year comparison.

Brits are spending £68.03 when on a night out (March 2019: £68.68), with the night lasting 4 hours and 17 minutes on average (March 2019: 4 hours 35 minutes). We are going out exactly as often as we did prepandemic, with people reporting 1.2 times a week for March 2022 and 2019 alike.

Commissioned by REKOM UK, the UK’s largest specialist nightclub and late-night bar operator, the REKOM Night Index is a quarterly report that tracks consumer habits relating to the UK’s night-time economy. REKOM UK was created in 2020 when The Deltic Group was acquired by the REKOM Group, Europe’s leading nightlife group.

Unsurprisingly, following the extended periods of Covid-19 related restrictions on clubs and bars, two thirds (66.3%) of those polled said

they are keen to go out more to those venues that were shut for a long period because of the pandemic. This figure jumps to more than 80% amongst 18–21-year-olds. Not only that, more than a third (33.4%) of Brits – and just under half (44.6%) of 18-24-year-olds – feel that they were unfairly restricted from going out during Covid-19 and could not wait to get back to clubs and bars after missing out during the pandemic.

in learning to socialise as an adult in a controlled environment.

The return of the night out signals a return to a normal social life.

Spending time with friends (65.9%) was revealed to be the most popular reason for going on a night out, with the next being to relieve stress (23.6%) and to enjoy shared experiences (23.1%). Interestingly, going out to meet a partner was lower down the priority list, with just 5.7% saying this was important.

People have clearly missed going out. Nightclubs are an important outlet for people to enjoy themselves, and we can see this with spend, frequency and duration of a night out all bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels or better.

People are clearly enthusiastic about the importance of the night out culture, with more than half of those surveyed (56.4%) agreeing that going to nightclubs is an integral part of growing up. Furthermore, two fifths (40.1%) said that going out to nightclubs plays a crucial role in developing social skills as they move into adulthood. More than a third of consumers polled (36.7%) said that going out to nightclubs is helpful

Peter Marks, Chairman of Rekom UK commented: “We’re so pleased to be welcoming our guests back to late night venues and to return to doing what we do best, and it’s fantastic to see such positive public perception around going out, something that is fully reflected by the strong business performance we have seen over the past few months.

What stood out to me more than anything is the strong positive reaction people have expressed to the night out – whether that’s enthusiasm for returning to pre-pandemic social lives for the younger generation, or the sense of nostalgia from those that might not be going as frequently as they used to.

There’s no doubt that the late-night leisure sector is back in full force and people are ready to enjoy themselves.”

Hospitality and Tightening of Second Home Ownership in Wales 4

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Issue 107

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk)

A new lettings regime is about to be introduced in Wales; though the details are yet to be disclosed, it is expected that the visitor levy or tourism tax will be imposed on visitors staying overnight in Wales. The new stricter rules of the Wales government are aimed at self-catering accommodation, which would be subjected to business rates rather than council tax. It is being feared that the clampdown on second homes could negatively impact Welsh tourism and lead to an influx of wealthier outsiders.

The law will be in force from 15 July 2022 and will show the major transformation of housing law in Wales for decades. The overhaul of housing law will see many of the old forms of tenancy getting abolished and being replaced with statutorily controlled occupation contracts.

THE GOVERNMENT’S TAKE ON THE NEW LAW It is being said that the regulation of the different forms of lettings would help in building new partnerships between social and private sector landlords. The new regime is also expected to provide greater opportunities for the progress of new housing initiatives. The present distinction between tenants and licensees will lessen with the new law, and whether it be Tenants or licensees, all will be referred to as contract-holders.

As per the new law, there will be permanent six-month notice periods and eviction restrictions. Tenants will be given at least a one-year ‘secure tenancy’ commitment from the day they move in.

IMPACT ON HOSPITALITY There is a sense of panic among the catering operators, as at present self-cater-

ing properties are required to be available to let for at least 140 days in any 12month. Further, to be eligible for business rates instead of the council tax, they should be let for at least 70 days. However, as per the new rules, business rates will be applicable to only those properties that are available to let for at least 252 days and are actually let for at least 182 days in any given 12 months period, a huge 160 per cent rise from the earlier regime.

Not only that, from next year (April 2023), self-catering businesses who are unable to meet the threshold levels of the new regulation would be subjected to paying council tax for a second home, and the Welsh county have the liberty to increase the council tax by up to 300 per cent on all such businesses.

WHAT COULD BE THE RAMIFICATIONS? The new system is targeted to resolve the country’s housing crisis, but many believe that it will destroy the country’s tourism sector. Many of the self-catering operators will have to close down, and many others have already started to put fresh investments in places other than Welsh.

There has been a demand to increase the threshold for a holiday let businesses from 70 to 105 days. In return, industry bodies have offered to work with Visit Wales and help in driving up the profitability of self-catering businesses through nightly yield and quality improvement.

There will be some improvement in the housing scenario. Still, the full desired result may not be possible with the new regulations, as the properties may get sold to buyers outside Welsh or be re-absorbed into owners’ own homes. But it could create serious trouble for the hospitality industry, which is already struggling with a surge in energy costs, staff shortages, and increased VAT rates.

Brummie Chefs Team Up to Raise £22k The ICC Birmingham and Glynn Purnell have teamed up to help raise £23,000 for the city’s only producing theatre.

The event raised funds for Birmingham Rep at the theatre’s 50th Anniversary Gala, with the city’s own Michelin-starred chef, Glynn Purnell, and Executive Chef at the ICC, Simon Hellier, providing the catering through Amadeus, the inhouse caterers.

The bespoke menu paid homage to several of The Rep’s most famous productions including East Is East and The Snowman.

The money raised will make a vital difference in helping to secure the theatre’s future, aid its recovery following enforced closure during the pandemic and help The Rep to continue providing opportunities for the city’s creative talent and communities.

Glynn Purnell said: “It has been an absolute pleasure designing a menu that suitably celebrates The Rep, a brilliant Brummie theatre at which I have enjoyed many fantastic evenings of entertainment over the years.

“I have known Simon Hellier for a number of years and it was a pleasure to work alongside him on this special event, helping to raise such a fantastic amount of money. He is without a doubt one of the best banqueting and event chefs in the UK. Birmingham as a city is privileged to have him and his fantastic Amadeus team here.”

Simon Hellier said: “Working at one of The Rep’s neighbouring venues, the ICC, I was thrilled to get involved in this event alongside my team. The local community is important to Amadeus and helping to raise funds for the venue by bringing an element of theatre to the table service was great fun alongside Glynn.”

The event was attended by 130 guests and hosted by The Rep’s Patron of Youth and Education, Baroness Floella Benjamin and Rep Associate Director, Iqbal Khan.

Entertainment included words from Sir David Suchet and music from star of recent hit Rep production, What’s New Pussycat?, Kelly Price, accompanied on piano by Rep Associate Artist and composer of Jerry Springer: The Opera, Richard Thomas.

Rachael Thomas, The Rep’s Executive Director, added: “As we all know, the past two years have been incredibly tough for theatres and we continue to navigate the impact of Covid day to day on our financial sustainability. Our public subsidy equates to less than 20% of the income we generate each year to deliver our all of our creative activities on and off stage.

“As a charity, events like our 50th Anniversary Gala are therefore vital in helping to secure our future as a theatre and continue delivering life changing creative activities with young people and our community. We are so grateful to all of those of who have shown their support for this event and far beyond.”

SMART FLOW Partners With The Harbour Hotel Group For A Nationwide Rollout To Reduce Their Water Consumption Harbour Hotels is on a mission to reduce their water footprint and improve water sustainability after selecting SMART FLOW to install its water monitoring technology nationwide.

As Hospitality organizations begin to feel the pain of skyrocketing water and energy costs, companies are now starting to invest in water saving technologies not only for a return on investment and sustainability, but to future proof their organizations.

Harbour Hotels have multiple properties, each perfectly positioned in some of the UK's most iconic, desirable destinations, feature luxurious bedrooms, excellent inhouse restaurants, high-quality spas and first-class event facilities. It's no wonder the UK’s most exciting and talked-about emerging hotel brand has long relied on cutting-edge technologies to participate in the ecological transition and achieve their sustainability objectives. In this context, the group has appointed SMART FLOW to improve water management and drive sustainability goals.

Dave Hogan the CEO of SMART FLOW notes that “ Our water technology is now empowering companies to take total control of all their water usage and water costs in real time. Our client base is growing stronger with the addition of many brand names like Harbour Hotels. “

Harbour Hotels will have 24/7 real time access to verified information for their portfolio’s water consumption. The technology developed by SMART FLOW will thus enable the group to pursue its sustainability targets concerning water consumption and energy costs.

Gary Hall, Chief Financial Officer, Harbour Hotels, added “More and more, we are taking sustainable-driven decisions and actions as part of our commitment to reduce our environmental impact which meant it was extremely important to find a solution like SMART FLOW which improves water, energy, sustainability and overall water management at Harbour Hotels.”

Call +44 203 3688131 or visit www.mysmartflow.uk for further details.

Head Down to Your Local This Bank Holiday Weekend says CAMRA Issue 107

The Campaign for Real Ale’s “Summer of Pub” campaign officially launches this weekend, encouraging people to head down to the local to raise a pint to the first summer without restrictions after a difficult two years.

For those who may need a bit of inspiration, CAMRA has developed an interactive map to help pub-goers find events and activities near them – whether they be open mic nights, pub quizzes or tap takeover. Pubs and breweries are encouraged to submit events throughout the summer, all of which will be available to search for here: https://summerofpub.camra.org.uk/ CAMRA has officially partnered with three charities for the Campaign: • Ask for Clive – the organisers of “Pub Pride” on 27 May, which aims to create inclusive space and events for the LGBTQ+ community.

• Thank Brew – the official partners for the Jubilee Weekend, who have created a “Thank Brew” beer, all proceeds of which will go to charitable partners in conjuncture with Thank You Day and the Eden Project’s Big Jubilee Lunch • Creative Lives – who support creative communities and are working with Pub is the Hub to showcase good examples of pubs providing space for creative cultural community activities.

CAMRA will be working with each partner to support and promote their work under the Summer of Pub banner, highlighting the important social and economic role that pubs play in local communities across the country.

CAMRA’s National Chairman Nik Antona said: “If you’ve ever needed an excuse to head to the pub, we can help! This summer is jam-packed with fantastic initiatives and events which highlight just how important our locals are to their communities. After two years of restrictions and

lockdowns, pub activities have been sorely missed – whether its as simple as joining in a local pub quiz or as grand as an organised Jubilee celebration, taking advantage of the extended licensing hours. We hope everyone will take the opportunity to support their locals this weekend, and all summer long.”

CAMRA is encouraging beer drinkers to kick off a Summer of Pub by supporting their local over the first long bank holiday weekend (Fri 29 April – Monday 2 May). It has also put together a full calendar of events over the summer months, to continually rally people down to their local, including: • 2 May – first bank holiday weekend • 27 May – Pub Pride – in partnership with Ask for Clive • 3 June – Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend celebrations in partnership with Thank Brew • 1-7 June – Volunteers’ Week • 15 June – Beer Day Britain • 19 June – Father’s Day • 28 June - Creative Lives share diverse examples of pubs as hubs for local creative groups • 4 July – Independence Day (America) • 6-31 July – Women’s Euros • 28 July – 8 August – Commonwealth Games • 2-5 August – Great British Beer Festival • 5 August – International Beer Day • 15 August – Pub Games Day • 29 August – last bank holiday Activities taking place across all events will be showcased on CAMRA’s Summer of Pub map, including partner events.

Danny Clare, co-founder and chair of Ask for Clive said: “We’re delighted to be running Pub Pride once again this year, which is an opportunity for pubs to open their doors to the LGBTQ+ community, celebrate the start of Pride Month, and let them know they are a welcome space. It is fantastic to see CAMRA’s support for the event this year and their Summer of Pub map now features all participating Pub

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Pride venues, so make sure to check back to the page to find some fantastic Pub Pride events taking place on 27 May!” CAMRA is also working closely to support the Thank Brew Campaign by promoting events taking place over the Jubilee Weekend on its map and encouraging publicans and brewers to stock and produce Thank Brew.

James Grugeon, The Good Beer Co-Founder, organisers of the ‘Thank Brew’ campaign in support of Thank You Day, The Big Jubilee Lunch and to raise funds for Together, Eden Project Communities and Reset Refugees and Communities said: “We’re proud to be working with CAMRA to help celebrate pubs and people across the nation celebrate a Summer of Pub. We hope everyone can come together to raise a toast to their local communities and say thank you to HM The Queen for her years of service on the long Jubilee Holiday Weekend.”

CAMRA has also joined the calls led by Purpose Union for the additional Jubilee bank holiday date to be made permanent, recognising the social and economic benefit they provide to communities up and down the country.

CAMRA’s National Chairman Nik Antona added: “I think we can all raise a glass to the Government's recent decision to extend licensing hours for pubs over the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend. After two years of lockdowns and restrictions, this is a real opportunity for communities to come together down at their local, boosting morale as well as footfall for businesses that have been hard hit by the pandemic. We urge the Government to consider making this additional bank holiday a permanent feature in the calendar, as we believe it would be both economically and socially beneficial for communities up and down the country."

In recognition of the important role that pubs play in their local communities, CAMRA is supporting a Creative Lives initiative to showcase good examples of pubs providing space for creative cultural communities.

Robin Simpson, Chief Executive of Creative Lives said: "As we emerge from the pandemic, we know that many local creative groups are struggling to find suitable venues in which to meet. Creative Lives is delighted to be working with CAMRA and Pub is The Hub to highlight how pubs can play a significant local role as hubs for creative cultural activity."

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The Hospitality Sector as it Stands: Energy Costs, Inflation and Relief Schemes 6

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Issue 107

Article supplied by Alliance Online (www.allianceonline.co.uk) However, dining out is not the only area which is expecting to see a continuing boom in business this year. UK staycations (domestic tourism) are set to also experience continued growth throughout 2022 when compared with 2021. A report undertaken in September 2021 found that 83% of domestic tourists hoped to enjoy a UK holiday again in 2022 with 24% having already booked a holiday for this year7.

As the hospitality industry revels in the post-covid environment, businesses can finally look forward to a normal unencumbered summer, and with-it summer custom. But before we reach the sunny prospects of the holiday season businesses must first contend with the hurdles April has placed at their doors.

Before we touch upon April’s woes, we first turn our attention to this year’s first indication that 2022 may not be as pleasant as previously predicted. February became a notable month due to it signifying the highest 12-month inflation rate in Consumer Prices Index since statistical recording of the series began. It is thought to be the highest 12-month inflation rate since March 19921. This represents a year of increasing prices and costs being felt by both domestic and commercial spending.

Following this came the increases in energy prices which has hit the nation. This energy cap rise has bought about much concern particularly from businesses who must now re-budget their running costs and assess what their new turnover requirements will be. As of April 13th, the state of play is as follows: • April 1st 2022 saw an energy price cap rise of 54%.

• The increase has been driven by the global gas price rises the world has experienced over the course of the last 6 months.

• During the last 12 months a total of 29 energy companies have either exited the market or been placed under special administration due to these soaring global price increases2.

• October 1st 2022 is set to see a second energy price cap rise of possibly as much as 32%3.

The price cap increase is an alarming one for businesses as it is an immediate price increase which companies need to address now. It presents a rise which despite being forecast, the fact that it is over 50% is still a shockingly steep increase. To make matters worse, as stated above most energy companies have already speculated there will be another sharp increase in October meaning 2022 will see some of the highest energy cost surges in history.

To add to this brewing perfect storm of cost increases across the nation the hospitality industry find they are subject to yet another, the end of their industry VAT reduction4. The initiative began on the 15th of July 2020 when the government reduced the rate of VAT for supplies relating to hospitality, hotel and holiday accommodation by 5% in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following that on the 1st of

All in all, the overall market value of UK tourism and hospitality may not have fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but all forecasts showcase the following two positive trends:

October 2021 it was further by 2.5% to 12.5% with VAT for the hospitality industry remaining at 12.5% until 1st April 2022 when it would return to 20%.

However, there is some solace for the hospitality industry and the companies who operate within it by way of the 2022/23 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme5. The government strategy provides businesses with eligible properties to a 50% relief on business rates for 2022/23 up to a cash cap limit of £110,000. This will be a wellreceived relief for some businesses as the scheme should provide some financial offset against the rising prices of discussed.

BUT IT’S NOT ALL BAD Despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting the rest of 2022 is going to be taxing for businesses there is a silver lining for the hospitality industry. The market is on the rise.

For example, dining out is set to grow during 2022 by 15.5% on 2021 to be worth roughly £41.8bn6. This market value doesn’t eclipse prepandemic levels, but the steady rise shows the industry is on course to match and exceed its 2019 value by 2024. It also presents businesses with the obvious fact that the country is beginning to recover from COVID-19, especially the hospitality and leisure industries which were some of the hardest hit.

1.The domestic hospitality market is growing year on year and doing so in an economical and profitable manner.

2.It is forecast to exceed pre-COVID value in the coming years.

These are two huge positives which businesses should aim to focus on, with the market increasing so too will the demand for companies offering services within the industry. We at Alliance Online have seen the impact the pandemic has had on the industry for the last two years and appreciate the energy cost increases, inflation and other setbacks can be intimidating for businesses. However, the various reports and forecasts that have been produced in quarter one of 2022 are promising for the hospitality sector, 2022 should see growth for the industry.

REFERENCES 1. Office for National Statistics – Consumer Price Inflation, UK: February 2022: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/february2022#:~:text=historic%20modelled%20estimates.,The%20Consumer%20Prices%20Index%20(CPI)%20rose%20by%206.2%25%20in,when%2 0it%20stood%20at%207.1%25 2. Office of as and Electricity Markets – Price cap to increase by £693 from April: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/price-cap-increase-ps693-april 3. The Money Edit – October 2022 energy price cap now expected to rise by 32%: https://www.themoneyedit.com/household-bills/energy/october-energy-price-cap 4. Armstrong Watson – Changes to Hospitality VAT Rates: https://www.armstrongwatson.co.uk/news/2022/02/changes-hospitality-vat-rates 5. GOV.UK - Business rates guidance: 2022/23 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-guidance-202223-retail-hospitalityand-leisure-relief-scheme 6. IGD – Recovery of the eating out sector to slow: https://retailanalysis.igd.com/news/news-article/t/recovery-of-the-eating-out-sector-to-slow/i/29563 7. Travel Weekly – Staycation boom ‘to continue into 2022’: https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/tourism/staycation-boom-to-continue-into-2022

The first Ever International Restaurateurs’ Dinner Takes Place in the Heart of London The first ever International Restaurateurs’ Dinner (IRD) took place earlier this week at Rosewood London in the heart of the city, with a sensational menu created by some of the UK’s leading chefs – Claude Bosi, Tom Kerridge, Jeff Galvin, Simon Young & Mark Perkins.

The evening was sponsored by Champagne Laurent-Perrier and raised £44,500 via a raffle and silent auction. These vital funds will be invested in education and training initiatives developed by three worthwhile beneficiaries in the hospitality industry: Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Young Chef Young Waiter & The Wine Guild of the United Kingdom.

There was also a special announcement by World YCYW about a new educational foundation: ‘World YCYW Education Foundation’ which aims to break

down the barriers to young people entering the hospitality industry for the first time.

The fundraising event, organised by Nth Degree Global, is a joint initiative of The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Young Chef Young Waiter & The Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, and was sponsored by leading Champagne house, Laurent-Perrier.

The evening featured a special menu curated and prepared by celebrated chefs, Claude Bosi, Tom Kerridge, Jeff Galvin, Simon Young & Mark Perkins all of whom are Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Academicians. Wines to pair with each course were selected by Romain Bourger, UK Sommelier of the Year 2019, from The Vineyard Hotel at Stockcross.

BBPA Calls On Candidates To Support Their Local Pubs In Upcoming Elections With one week to go until local elections, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is calling on candidates to protect their community’s pubs by backing calls for fairer business rates, following the permanent closure of over 800 pubs in the past two years.

With rates collected by local authorities, one of the single biggest ways councillors could help save their favourite local from closure would be to call for fairer business rates to help lessen the financial burden pubs face – as pubs typically pay five times more on average in business rates than other sectors.

800+ pubs were forced to close their doors for good during the pandemic because of prolonged periods of closure and rising overheads. However, where pubs were able to remain open a recent study suggests that 37% of people said their local pub became even more important to their community during the pandemic. In addition, pubs contribute £26.2billion to local economies across the UK each year as well as providing a vital shop window for Britain’s world-renowned brewing industry.

The call follows the launch of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association’s local elections manifesto, which made Scotland-specific recommendations on a road to recovery after the pandemic, including the appointment of

Night Czars in Edinburgh and Glasgow, like the roles of Sacha Lord in Manchester and Amy Lamé in London.

Now, the BBPA is calling on candidates in the local elections, taking place a week today, to recognise the contribution pubs make to their local community across the whole of the UK and support them by championing the need for fairer business rates. In addition, the BBPA are also calling for candidates to support a cut to beer duty and reduced VAT rates for hospitality to help ease the financial burden faced by pubs and Britain’s brewers.

Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association Emma McClarkin said: “Pubs are the beating heart of communities up and down the country but many of them are at serious risk of closing permanently due to increased costs, rising overheads and customers who have fewer pence in their back pocket.

“The upcoming local elections are a time to reflect on what’s important to us in our neighbourhoods. That’s why we are urging candidates to get behind their local pubs by supporting our call for fairer business rates, so they can continue to be a place where communities come together and thrive.”

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Pub Opening Hours Extended to Celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Parliament passed an order to extend licensing hours in pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales from 11pm to 1am to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The extension will cover Thursday 2 June to Saturday 4 June, providing the opportunity for people to continue their celebrations of this historic milestone over the bank holiday, The Queen, who turned 96 last week, celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 2022, becoming the first British monarch to reach the milestone.

This jubilee is her first without her husband of 73 years the Duke of Edinburgh, who died 10 months ago.

National celebrations marking the Queen’s record-breaking service on the throne will be staged over the four-day bank holiday weekend.

Under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, the home secretary can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: “For 70 years Her Majesty The Queen has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness and resolve.

“The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic national occasion, which will see families, friends and communities across the country come together to celebrate this unprecedented landmark in a remarkable reign.”

“Over the extended bank holiday weekend, we will be able to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty’s incredible service to our country, while also providing a boost to the hospitality industry after a challenging couple of years.”

An extensive plan of events to celebrate the historic occasion are being put together by the government and Buckingham Palace.

The government previously announced the consultation on the opening hours proposals in December. The majority of respondents said that the order should not extend to premises which sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, such as off-licences and supermarkets.

The Burnt Chef Project Joins forces with the HSE Working Minds Campaign to Tackle Work-Related Stress in the Hospitality Industry The Working Minds campaign aims to help businesses recognise the signs of work-related stress and make tackling issues routine. The Burnt Chef Project will use Working Minds in its efforts to help hospitality professionals, who face long antisocial hours, tough environmental conditions and pressures to perform are just some of the issues on a daily basis.

Work-related stress and poor mental health risk becoming a health and safety crisis for Great Britain’s workplaces, the regulator has warned. Statistics published by HSE show in 2020/21 of the 1.7 million workers suffering from a work-related illness, 822,000 were due to stress, depression or anxiety.

The Burnt Chef Project conducted a survey of 1,273 hospitality professionals, which showed that eight out of 10 (84%) of respondents had experienced difficulties with their mental health within their career and 46% would not feel comfortable talking about their health concerns with their colleagues.

Kris Hall, Founder of The Burnt Chef Project, said: “The wellbeing of hospitality teams has been neglected for far too long, the hospitality sector is the third largest recruiter within the UK employing just over 3.2 million people. Often the hours are long, demanding, often antisocial and workplace environments are hot and noisy, add to this a skill gap shortage from low retention rates and resource crisis we find ourselves facing, it’s unsurprising that the workers within the industry are facing high levels of stress.

“We need to address the root causes of work-related stress, that’s why we’re pleased to be working with HSE on the Working Minds Campaign. Here at The Burnt Chef Project we’re committed to providing the

right level of supportive structures and training so that we’re able to douse the flames associated with work related stress that ultimately lead to higher rates of ill mental health.

“We’re working towards a happier, healthier and more sustainable profession, where we can thrive not just survive.”

Alison Wellens, interim head of Health and Work Branch at HSE, said: “We are calling for a culture change across Britain’s workplaces where managing stress and talking about how people are coping is as routine as managing workplace safety. A recent Deloitte report estimates the total annual cost of poor mental health to employers has increased by 25% since in 2019. Adding up to around £53-56 billion between 2020-21.

“We’re delighted to have our new campaign partners on board to champion Working Minds in hospitality.

They will play an important role in sharing key information as well as provide essential insight into the unique stressors experienced by people working in the industry as we continue to evolve our campaign.”

Working Minds is aimed specifically at supporting small businesses by providing employers and workers with easy to implement advice, including simple steps based on risk assessment to Reach out, Recognise, Respond, Reflect, and make it Routine.

Employers and workers wanting to know more about the Working Minds campaign, including the legal obligations, advice, and tools available, should visit: workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/workingminds The Burnt Chef Academy training app has modules specifically designed to tackle work-related stress and is free to access. In addition, The Burnt Chef Support Service is available to anyone who may be experiencing difficulties with high levels of stress. Simply text BURNTCHEF to 85258 to be connected to a trained volunteer 24/7 and in complete confidence.

Action Plan Announced To Tackle Sexual Harassment Culture In Hospitality Issue 107

Hospitality bosses have agreed a strict zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment of staff in their venues with the launch of a new action plan today.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and UKHospitality have worked closely together to produce a practical resource to stop the harassment of hospitality staff being seen as ‘just part of the job’.

It advises venues to have consistent policies for dealing with customers who behave inappropriately around staff, including warning systems, instant removal or banning.

The resource also contains safety and preventative advice, such as asking managers to avoid having a single member of staff wait on a large group, when sexual harassment is more likely to take place.

The guidance has been developed for the hospitality industry but can be applied to any workplace.

More than half of women and two-thirds of LGBT people report experiencing workplace sexual harassment.

But the problem is particularly acute in hospitality. The vast majority of bar and waiting staff say they have either experienced or witnessed inappropriate sexual behaviour. This can range from being asked whether they are ‘on the menu’ to full sexual assault.

Many hospitality staff experiencing harassment do not get management support. A 2018 EHRC report identified that sexual harassment and assault are viewed by some employers as a ‘normal’ part of a job in an environment where alcohol is consumed. One venue’s policy for dealing with stalking was simply to allow staff to hide in the back when the customer came in.

The new guidance - Preventing sexual harassment at work: checklist and action plan - helps venues to put appropriate structures in place to protect their employees. It defines sexual harassment as “anything that violates someone’s dignity or makes them feel intimidated, degraded, humiliated, offended or like they are in a hostile environment”.

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The checklist will be hosted and promoted by UKHospitality, the leading industry body for the sector.

Marcial Boo, Chief Executive of the EHRC, said:

“We are determined to crack down on any culture of unacceptable sexual harassment in bars, restaurants or hotels in Britain.

“All employers have a duty of care to their staff. This means that inappropriate behaviour, whether lewd jokes, sexist comments or wandering hands, should never be ‘just part of the job’, even when your customers have consumed alcohol.

“We welcome the co-operation with UKHospitality to produce this guidance to give managers the tools they need to tackle problematic behaviour and protect their staff.”

UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said: “There can be no place for sexual harassment within hospitality, so this new checklist and action plan to drive it out of our industry is a very welcome step in the right direction.

“UKHospitality has for some years engaged with employee organisations and the Health and Safety Executive to discuss solutions to safeguard hospitality staff, particularly those in potentially vulnerable roles, but clearly more needs to be done if we’re to rid ourselves of inappropriate and unwanted workplace behaviour.”

The news comes ahead of the publication of the Government Equality Hub's sexual harassment guidance.

The EHRC has previously taken action to tackle harassment in the workplace by signing legally-binding agreements with Sainsbury’s, Paradigm Precision and National Highways, committing the organisations to action plans which will protect their staff.

Hilton Funds Aurora Foxes’ Food Truck to Help Students with Learning Difficulties into Work Aurora Foxes, a specialist hospitality training college for young adults with learning disabilities, has launched the Flying Fox food truck on the Minehead Promenade outside the Foxes Hotel.

The truck will give Foxes’ students the opportunity to cater for a variety of events, from food fairs to music festivals, boosting their skills and confidence while preparing them for employment in the hospitality industry. It has been funded by a £30,000 grant from the Hilton Global Foundation, which aims to have a positive impact on the communities that Hilton hotels serve.

Previously known as Foxes Academy, the college equips students with skills and training to find sustainable work in the hospitality sector and live independently. Hilton has been a partner of Aurora Foxes since 2015, offering placements and work experience to students from the college. Since the partnership began, Hilton has provided work placements for over 30 Foxes’ students and is set to offer a number of placements later this year. Currently there are seven Aurora Foxes graduates employed in six of Hilton’s hotels. Foxes’ students work towards nationally recognised qualifications and complete work experience at businesses across the UK. Emma Cobley MBE, Principal, Aurora Foxes, said: “It’s always thrilling to watch our students flourish in a professional environment and, thanks to the Hilton Global Foundation, we’ve been able to purchase the Flying Fox – a wonderful new catering truck which will provide our students with an exciting new avenue for hospitality training. Finding fulfilling work is so important for our mental health and wellbeing, and we believe those who are able to work shouldn’t be locked out of the workforce. With the right support, employing someone with a disability can be a positive experience and helps to promote a happy and inclu-

sive workforce.”

Steve Cassidy, managing director, UK and Ireland, Hilton, said: “Nurturing diverse talent is hugely important to us – and our close partnership with Aurora Foxes not only furthers these aims but has such a positive impact on our hotels where students come to work with us. Aurora Foxes has been a fantastic partner for us over the years and I’m thrilled that we’re offering a number of additional work placements at our hotels later this year. As we continue to build on our partnership, I look forward to seeing the benefits of the Flying Fox truck on the lives of students – and to tasting the delicious food they create.”

The truck – supported by a team of Foxes’ students – will welcome customers on the promenade three days a week throughout the summer term, serving a selection of paninis and rice boxes. Foxes’ students will be running the truck, learning outdoor service skills including food preparation, hygiene and storage.

Mark Costello, chief executive officer, The Aurora Group, said: “The Flying Fox truck will be a great learning experience for the students and will really help to showcase the positive benefits of employing a young person with a learning disability. Around three quarters of Foxes’ graduates enter sustained work when they finish – which is more than 10 times the employment rate for people with learning disabilities nationally. Our partnership with Hilton has been invaluable in achieving this – time and again we’re impressed by how well they harness and develop the unique talents of our students with first class training. The hospitality experience they gain does so much to help our students enter the world of work with the confidence and skills required to lead successful lives.”

Delivery and Takeaway Sales Slip Year-on-Year as Consumers Return to Eating Out Britain’s managed restaurant and pub groups’ delivery and takeaway sales remain more than double preCOVID-19 levels—but trading has dipped year-on-year after consumers resumed their out-of-home eating habits.

The latest edition of the CGA & Slerp Hospitality at Home Tracker shows that groups’ combined delivery and takeaway sales in March 2022 were 119% higher than in March 2019. Three-year sales growth for deliveries stands at 382%—19 times the increase of 20% in the takeaway and click-and-collect sector.

However, growth has stalled in the last 12 months, as COVID-19 restrictions eased and consumers returned to restaurants and pubs, with many tightening their belts as the cost of living rises. March delivery and takeaway sales were 24% below the levels of March 2021, when Britain was under strict COVID-19 restrictions and venues were closed. Deliveries were 19% down year-on-year, and takeaways down 31%.

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “Given the comparatives, the year-on-year dip in deliveries and takeaways was inevitable. It’s also a welcome sign that many consumers still prefer eating out to ordering in, and that their behaviour is settling back to pre-pandemic norms. However, the at-home market still represents around a quarter of managed groups’ sales, and it is very clear that the convenience of deliveries will continue to appeal. Optimising deliveries and partnerships with third-party platforms, without disrupting eat-in trading, is going to be crucial as we head towards the summer.”

Slerp founder JP Then said: “The focus for operators is turning repeat customers into loyal advocates. This applies online as much as it does for on premise. We know that up to 70% of revenue is generated from 30% of customers – it’s now about engaging with this customer base when they purchase online, and rewarding them to drive repeat purchases directly. Successful operators are using their own apps and web-ordering with loyalty and customers are responding with repeat spend.”

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Top Ten Business Insolvency Prevention Tips Dealing with financial distress is often very challenging. The impact can be minimised if early planning and advice is sought. Simon Underwood, Business Recovery Partner at Menzies LLP (www.menzies.co.uk), shares ten essential tips, should you find your business in difficulty.

1. IDENTIFY THE SIGNS OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY When a company is in financial trouble, it usually faces a drop in revenue as well as issues paying creditors, which may be more prominent in some cases than others. In particular, reduced footfall continues to have a direct impact on earnings in hospitality & leisure, and there is often a lag effect in other sectors where there is a backlog of orders to fulfil.

2. SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY If a company is in financial hardship, it is critical to act swiftly by focusing on cash management and taking actions to improve operational resilience. The sooner a company consults an insolvency practitioner, the better its chances of surviving.

3. RELIEVE CASHFLOW PRESSURE AND SAVE MONEY Cost-cutting measures can aid in the alleviation of cash-flow problems. A company may be forced to make difficult payroll decisions as well as identify ways to cut discretionary spending. A critical examination of fixed costs, such as property expenditures, should also be carried out.

4. PRIORITISE CREDIT MANAGEMENT If the company is having cash flow problems, it's a good idea to call in any outstanding debts and keep a careful eye on credit limits. Outsourced support to strengthen the cash position and increase operational efficiency in this area may also be beneficial to a business.

5. SEEK SUPPORT AND KEEP INFORMED It is critical for businesses to stay informed about numerous support programmes in order to stay afloat during this challenging time.

6. CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE BUSINESS' CASH POSITION. Businesses must discover new strategies to improve their cash position as a result of the pandemic, such as selling surplus assets. Forecasting their cashflow can assist the company in weighing the benefits and drawbacks of taking such action.

7. EVALUATE BUSINESS AND SUPPLIER CONTRACTS ARE EVALUATED If a company reviews its contracts quickly, it may be able to put itself in a stronger position. Furthermore, it may be able to renegotiate terms and conditions to the benefit of the company.

8. MONITOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DATA When managing a business amid a crisis, it's critical to be aware and keep the financial status of the company under constant scrutiny. A further drop in turnover, for example, could necessitate more resource modifications.

9. GET IN TOUCH WITH LENDERS Maintaining a two-way communication with lenders is critical since it reduces the danger of them withdrawing assistance. If you're about to give bad news, talk to an insolvency practitioner first so they can help you craft your message and anticipate the lender's reaction.

10. COMMUNICATE WITH CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS Open lines of communication between customers and suppliers can aid in the preservation of relationships and the reduction of the risk of supply chain interruption.

For further information on Menzies business recovery services, or to discuss your specific circumstances with one of our team, contact advice@menzies.co.uk.

Awesome Foursome: New Forest Hotel Scoops Fourth Accolade of 2022 Following Success at the Beautiful South Tourism Awards A New Forest hotel has claimed gold in the ‘Resilience & Innovation’ category at this year’s Beautiful South Tourism Awards – marking a quartet of accumulated accolades in 2022.

sales of over £10,000 in its first quarter – with no staff overheads. This completely transformed the food and drink offering at Balmer Lawn to cover previously unserviceable areas of the gardens and grounds.

Balmer Lawn Hotel & Spa, nestled in the heart of the New Forest (recently voted the best National Park in Europe by Tripadvisor), took home the coveted prize last night (Monday 25th) to claim their fourth award win of 2022, following earlier success at the Southampton Hospitality Awards, Guide for Brides Customer Service Awards, and the recent Springboard Awards for Excellence 2022.

Commenting on the hotel’s latest accolades, Michael Clitheroe, General Manager at Balmer Lawn Hotel & Spa, said: “The Beautiful South Tourism Awards celebrate the best of the best and we are incredibly proud to take home the gold and be recognised as a leading innovator in tourism following the pandemic.

“With tourism in the UK being hit hard over the past two years, we knew we had to come up with new and innovative ways for the business to survive and further offer support to our local New Forest community. The development and construction of The Lodge showcased our team’s unique ability to adapt to the fluctuating restrictions throughout the national lockdowns and demonstrated our speed to deliver major benefits to the business while demonstrating resilience. It really has been an incredible start to the year for everyone connected with Balmer Lawn!”

The 4-star hotel received the award for its positive influence within the tourism industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to demonstrating innovation, resilience and adaptation, along with support for its local New Forest community.

Judges were impressed with Balmer Lawn’s strategic implementation of its outside concept, The Lodge, which was built specifically to be a COVIDcompliant environment to welcome guests safely back during the pandemic.

The ambitious project successfully served 3,500 covers in the first three weeks of opening, and served 7,812 covers after five weeks of outside dining in April 2021.

The Beautiful South Tourism Awards recognises excellence in the tourism industry and are organised by Tourism South East, the regional umbrella organisation for tourism.

Further innovation included the development of an in-house, geo-located food ordering app that delivered

Total UK Coffee Shop, Sandwich and Bakery Market Set to Exceed 2019 Market Value in 2022 with operators recovering as city centre footfall picks up, as well as continuing to see growth in other formats including travel hub locations, forecourts and delivery.

According to the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Operator Data Index, the total UK coffee shop, sandwich and bakery market set to exceed 2019 market value in 2022.

Independent sandwich retailers are expected to see the bulk of recovery in 2022, up +18.5% to £800m, as city centre footfall picks up and travel and tourism recovers throughout the UK.

UK Coffee shop/café market to grow +14.4% in 2022 The UK coffee shop/café market is expected to grow +14.4% to £4.6bn in 2022 and reach 11,132 outlets.

Strong growth forecast for top 10 coffee shop/café, sandwich & bakery brands by turnover

Branded coffee shop, cafés and dessert parlours are expected to see robust growth in 2022 – +9.5% to £3.0bn. This is underpinned by continued physical expansion, with leading coffee operators announcing ambitious expansion plans. Operators are also tapping into pandemic legacies for more car use and hybrid working, targeting drive thru openings in community and travel hubs.

Costa is set to be the leading brand by turnover in 2022, growing +9.2% year-on-year, with Greggs second, growing +9.6%.

Gail’s Artisan Bakery leads turnover growth – +31.4% – among the top ten largest operators by turnover, as its central London sites are expected to recover to pre pandemic levels.

Independent coffee shops and cafés are expected to see growth of +25.3% in 2022, taking the value of the segment to £1.6bn. The segment is also expected to see robust outlet growth, with a resurgence in local high streets following the uptake in hybrid working.

UK sandwich and bakery market to grow by +12.9% in 2022 Branded bakery led venues are expected to see robust turnover growth in 2022 – +9.5% to £1.7bn. This is underpinned by a strong performance from market leader, Greggs.

The independent bakery segment is expected to see the bulk of its recovery in 2022, growing +18.4% to £1.4bn.

Branded sandwich retailers, led by market leader, Subway, are expected to see +8.1% value growth in 2022,

Across the total market, from a turnover perspective, Tim Hortons is set to be the fastest growing, with expected growth of +57.1% in 2022. Wenzel’s and Little Dessert Shop make up the top three fastest growing brands.

Commenting on the findings, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katherine Prowse, said: “Despite significant challenges, lower ticket solutions and channels remained well insulated from the catastrophic impact of the pandemic. This is evident in the swift recovery made by coffee and sandwich shop operators. Furthermore, as the cost of living increases, these lower ticket solutions are set to become more attractive to consumers who are keeping a closer eye on outgoings. This, alongside major operators targeting travel hubs and innovating into drive-thru will result in strong growth for the market in 2022.”

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Mental Health, Homelessness, and Low Skill Levels Revealed as Key Causes of Hospitality Unemployment Post-Covid The news comes after an extremely challenging couple of years for the hospitality industry, which has struggled through multiple lockdowns and an ongoing staff shortage despite a wealth of vacancies across the sector.

Insights from Springboard’s recent review show that more than a quarter of applicants to its employability training programmes (27%) – which aims to arm people with the skills needed to thrive in hospitality – are citing mental health afflictions as a major reason for unemployment. An increase of almost 150% since 2019, the alarming stat highlights the widespread emotional, physical, and economic issues triggered by the pandemic.

Further data shows that homelessness has increased twelvefold since 2017, with low-skilled unemployment tripling since pre-pandemic in 2019. In more positive news, those experiencing criminal convictionrelated barriers have almost halved since 2019.

Harry Smalley is an example of Springboard’s fantastic work in supporting individuals overcome barriers to employment. Before securing a role as a receptionist at Georgian House Hotel, a prestigious Victorian hotel tucked away in the picturesque streets of Pimlico, Harry worked closely with Springboard to help boost his employability skills and secure interviews for accessible businesses within hospitality.

Commenting on his experience trying to find an accessible job within the sector while managing his cerebral palsy, Harry said: “I think there is often a level of misconception about the impact cerebral palsy can have on a person’s ability to complete work – and that is simply not the case. I have repeatedly felt that I have been overlooked in interviews simply because of this. During my time training with Springboard, they understood my needs and what I wanted to get from my training – which was most important to me.

“The hospitality sector is a great place to work. It gives young people

Refusal to Inspect Food Imports Could Have Severe Public Health Consequences, Warns CIEH However, by opting to scrap all inspections for imports from the EU, the UK Government has reneged on its responsibility to ensure the safety and standards of the food sold and consumed across the UK. Gary McFarlane, Northern Ireland Director at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said:

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has expressed serious concern that the decision by the UK Government to scrap planned checks on food imports from the European Union could have severe consequences for UK consumers and for public health across the country.

Earlier, the UK Government announced that it is no longer going ahead with plans to introduce physical checks on fresh food imported from the European Union as planned this Summer.

Citing the pressure supply chains are already facing from rising energy prices and the war in Ukraine, Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg MP said that it would be wrong to continue with the proposed checks. Due to come into effect on the 1st July 2022, they have now been scrapped entirely, with a new system being planned for late 2023.

The plan to introduce checks on animal and plant products entering the UK from the EU came about in the wake of the UK’s exit from the European Union and would have impacted a wide-range of food sold in supermarkets. The Government had been warned that these new checks could exacerbate the cost of living crisis and make food more expensive.

“We are deeply concerned about the ramifications of this decision. The Government is responsible for ensuring the safety and standards of our food, and the move to drop checks and inspections on imports represents a clear dereliction of duty.

Unfortunately, it appears to be yet another erosion of the key health protection mechanisms this country relies on and heightens the danger of food fraud and crime.

Food of unknown origin and questionable quality could well end up on our supermarket shelves and in our homes. This is a very real threat to consumers.

This further delay exposes the UK Government’s apparent failure to prepare for the implications of EU exit.”

Jim McManus, Vice President at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, said: “Food quality is crucial for health. Contaminated food is regularly seized through checks whether it is adulterated with poisonous substances or bringing risk of introducing species of plant pathogen which would harm local crops.

Checks on these are a crucial part of public health and public safety, not an inconvenience.

Compromising on food safety will harm citizens, animals, crops, and our economy.”

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the opportunity to build a wide range of skills from communication, customer service, and cultural awareness to multi-tasking, adaptability, attention to detail, and more! It’s a great sector to be involved in if you have a passion for food and drink, culture, and customer service.

“I do still, however, believe that business and society need to be more accessible and understanding to people from all walks of life. The training I have undertaken with Springboard helped me place more faith in the businesses interviewing me. Since my training, I have secured two jobs working with a fantastic team at Red Carnation Hotel in Grosvenor Place and now at Georgian House Hotel in Pimlico. Ultimately, this experience has given me the confidence and ability to secure a fantastic job with the wonderful team at Georgian House Hotel.”

Recently, Springboard have supported more than 5,000 young people across the UK in securing work. The impressive milestone means that the charity, which aims to help 10,000 young people secure jobs in hospitality before the end of 2022, is halfway to achieving its ambitious mission.

This new initiative, ‘Springboard to 2022’, was designed to give hospitality the space and tools it needs to rebuild from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, working as the industry solution to tackling hospitality, leisure, and tourism’s long-term staffing crisis. The team supports leading industry businesses by ensuring they have access to a skilled and engaged talent pipeline ready for the industry.

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Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “Our findings paint an interesting picture of the barriers to employment faced by young people since before the pandemic. We’ve seen an increase in applicants with challenging circumstances to overcome who are keen to secure work in our suffering sector. The desire to work and the talent is there, and hospitality sector businesses and leaders must accommodate the needs of jobseekers to secure the future of the sector and inspire the next generation of hospitality leaders.”

“At Springboard, we launched the ‘Springboard to 2022’ programme during the pandemic, which aims to have 10,000 young people trained and ready for work by December 2022. We are on track to have supported more than 5,000 young people into work in hospitality by the end of March 2022. Our training schemes offer young people the opportunity to develop skills across a wide range of job roles available in the industry, from the more typical front and back-of-house positions to opportunities across technology, finance, HR, and marketing. Working with our trainees, we’ve found that improving their confidence and giving them practical skills and experience can help turn things around for those with even the most difficult of circumstances.”

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Report Reveals Concerning Lack of Support for Minority Ethnic Groups in Workplace Issue 107

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sion.

The second edition of the Inside Hospitality report has revealed worryingly high levels of racism in the workplace, cemented by 28% of Asian, 37% of Black and 39% of mixed ethnicity respondents experiencing or witnessing racism in their current place of work.

Only 1 in 5 of all respondents have accessed workshops about antiracism, race or language, despite 5 in 10 respondents stating that they would like to.

The anonymous views and experiences have been shared by over 1000 respondents, highlighting to business leaders in the hospitality, food, and drink sectors that more work needs to be done to accelerate change in the industry.

Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality and an industry leader said: "The time is now for the hospitality industry to stop and consider if it wants to be a sector where all employees and businesses can develop and build successful futures.

Of the respondents who witnessed or experienced racism, only 23% Asian, 16% Black and 12% mixed were offered support, including mental health or well-being.

It is not just entry-level workers who have been affected; many of the respondents hold senior positions within their respective workplaces.

"Sadly, the findings confirm what I have observed over the past 20 years, which is there are barriers for progression for Black, Asian and Ethnic minorities to move upwards, and sector leaders should act now to remove them."

Asian and Black senior leaders have felt unsupported by their employers regarding career progression compared to their peers. Asian senior leaders (38%) and senior Black leaders (39%) thought they were ‘very well’ or ‘well’ supported compared to two-thirds (65%) of White senior leaders.

However, all respondents acknowledged that some progress had been made within the industry over the past 12 months, working towards creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive industry. Nevertheless, there was also broad recognition that there is still a lot more work to be done

Furthermore, just under half of Black respondents said that they were most likely to report that ethnicity had hindered their career progres-

Stella Artois Launches “Stella Please” Nationally, Promoting Kindness And Respect Towards Hospitality Staff

Stella Artois, a proud part of Budweiser Brewing Group, has announced the national launch of “Stella Please.” Over the coming months, every time someone says “please” when ordering a pint of the nation's favourite Stella Artois[1], we will say “thank you” and donate 10p up to the value of £150,000 to Hospitality Action. This is the latest campaign designed to help rebuild On-Trade business and encourage kindness and respect towards hospitality staff following the pandemic.

These donations were made possible through continued work with Hospitality Action. They are one of the first grant-making charities in the UK to react to the pandemic, and quickly deployed a range of emergency measures including financial assistance, outreach and increased mental health service provision. As the situation evolves in 2022, they continue to adapt their offering and provide innovative, timely and practical ways to support the industry.

Pubs, bars, and restaurants in the UK have been some of the hardest hit industries over the last two years, with 10,000 venues closed permanently and billions lost in takings. Action is needed now more than ever before with 77% of hospitality workers concerned about job security resulting in nearly 1-in-3 of hospitality workers exploring opportunities in other industries or return to education[2]. Stella Artois aims to support and empower staff to stay and continue to serve as the beating hearts of the industry.

“In our 185th year of supporting the industry, we’re happy to again be working with Stella Artois to provide three hundred £500 food and fuel vouchers to hospitality families who continue to be the industry’s lifeline,” shares Jeremy Gibson, Marketing Director of Hospitality Action. “Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve granted £2.5 million to more than 7,500 different hospitality households and we will continue to do so as long as relief is needed.”

“We understand, in addition to the devastation of the pandemic, publicans are facing ongoing concerns with the rising cost of goods and challenges finding staff. ‘Stella Please’ is our way to support our OnTrade partners,” says Jean-David Thumelaire, On-Trade Sales Director.

“With Stella Artois being the number one lager brand of choice for UK consumers, we recognise the demand for the beer and want to use it to help spread kindness and assistance for our On-Trade family.”

The campaign follows a series of Budweiser Brewing Group efforts to

support the On-Trade, since Covid-19 shut the industry in March 2020.

Throughout this period, the brand launched “Save Pub Life,” an initiative to encourage communities to purchase gift cards to support their local pubs after the Covid closure, raising a total of £1.5 million for local pubs. In 2021, Stella Artois promoted “Stella Tips,” a campaign to provide bar staff with much-needed financial support over the period of closure, donating £500,000 to staff.

Join us in saying, “Stella Please,” at participating pubs and share your experience on social by tagging #StellaPlease, @StellaArtois and @HospitalityAction. Participating pubs will be eligible to win a variety of prizes including: JDW vouchers, high street vouchers, Stella Artois stock, Premier League football tickets, and more. For additional information and to sign up to receive a #StellaPlease kit, please visit: www.savepublife.com/brand-activations/stella-please and https://stella-please.hospitalityaction.org.uk/.

UKHospitality Backs Call for Government Night-Time Sector Support UKHospitality has backed calls for a Government support package to help counter shortages in night-time sector door staff, including assistance in recruitment and training of additional security staff, especially women. The trade body also endorsed proposals for a co-ordinated approach to drinkspiking and wider vulnerability initiatives.

UKHospitality was responding to a number of suggestions and recommendations in a Home Affairs Committee report published today, following a rise in drink spiking reports last year. It also welcomed a number of other proposals aimed at keeping venues safe for all customers.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Committee’s recommendation for Government support for night-time businesses to help recruit and train door staff is very welcome, as is consideration for a review of current offences and evidence-gathering and how this can be improved.

“The hospitality sector will continue to work together with the Home Office, police and local authorities to tackle drink spiking as part of the wider

customer safety agenda, building on the good work many hospitality businesses are already doing to address the matter through both their own and joint initiatives, recognised by the Committee.”

UKHospitality also supports a recommendation by the report that a government-led national strategy is needed, including a support package for venues, particularly those in the night-time industry, to boost security measures and the recruitment and training of additional door security staff, especially women.

Kate Nicholls added: “This is a serious issue, and it needs to be tackled quickly and effectively, but through effective partnership working, rather than via restrictions imposed on operators’ licences.

“UKHospitality backs the report’s calls for a national communications campaign that forms part of a nationwide strategy that ensures a consistent approach to the issue, and which sees government working with local authorities to develop an anti-spiking strategy that encourages local licensing authorities to make better use of their powers in regard to drink spiking offences.”

3 F&B Trends For The UK In 2022 And Beyond 14

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Written by Mohit Agrawal, manager of the Dubai office at Simon-Kucher & Partners (www.simon-kucher.com) With the Great British Food Festival just around the corner, the UK F&B industry is once again starting to blossom following the impact of the pandemic. But what can we expect from the industry in the coming years?

From consumers growing increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their eating habits to the rise of ghost kitchens and personalization in customer engagements, Simon-Kucher and Partners shares its expert advice on three F&B trends that will influence the industry in 2022 and beyond.

A TREND IN CONSCIOUS EATING IS ON THE RISE With UK consumers looking to not only eat healthier and more organic foods, but also invest in products that are more ethical and environmentally sustainable, conscious eating is a trend that’s set to only increase in popularity throughout 2022.

In fact, a recent survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) found that 73% of UK consumers believe it’s important to buy food that has a low impact on the environment, with 54% agreeing they’d like to make their diet more sustainable. This is also a trend seen specifically in the younger generation, with 66% of 18–24-year-olds in the UK agreeing that they’re more likely to buy from an ethical and sustainable retailer.

alternative service models to satisfy the demand for speedy, high-quality, and affordable home-delivered food.

This has led to an acceleration in the adoption of “cloud” (also known as “dark” or “ghost”) kitchens—services that host numerous vendors under one roof and that only offer food delivery services, with no space for consumers to dine in. In 2021, the UK was home to an estimated 750 cloud kitchens, with that number only set to rise throughout 2022 and beyond.

And it’s not only big players like food delivery service Deliveroo—who saw a 12% increase in vendors using its “Deliveroo Editions” cloud kitchens throughout the pandemic —that are benefitting from the wide-scale adoption of leaner service models. Smaller start-ups have also thrived, with London-based Karma Kitchen raising £252 million in series A funding during the pandemic and planning to build a further 30 sites in the coming years.

To stay relevant in today's F&B market, more traditional vendors should evaluate and consider leaner food service models to help grow their revenue, cut costs, and satisfy customer demands.

A HIGHER DEMAND FOR PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES As consumers spend more time interacting with and buying from brands online, delivering personalized experiences across digital touchpoints is a growing trend in 2022.

Research shows that 62% of UK consumers are more likely to return to brands that recognize them as individuals, with 43% exclusively buying from brands that understand their preferences by offering personalized deals and more.

In response to this, more and more F&B retailers are introducing sustainability initiatives to source more ethical produce, reduce waste, and decrease their environmental footprint. For example, large retailer Tesco PLC has committed to increasing their sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300% by 2025, as well as decreasing manufacturing and agriculture emissions by 35% and 15% respectively by 2030.

To build strong relationships with their consumers, many F&B vendors are using data collected from customer interactions to personalize their experiences with their services. Online food delivery platform Uber Eats is just one of many platforms that have had great success in offering personalized feeds and meals—with each customer being presented with a tailored set of restaurants, cuisines, and dishes that are based on their historical use of the app.

To stay ahead of this trend, it’s important for UK F&B vendors to evaluate and improve the sustainability of their current products, as well as be able to clearly communicate the features and benefits of their ethical practices with consumers.

To ensure consumers return to their brands time and time again, F&B vendors should look to build customer engagement via personalization and tailored communications across digital touchpoints.

ADOPTION OF LEANER FOOD SERVICE MODELS In 2021, the UK food delivery market saw a strong growth of 6.5%—with the market predicted to grow a further 5.3% in 2022. With UK consumers ordering in more than ever before, F&B vendors are turning to

FINAL THOUGHTS Trends such as conscious eating, leaner service models, and personalized customer experiences are set to continue to rise throughout 2022 and beyond. F&B vendors looking to thrive in a highly competitive environment need to quickly learn to adapt, or else perish.

Master Innholders Announces 2022 Aspiring Leaders Ailsa Le Poidevin, reception manager, The Ritz London Ania Malecka, guest relations manager, Homewood Bath Moritz Matyssek, guest relations manager, Grosvenor House London Freya Morton, house manager, The Pig at Bridge Place George Price, house manager, The Pig on the Beach Gareth Rees, assistant guest services manager, The Manor House Charlotte Shaw, head housekeeper, The Athenaeum Shortlisted candidates were interviewed by a panel of established hospitality professionals, including Tim Hassell FIH MI, estates director of Thurlestone Hotel, Kalindi Juneja FIH, CEO of Pride of Britain Hotels, Dr Hilary Cooke FIH MI, MIALD Course Director, and Robert Ledward-Smith FIH, regional general manager at Champneys.

The Master Innholders Aspiring Leaders Diploma (MIALD) has welcomed eighteen new ambitious junior hotel professionals onto its award-winning development programme.

Formed in 2012 and based on the Institute of Leadership & Management Level 3 Award, MIALD is delivered over a 12-month period in eight two-day sessions at iconic hotels across the UK. Designed to develop management skills, leadership talent and build career prospects, the new cohorts will gain expertise in eight key business areas. Awarded the Princess Royal Training Award in 2021, MIALD has been recognised one of the most sought-after qualifications for juniorlevel hotel supervisors and managers in the UK. Following a rigorous selection process, the Master Innholders has selected eighteen talented and driven applicants to join its tenth cohort, who will begin their course this May 2022 at the Royal Air Force Club. These new Aspiring Leaders are: Catherine Bach, duty manager, Beaverbrook Camille Bobin, assistant restaurant manager, Coworth Park Daniel Brennan, front of house manager, Brockencote Hall Tierney Corcoran, front of house manager, Macdonald Bath Spa Emily Coubrough, guest experience manager, The Savoy Joshua Da Costa, bar & beverage manager, Hilton London Bankside

Niek De Rijcke, assistant manager nights, 45 Park Lane Julian Dolan, assistant F&B manager, The Grove Maisy Gale, guest services manager, The Rubens at the Palace Rosie May Hamblin, events manager, The Castle Hotel Taunton Nicholas Laws, front of house manager, Fowey Hall Hotel

Commenting on the new cohort, David Morgan-Hewitt FIH MI, chairman of the Master Innholders said: “As always, the standard of applicants has been extremely impressive. The candidates of our 2022 cohort have been recognised for their enthusiasm, dedication, and unwavering passion for hospitality. Congratulations to all our new Aspiring Leaders and I look forward to seeing your future successes in hotel management.”

For more information on the Master Innholders and its educational programmes, please visit www.masterinnholders.co.uk

A Joyous ‘Homecoming’ for Alison at Clayton Hotel Bristol City The General Manager of Bristol’s newest four-star hotel has described her appointment as a homecoming nine years in the making.

to be a chef. I loved the busy environment and meeting new people but discovered I was better placed out of the kitchen!

Although originally from Dublin, Alison Mansfield has deep roots in the area and was delighted when Dalata Hotel Group Plc, operators of Clayton Hotels and Maldron Hotels, announced they were planning to open a new 255-bedroom hotel in Bristol.

“I instead decided to enrol for a trainee manager programme and in 2009 I started working for Dalata in Central Reservations. I then moved to Cardiff to help with the hotel opening there before moving back to my hometown of Tallaght in Dublin for my first General Manager position with the company.

The Clayton Hotel Bristol City, which has created 80 new jobs, is situated in a prime location in the city and breathes new life into the historic Everards printing works on Broad Street.

“After a spell in Dublin I moved back to the UK to work in Cardiff and I am delighted to have now taken up the General Manager’s position in Bristol, it really feels like a homecoming.”

Alison said: “I have always wanted to move to Bristol, my husband is a Bristolian, so it really feels like my roots are here. I have been asking Dalata to open a hotel in the city for the past nine years and I was thrilled when I was appointed General Manager at the Clayton Hotel Bristol City.

“I love this city and am fascinated by its history. When I walk round Bristol there are so many places where you can immerse yourself in the old way of life such as St Nick’s Market, Christmas Steps and King Street. There is so much hidden history and I look forward to discovering more of it.

“The city itself is developing a real reputation as the perfect place for a weekend break due to the great food and drink on offer and of course

Alison is excited about extending a warm welcome for guests at the Clayton Hotel Bristol City and is confident Dalata’s brand of hospitality will be popular with Bristolians.

the wonderful humour and warmth of the local people, and where else can you look up and see hot air balloons overhead?”

Alison has experience of opening new hotels, after previously moving to Wales to help open the Clayton Hotel Cardiff.

She said: “I have worked in hospitality for 25 years as I initially wanted

She added: “I am thrilled to see our hotel open in such an historic building, the Everards printworks is a piece of Bristol history and it is great to see it being given a new lease of life.

“When guests arrive at the hotel they can be assured of warm and friendly service from a team who genuinely care about them.

“I am really proud of the team we have assembled, and I am looking forward to supporting them and watching them all develop in their roles.”

How to Attract Hospitality Staff During the Global Talent Crisis 16

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By Nicky Chenery, General Manager, EMEA, SafetyCulture (https://safetyculture.com/)

The global talent crisis continues to be the biggest issue the service industry faces, and this is only increasing with rising numbers of staff shortages of late, following the continued effects of Covid, Brexit and now, the cost of living crisis.

The Great Resignation of 2021 was an eye-opener for hospitality businesses across the globe, acting as a catalyst for leaders to reflect on workplace culture and environment. Millions of people left the industry out of both choice and necessity, and there are industry-wide changes needed to attract people back — such as flexible scheduling, minimum level safety expectations, and enhanced benefits and wages.

The struggle to attract and retain talent is rumbling on as hospitality businesses navigate skyrocketing inflation and rising National Insurance contributions. In this particularly high-pressure period, it’s important businesses focus on making employees in stretched teams feel empowered and productive.

STRESS LESS, LISTEN MORE It’s time to look at how businesses can better meet the needs of their workers. Recent research by SafetyCulture revealed that 67 percent of frontline workers do not feel heard on topics that matter to them the most. One-third of workers we spoke to also said they don’t report issues because they think “nothing will be done” – contributing to major issues like burnout and an unsafe workplace.

If frontline workers don’t feel empowered to speak up about working conditions or day-to-day procedures, it’s hard to create a culture of

trust and, consequently, productivity. Leaders can look to increase staff retention by equipping teams with the right tools to ensure they have their voices heard and valued. Raising issues that once took time and effort can quickly be raised using tech such as scannable QR codes that instantly notify the right people. Then, individual voices can be amplified and power can be put back in the hands of each and every team member.

BEATING THE TIME CRUNCH With less staff in the hospitality workforce, maximising productivity and combating a lack of time are top priorities. When employees are time-poor, they can feel distracted, exhausted or burnt out.

Ever increasing new rules since the pandemic have dialed up the stressors and emotional labour of the service industry. Often the first point of contact for overwhelmed customers also navigating new rules, staff are under pressure and forced to context switch. This is when workers swap between tasks, stopping work in one area and picking it back up after ticking off another item.

It’s hard to avoid in any environment, especially in hospitality and retail, where workers multitask across different roles and shifts. But the right tools can help introduce simplicity into daily tasks, minimising the taxing side-effects of context switching for workers already stretched thin.

We’ve found that frictionless technology is key to combating issues around time. It’s time to take stock of digital systems you have in place — how can you enhance what’s there to streamline processes and make them easy to maintain? Businesses should start by replacing complex tasks with simple processes. Digitising cumbersome paperwork or breaking down lengthy assignments into bite sized tasks can reduce the time and energy wasted on ‘work about work’ and free up staff to focus their time on what they do best — creating great customer experiences.

DO MORE WITH LESS When times are tight, making investments in technology may not be at the top of the priority list – but this is short-sighted. Innovation doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking. Simple mobile tools such as digital checklists can empower employees to take action and help them work more efficiently. Moreover, engaging and effective training tools on topics such as giving feedback, managing a safe workplace, and communication skills can also contribute to staff feeling more confident – raising morale and creating a supportive culture in tough times.

Time crunches and talent retention are challenges that we will continue to tackle for the good of the industry - and it’s safe to say new bumps in the road will appear too. In order to stay ahead of the curve, the first step for businesses is always to listen and find easy-to-use solutions that will help teams reach their full potential.

Courthouse Restaurant and Bar Wins OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award The Courthouse Restaurant and Bar, in the heart of Bolton has been awarded the OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award for 2022, following hundreds of reviews by customers. At the helm is experienced operator, Hurshiv Faldu, with the backing of community pub group, Admiral Taverns, who owns the pub.

which is down to all the hard work of the team. I’m very proud of the offering we have created, and it’s even better to receive this award knowing it has come from our customers. We wanted to create a destination venue where customers would travel to visit and we’ve done exactly that.”

The Courthouse is part of Proper Pubs, the Operator Managed platform of Admiral Taverns, which has more than 130 local, community pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

The Courthouse also hosts a popular entertainment schedule and is one of the hottest destinations for a night out in the area. It has an array of events, including live music, magicians, fashion shows, stilt walkers and saxophone performances.

The Award celebrates the top-rated restaurants across the country, based on feedback from diners. Customers at the Courthouse can enjoy dishes including four different cuts of steaks, burgers, sharing plates, loaded fries, bao buns, salmon and duck dishes. An extensive cocktail list has been created in house with the bar team, which includes options such as Summer Berry Crush and Paradise Punch, which can be enjoyed alongside a two for one offer between 2-7pm all week.

Hurshiv Faldu, operator at the Courthouse, commented: “We are thrilled to be recognised as one of the top restaurants in the area,

Samantha Banks, Operations Manager for North of England at Admiral Taverns, commented: “Hurshiv and the team have developed an outstanding offering at the Courthouse and really deserve this award.

Hurshiv has been at the Courthouse for two and a half years and is passionate about putting something back into his community. I’m delighted they’ve recognised this and would thoroughly recommend a visit to the pub if you are in the area.”

Top Curry Restaurants Guide Announced as Voting Goes Live for 2022 Awards The Asian Catering Federation [ACF] has announced that it is to publish a guide to the One Hundred Top Curry Restaurants as voting goes live for its annual awards.

The ACF will host the 6th Asian Restaurant Awards at the Manchester Hilton on 27th June and Edinburgh at the Sheraton Grand on 19th September. The 12th Asian Curry Awards are taking place at the Grosvenor House on 20th November 2022. The awards are sponsored by Just Eat and Booker Wholesale.

Entries will be determined by the ACF’s panel of awards judges as they tour the country visiting leading curry restaurants as determined by spice loving members of the public, voting for their favourites online.

Each month throughout the coming year the ACF will announce the ten leading venues by region to their local media and publish a full restaurant profile online.

Speaking about the Guide, the ACF’s chairman Yawar Khan reported that many curry restaurants are facing an existential crisis: “Soaring food, energy and salary costs, combined with rising National Insurance and VAT rates plus severe staff shortages, compounded by customers having less money to spend on restaurant visits and takeaways, means that the rate of closures is set to increase.”

Published initially online, with a hard copy to follow, the guide will be divided into 10 regions, listing the top 10 venues in each: London, the South East, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, North West, North East, Midlands, East of England and South West.

He urged customers to support their favourite curry venues by nominating them for this year’s awards via www.asianrestaurantawards.org/manchester-nomination-form, www.asianrestaurantawards.org/scotland-nomination-form and www.asiancurryawards.com

Hospitality’s ‘Soft Power’ Is Key To Weathering Endemic Labour Shortage 18

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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 well-being 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.

Shakespeare in the Garden Returns to Fuller’s Pubs

Fuller’s is delighted to announce the welcome return of outdoor theatre, specifically Shakespeare in the Garden. Produced by theatre company Open Bar, this year’s production sees The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew taking centre stage in pub gardens across the Fuller’s estate. This is the eleventh consecutive year that Fuller’s pub customers have been able to enjoy alfresco productions from Britain’s greatest playwright.

ship with Fuller’s takes us where everyone loves to be – pub gardens.

Our shows are designed to work with their environment and surroundings, not against them. As the audience gets more enthusiastic (and more lubricated) we use it to our advantage. We feed off their energy. They don't have to understand every word, but it's important that we take them with us...that they leave humming the tunes and still laughing at the gags. Shakespeare can be fun for everyone, and our job is to make sure everyone has a great time – spoiler alert, they will!”

The perfect way to celebrate finally being able to enjoy theatre in all its glory, Open Bar brings you two of Shakespeare’s finest plays full of comedy, romance and adventure. The plays are accompanied by original songs to help follow the plot and the shows truly are for everyone.

Fuller’s Marketing Director, Jane Jones, said: “Our partnership with Open Bar has proved incredibly popular with our customers, and successful for both Fuller’s and Open Bar. We were delighted to be able to continue with our joint venture for another fantastic year of Shakespeare in the Garden. Our Shakespeare season feels like the perfect way to really celebrate life going back to normal with a summer full of laughter, romance and, perhaps most importantly, an amazing pint in a beautiful Fuller’s pub garden.”

This year’s production is the biggest yet with 93 performances across 59 Fuller’s pubs from 20 June to 17 September 2022. Tickets can be purchased from fullers.co.uk/shakespeare Open Bar co-founders Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin said: “We’re used to making innovative theatre in unusual spaces, and this unique partner-

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.

• 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?

• Tell us more about your interCustomers just love jukeboxes, many of times Licensee tell us how the active digital jukeboxes. How do jukebox keeps their customers in their venue longer which increases wet they affect customer experisales. ence?

The app has been an amazing addition to our jukeboxes. NSM’S Alex 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;

• All our jukeboxes have the option to be an audio or audio/video jukebox and can be changed at a press of a button.

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, create an account, then your all set. Once logged in you can buy credits via Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Debit Card or Credit Card.

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

The Importance of Robust Health and Safety Procedures in a Professional Kitchen 20

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By Charlotte Dowson, Senior Solicitor in the Accident Claims Team at Bolt Burdon Kemp (www.boltburdonkemp.co.uk) Andrew Lewis, a chef, suffered serious burns after being covered in boiling stock during a kitchen incident at The Hand and Flowers, Tom Kerridge’s double Michelin starred gastro pub.

should have done more to protect him from the incident occurring and their failure to do so led to him sustaining personal injuries then he will be compensated for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that he has experienced as well as his incident related past and future financial losses.

A stock boiling urn was leaking so Mr Lewis attempted to fix it by tightening the tap on the urn. Suddenly the tap came away ejecting pressurised boiling stock water all over him.

There may also be a claim against the company responsible for serving the urn as previously discussed and this may ultimately lead to an apportionment of liability between the companies if both are found to be at fault.

Mr Lewis suffered extensive burns to both legs, his chest and his hands. He has been left with permanent scarring and claims he now suffers from flashbacks and delayed onset post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident.

If Mr Lewis’s employer is found to be at fault it would reiterate the importance of good health and safety procedures being put in place in professional kitchens. Employers should use this incident as an opportunity to revisit their health and safety policies and procedures to make sure that they are indeed doing all that is necessary to reduce the risk of their employees being injured during the course of their work.

A claim for personal injury is being made against his former employer and the company responsible for servicing the stock boiling urn, IPM Catering Ltd. The companies are blaming each other for the incident.

AN EMPLOYER’S DUTY OF CARE TO THEIR EMPLOYEES IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN In a busy and high pressurised environment such as a professional kitchen risks to an employee’s health and safety will inevitably arise.

Chefs are using sharp knives, working long hours, and handling hot equipment and liquids. Sadly accidents will occur that can’t be fully guarded against.

Ultimately not every accident that occurs in such an environment can be avoided. An employer is not expected to completely eradicate all risks to the health and safety of their employees but they do have a duty of care to minimise these risks. This in turn reduces the risk of an employee sustaining an injury at work.

Under health and safety law the primary responsibility for health and safety in the workplace falls to an employer. There is also an argument

raised in this case that the urn had not been serviced properly by those responsible for doing so.

In any event Mr Lewis’ employer, in order to protect him, should have provided him with relevant health and safety training, specific training in relation to use of the urn and appropriate personal protective equipment. A risk assessment and method statement should have been prepared in respect of the operation of the urn. His employer should have also carried out due diligence in respect of the company servicing the urn, making sure services were arranged at appropriate and regular intervals to reduce the risk of a malfunction occurring.

THE IMPACT OF A SUCCESSFUL CLAIM If Mr Lewis is able to successfully argue that his employer could and

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EMPLOYER PROTECTING THEIR EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH AND SAFETY Accidents in the workplace are a bad thing for both employers and employees. If an employee is injured they may need time off work or in very serious cases not return to the workplace at all. In the worst cases, accidents at work can be fatal.

Accidents at work can also affect employees who weren’t injured themselves but who become fearful about what could happen to them.

This can also cause low morale within the workforce which isn’t good for productivity.

Put simply, accidents at work can be devastating for employees and employers alike.

Customers are Crying Out for Support When Buying Wine Blake Gladman, KAM: “Since lockdowns, we are seeing a much more discerning customer base. Venues must recognise the value proposition for customers – if the experience isn’t there then it’s a much easier decision for them to enjoy their wine experience at home instead of going out. Getting that experience right is key for venues and with a category that customers find so enjoyable, it needs to be dialled up to ensure it’s an experience that they don’t forget. It’s worrying to see there are still many occasions when venues are not getting the basics right.”

New research out this week shows that 1-in-3 customers don’t feel confident ordering wine in pubs, bars and restaurants, with 1-in-9 admitting that they often find the experience intimidating.

The research from KAM, in partnership with Hallgarten & Novum Wines, looks at the customer experience when ordering wine in pubs, bars and restaurants and found that 70% wine drinkers don’t feel that pubs and bars provide enough information to help them make an informed decision when ordering wine. The research showed that restaurants fared slightly better with the equivalent figure being 43%.

The research also found:

1-in-3 find the words used to describe wine on menus too confusing and ambiguous. This is particularly true of younger drinkers, this figure is 1-in-2 for Generation Z- 18-26 year olds yet these younger wine drinkers are also a lot less likely to ask staff for help or advice.

Blake Gladman, Strategy & Insights Director at KAM: “For a category that is as emotive as wine, it should be seen as a warning that 1-in-3 wine drinkers say they don’t feel confident when ordering wine in a pub, bar, or restaurant. Whilst the layout and copy on menus is critical in helping give greater clarity and confidence for customers, there is also obviously a key role for staff to play when it comes to breaking down this confidence barrier. Nothing can replicate the ease at which well-trained and knowledgeable staff can put the customer when guiding them through their selection.”

Andrew Bewes, Managing Director of Hallgarten & Novum Wines, commented: “The hospitality industry has changed significantly over the last few years, as have the demands of its customer-base. It is therefore more important than ever that the industry better understands guests’ wine-buying mentality. 70% of our customer-base lies within the hospi-

SUSTAINABILITY:

tality sector and compilation and design of restaurant, bar and pub wine lists combined with Front of House training lies at the core of our service to the On Trade; this research will go a long way in helping hospitality operators better understand the needs and mind-set of the wine consumer, enabling them to provide a more tailored and effective service.”

The research highlights that the reality of the wine ordering experience currently isn’t perhaps quite what we might hope. In the last 12 months, 1-in-3 wine drinkers had found that a wine they wanted from the menu wasn’t available. Nearly 2-in-5 had been served wine in a dirty glass and a further 15% said wine hadn’t been served at the ideal temperature.

- 48% of wine drinkers said having ‘sustainable’ wine options is important to them (31% said organic was important, 53% natural and 3% biodynamic.)

- 74% of wine drinkers said they would like pubs and restaurants to make it clearer which wines on their menus are organic, vegan, natural, sustainable and/or biodynamic

DRIVERS OF WINE CHOICE: o The key drivers of wine choice are; 1.Colour 2.Grape variety 3.Country of origin 4.Preferred price range 5.Region The full whitepaper can be downloaded for free here: https://kammedia.co.uk/resources/

Food Waste Dryer Slashes Waste Disposal Costs The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer is taking the country by storm, saving catering and hospitality owners up to 80% in food waste disposal costs. With macerators and disposal units banned in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it’s only a matter of time before they’re illegal in England too. And putting smelly food waste in wheelie bins is a health hazard attracting vermin and pests, particularly in warm weather.

The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer is already in hotels, hospitals and restaurants solving these problems. Each unit extracts the water from food waste overnight, leaving a dry powder, only 20% of it’s former weight and volume. The result is an 80% saving in disposal costs, no smelly wheelie bins

and no blocked drains.

There are seven models from 20kg to 350kg daily capacity so even small premises can benefit from the technology as the smallest unit is about the size of a small fridge. It is a ‘plug and play’ solution: you just need a power socket and a nearby sink drain for the extracted water to drain off. “This really is the future of food waste disposal.

The dry powder is collected for recycling so no food waste goes to landfill. Not to mention the substantial savings from disposal” said David Boyd from Eco-Smart.

For more information and a brochure go to www.foodwastedryer.co.uk or call 01522 692888

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By Liam Belton, Head of Trade, Master of Malt Trade (www.masterofmalt.com/trade) WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE MOST REFRESHING EYE CATCHING DRINK, PREMIUM AND MAINSTREAM? Over the course of 2021, we saw the emergence and large increase in the number of confectionery flavours across the spirits industry, with many of these throwbacks to classic, nostalgic sweets. We’ve seen this trend continue, with the most recent notable release of the pre-bottled Jaffa Cake Negroni, after the huge success of Jaffa Cake Gin over the last two years.

Though possibly divisive, there’s no doubt that there’s a demand for flavoured whisky. New distilleries are opening constantly, and new flavours add a point of difference and tap into people’s newfound thirst for exploration. Demand has always been strong for these relatively new releases such as Howler Head, a Master of Malt-exclusive bananaflavoured bourbon, which sold out in less than one week.

ARE FLAVOURED SPIRITS CATEGORY ACCELERATING? There’s no question that flavour innovation is leading NPD, which we attribute to the rise in home mixing.

However, while innovation in gin remains strong, it is no longer growing significantly faster than other categories. In fact, flavoured vodka looks to be having its moment – though the garish hues of the 1980s and ‘90s are long gone, and instead the focus is on provenance and seasonality. On a similar thread, just in the month of April, Master of Malt’s ‘Mixers’ category has seen sales grow incredibly, again attributed to the at-home cocktail trend.

ANY HARD STATISTICS FOR RISING IN SPIRIT AND COCKTAIL DRINKS? One of the main drivers of flavour innovation has been a throwback to nostalgic flavours, with the huge success of Jaffa Cake Gin just one example. However, now we’re seeing a shift in these flavours making their way from spirits to pre-bottled cocktails – a hugely-popular and fast-growing sector in which Master of Malt saw sales more than double over the last six months of 2021. As 2022 progresses and warmer weather becomes more common, we’re seeing much larger spikes in pre-bottled cocktail sales. The Jaffa Cake Negroni was recently launched earlier this year to great success, and many others are following suit.

Rum is a fast-growing category, but together, spiced and flavoured rum make up nearly 50% of total rum sales on Master of Malt. From April 2021 to April 2022, sales of flavoured and spiced rum have increased by over 150%.

Flow Learning by MAPAL Announce Complementary Module To Help Hospitality Sector Tackle Drink Spiking Epidemic Troubling statistics released by the Alcohol Education Trust have shown one in 10 British people are now victims of drink spiking¹.

Tackling drink spiking, as well as ensuring customers feel safe and secure, is a rising concern for both hospitality operators and the police, as recent studies by Alcohol Education Trust and YouGov² have highlighted the growing severity of the issue.

In support of the sector, Flow Learning by MAPAL have released a free training module to help inform hospitality staff of how to spot if a drink has been spiked, best practice prevention, and what to do if they suspect non-consensual intoxication. The free training module is available for Flow Learning customers and non-customers alike.

James McLuckie, Group Chief Learning Officer, MAPAL Group, said “This is about raising awareness and helping the industry as a whole

ging, “when drugs are feloniously administered with intent to produce stupefaction” and administering a substance for sexual purposes – the two offenses most linked with spiking. Between 2015 and 2021, the total number of recorded crimes in these two categories rose from 16 to 152³.

tackle a truly horrible crime. We’re happy to be in a position where we can supply something of real value: to support and empower our hospitality customers to protect their staff and guests, and to help make drink spiking history.”

Statistics from Police Scotland show a dramatic increase in both drug-

“It’s imperative” commented McLuckie “that all hospitality staff - and not just those working in nightclubs - know what to look out for. The studies show that drink spiking can happen anywhere at any time.

People need to know how to protect themselves and the customers who trust them to provide a safe environment. We hope this module will help in that effort.”

For further information visit https://mapal-os.com/en/free-make-spiking-history-learning-module

Beer & Pub Industry Calls for Hospitality and Late-Night Champions as Part of Local Elections Manifesto New ‘hospitality and late-night economy champions’ should be appointed in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) has today recommended, as part of its manifesto launch ahead of local elections on 5 May. The recommendation, which would see roles introduced similar to those of Sacha Lord in Manchester and Amy Lamé in London, forms part of the Association’s 10-point manifesto aims to support the sector’s recovery following over two years of pandemic restrictions. Other manifesto recommendations include: • Dedicated hospitality strategies for local areas • Licensing policy statements which don’t place additional burdens on the sector • Permanent removal of outdoor permit fees and a flexible approach to planning • Facilitate shared Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) return points • Enhanced provision of local transport, promote the use of rural transport routes, postpone plans to introduce low emission zones and rule out the workplace parking levy • Work collaboratively to facilitate an increase in the availability of low and no-alcohol products • Assistance in lowering the disproportionate tax burden on pubs and brewers • A two-year moratorium on policies which may create additional costs for pubs and bars

• Support an energy price cap on hospitality premises Also included within the manifesto is a call for better public transport, a reduction in fees for outdoor seating and a more flexible planning approach, as well as an energy price cap on hospitality businesses.

Commenting, SBPA President Andrew Lawrence said: “Scotland’s beer and pub industry supports 62,000 jobs and contributes £1.75bn to the national economy every year.

“The restrictions placed on our members during the pandemic had a severe impact. We fully understood the need to keep people safe but now, as we come out of the pandemic, there must be a path to recovery.

“Appointing industry champions to stick up for the industry, to help local and national government understand the challenges we face and what is needed to build back, would be a great start.

“Our survival and subsequent recovery is dependent on the support of national and local policymakers. This manifesto gives 10 clear ways in which they can do that, rejuvenate the sector and our town and city centres across the country”.

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.

For more information about the Scottish Beer & Pub Association visit scottishbeerandpub.com

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/

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Food Safety

Hygiene Demands by Consumers Serve as Wake-up Call Blake Gladman, Strategy & Insights Director at KAM said: “COVID-19 has catapulted hygiene to the top of consumers’ minds. It’s now an absolutely key consideration when deciding which venues to visit and where to avoid.

This heightened awareness means that consumers are more ‘ratings aware’ and also incredibly unforgiving when standards fall; if a venue falls short of a customer’s hygiene expectations just once they risk losing that customer for good. Venues simply will not prosper if they fail to get the fundamentals right and meet the increased expectations of consumers on food hygiene and cleanliness.”

Hospitality operators who fail to maintain high food hygiene standards and cleanliness post-Covid have been warned they risk their businesses as consumers are less likely to give them a second chance.

The ‘one-strike and you’re out’ wake-up call follows new research from Food Alert and KAM Media into how people’s attitudes have changed since COVID-19 when deciding where to go out for a drink or meal or order food for delivery.

In their survey, nearly two in three consumers agreed that hospitality hygiene standards had become more important since the pandemic and 69% wanted to see hand sanitising stations become a permanent feature.

More than half also wanted hospitality venues to continue to have extreme hygiene measures evident, displayed, and transparent.

The top five considerations for choosing a venue were ranked as food quality, prices, cleanliness of venue, range of food and the Food Hygiene Rating (FHR). The FHR was third in importance when choosing a restaurant for a food delivery.

Food Hygiene Ratings should be visible in venues, said respondents, with 4 being the minimum standard that was considered acceptable, but with newly opened venues the majority expected a rating of 5. Some 49% of consumers had a ‘one strike and you’re out’ policy when it came to bad hygiene standards.

Consumers wrongly believed that venues were inspected for food hygiene standards every six weeks on average, yet the reality is that even annual inspections are being delayed.

Food Alert operations director Mike Williams said: “As we emerge from the pandemic it’s clear that consumer hygiene awareness has heightened and shows no sign of waning. Those venues that can prove they operate the highest levels of hygiene and food safety will be the ones to win trust and enjoy strong relationships with their customers and build sustainable businesses going forward.

“Our research shows that FHRs are decision makers – or breakers – for consumers and getting the scores on the door can be the difference between business success and failure.”

It was particularly relevant to the 18-34 year-old age group where they were 42% more likely to check Food Hygiene Ratings when visiting a hospitality venue than those in the 34-plus category. They were 84% more likely to check FHRs when ordering for delivery than those over 34 and they expected hospitality venues to be inspected more than twice as frequently as older consumers.

With this generation more likely to be ‘rating aware’ across various channels, from customer reviews to rating specific dishes, it gave venues an opportunity to use positive FHR scores to drive footfall. When ordering online, from Deliveroo and Just Eat for example, the FHR was more likely to be used as a sorting factor for venues above range of food and drink, delivery times and images of the food.

The independent research commissioned by Food Alert has been published in a white paper, Hygiene Matters – one strike and you’re out download at https://www.foodalert.com/consumer-report-hygiene-matters/

How Label Printers Keep Food Safety Standards High and Compliant Aaron Hopkinson, product and solutions manager for labelling at Brother UK, explains how technology is helping caterers and hospitality businesses to keep food safety standards high, while allowing kitchens to comply with new legislation.

Brother has delivered tailored solutions for the food service and hospitality sectors for many years. Our label printers make it easy to create labels for compliant allergen content, ingredients, barcodes, branding, pricing and expiry dates quickly and accurately, using thermal print technology without the need for inks or toners.

In October of 2021, the UK government changed the law surrounding how food allergens need to be labelled in certain instances for customers, meaning many caterers have had to adapt the way they do business.

More kitchens are adopting labelling technology like our TD range following the introduction of Natasha’s Law. But it’s true that they have a broader role to play in food safety.

Natasha’s Law requires that pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) food be clearly labelled with information on all potential allergens present and made to stand out so a customer can tell at a glance what they’re about to eat. Businesses that fail to comply risk a £5,000 fine, alongside the reputational damage that a serious allergen incident could create.

Portable label printers like the ones offered in Brother’s TD line of printers offer hyper-fast connectivity through a wireless platform without any extra clutter around the machine - perfect for food prep environments.

In research we conducted in 2020, around 90% of businesses were still handwriting 'day-dot' labels as part of their stock rotation. This involves manually recording open dates and discard dates on colour-coded labels, with each colour denoting a day of the week to signal when it must be used by. It’s a process prone to human error, where an efficient labelling solution can reduce the likeliness of mistakes involved with monitoring food and keeping consumers safe.

We’ve partnered with Nutritics, providing third party software to enhance user interfaces, making use of Nutritics database of more than 750,000 ingredients to manage recipe and menu information – helping staff to easily manage stock rotation and day-dot labelling.

Learn more about how labelling technology can be used to boost food safety standards here: https://www.brother.co.uk/business-solutions/mobile-print-and-label/food-labelling

Making every kWh count Our customers are faced with rising operational costs, particularly those in highly energy intensive industries that carry industrial refrigeration requirements.

will experience fluctuations in refrigeration use in line with their food and drink delivery schedules.

A typical commercial refrigerator uses around 70kWh a day, which for catering companies amounts to approximately 40% of the electricity typically consumed across all key appliances. It is easy to see just how much financial pressure is facing these businesses when the price of what is already their biggest overhead is growing exponentially.

There are some simple steps firms can take to boost energy efficiency performance in and around these flux periods. Let’s start by looking at times when demand for refrigeration is low. Here, a common example in recent times would be catering operations in buildings where occupation is lower than usual in light of increased home working.

These firms, like many others, are facing a huge problem. They are confronted with a dilemma of pursuing efficiencies to remain competitive and secure customers or passing on higher costs to clients which could result in losses in business.

Here, catering staff should re-evaluate their stock and delivery patterns to avoid unnecessarily full fridges, a move which will also cut down on waste and prevent food from spoiling. In some cases, refrigeration units may be able to be switched off entirely.

While efficiencies in many cases unfortunately translate into job losses and redundancies, it also means becoming savvier when it comes to energy consumption. Many are already headed down that path for sustainability purposes, but now energy efficiency has become an imperative simply in order to survive.

At the other end of the scale, there are times when demand for refrigeration spikes. These can include workers returning to offices, hospitals experiencing influxes of patients during winter months, and schools when pupils return from holiday periods – situations where overfilling fridges becomes a realistic possibility.

MANAGING PERIODS OF HIGH AND LOW DEMAND

Overfilled fridges consume more energy. To counter against this strain, caterers should utilise technological devices to measure and record temperature readings on a regular basis – we recommend at least every few hours.

A key area where efficiencies can be made is how firms deal with fluctuations in demand for refrigeration space.

Caterers often operate through periods of high and low refrigeration usage. For instance, schools and universities will store far less food during holiday periods, while event caterers will also encounter busy and quieter periods throughout the year depending on their bookings – think festive season spikes versus quiet months such as January. Other companies, meanwhile,

This, in line with keeping an inventory of what produce needs what amount of refrigeration, should help to limit cases where critical limits are reached. What’s more, by monitoring air and core temperature, caterers will also be able to utilise early alert systems which will prompt them to take action before problems arise.

Visit www.thermometer.co.uk for further details.

CIDER- “A CORE FAVOURITE”!

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this is evident in the success we’ve seen with cocktails since the sector reopened. There is a greater emphasis on sustainability and local/UK produce in the post Covid market, so the local nature of cider and sustainable credentials of home-grown ingredients should be communicated to consumers.”

PRE-PANDEMIC SNAPSHOT-OF THE TOP 10 CIDER CONSUMING COUNTRIES: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

The winter will be short, the summer long, The autumn amber-hued, sunny and hot, Tasting of cider and of scuppernong."

ELINOR WYLIE

CIDER SALES SET TO SOAR AS SUMMER APPROACHES It will come as no surprise that the appeal of cider is broader than ever and is probably the drink sector’s fastest moving category. Keeping up with trends in cider can sometimes prove to be a challenge even for the most experienced of operators, particularly since these past two years have been rather tumultuous to say the least to the hospitality and on-trade.

which as any operator will testify, played a pivotal role in helping hospitality businesses survive during the past 2 years.

John Gemmell, On Trade Category and Commercial Strategy Director at HEINEKEN UK says “Fuelled by the importance of outdoor space – 53% of people said they would be more likely to visit a pub with a beer garden, increasing to 67% among 25 to 34-year-olds – cider should absolutely have its day in the sun. Enjoying a crisp pint of apple cider or an over-ice flavoured cider in a pub garden will be a huge pull for customers returning to the on-trade.”

Cider has played a major role so far this year in driving sales in pubs bars and restaurants, not only with mainstream ciders, but also with the rise of fruit ciders and the increasing popularity of premium and craft ciders.

Overall, cider is worth £2.32 billion (an increase of 11%) and in Cider an total UK purchased almost 667 d is now w Perr y million litres of cider in 2021. In o 2.32 billi rth the on trade 1.153 billion was on to the spent on cider.

on trade

Playing an enormous part in driving sales in the on-trade, the choice of cider available now is astonishingly varied. From mainstream apple ciders to the fruit ranges and the increasingly popular premium and craft ciders.

According to the Westons Cider Report consumers continue to elevate their draft cider choice but share is moving from mainstream to premium brands. Prior to the pandemic mainstream category enjoyed 53.6% share of the total draft apple category however by January this year this had dropped to 52.2%. What is interesting is that crafted ciders are emerging as a strong category in the on trade with a vibrant mix of keg, back in the box, packaged, apple and fruit format.

All, the report says, underpinned with authenticity, provenance, quality ingredients and craftsmanship.

OUTDOOR SPACES Strong sales in cider are traditionally driven by good weather and sports events, with warmer weather and the prospect of another booming “staycation” season, we may see “standing room only” in beer gardens,

• • • • • • • •

A sociable get-together Special celebration Family occasion Drink after work Out on the pull/chatting up Having a laugh Bonding with others Spending some me time

FIRST FOR THE CIDER INDUSTRY A first for the cider industry, the unique Thatchers Fusion Font embraces world leading innovation and pioneering technology to bring the choice of three infused premium fruit flavoured ciders to the bar in one single font. Dispensed to offer customers the perfect pint of Thatchers Cider, the 3 in 1 Fusion Font brings craft and innovation together for great tasting, premium infused cider.

So, with spring here and summer approaching, now is a good time for operators to focus on their cider offer.

Furthermore, a GGA strategy study revealed that one sixth of on trade guests consume cider, generating an average annual revenue of up to £16,000 per pub which is more than red, white and rosé wines combined.

LOOKING BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC STUDIES THE NUMBER ONE CIDER DRINKING OCCASIONS AND MOTIVATIONS INCLUDED:

With tap space becoming increasingly competitive, Thatchers Cider has unveiled its new 3 in 1 Fusion Font, now available to on-trade operators.

The good news is that on-premises drinks sales are, according to CGA’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker currently hovering just below pre-pandemic levels, consumer confidence has risen to its highest level since pre-Covid, and surprisingly older age groups it would appear of gaining the most in confidence.

According to Weston Cider’s 2022 cider report 70% of average consumers in Britain currently feel very or quite confident about visiting pubs bars and restaurants, and the 55+ age group the number was 63%, in the 35-54 age group percent and in the 18-2 for group it was 74%.

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A Lumina intelligence pub market report in 2021 also highlighted the importance of outdoor spaces, identifying outdoor space as a major driver for the sector.

Thatchers Cloudy Lemon is one of the three ciders to feature on the Fusion Font, making its appearance in the on-trade for the first time. It is accompanied by Thatchers Dark Berry, and a new flavour, Thatchers Blood Orange.

Prior to lockdown, the Thatchers Fusion Font was trialled in selected managed houses across the South West with Cloudy Lemon and Dark Berry flavours.

Rob Sandall, Thatchers On-Trade Director says, “This is an amazing innovation that brings together the biggest flavour trends in food and drink to the bar in one font – including Thatchers Cloudy Lemon which has taken the off-trade by storm since its launch in spring 2020. There it has grown to become the No 4 fruit cider brand in a short space of time, and now we’re delighted to be bringing it to the on-trade for the first time on draught.

“The Fusion Font also includes a brand new flavour, Thatchers Blood Orange, which is being launched into the take home trade this spring.”

Rob offers this insight to operators: “With half of all fruit cider in the on-trade sold on draught, this pioneering technology with Fusion Font opens up brand new theatre to the bar, allowing operators to tap into fresh opportunities and offer drinkers exciting experiences, such as cider cocktails.

“Customers will love the sensory experience of the Fusion Font, as the aroma of the freshly mixed infusion hits the glass.

“Meeting consumer expectations at the bar in an engaging way is so important. Three flavours in one font, from one keg and through one cooled line, brings with it a significant reduction in the need for glass bottles, resulting in less packaging waste, meaning when your customers choose a cider from Thatchers Fusion Font, they are making a sustainable choice.”

Currently 126 million litres of cider are served in the on-trade each year. 93 million litres are served as draught, and 39% is fruit cider. The Thatchers Fusion Font gives operators the chance to tap into this Draft important market, serving three represe cider nt new fruit flavoured ciders with of all c s 74% id the confidence they all come sold in er th with the quality of the Thatchers on trad e e name.

“We believe this ground-breaking development will transform how cider is enjoyed, revolutionising the category,” concludes Rob.

Rob Sandall on trade director of Thatchers adds: ”It’s no secret that outdoor space played a huge role for pubs post lockdown and, despite the easing of restrictions it’s clear this trend is here to say. Cider has a reputation for being a drink for warmer weather, but it also has strong links to sport and social events all year round. Presenting a great opportunity not only to drive footfall but also increase spend as customers treat themselves more to premium choices”

FOOD PAIRING

SUSTAINABILITY AND HOME GROWN INGREDIENTS Chris Stirling, client director at CGA says, “It’s been clear the last 2 years have left some indelible marks on the trade. One strong trend that has been sped up is the use of technology and digitalisation in venues. 46% of consumers in CGA's July 2021 Pulse stated that they would prefer to use technology to book, order and pay. A second important trend is localisation, as 70% of consumers are planning to work from home more, combined with 80% of consumers initially planning to visit venues within 20 minutes of travelling. This will give urban and neighbourhood pubs opportunities to capitalise on those after work social occasions.

“For cider, like a lot of categories, re-engaging with their customers will be crucial. We know the importance of the on trade in driving trial and creating brand loyalty, so looking to provide consumers with a premium experience with your brand will be important, as

One font, one line, three ciders.

With one font dispensing three ciders, from one keg and through one line, the 3 in 1 Fusion Font uses less cellar and bar space than three separate lines, meaning lower maintenance, less space and more choice.

“This is world leading innovation – a first for Thatchers and a first for the industry. We’re introducing a unique dispense system that will add to consumer experience at the bar,” says Martin Thatcher, fourth generation at the independent Somerset cider maker.

At the point of pour, the Thatchers Fusion Font infuses a micro measure of the selected fruit flavour into a pint of Thatchers premium apple cider, creating one of three freshly mixed ciders. As the cider is being dispensed through the Fusion Font it delivers a unique sensory experience of flavour and aroma.

Drinkers get the same expertly crafted apple cider, with a freshly-mixed infusion hitting the glass as one.

Almost 40% of cider sales in the on trade with food, and while the majority of cider sales are wet led occasions there is a massive opportunity for food pairing and having cider with meals. Jennie Dorsey, the Cider Association‘s pairing philosophy spokesperson, says that the only truly important part of pairing is to remember that if you like it, it works! “With that being said, there cannot really be rules on what will automatically pair well. Both food and beverages will have many nuances that can ultimately make an undesirable pairing,” she says. “But don’t be scared, there are guidelines that will help point you in the right direction, and then there is the fun part of trying them out!”

There are no rules when it comes to choosing which cider to go with a meal, but it can be useful to use these 3 guiding principles: 1. CUT: Use a cider that cleanses the palate, or helps to cut through richness 2. CONTRAST: Use a cider that provides an entirely different sensation to that offered by the food to create a balanced spectrum of flavours 3. COMPLEMENT: Use a cider that accentuates similar flavours in the food to bring them to the fore

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 28...)

CIDER- “A CORE FAVOURITE”!

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Issue 107

SHEPPY'S EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY

4%. Made with traditional Somerset Redstreak apples, the cider is crisp and light with a notably refreshing fruity flavour that Sheppy’s is famed for.

Lower ABV innovations are more important than ever to maintain volume growth and keep drinkers interested in cider, which is why Sheppy’s wanted its Redstreak to sit at 4% ABV. The lower ABV makes it perfect for long lazy days in the sun and for enjoying at festivals and summer social occasions.

INCREASING SALES Sheppy’s is passionate about being environmentally friendly and ensures that the entire production process from orchard to bottle has sustainability front of mind. Alongside the sustainable initiatives on the Sheppy’s farm, which sees tree cuttings turned into flooring for the children’s playground, and pumice used for cattle feed, the cidermaker’s bag in a box format is of particular note. Made of 75% corrugated cardboard, the bag in a box packaging is fully recyclable and biodegradable and requires little water and energy to create. Set be a hero product as the UK heads towards the summer months, the often overlooked bag in a box format will likely be a popular choice at social gatherings this year thanks to its ability to serve large gatherings who may be congregating post-pandemic. As well as being a sustainable packaging option, bag in the box cider has the added benefit of being cost effective and keeping the cider fresher for longer. Sheppy’s offers both cider with fruit and more traditional ciders as part of its bag in box range, appealing to all drinkers across the sector.

SUMMER CIDER SALES SET TO SOAR Coinciding with the start of summer and the inevitable increase of fruit cider sales, Sheppy’s awardwinning Redstreak cider is a good option for those who enjoy something slightly sweeter but don’t want to go down the fruit cider route. Redstreak is a medium-sweet single variety cider with a modest ABV of

As one of the strongest performing categories the market is there, so now is the time to take a look on what you stock and how you promote it.

• A well-stocked bar has at least four to five different ales on, maybe three varieties of gin and rum and a well-stocked and varied bottle fridge, so make sure your offering a good selection of ciders, Apple and fruit, carbonated, still, sweet, dry, or a combination of the two in between.

• Cider also has a benefit compared to ales in that almost all companies will have bag in box versions of their range which means they can be placed behind or under the bar without having to commit to a dedicated line or having to replace one of your existing best sellers.

• Advertise and promote your ciders, obtain point of sale literature from your cider supplier, beer(cider) mats, bar runners and posters, A boards, portable bars which pay for themselves after a short period of time.

• To satisfy the growing demand for health-conscious consumers and those limiting their alcohol consumption consider stocking low and alcohol free ciders which are now increasingly available.

www.thatcherscider.co.uk www.sheppyscider.com

Heating 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

Issue 107

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Issue 107

The Source Roadshow Preview

Bringing the Best of the South West to Bristol’s Food & Drink Buyers This June

On Thursday 16th of June, the Source Roadshow will be bringing 150 exhibitors to Bristol's Ashton Gate Stadium, for one day only.

Hale Events has been organising food and drink trade shows in the South West for 15 years. Their Source food and drink trade show, which takes place each February in Exeter, has been running successfully for over 15 years, and this is the first time they are bringing it to Bristol.

“Bristol has a thriving independent food sector, with a focus on local, organic and ethical produce, so it’s perfect for us to connect more regional producers to. We want to help Bristol buyers try, taste and test even more of the best produce that the South West has to offer.” Mike Anderson, Managing Director. Hale Events.

“Trade shows offer a unique marketing medium in today’s digital world. Their face-to-face nature enables long-term trusting relationships to be built. They are engaging and in a market like food and drink, events like this are a great way to compare the competition.”

If you are buying food and drink, to reflect the everchanging needs of your customers, there is nothing quite like a face-to-face event for you to test, touch and taste and add value to your offering. Keep up with the latest developments and spot fresh opportunities.

Discover remarkable local products with fascinating provenance stories to tell and spend valuable time with passionate producers and knowledgeable suppliers face-

South West Labels

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

South West Labels are a supplier of labelling guns, thermal label printers & labels. We’re here for retail, industrial and manufacturing businesses. We’re independent, which means impartial recommendations combined with over 30 years experience in supplying these products.

The labelling gun market can be complicated. Many products are known by

to-face. Compare different flavours and textures, build relationships with new partners, catch up with colleagues, clients, and friends, as well as get a feel for the latest trends.

John Sheaves, Taste of the West’s Chief Executive said: “Taste of the West is absolutely delighted to support the new Source Roadshow in Bristol, being one of the key cities and therefore markets for high quality food and drink, in the Southwest. This is a truly exciting venture that takes quality, high integrity products right into the heart of Bristol, where producers will be able to share their knowledge and expertise with buyers from the city. For us having the Source trade show skills and expertise behind the venture provides us with great confidence”.

Alongside the exhibitors, the organisers are creating a Feature Space to allow visitors to relax and kick back in between checking out the latest food, drink, and business services on offer from the exhibitors. Bristol Robotics Laboratory will be showcasing one of their robots in the Feature Space too.

The Source Roadshow takes place on Thursday 16th June, from 10.00am to 6.00pm at Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol. Visiting this show is free for trade buyers, who can register now, at bristol.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk.

Information about exhibiting at this show is available from James Curtis, or Paul Thomas on 01934 733433 or by emailing stands@hale-events.com. different names depending on their use. Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns. Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industry.

A wide variety of specialist features including auto-incrementing guns for batch codes.

All equipment is supplied with a one year factory warranty and are designed to give years of reliable and effective service.

Visit us on stand B18 to view our products.

Bar Snacks

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for “Everyone I know is lookinagck” solace, hoMpeAIRaAnKdAaLMtaAstNy sn

- “Tapping into Consumer Cravings”

When it comes to satisfying customers in pubs and bars, competition is fierce and continues to grow! Post pandemic the message to operators is: “Tempt them back and persuade them to stay!”

It is therefore crucial for operators to always be on the lookout for ways to update their products and services accordingly and meet customers’ growing and changing demands.

Snacks provide a lucrative opportunity to increase sales and profit.

According to research from NPD group, out-of-home snacking pre- pandemic increased by 11% with pubs seeing the strongest growth with spend on snacks increasing by 28%.

A further pre-pandemic report by Kantar World Panel revealed that the value of sales for crisps, snacks and nuts in UK pubs and bars totalled over £24 million and with increasing 6% year-on-year.

So, what defines a snack? Not a difficult one, a snack is “a treat between meals”, something to curb your hunger, or even replace a meal if necessary. However, you see it, for most people snacking is a daily habit. And in many cases, one that is indulged several times a day, driving a huge demand for products to satisfy this insatiable consumer need, and want better place for a snack than a pub or bar!

Critical opportunity

Bagged snacks represent a critical opportunity for pubs and bars to drive their sales, says Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks “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.!

“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.”

Pubs and bars can give themselves the best possible opportunity to maximise snacks sales by following a few simple tips, say Matt: 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!

For decades, bar patrons have grown accustomed to snacking on traditional favourites such as salty nuts, crisps or pork scratching’s, as snack when they order drinks at the bar, however, in recent years compassions between some pubs and restaurants has become a “distinction without a difference”, with many operators of traditionally drinks-focused venues turning their hand to food. And so, it begs the question is there still a place for traditional bar snacks?

A Perspectus Global survey a year ago reveal that pork scratchings were still U.K.’s favourite pub snack dry roasted and salted peanuts ready salted and salt and vinegar crisps all in the top 5.

The “trendier” snacks trailed considerably, with olives coming in at 13 and was wasabi peas coming in at number 20.

Alcohol of course has a way of arousing our hunger pangs and also arousing flavours on the palate and making those delicate little snacks taste that little bit better whether you are drinking a mainstream or premium beer, a crisp chilled wine or a gin and tonic, snacks and alcohol complement each other exceptionally well.

Insight from KP Snacks revealed that the bagged snacks market outperformed other impulse categories including confectionary, soft drinks and biscuits, clearly demonstrating that operators have the opportunity to capitalise on demand and boost profits.

Advertisers Choice!

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 POM-BEAR 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.

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.

You will be pleased to hear the answer is a resounding YES, more than ever!

A Snacking Occasion Consumer Report by Technomic, again pre-pandemic, revealed that nearly half of consumers eat snacks between meals and as meal replacements. Customer dining habits have changed in considerably from the standard 3 meals a day routine. Today’s consumer has an on-the-go lifestyle and seeks out pubs and bars that fit in with that lifestyle. As consumers choose to eat between meals and want smaller portions of food, pubs and bars that provide this will stand out from the competition.

snacks over the last year. We know staff shortages have been an increasing problem in the hospitality sector since the pandemic with kitchens closing or offering limited opening times, which has led to an increase in the demand for easy to eat, bagged snacks across pubs and bars. All good landlords know how to please the customers and will have a good selection of ready snacks for every drink and every occasion. And simple ready to eat snacks work well! Bar snacks are quick, convenient and increase profits, keeping the customers content and encourage more drink sales. We are now seeing something of a renaissance for traditional snacks in the on trade sector with pork scratchings in particular”!

Generating Sales-Boosting Dwell Time “Conserving cash and maximising sales have never been more important to the on-trade! Bar Snacks offer a brilliant opportunity to increase sales through the ‘double whammy’ of generating incremental sales AND boosting dwell time. We know that less than 20% of people regularly buy a snack with a drink and the main reason for not doing so is ‘I just didn’t think about it’, explains Matt Smith, Marketing Director for Tayto Group Ltd

Quick, tasty and convenient bar snacks are an easy temptation, a great way to increase profits, feeling hungry customers encouraging more drink sales, and often a talking point.

“Prompting a purchase by displaying snacks prominently and getting staff to offer them, can make all the difference. By not offering a range of premium snacks, pubs could be leaving money on the table as Smith explains, “Our research shows that most people either have no idea what they pay for pub snacks, or expect to pay over £1 a pack, so venues can easily make over 50p profit per pack. All it takes is for staff to ask “Do you want some snacks with your drinks?”

“Snacks also have the potential to increase sales of drinks. Pork scratchings are a great example. The perfect partner to cider, wine, and especially premium beers and lagers, their unique taste balances the sharpness and carbonation of some drinks, while the saltiness enhances the flavour and helps get your thirst on.” Matt added.

Limited Service Leads to Increased Demand

Robert Parkin, Founder of Robert’s Dorset, comments: “We’ve seen a real increase in demand for our bagged

ROBERTS OF DORSET offer fully recyclable bags for our Proper Pork Crackling which currently comes in two sizes, across all 11 flavours.

We also have four different offerings across our nuts range, Delicious Cashews, Yummy Peanuts, Keto Mixed Nuts, and 50 / 50 combinations, across 13 flavours. These are packaged in handy pouches, which are perfect for a multitude of businesses. Our Proper Pork Crackling is allergen free and keto friendly, and our Nuts are gluten free and vegan. For those looking for a sweeter option, make sure to check out our 16 flavours of Fabulous Fudge which is 100% British. Within the next month or so we’re launching something new which will be a huge gamechanger for so many great reasons, but more news on that later! (See page 3 for details.)

Pub consumers look for brands they can trust and it’s important to stock proven sellers! TAYTO has a range of award-winning snacks to suit every pub: – Mr. Porky Original Scratchings – the No 1 brand6 from the most recognised name in scratchings and a Great Taste award-winning scratching – Midland Snacks Traditional Scratchings – the No. 2 brand6 and our best-selling pubcard – is also a Great Taste award-winning hand cooked scratchings using a recipe that has stood the test of time – Mr. Porky Crispy Strips - a lighter bite, akin to crispy bacon rind, for those who want all the taste of a scratching but a less hard texture, and another Great Taste award-winner – REAL Hand Cooked Crisps – premium, award-winning, hospitality exclusive crisps with strong flavours and characterful packaging which really stands out and drives sales – Animal Adventures – vegetarian, gluten-free, no added nasties, animal-shaped fun snacks that kids love!

Given that snack sales increase by up to 80% when they are more visible, Tayto provides pubfocused solutions such as eyecatching pubcards for pork scratchings to be hung behind the bar and a range of FREE POS for REAL crisps - available at realcrisps.com/POS

thebar@kpsnacks.com www.realcrisps.com www.robertsdorset.com

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Cleaning and Hygiene

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

Cleaning and Hygiene

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CLH DIGITAL

What To Consider When Upgrading Washroom Dispensers There’s an old rule of thumb that if a restaurant toilet is clean, then it’s a safe bet that the kitchen will be too. Unfortunately the opposite is also true – if the restaurant operator won’t make the effort to keep floors and fixtures clean, how can diners trust that kitchen surfaces and cookware are hygienic?

So which areas should operators focus on in order to provide greater protection and improve user experience?

SOAP DISPENSERS Manual soap dispensers are often subject to heavyhanded usage, with levers repeatedly pumped with excessive force – particularly when product is running low.

For subsequent users, attempting to operate a broken or malfunctioning soap dispenser provides a frustrating, negative experience. This is why managers should ensure systems are robust enough to withstand heavy use and not choose to install poor-quality dispensers based on their low price.

PAPER DISPENSERS For washroom users, being confronted by an empty hand towel or toilet paper dispenser may be frustrating, inconvenient or even embarrassing, so it’s essential that these remain well stocked at all times. Double-roll toilet paper dispensers can help achieve this, while a simple viewing window allows product level to be easily monitored.

TOUCHLESS SYSTEMS Moving away from manual dispensers and upgrading to automatic, touch-free systems means users’ hands do not need to contact any part of the unit, providing protection and reassurance while improving infection control.

The majority of touchless systems operate on batteries, with the drawback that regular service visits are required to ensure systems do not run out of power and be left out of service. However, mains-powered systems are now entering the market, which removes this common problem and ensures soap or sanitizer is available on demand.

Visit www.seko.com for details.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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/airtreatment/air-scrubber/39uv/

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

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Cleaning and Hygiene Introducing A Sustainable Cleaning Regime At Cedar Court Four-star luxury hotel group Cedar Court has sites located across Yorkshire. At the beginning of the pandemic the group’s managing director, Wayne Topley, was looking to find new solutions to protect customers and staff against COVID-19, while also improving the cleaning regime for over 500 bedrooms and reducing environmental impact. Topley approached Spectrum Cleaning Solutions to find out what could be done.

Jo Thompson, Spectrum’s MD, introduced Cedar to the sustainable range of Toucan Eco products, which produce an effective disinfectant cleaner from tap water, normal salt and electrochemical activation. She explained: “Toucan Eco removes the need for the majority of your synthetical cleaning chemicals, along with the plastic bottles these solutions are supplied in, replacing them with a powerful, safe and non-toxic solution that’s certified to EN 14476 and EN 16777 for viruses and EN 1276 and EN 13697 for bacteria.

“It’s been great to provide the cleaning teams at Cedar Court with such an effective solution as Toucan Eco. During the early stages of the pandemic, when

surface sanitisers were in short supply, Cedar Court’s investment really paid dividends, especially as they didn’t need to rely on a stretched supply chain – they could simply make their own disinfectant cleaner on-site and on demand.”

The hotel group installed one of two models, Toucan Eco Active or Toucan Eco Active Plus, at each site depending on individual site requirements. Toucan Eco Active makes 10 litres in 15 minutes, while Toucan Eco Active Plus comes with spray bottle and hose dispensing system and takes 45 minutes to make 20 litres from the spray dispenser and 30 litres from the hose dispenser.

Wayne Topley said: “I truly believe Toucan Eco is the future of eco-friendly cleaning. It’s so simple to use, effective and it’s led by science – it really is a new way of working. Over the last 12 months our cleaning chemical costs have reduced by 75% and the initial investment has already been returned. More importantly though, I know my teams are using a safe and effective sustainable product in all areas of the business.”

For more information visit www.toucaneco.co.uk

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT THE CATERER, LICENSEE & HOTELIER WEBSITE AT

www.catererlicensee.com OR FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @CLHNEWS

Chef's Buyer's Guide 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 fur-

ther 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.

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

Chef's Buyer's Guide

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Lancashire Supplier Brings Edible Print to the Food Service Market 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 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 See the advert on page 39.

Riso Gallo - Sensationally Sustainable! Plant Purity from Glebe Farm Foods

Riso Gallo is the first international rice brand to have produced its rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium best-selling risotto completely sustainable from field to fork!

Established in 1856, Riso Gallo is the oldest Risotto rice producer in Italy and has been delivering its premium rice to consumers around the world for over six generations.

Known to many as Italy’s first choice, Riso Gallo is one of the longest surviving rice companies in Italy and is still growing. A family run business, it is now in it’s 6th generation.

The company has uniquely created its own Circular Economy within it’s rice production, collaborating with innovative startups to give new life to the by-products of the rice mill which produces the delicious range of rices of the Riso Gallo Brand.

Rice House is an Italian initiative in which the secondary materials in rice cultivation are used to build

ethical houses.

Rice by-products are even used by Mogu in a range of designer furniture production.

The Albini Group to develop a process of ‘Off the Grain’ dye for fabric. When the Nero (black) rice is processed for the food industry, the by product of the deep grape coloured water is used as a natural dye.

All Riso Gallo plastic vacuum packaging is now suitable for recycling, following the launch of a new eco-sustainable, low environmental impact plastic. Riso Gallo are the first company to adopt this sustainable packaging. The Gallo Risotto Traditional, Arborio, Carnaroli, and the Carnaroli Rustico are now in packs using FSC certified cardboard outer to protect the grains.

Riso Gallo is committed to reducing and monitoring greenhouse emissions and uses energy from renewable certified resources. www.risogallo.co.uk

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.

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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

Denhay Direct

The West Country is renowned for making the finest produce, and Denhay certainly enhance that reputation. They have been crafting bacon for almost 30 years, developing the Denhay method and their own special cure. Conceived at Denhay Farms, founded by the Streatfeilds and the Hoods in the Devon Hills 70 years ago, pig farming and bacon was initially a byproduct of the dairy farm and sold only to local outlets. From these small beginnings, the excellence of their hand dry cured produce has resulted in Denhay bacon being available across the UK in multiple retail outlets such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and now Amazon Fresh.

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Denhay Direct has recently been created to supply the catering industry’s need for high quality product and already has many clients, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons among them.

All Denhay’s bacon is created using the best outdoor bred pork, raised to high welfare standards at RSPCA approved farms. Their expert curers hand rub each loin and belly to carefully apply the cure and then allow them to slowly mature drawing out the bacon’s exquisite taste.

Longtime holders of a Royal Warrant and winners of over 100 awards for taste and quality, Denhay bacon has been a consistent winner of Great Taste Awards and recently won Gold for Taste of the West.

The Denhay Direct range includes smoked and unsmoked variants of back and streaky bacon including a special thin cut Smoked Streaky, all available in multiples of 1kg packs. The ordering is simply done online or by phone and delivery is quick and reliable. As Chris Lamper, Denhay Direct’s Foodservice and Wholesale Account Manager, says “Today’s consumers are becoming more and more discerning. The hospitality sector in particular needs good quality product with quick and reliable service. When it comes to bacon, we can provide both.”

Visit direct.denhay.co.uk or see the advert below for details.

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Good Food Express Ltd Good Food Express Limited is a multi award winning Company based in the heart of Yorkshire producing Sausages, Burgers, Meatballs, High Welfare Chorizo and Salamis, and a range of Meat Free products under our Herbivore brand.

With over 40 years combined experience within the meat industry, our handson Directors have built up a reputation for producing top quality and innovative products for the UK and Export markets.

Our key brands include The British Premium Sausage Company, The Bath Pig & Herbivore.

The British Premium Sausage Company is the Sausage and Burger manufacturing division of GFE, producing multi award winning Sausages, Burgers and Meatballs.

With the Bath Pig we believe that we can deliver

British charcuterie that’s tastier, more sophisticated and at similar price to those imported from lower welfare European suppliers.

Herbivore dining options include our plant-based burgers, meatless balls, meatless sausage non-meat and hot-dogs are a fantastic alternative to their meat-based cousins.

They look like meat, cook like meat and have the texture of meat, but are entirely meat-free. It means you can enjoy a classic burger, hot dog or bangers ‘n’ mash experience while remaining strictly herbivore.

Good Food Express Limited is a multi award winning Company based in the heart of Yorkshire producing Sausages, Burgers, Meatballs, High Welfare Chorizo and Salamis, and a range of Meat Free products under our Herbivore brand.

For further information and to order see the websites at www.britishpremiumsausages.co.uk, www.thebathpig.com and www.herbivore.co

GLOBAL Knives Need Little Introduction 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.

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.

www.britishpremiumsausages.co.uk www.thebathpig.com www.herbivore.co

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Outdoor Leisure

Diageo Provides £2.4m To Transform Pubs and Bars Outdoor Sports Gardens Diageo, maker of GUINNESS, is offering the opportunity for pubs, restaurants and bars to transform their outdoor sports areas through the latest phase of the Raising the Bar £30m initiative. The programme launched in 2020 and has supported over 30,000 outlets over the last two years.

Diageo is providing £2.4m to help provide safe and comfortable outdoors spaces to outlets who have struggled to host guests outdoors over the past 18 months. Outlets can apply for the scheme on Diageo One now.

With sporting focused venues in GB recovering behind the rest of the market, the latest support from Raising the Bar will offer successful outlets a variety of options to maximise their outdoor spaces, including stretch tents/awning, timber cladded walls, standalone bars, outdoor seating, external lighting and more.

Catharina von Franck, Commercial Director, On Trade, comments: “Prepandemic, 54% of consumers in GB watched live sports in the on trade and we anticipate a growing demand for these in-venue sporting moments once more. The Raising the Bar team continue to look at ways to support the on trade and we look forward to seeing how we can help transform those outdoor sporting spaces not only to help businesses, but also to create amazing experiences for consumers.”

To apply for support, licensees simply need to fill out a questionnaire on www.diageo-one.com by the 30th April 2022. Successful outlets will be selected by a non-commercial board from Diageo and will hear from the Raising the Bar team in May, with installations taking place across May and June. The criteria for outlets to apply is split into four stages; outlet details for validation, understanding size and scale of the venue, assessing the need of venue for support and assessing outlet viability for install. Outlets will also have the opportunity to elaborate within the questionnaire how the pandemic has affected their ability to showcase live sports in their venue.

Since launching in 2020, Raising the Bar has invested £30m in targeted support and has worked with 30,000 outlets in GB to provide 1million litres of hand sanitiser, 15,000 PPE kits, 600 mobile bars, 150,000 parasols and over 30,000 hand sanitiser dispenser stations. To help bars, pubs and restaurants operate safely and securely, Diageo also offers free access to digital training and practical support through Diageo One. For further information on receiving support, operators can head to www.diageo-one.com or reach out to their Diageo representative

Cinders ‘Classic’ Barbecue Continues To Exceed Customers’ Expectations The Cinders ‘Classic’ barbecue has exceeded customers’ expectations for decades, due to its unique, patented design. It easily cooks 1000 burgers in one session but being a true workhorse is not its only selling point. Robust, reliable and low-maintenance are just three adjectives to describe a barbecue whose repair costs are typically non-existent over long periods, generating a healthy ROI for many years.

The Cinders ‘Classic’ comes as a six-foot long double grill (TG160), or a half-sized single grill (SG80), with both running on LPG and offering incredible food output for the price of the energy used. The user-friendly grills are easy-to-light and powerful, getting up to temperature in around five minutes, to quickly feed a queue or facilitate an impromptu pop-up

barbecue if great weather arrives.

Cinders’ production values are impressive - not only offering a warranty for commercial use, unlike cheap imported barbecues, but also built to ISO 9001:2015 standards.

The barbecues have internal self-cleaning too, removing the odious chore of post-barbecue clean-down. The grill merely needs to be left running for a few minutes to burn off residue, which is then brushed away or ejected. Once cool, the Classic can be folded down and easily stored away.

Discover more at www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk or call 01524 262900.

SPECIAL OFFER Buy 11 get 1 FREE!

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Make Sure You're Ready for National BBQ Week foods made from premium ingredients is here to stay, and the lure of global cuisines has been steadily building – especially as travel has been off the cards for some time. We have become a nation of foodies with a keen curiosity for new flavours, and our younger, digitally driven, generation have embraced better food offerings, showing interest for regional specialities that not only taste good, but are also produced with care and preferably instagrammable too!”

National BBQ Week is set to take place over 4th – 10th July this year, figures from the event website show that ‘the overall BBQ and alfresco eating and entertaining market in 2020 was worth just over £1.7 billion’ and ‘24% of us Brits now have BBQ’s during the Spring, with a record 11 million BBQ’s being held over the 2020 Easter holidays during Covid lockdown and a further 5% claiming to BBQ all year-round.’

Working closely with customers to ensure their needs are met exactly and providing reliable and prompt delivery, The Sausage Man prides itself on supplying the very best produce; a choice selection of premium meats and sausages are imported weekly from award-winning butchers across Germany to ensure optimum quality.

Sausages are a well-loved BBQ choice, and a barbecue wouldn’t be complete without the tantalising aroma of sizzling sausages over the coals!

The Sausage Man offers perfect outdoor entertaining food options and is famed for its varied range of gourmet German sausages and comprehensive selection of complementary goods from bakery, sauces, sides and accessories to complete the barbecue offer.

Charles Coleman, Sales Director at The Sausage Man says, “Industry research has revealed sausages have soared in sales and are a favourite choice.”

Research from Mintel* shows ‘sales of processed meat products, including processed poultry and red meat main meal components have skyrocketed by 18% during 2020 and are estimated to be worth £3.7 billion.

Breakfast and barbecue favourites, bacon (+18%), sausages (+20%) and burgers (+26%), all benefited from the rise in scratch cooking and a shift towards eating at home’.

Charles adds, “Consumer desire for artisan quality

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

Choose from favourites such as Bratwurst, Frankfurter or Halal Turkey, alongside a Gourmet collection featuring Wagyu Beef, Iberico Pork and Black Angus for the true sausage connoisseur.

For the ultimate in convenience all sausages and meats are pre-cooked, delivered frozen, and are quick to serve. Apart from the vegan sausage options, all other sausages are gluten-free. *Mintel ‘Temporary Slowdown In Meat Reduction Trend As Processed Meat Sales Boom’ Jan 2021

To find out more about our products visit https://wholesale.sausageman.co.uk

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.

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.

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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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.

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-

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!

For further information Tel: 0845 2601655, E-mail: sales@hags.co.uk or visit www.hags.co.uk

Add A Taste of Sunshine to Your Barbecues level of heat, suitable for most palates, so the complex flavours don’t get lost or hidden by the chilli.

Tasty, handcrafted and made in small batches in the UK using fresh ingredients only our highly versatile sauce is great for using as an ingredient for marinading etc. but also straight out the bottle as a dipping or pouring sauce. It’s a perfect accompaniment for any barbecued or grilled food.

"Sun on a Beach” sauce from Spirit of Aloha 65 is just the thing to add that tropical, spicy, summer flavour to any meal. Inspired by and using many of the same all-natural ingredients as Spirit of Aloha 65’s tropical spirit, our sauce is made from roasted pineapples, ginger, and a handful of other tropical spices including scotch bonnet chilli to give it a comfortable

Vegan, gluten-free and all-natural, Aloha 65 “Sun on a Beach” must be tried.

Try something out of the blue.

For more information or a sample bottle please contact aloha@aloha65.com

Awning for Large Areas THE “PERGOLA STRETCH” OFFERS ALL-ROUND WEATHER PROTECTION cover in similar fashion to a roof festoon. LED light provides beautiful lighting in the evening and radiant heaters guarantee a cozy atmosphere. The light and heat options can be controlled individually in multiunit systems. In order to be able to sit dry under the awning, waterproof and highly flame-retardant fabrics are used. It is also possible to combine the awning with vertical or side awnings for privacy and wind protection. 200 words

photo: markilux.

For further information, please visit: www.markilux-project.com

Manufacturer markilux has brought another “pergola awning” onto the market. A “stretch” version. The toothed belt-driven operating system makes it possible to offer even larger sizes. The use of waterproof fabrics protects reliably against rain as well.

The “pergola stretch” from markilux offers suitable protection against both sun and rain. The hospitality sector in particular benefits from this as the system creates an area in the open air where guests can sit at almost any time of the day or year. The awning also impresses with its dimensions: Up to 175 square meters can be covered by this astonishing awning model.

Transverse profiles, which move up and down the lateral guide tracks, extend and retract the awning

photo: markilux.

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Outdoor Leisure 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, allweather 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.

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.

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 -

Café Culture - Pavement Profit 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

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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

Geodesic Domes We have been custom-designing temporary and permanent structures including geodesic domes for more than 30 years but it is apparent that these flexible, portable buildings in particular are really gaining momentum right now, at a time when businesses in all areas are becoming more eco-conscious.

These unique spaces we create are flexible and just as suitable for warehousing or agricultural applications as they are for greenhouses, corporate events, festivals, glamping and even residential homes. Aesthetically, they have the wow factor and their shape makes them incredibly lightweight but this masks a considerable strength and durability that can withstand even the most severe weather conditions.

Quick to deploy, the range of anchoring options means we can install them almost any-

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where and the fabric covers can be easily changed so are fit for purpose at a trade fair one week and hosting a music festival concert the next.

Available in spans ranging from 5m to 37m, our geodesic domes can be fully branded with graphics and/or logos printed onto the fabric cover and come with bespoke options on windows, doors, exposed framework, interconnecting zips, as well as heating and cooling systems. The low surface-to-volume area means that up to 30% less energy is required to heat and cool the interior. Their shape ensures they insulate efficiently, promote better air circulation and keep temperatures even throughout the structure. It’s no wonder their popularity is on the rise.

However, aside from the eco credentials, there’s no question that whatever the domes are being used and re-used for, they always look impressive and deliver a memorable experience.

For a site visit or quick quote: call us on 01380 830 697, email sales@coprisystems.com or visit www.coprisystems.com

New Ranges from LeisureBench LeisureBench Limited is one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of commercial quality outdoor furniture.

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.

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 is available now!

The range includes 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.

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

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lnvicta Catering Repair Ltd lnvicta Catering Repair Ltd is an established Company, based in Canterbury. We have been repairing catering equipment for over 25 years in the South East.

Our quality engineers have an established record of 'first fixing' on all types of catering equipment.

We also supply & install all makes of catering equipment and can offer a design service, if required.

lnvicta also offer an Annual Service Contract Package which includes an annual Gas Certification Check, Service of the Equipment and no Call out Charges - Please contact the office for further details.

Areas covered- Kent & Essex Contact - 01227 454775 Paul@invict.co.uk or invictaaccounts@googlemail.com

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!

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

Invicta Catering Equipment and Repair Ltd. Supply, Design, Install & Service Equipment for Modern Commercial Kitchens Annual Service Contract Package Available The Professional Services Team at Invicta Catering Repair Ltd is focused on creating a "customer first" environment for our clients, offering innovative solutions, a flexible work ethic able to react to and prevent issues, provide cost effective answers for every catering concept.

Since 1993, our growth has been steady and strategic, with the sole focus of "Growing and changing our business model and solutions approach to meet all of our clients demands.

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Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Caterquip Ventilation – For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs

New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump) Creates Considerable Interest R-TEC Services & Innovation Ltd. (previously known as Rational Technical Services UK Ltd.) demonstrated its Combi Oven equipment to commercial kitchen operators at the recent HRC ExCel London Exhibition. On the stand was a working demo of a Rational Combi Oven and the New DrainMajor C (Combi Oven Pump) manufactured by partner Pump Technology Ltd. This proved a focal point for Combi Oven manufactures, installers, maintenance engineers and users alike. Potential users were shown a number of significant advantages that this combi oven drainage pump offered.

Very noticeable when viewing the exhibition demonstration tank with its clear side window was the large, triangular, low-level float attached to the pump by a rigid arm, external to the pump casing. Because of the design of this float system the unit can cope with an exceptional quantity of grease, fat and food particles before the reliable start/stop operation of the pump is affected.

The triangular low-level float also means that inlet heights can be just 70mm from base to centreline, giving the appropriate inlet requirement for wall or central island Combi Ovens.

The build quality of the submersible wastewater pump was also a discussion point, with the mechanical shaft seal arrangement between pump impeller and motor winding generally agreed as an advantage over a common lip seal/diaphragm arrangement, especially considering the hot wastewater temperatures and potential grease which these units have to handle.

often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

It can be connected to multiple ovens or oven and sink combinations. Also, multiple inlet connections can be cut onsite directly into the rigid Polyethylene tank without the need to manifold inlets outside of the tank and then feed into it via a single inlet. This means that the installation footprint is just the size of the compact tank and potential leaks from knocked manifold piping and joints are eliminated.

It looks like the New DrainMinor C is a winner and will soon be featuring in combi oven installations everywhere.

See the advert on the previous page for more details.

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

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

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

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

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

Products and Services For High Quality Restaurant Pads in a Range Of Never Compromise on Quality Issue 107

Different Options, Put Your Trust in Pukka Pads

of sizes, Pukka Pads has you covered for all your order taking needs. Choose from single-part, duplicate or triplicate pads, all numbered to help you accurately keep track of your covers. The handy thick card back covers make these pads perfect for taking orders on the go without having to rely on a surface for support, making them ideal for use in a restaurant, café, bar, pub or kitchen! Plus, you can benefit from minimum order quantities as low as 1 pack of 5 pads when you purchase through Pukka Pads as well as discounts for ordering in bulk.

Visit pukkastationery.com today to shop our huge range of business supplies and take 15% off your order with the code ‘OFFICE15’. Or get in touch with our friendly sales team on 01202 339960 or info@pukka-pads.co.uk for more information!

With 7 different styles to choose from and a range

See the advert on page 7 for details.

Restock Your Bar Essentials This Spring It’s spring and across the nation pubs and bars are starting to clean and prepare their beer gardens and outdoor areas ahead of the returning summer climate.

Whilst performing this annual task, now is a great time to take stock of your barware before the summer season begins. Here, at Alliance Online we aim to highlight the various areas you may want to upgrade and what options are available to you.

BAR FRIDGES One of the most overlooked of all the large bar equipment is your bar fridge and it may be getting tired and not working as well. The first thing we’d recommend is cleaning your bar fridge and continuing to do so weekly. Regarding your Spring stock take, the first area you want to inspect closely is the seals surrounding the doors. Broken seals can cause heat to escape from the main cavity meaning your fridge then needs to use more electricity to maintain its internal temperature. With rising electricity costs, it is within businesses best interest to check the state of bar fridges as they could end up costing you more.

selves. Are they robust and sharpened as any fault in the blades could cause problems mid-shift which could present problems at a less than favourable time. It is also worth checking the motors which spin the blades ensuring they are free of debris and free from any blockages. Always instil in your staff after use practices like cleaning and washing of the device to prolong the service life of the equipment. When looking for new options Hamilton Beach have become a staple within the industry.

GLASSWARE

Following on from fridges we come to mixers and blenders. The first aspect you will want to review is the blades them-

Staying with cocktails, the design of your glass can accentuate the drinking experience. So, why not review your more specialised ranges of stemware to opt for a more unique style? Martini, margarita, gin goblets, hurricane and coupe glasses all have iconic shapes but can all benefit from a touch of individuality. One such range we’d recommend to create stunning showstopping drinks is the Hayworth range from Utopia.

See the advert on page 8 for details.

With costs rising from every angle, it’s never been more important to scrutinise overheads. However, compromising on quality is never an option – your reputation depends on it.

Lanchester Wines is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of quality wines and spirits to the trade, successfully operating and innovating across every element of the UK wine trade. We supply a wide range of quality and premium wines to the on-trade with customers including pubs, clubs, bars and hotel chains.

Our extensive wine collection includes high quality wines from all corners of the world and we work directly with some of the leading wine producers across the globe to make sure we’re always offering the best quality wine at the best price.

What’s more, we are a sustainable wine business and continue to invest heavily in the generation of renewable energy at our County Durham headquarters. We believe being carbon neutral is just the beginning, which is why we make a conscious effort to ensure all of our operations are as environmentally friendly as possible.

We’re a family owned business and we believe in always

going above-and-beyond for our customers, which is why we offer a range of additional services: • Our team of designers and wine experts can help strengthen your brand by creating your own label wines.

Ideal as a house wine, each bottle is created bespoke using your colours and logos • We can work with you to create your own bespoke wine lists, tailored to suit your individual business needs, industry and customer base. Select the wines your customers want to complement your food menu • Do your staff need more training? We offer staff wine training to equip your team with the skills and knowledge required to provide your customers with unparalleled wine service For further information, please call 01207 52 1234 or email sales@lanchesterwines.co.uk and we’ll put you in touch with a Lanchester Wines business manager in your area.

Visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk or see the advert on page 15.

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.

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

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Best London Dry Gin In England and Other Award-Winning Gins From Henley Gin

Now is a perfect time to take stock of your glassware. Firstly, go through and check if you need to replenish any of your glasses.

Despite commercial glassware’s durability breakages still occur and whilst we are still not quite in the Spring to Summer socialising period it’s good to place orders for any replacements you may require.

Whilst doing this process you can also review your current glassware and decide whether you want to replace any ranges you have with more modern or themed glasses in line with more recent trends. With Should you consider completely replacing your bar rum and rum based cocktails beginning to boom tiki fridge we’d recommend models from Sterling or glasses are great for serving such drinks due to their Blizzard. Both are well known within the catering indus- more fun and outlandish style. Equally, decorative crystry, specifically for tal cut hiball tumblers are always a favourite for their range of serving cocktail drinks as they highlight the vibrant refrigerators. colours.

MIXERS AND STICK BLENDERS

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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. or see the advert on page 17.

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Issue 107

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.

Design and Refit

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 vari-

ety 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 supplied 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.

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.

tude of benefits to its customers. No wonder that over 5000 major brands and independents in the UK trust CardsSafe.

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.

“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

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 offers a multi-

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

Design and Refit

Issue 107

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Mayfair Furniture

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 310 115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk 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.

www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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

The Curtain Cabin Based in Verwood, Dorset, The Curtain Cabin is a well-established curtain making company, specialising in the manufacture and supply of bespoke curtains and soft furnishings including blinds, tracks, poles, sheer curtains and furnishings. The Curtain Cabin produces a range of products for the commercial sector, including furnishings for hotels, village halls, health centres and on projects for local authorities.

The Curtain Cabin has been in operation for over ten years, however, Managing Director, Dawn Moses has been in the soft furnishing industry for over 30 years. The company has built up a strong working relationship with Harbour Hotels, over

the past seven years, having worked on a number of sites within the Harbour Hotels portfolio.

Most recently, The Curtain Cabin has been involved with Harbour Hotel Southampton. Working on this project, The Curtain Cabin carried out site visits to ascertain track, blinds and curtain sizes; advised on best positioning and operation; compiled a pricing and fitting schedule; and manufactured and supplied curtains, sheers, lining & curtain sundry items, blinds and tracks.

The Curtain Cabin also supplied a large area of electric hard wired sheer blinds to the 6th floor (21 blinds in total), as well as electric tracks in the Function Room with nearly 6 metre drops on electric tracks.

For further information please call 01202 813533 or visit www.curtaincabin.co.uk

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

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Design and Refit

Issue 107

TVC Leisure WHO ARE WE? TVC Leisure is one of the last remaining independent family owned and family run companies in our industry that is otherwise dominated by national companies and conglomerates. We have specialised in supplying gaming and amusement machines to pubs, social clubs and licenced premises for nearly 40 years.

We operate regionally, supplying customers throughout London and The Home Counties.

port our customers in their day-to-day activities, such as CCTV systems, plasma televisions, projectors, ice machines, glass washers and bottle coolers.

OUR GOLD STANDARD SERVICE TVC Leisure’s gold standard service is what separates us from the competition, it gives us a competitive edge in our fast-paced industry which is dominated by national companies that fail to service their customers adequately. Examples of our 'Gold Standard Service' include a 2 hour response to technical issues 7 days a week, easily accessible at all times of the day, regular machine rotations and upgrades, routine collection services, ongoing support and regular communication through text messages, weekly emails and monthly newsletters.

WHY CHOOSE TVC LEISURE

OUR PRODUCTS We offer an extremely diverse range of equipment that includes fruit machines, digital gaming machines, digital jukeboxes, pool tables, quiz machines, lottery machines and amusement machines. In addition, we also offer a variety of ancillary equipment to help sup-

We are a family run business that deploy strong family values and culture within our company. We build relationships with our customers, provide a personal service, and offer friendly and helpful advice, we are always looking to exceed expectations and improve. Our approach is unique and unmatched by national companies 01189 121 042 info@tvcleisure.co.uk www.tvcleisure.co.uk See the advert on the facing page for details.

Refresh Your Tabletops To Give Your Venue A New Lease Of Life As your tabletops are in constant use, practicality and durability are every bit as important as a stylish look in keeping with your design theme.

Trent Furniture’s

recently expanded range of tabletops includes melamine, solid wood, beechwood and a new oak-faced veneer.

Contrary to some misconceptions about veneer, this chic tabletop is every bit as hardwearing as our other contract grade finishes.

Our great range of tabletops are available with most of our tables, such as our wide selection of Black Pyramid Tables and our Rectangular Bar Table and Square Bar Table. However, because

tabletops tend to get more wear and tear than their bases, our tabletops are available on their own as a costeffective solution to give your tables an easy update. Not only that, they can be cut to size to your exact requirements to any length up to 140cm and stained in a wide range of colours to blend in with your décor scheme seamlessly.

Whether you’re looking for new tables or want to discuss refurbishing your existing tables, call 0116 2864 911 or fill in our contact form at www.trentfurniture.co.uk/contact-us to find out more.

How To Maximise Your Property To Provide Unique Guest Facilities A great way to maximise income is to leverage every nook and cranny of your property. Many period properties boast under exploited basements, attics and space under the staircase. Or even adjoining outbuildings. With a little imagination, proper planning and designing, plus the right products, any underutilised space can be converted into additional facilities.

For that cupboard under the stairs, consider a WC for guests to use upon arrival.

For the average cellar and attic, it’s almost always possible to add an en-suite bedroom. And if you have a large basement or loft, there’s always the option of adding a completely self-contained unit complete with a bathroom and a kitchen.

But how, you might ask, when the mains drains are out of reach?

Saniflo can usually help. With the widest range of macerators and pumps on the market that are specifically designed to remove waste water away from multiple appliances through small bore pipework they are often the enabler of such projects given water can’t travel upwards. They can also save the

time, effort and cost associated with digging up – often concrete – floors to lay new pipes.

The first step is to consult your local plumbing merchant or kitchen and bathroom retailer and share your conversion idea. They will be able to advise on the best Saniflo solution for your project. If in any doubt, Saniflo’s highly experienced technical team can provide help and knowhow over the phone. The next step is to work with a plumber to identify the route to the mains drains and the best place for the installation – bearing in mind ways to conceal the units to enhance the rooms aesthetics –in a cupboard, behind a panel or even under the floorboards.

Once the unit has been fitted and connected up, you’re on your way to earn more money from unused spaces.

For more information please visit www.saniflo.co.uk See the advert on the facing page for details.

Design and Refit

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Beautiful Art Pieces. Quality Materials.

Original Designs. allowing you the luxury of selecting from a range of different sizes and endless colour combinations to suit your interior design needs.

AttikoArt prints are each presented in a choice of 3-4 standard colour ways that we have curated and put together for you to browse and easily shop. We closely follow interior design trends and always try and come up with designs and colours to fit with ever-changing interior schemes.

However, if none of our standard colour-ways are quite right you can always contact us for a tweak. We can carefully edit the colours in our designs to produce a bespoke version that's just right for you. We work closely with the public and trade alike in this respect.

AttikoArt is a British mother & daughter designer duo and creator of abstract art prints. Our pieces are all designed in house, and then printed exclusively to order in the UK using a traditional, high-grade giclee printing method. By transferring our original artwork to print, we can produce custom variations for you -

Do you have an upcoming project? Show us your room or interior design plans, and we will work with you to find one or more art pieces to complement your scheme.

If you would like more information or to find out how AttikoArt could help with your current or upcoming project, please email info@attikoart.com

Temporary Catering Facilities

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.

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 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.

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

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Property and Professional

Issue 107

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

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.

most out of each cover, while improving efficiency levels.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

Are You Struggling to RUN PROFITABLY Your Business?

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 If so, our bespoke Hospitality As part of his Mentoring-driven service, David has always provided ‘’free-of- are ALSO at your disposal for advice on areas such as legal advice, saving Mentoring & Consultancy service extra-charge’’ key weekly figures, analysis & reporting so that your finger is money on Utility bills, Marketing and more. OUR BOWDEN GROUP can help. Our Managing Consultant, always on the pulse of your business’s finances and performance.

ALLIANCE MARKETING COLLEAGUE MATTHEW WILL EVEN GIVE David Hunter, has been a recognised YOU A MARKETING REVIEW … COMPLETELY F.O.C. … to help you The GOOD NEWS is that David has now made this service even more Management Consultant specialising in the Hospitality sector for over 30 accessible, with a lower ‘’entry level’’ ongoing Mentoring arrangement that to get your business going. is ‘’strapped on to’’ our providing those vital weekly figures to you. years.

Without cost or obligation, David will also take a look at your figures and So … instead of just getting our own well-established, tried and tested discuss what could be ACHIEVED … again COMPLETELY F.O.C. …

David’s mission is to provide practical advice, knowledge and expert- and very popular, weekly figures reporting system, you can now access If your business is struggling with financial or operational challenges, then David’s KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and EXPERTISE via INCLUSIVE, and ise that will help your business to get in touch today. reach its full FINANCIAL POTENTIAL. AT NO EXTRA COST, four half-day on-site Mentoring & Consultancy visits every year (or two full days, depending on your location).

MAXIMISE YOUR FULL POTENTIAL by calling David Hunter confidenOur bespoke Mentoring & Consultancy service focuses on the key areas of your business, such as PROFITABILITY, MANAGING PEOPLE, MARKETtially on 07831 407984 or 01628 487613, or message us via our website You get even more than that … David is always available to you at the ING and OPERATIONAL STRATEGY. at: www.bowdengroup.co.uk end of the phone or via Email, and always on-hand when you need advice

T H E W E S T C O U N T RY S P E C I A L I S T S

• 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

EXETER CITY CENTRE

EAST DEVON COAST

DEVON/CORNWALL BORDERS

Established Licensed Café & Coffee Shop

Popular Day Time Café With Parking

Day Time Only, 4 Days a Week

Occupying Prominent Trading Location

Main Café Seating Area (30)

Main Café (30), Kitchen

Al Fresco Seating (12+)

Part Covered Al Fresco Terrace (16)

Profitable With Excellent Reputation

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2138

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SOMERSET VILLAGE

SOMERSET VILLAGE

DEVON COASTAL TOWN

Substantial & Deceptively Spacious Inn

Quality Delicatessen & Coffee Shop

Bar & Dining Areas (140)

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Equipped To Extremely High Standards

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4 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms

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Sought After Free of Tie Leasehold

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Alfresco Seating For 24 Customers

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LH £89,950

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4008

PRICE ON APPLICATION

PRICE: £45,000

W! NE

2131

PRICE: £525,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4232

• A Fabulous Waterfront Inn with Far Reaching Views Over the South Devon Coastline • Large Open Plan Traditional Trading Area, Commercial Kitchen & Ancillaries • Outside Trade Patio Area & Balcony with Coastal Views • 1 Bed Owners Apartment with Sea Views & Secondary Managers Flat • 4 Letting Rooms on the Top Floor - 3 of which have Spectacular Sea Views

DAWLISH, DEVON

FREEHOLD

REF: 4188

PRICE: £299,950

DEVON COUNTRY VILLAGE

SOMERSET COAST

SOMERSET COUNTRY VILLAGE

Beautifully Restored Country Village Inn

Quality Licensed Café & Coffee Shop

Detached Free of Tie Village Inn

8 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms

Daytime Only 5 Days a Week

Stunning High Turnover Freehouse

Lovely Restaurant Areas (65+)

Main Café (35), Fully Equipped

Character Restaurant Areas (84)

Al Fresco Seating Area (76)

Al Fresco Seating (20)

Double Bedroom Owner’s Apart.

Strong Turnover & Profits

Parking For 4 Vehicles

Gardens & Parking

FH £695,000

4817

LH £85,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

2139

LH £45,000

PRICE: £620,000

4819

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

FREEHOLD

REF: 4184

BRIXHAM, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

REF: 4225

• Fabulous Freehold Opportunity within Dartmoor National Park • Charming Café/Bistro with Shop Trading Daytimes Only • Superb 2 Bed Self-Contained Accommodation • Huge Potential to Expand on Current Trade • Suitable for a Range of Catering Styles

FREEHOLD

REF: 3408

• Centrally Located Freehold Pub; Currently Closed & Priced to Sell • Main Open Plan Ground Floor Trading Area & Substantial ‘Back of House’ Space • Spacious Two Bedroom Owner’s Accommodation • Covered ‘Beer’ Terrace & Outside Decking over Two Levels • Would Suit Owner Occupier Operator or Alternatively Could Lend Itself to a Number of Alternative Uses (STP)

W! NE

LISKEARD, CORNWALL

PRICE: £195,000 + VAT

FREEHOLD

HATCH BEAUCHAMP, SOMERSET

• Substantial Completely Refurbished 18th Century Coaching Inn • 2 Character Trading Areas with Bar Serveries & Fully Equipped Commercial Kitchen • 5 Superior En-Suite Letting Rooms & Very Well Presented 3 Bed Private Accommodation • Outside Courtyard Trading Area, Car Park & Additional Storage • Skittle Alley/Function Room with Lapsed Planning Permission to Convert Upper Floor

• Superbly Refurbished & Upgraded Home & Income Premises • Turnkey Operation Suitable for a Variety of Catering Uses • Vibrant Ground Floor & 1st Floor Trade Areas with Delightful Trade Garden • Self-Contained Owners 2/3 Bedroom Maisonette • Located on Busy Pedestrianised Shopping Street

MORETONHAMPSTEAD, DEVON

TORQUAY, DEVON

• Successful Fish & Chip Takeaway • Prominent Location Within Densely Populated Area • Majority of Trade Inventory Replaced in 2020 • Potential to Expand Menu Options & Offer Delivery • Genuine Sale Due to Health Reasons

6004

Exceptional High Turnover Free of Tie Inn

LH £150,000

PRICE: £150,000

W! NE

REF: 4239

• Charming Country Pub & Very Successful Business Situated in a Desirable Area • Character Trading Areas which have been Totally Refurbished • Fully Equipped Commercial Kitchen & Professional Back of House Space • Beautifully Appointed 3 Bedroom Owners Flat • Outside Sun Deck, Stunning Beer Garden, Children's Play Area & Car Park

CHIPPENHAM, WILTSHIRE

PRICE: £800,000

FREEHOLD

REF: 4046

Property and Professional

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 purpos-

es, 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.

1. Assignment: a. A payment to a new tenant to take on the lease is not considered a supply of land and will be standard rated. b. A payment from the new tenant to the existing tenant is a 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 VATexempt 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.

Changes to NICs Will Help to Fill Hospitality Shifts Recent increases in the National Insurance threshold and National Living Wage should help hospitality businesses to fill some of the gaps in their staff rotas, say workforce management specialists Bizimply.

CEO Conor Shaw said: “The changes will largely benefit part-time employees such as students, who will take home more for every shift they work. If that’s enough of an incentive for them to take on additional hours, then it’s a good result for the many hospitality operators who are struggling to fully staff their business.”

Bizimply’s software helps employers to put the new NI and NLW rates in place quickly, so team members who benefit from the changes will see the difference promptly.

Shaw adds: “These changes will be of some help in filling shifts, but they won’t solve the hospitality recruitment crisis. In the medium term, most businesses will be operating with permanent vacancies – which makes it all the more important to have your existing team working at 100% efficiency.

“That doesn’t mean working staff harder – but man-

aging and motivating them, so that they enjoy their job, deliver better customer service and are more likely to stay with you. Simple things like giving team members plenty of notice of shifts, and ensuring they’re promptly paid when they do work extra hours, can a long way to create a happier, more loyal workforce.”

Bizimply’s software helps businesses reduce the amount of time spent creating staff rotas and sorting out payroll. They estimate a time saving of up to six hours a week using their software to draw up rotas, compared to using Excel or similar.

For a free demonstration or more information: www.bizimply.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

Issue 107

CLH DIGITAL

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