CLH Digital - Issue #119

Issue 119

Government Extends Recovery Loan Guarantee Scheme www.CLHNews.co.uk

The hospitality and licensed on trade sector has received a welcome boost as the government announced an extension of its guaranteed loan scheme to small businesses for a further two years.

The government’s flagship business loan scheme opened to applications on 6 April 2021 to help businesses cope with the large amount of trade lost to the pandemic, with the government promising lenders it would guarantee 80% of loans in the case of a default on payments.

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Originally scheduled to run until 31 December 2021, the government announced at Autumn Budget 2021 that the scheme would be extended by six months to 30 June 2022, albeit with some adjustments to its terms. The government provided a guarantee of 70% for loans made after 1 January 2022. The borrower remains 100% liable for the debt.

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Issue 119

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital

staff, they were added to the shortage occupation list for 12 months, which will now allow migrants to get work visas to fill jobs where there are This weekend I was speaking to a licensee of a very shortages.

Migrant workers are large and popular pub/carvery in Yorkshire. They have able to move in with had to reduce their operation down to 5 days from dependents, including its pre-pandemic 7 day week operation. They have partners and children, and seen long established chefs and front of house staff leave for jobs with less unsociable hours, are witness- the visa offers a path to ing diminishing footfall, and stated that they are cur- settlement in the UK. rently operating on about 45% turnover compared This would immensely to 2019. Midweek evening trade has, they said, “fallen help the current staffing crisis, and in the long term will see more revenue raised for off a cliff”. the Treasury.

The government announcement that it is to extend the recovery loan guarantee scheme for a further two years is, of course, welcome, the fallout from the pandemic and subsequent staffing, inflation and energy costs are having impact on the sector’s ability to trade profitably.

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Peter Adams

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Costs, they say, have gone through the roof (as we all know) and businesses experiencing all of that will welcome access to borrowing in the knowledge that 70% of the debt will be underwritten by the government.

However, unless the government digs deep to get us out of this dire financial difficulty, which could stretch into a full-blown recession, borrowing, no matter how welcome or simply, is papering over cracks.

If businesses are having to shut up part of their operation several days a week because they are not able to operate due to lack of staff then the inevitable consequence is falling revenue for the Treasury.

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I would urge the Chancellor in an instant to cut hospitality VAT back down to 5% until Christmas 2023! Everything to gain and nothing to lose.

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Bear in mind, I was talking to a “seasoned hospitality operator” who has had their business for 13 years and has spent their entire career in the pub/restaurant trade.

On a sidenote, and just my opinion, did the country overreact to the heatwave?

My answer is a massive yes! We went ludicrously over the top. “Emergency meetTo say they have never seen trading conditions so awful would be an understatement. ing of COBRA”, oh please!

I knew were being pushed into a heightened state of alarm when I saw a photoThey fully expect to ‘paddle the canoe through the storm’. They were not what I would call “doomsters”, full of anger and wanting to apportion blame, but they rightly graph online of a weather presenter in 2017 standing in front of a board with temmade the point that it is the wider economy which needs fixing and the public need peratures displayed for various cities in Europe. The land was green and the temperatures were displayed in white. Wind the clock forward 5 years to 2022 and a huge dose of “confidence”. we see the land coloured in fiery red and the temperatures displayed in dark red.

Inflation needs to be brought under control quickly. You cannot successfully run any The irony being temperatures being displayed in a 'scorched earth' fashion were business where dishes are constantly under price review. Public have expectations actually lower than the temperatures displayed in 2017. when they dine out, and going to their favourite pubs, bars and restaurants and payFor my part, I poured myself a large G&T sat in the garden and enjoyed the suning higher prices each week will simply put them off altogether. These costs can, and shine, and would urge everybody else to do the same! no doubt are, being passed onto customers in tourist areas with high footfall, but businesses relying on regular clientele will know that this is simply not an option.

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, I said in an earlier editorial that the government should consider emergency relief so please do follow us on Twitter, Facebook and our newly created Instagram, and surrounding overseas labour. It did so with the adult social care sector when it added care workers to the Shortage of Labour (SoL) list. In February this year immi- encourage as many people you know in the trade to subscribe to our digital issue. gration rules were temporarily relaxed for care workers in a bid to recruit and keep Further details can be seen at www.catererlicensee.com

The Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News Group is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, Suite 4, Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.

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EDITOR Peter Adams

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Government Extends Recovery Loan Guarantee Scheme Issue 119

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The scheme has supported almost 19,000 businesses with an average of £202,000 in support.

The extension, the government says, “provides further government support for businesses grappling with cost pressures and adds to measures already announced by the Chancellor, such as increasing the Employment Allowance, slashing fuel duty, and introducing a 50% business rates relief for eligible high street businesses.”

“LIFEBLOOD OF BRITISH ECONOMY” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the British economy, which is why we are determined to support our traders and entrepreneurs in dealing with worldwide inflationary pressures.

“The extension of the Recovery Loan Scheme will help ensure we continue to provide much-needed finance to thousands of small businesses across the country, while stimulating local communities, creating jobs and driving economic growth in the UK.” Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, said: “Small businesses are the engines of economic growth, supporting jobs and livelihoods in communities right across the UK. “The Recovery Loan Scheme has supported thousands of businesses over the past year and this extension will ensure they continue to access the finance they need to navigate the months ahead.”

The scheme has supported over 16,000 English businesses, as well as 1,000 businesses in Scotland, 600 Welsh businesses and 300 in Northern Ireland.

The principle behind the extended Recovery Loan Scheme remains unchanged: government will underwrite 70% of lender liabilities, at the individual borrower level, in return for a lender fee. Lenders must ensure that the benefits of the government guarantee are passed through to businesses.

The maximum loan size remains at up to £2m. However, recognising that businesses and the UK more generally are now in a better position than they were during the pandemic, lenders may now require a personal guarantee from the borrower, in line with standard commercial practice.

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SCHEME WILL BRING GREAT COMFORT

Chris Wilford, CBI Director of Financial Services Policy, said: “Amidst challenging economic headwinds and continued cost pressures, this remains a difficult time for business.

“With cashflow difficulties at the forefront of the minds of many business owners, continued access to Government-backed loans will bring great comfort.

“This next phase of the Recovery Loan Scheme will provide a critical lifeline for firms. The CBI will also continue to work with Government and lenders on ensuring businesses have access to the finance they need to go for growth.”

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “After two years of pandemic disruption and with a faltering global economy, the BCC has been calling for this continued financial support for firms. The two-year extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme will be a lifeline for many businesses facing a rising tide of costs.

“It is now essential that businesses in need of this extra support can access the scheme as quickly as possible to make sure they get help before it’s too late.”

HOSPITALITY LENDING PERCEIVED “HIGH RISK” The scheme will provide a welcome boost to the sector, since a report in June revealed that outstanding bank lending to small businesses in the hospitality sector fell by over £ 1.4billion in the last year, following the end of Covid-19 loans schemes.

Chartered accountants and business advisers Hazlewoods, revealed that the rate dropped to £14.61 billion in April 2022, down from £16.08 billion in March 2021, as the cost of living crisis ate into consumers’ discretionary spending, resulting in banks being less willing to lend to pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels given their perceived higher risk of default.

Rebecca Copping, associate partner at Hazlewoods said: “Banks are really starting to back away from lending to hospitality businesses. Without financial support from lenders, some pubs, restaurants and hotels are really going to struggle.”

Hazlewoods says that the Government’s new Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is markedly less generous than the CBILS and BBLS schemes it replaced, meaning banks are less keen to lend to SMEs through it. Under RLS the Government no longer pays the first 12 months interest on behalf of businesses, nor the lender’s fees, while interest rates for borrowers have also risen.

Extreme Weather To Impact The Recovery Of Hospitality 4

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Issue 119

By Kunal Sawhney, CEO of Kalkine (www.kalkine.co.uk) The UK economy is facing several challenges -- post-Brexit woes, inflation, COVID-19, and others. Inflation, which touched a 40-year high in May, has altered the buying behaviour of consumers. They are exercising more caution now since they have to pay significantly higher for most items than they were paying last year. This cautionary spending means bad news for some businesses.

People generally go to pubs and restaurants, eat, drink, and have fun. But this isn't the case for the last two years as COVID-19 lockdowns forced people to stay indoors, and non-essential businesses remained shut. When the restrictions were removed, and these businesses were finally hoping to see some light, inflation knocked on their doors.

High prices don't just mean people have reduced non-discretionary spending. The input costs for businesses have increased, courtesy, supply chain disruptions and Russia-Ukraine war. Higher input costs mean restaurants either have to pass them on to the few customers that they are getting or reduce their profit margins. Either way, their businesses would take a toll.

EXTREME WEATHER AND WORK FROM HOME MAKE RECOVERY DIFFICULT When the future was already looking blurry for the hospitality industry, the heatwave seemed to be making their situation difficult. For the first time, the UK has recorded a temperature of more than 40C (104F), and people are being warned by Network Rail to avoid trains unless necessary. Temperature is expected to climb past 41C (105.8F). Though the government is urging people to take precautions and enjoy the sunshine, there is a lot of concern regarding the heatwave. The extreme weather is forcing many pubs and restaurants to

announce scrapping of services, as working in a kitchen can be very difficult, and they cannot force their staff to work in these extreme conditions. Some venues are adjusting and running reduced or alternative services.

Not just the heatwaves, fewer customers are also a result of the work-from-home culture. Recently, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that a significant number of people are still working from home.

In London, about 37% of people continue to discharge their job responsibilities from home, sparking concerns over the city's economic recovery. This number stood at 14% before the pandemic. On the other hand, across the whole country, 30% of people are working from home.

Since a significant chunk of people is not commuting to the office, it has impacted the hospitality and transport businesses. Sales in pubs have dropped, and many of them are facing losses. A recent survey found that just about a third (37%) of UK hospitality businesses are currently making profits, while 45% are forced to reduce their opening hours to cut costs.

HIGH LABOUR COSTS While the sales are already down, another challenge for the pub and restaurant owners is to find staff. The sector has a huge labour shortage, and to add to the problems, labour costs are now higher as attractive pay has to be offered to attract workers.

Apart from COVID-19, the labour shortage is also caused by Brexit. Research suggests that before Brexit, 75% of the waiting staff in UK restaurants and pubs came from the EU. In 2020, a major chunk of such staff returned to their home countries due to COVID-19, but most of them later struggled to return to the UK due to the new point-based system implemented because of Brexit.

THE WAY AHEAD In the short term, the challenges for hospitality businesses will most likely continue due to high inflation.

What can work in their favour is some more support from the government, like a reduction of VAT, so that the competition comes down slightly. However, pubs and restaurants need to brace themselves for the upcoming months. Another interest rate hike is on the cards to control inflation, which will nudge the consumers to further reduce spending.

Scottish Licensed Trade Calls for VAT Cut to Support Hospitality Businesses as Inflation Soars As prices continue to rise at their fastest rate for more than 40 years and UK inflation soaring to 9.4% in the 12 months to June from 9.1% in May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the SLTA (Scottish Licensed Trade Association) is renewing its call for a reduction in the rate of VAT. The trade association has previously urged the UK Government to reduce VAT to help struggling hospitality businesses recovering from the pandemic. “The temporary reduction of VAT from 20% to 5% from July 2020 to support businesses during the pandemic was hugely appreciated by the hospitality industry but its return to the standard rate from April 1 has coincided with an unprecedented rise in inflation and also food and energy costs,” said Mr Wilkinson.

“Businesses are struggling so it goes without saying that their customers are struggling too. After enforced closures and restrictions during the pandemic, the spiralling cost-of-

living crisis and ongoing staffing issues now having an impact on licensed hospitality and many other sectors, it is crucial that both the UK and Scottish governments listen to our concerns.

“Many businesses no longer open seven days or they open later in the day because of rising energy costs and lack of staff so a cut in VAT would go a long way to helping them on the road to recovery and provide much-needed support over what will be a very difficult few months.

“It really is no exaggeration to say that the hospitality industry is still very much in recovery mode although we accept that there are some examples of businesses that are performing well due to their location and business model.

“However, the majority are simply not in a position to cope with these soaring utility bills, fuel increases and the sharp rise in the cost of food and drink – they need help and they need it now.”

Only A Pavement Away Offers Recruitment Resource for the Hospitality Industry Put simply, this approach works, both for employers and in helping people facing homelessness. I can place another 500 people into work if we secure additional investment to appoint 3 more Relationship Managers, we need the support of the hospitality industry to do this.”

Only A Pavement Away, the hospitality sector charity aiding prison leavers, veterans and those facing homelessness back into employment, has laid out plans to assist the hospitality industry in tackling the staffing crisis.

Calling for vital funds, Only A Pavement Away can place hundreds more people facing homelessness back into employment every year with increased funding from the sector.

Over 100 hospitality operators including many of the UK’s biggest operators, already use Only A Pavement Away to recruit new talent. The Only a Pavement Away bespoke hospitality Jobs Board – which is free of charge – has been developed to help streamline and alleviate the burden of the processes that employers go through in employing people who are struggling to reconnect with society.

Last month, UK Hospitality noted the job gap in the sector currently stands at 174,000 causing significant concern for the industry, with nearly half (45%) of all operators having to cut service hours or offering .

Only A Pavement Away, the industry charity established in 2018 by Greg & Gill Mangham, believe it can be an invaluable resource in going some way to address these stark figures, with a cost effective and compassionate approach.

The charity’s employment programme works in partnership with hospitality employers, referral charity partners and individuals who have experienced or are facing homelessness, prison leavers and vulnerable veterans. It facilitates training and development as well as offering additional financial support to those who need it to overcome any barriers to employment, to help them back into work and in doing so, help to tackle some of the staffing and skills shortages within the hospitality sector.

Greg Mangham, CEO Only A Pavement Away, said “After 2 years of disrupted trading it is so frustrating to witness the staffing crisis now constraining the recovery of the industry I have dedicated most of my working life to. Meanwhile, the number of people facing homelessness in the UK has risen by 50% over the last 5 years. Both of these issues are unacceptable and Only A Pavement Away is determined to help.”

“We work with people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans to facilitate training and development, as well as offering additional financial support to those who need it to overcome any barriers to employment so that every candidate is ‘job ready.’ These people represent an untapped talent pool, and have already proven impactful for employers with 50% of candidates still in the role we placed them in.”

Feedback form employers has been highly positive, Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King says; “We are proud to have partnered with Only a Pavement Away since 2018 and so far have helped more than 100 prison leavers back into work with the support of the charity. Its work has never been more vital in getting people back into employment as well as supporting the sector with labour shortages.

‘The work Only a Pavement Away does to engage and support pre-employment means hundreds of people who were uncertain about their future are now working towards a career in hospitality. As well as supporting those into employment, Only a Pavement Away really is tackling some of the biggest issues for society and putting hospitality at the centre whilst increasing awareness with other charities, industry and government as part of a wider remit. Our partnership is key to our future plans and we look forward to working with Only a Pavement Away for many more years to come.”

Only A Pavement Away is seeking hospitality partners interested in supporting the charity as part of their ESG commitment to help 1,000 people facing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans develop life skills, become job ready and provide them with a direct route into employment by 2027.

For further information, visit www.onlyapavementaway.co.uk

Soaring Temperatures Force Pubs to Close

Issue 119

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England included.

The alerts will be in place until midnight on Friday, before which the mercury could hit 33C, according to meteorologists.

Met Office chief operational meteorologist Steven Ramsdale said:

Soaring temperatures saw pubs “shut up shop”, as conditions became unbearable for staff.

“The high temperatures are going to continue through a large part of this week.

Many areas will continue to reach heatwave thresholds but the amber extreme heat warning focuses on western areas where the most unusually high temperatures are likely to persist.

“There’s a continuing risk of isolated thundery downpours late in the afternoons but most areas will stay dry until later in the week.

Temperatures in some part of the country yesterday (Tuesday, July 19 ) reached as high as 40° of The Pipeworks Bar at Pontyclun in Rhondda Cynon Taf decided to close to protect workers after temperatures exceeded 30 degrees outside.

Temperatures should begin to fall for most areas heading into the weekend, with some more unsettled conditions looking to develop.”

“As well as being too hot outside, it’s unbearable behind our bar,” a statement from the business said on Facebook.

The weather has been deemed so intense it has caused the authorities to advise that it could be threatening to people’s health.

“Everything that is keeping the drinks cold is making us even hotter.

Dr Owen Landeg, from Public Health England (PHE), said:

“Plus, masks are just horrid to wear at the moment, so it’s only fair on the staff that we give them a couple of days off. We didn’t ever think we would close due to sun.”

“Everybody can be affected by high temperatures and most people are aware of good health advice for coping with hot weather. However, it’s important to keep checking on those who are most vulnerable such as older people and those with heart or lung conditions.

In Nottinghamshire Kilpin Beer Cafe and Junkyard also closed, proprietor Nigel Garlick said: “Due to the extreme heat forecasted on Monday and Tuesday we decided to close both our venues. We feel it would be in the best interests of our staff to not have to work in those conditions.”

The decisions follow a Met Office extreme weather temperature warning for parts of the UK, with Northern Ireland, areas of Wales, and the west of

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Travelling Solo: How Hotels Can Cater To The Latest Travel Trend 6

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Issue 119

By Giles Fuchs, owner of Burgh Island Hotel (www.burghisland.com)

might seem daunting. People might question – won’t I be lonely?

brave, a dip in the Mermaid Pool.

However, for solo travellers, spending time alone is not necessarily the aim. Almost one-third of those who travel alone view it as an opportunity to meet new people and build connections and friendships. It’s even thought that around 1 in 5 people meet their spouse when on holiday.

As almost 60% of solo travellers want to travel alone because they want to experience things without waiting for someone, offering truly unique opportunities is a vital way to capture their attention.

Hospitality businesses should capitalise on the social appetite of solo travellers. This can be achieved by providing opportunities for social interactions and group experiences where people can meet.

Last winter, the hospitality sector was hit by the phenomenon of “HOGO” (the Hassle Of Going Out). People stopped showing up for bookings, having become accustomed to a more insular life during lockdown. One restaurant, for example, reported over 1,000 no-shows in a single week.

A survey from Travelport found that 59% of solo travellers want hotels to provide on-the-go activities, which is a great way to allow people to build connections. At Burgh Island, for instance, we host a range of group activities, from immersive artistic experiences with the resident island artist to murder mystery nights in the impressive Art Decoinspired Palm Court.

Since 2020, the number of bookings for solo travel has doubled, now making up over a quarter of all bookings. This is a growing trend that the hospitality industry cannot afford to ignore in the post-pandemic era.

The industry could soon see solo travellers accounting for nearly half of all travellers. As the sector faces setbacks stemming from the recruitment crisis and growing concern over the cost of living, catering to the growing solo travel trend could be the key to sustaining business growth and attracting guests.

TRAVELLING SOLO, NOT ALONE For many, the idea of hopping on a plane or train for a solo adventure

ECLECTIC STAYS AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES Current travel trends indicate that the solo traveller prefers “eclectic stays and unique experiences”. Having a once in a lifetime opportunity available for guests is therefore a sure way to attract solo travellers to your hotel.

These opportunities can vary from learning about local culture and food, to guided tours of the area and significant attractions. A hotel should always be more than just a place to sleep.

This is something we have put into practice at Burgh Island, where guests have the opportunity to ride the iconic third-generation hydraulic sea tractor to the island – the only one of its kind in the world. On the island, we also offer guests fishing experiences, island walks or, for the

PLACING RELAXATION AT THE CORE

As this trend subsides, it is important to remind guests that travel is about relaxation and an escape from the “hassle” of everyday life. It is now essential, for example, to market trips as a chance to destress and get away from the fast pace of post-pandemic life. Indeed, since the height of the pandemic, reports of anxiety have increased by 25%, again demonstrating the need to offer opportunities to unwind.

It’s true that solo travellers want to connect with others and build relationships, but they too are seeking elements relaxation. From helping solo travellers to explore nature to providing guests with the height of comfort and luxury, hotels should be looking to utilise all the tools they have to tempt solo travellers into booking in for a slice of relaxing escapism.

Whether guests want to take some me-time or meeting people through group activities, the importance of catering to solo travellers is only going to grow in the years ahead. Offering unique experiences to meet all tastes will equip hotels to stand out from the crowd, much like solo travellers themselves.

Branded Restaurant Main Dishes See +10.1% Price Inflation February-June According to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker, main courses on branded restaurant menus have increased in price by +10.1% since February.

The average main course on a branded restaurant menu cost £12.69 in June 2022, compared to £11.53 in February 2022.

Overall menu inflation hits 7.4% at branded restaurants The average price of any dish on leading branded restaurant menus was £9.02 in June 2022, up +7.4% from £8.40 in February 2022.

Inflation is being driven by main courses and desserts, with desserts increasing +5.4%, from £5.35 to £5.64.

Starters and side dishes have remained stable during this period, with the average starter costing £6.52 and the average side dish £3.46. Starters and side dishes are key tools for increasing consumer spend, so operators will be keen to keep costs down to tempt consumers.

Branded restaurant inflation double other channels When we analyse other channels, branded restaurant menu inflation is at least double. Between February and June 2022, the average price of a dish on a pub and bar menu increased +2.3%, on a QSR menu increased +3.6% on a coffee and sandwich shop men increased +2.3%.

In contrast to branded restaurants, it is side dishes that are driving price inflation across the rest of the market.

Menu dish counts see small increase at branded restaurants The average branded restaurant menu in June 2022 included 64 different dishes, +3.2% from 62 dishes in February.

When broken down, the average number of starters on a branded menu declined -16.7%, main courses

and side dishes remained stable and the average number of desserts increased +11.1%.

During the peak of the pandemic, operators really stripped back menus to manage costs and adhere more easily to coronavirus restrictions. With restrictions eased, operators are slowly increasing menu sizes, however it is likely to be a slow process, as the industry continues to face into staff shortages and the cost of living crisis.

NPD on branded restaurant menus doubles In June 2022, the 20 biggest branded restaurant operators in the UK introduced a combined 137 new dishes to menus, equating to 10.7% of the total menu. In comparison, in February only 71 new items were added to menus, equating to 5.7% of the total menu.

Versus February 2022, the volume of new starters introduced to branded restaurant operator menus in June 2022 increased +73.3%, main courses +72.7%, sides +150.0% and desserts +185.7%.

Zizzi is the brand with the highest proportion of its menu tagged as new in June 2022, with 44%. This is followed by TGI Friday’s (19%), Franco Manca (19%) and ASK Italian (18%).

Commenting on the findings, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katie Prowse, said: “Like the general public, operators are experiencing rapidly increasing costs, whether that be produce, energy costs or staffing. Whilst menu inflation at branded restaurants is outpacing the rest of the market, this is likely to even out over the coming months, as more operators are forced to increase costs at a steeper rate to maintain margins. Despite reaching a 40-year high, inflation is not expected to slow, so operators are doing to have to work hard to drive footfall and increase consumer spend.”

Find out more about Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker here www.lumina-intelligence.com/product/menu-tracker

Alcohol Off-Sales Now Extended to September 2023, Helping Hundreds of Struggling Businesses Lobbying by UKHospitality and sector bodies has helped persuade the Government to extend to September 2023 the alcohol off-sales easement introduced during the pandemic – a move that will help hundreds of hospitality businesses struggling to survive.

The leading trade body and other hospitality industry organisations had been pushing for the Home Office to continue to allow premises with on-sales only – under the Licensing Act – to also provide off-sales.

The easement was brought in during the pandemic, meaning businesses could sell alcohol as part of takeaway and delivery orders; as well as serve it in pavement and other outdoor areas where relevant.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “This decision to extend the off-sales easement is the right one, and hugely

significant. If this had lapsed, it would have caused further problems for many hundreds of hospitality businesses already struggling to survive.

“But persistent lobbying by UKHospitality and others has convinced government that deregulation measures such as this can help businesses, at what is a critical time in their efforts to stay afloat.

“This will benefit those hospitality businesses that have successfully evolved operating models to incorporate takeaway and outdoor sales, and allow them to continue to do so.”

UKHospitality will now work with government on a long-term solution beyond September 2023, which will aim to dovetail with the forthcoming permanent pavement licence regime. It will also continue to examine broader, ongoing deregulation work to aid the hospitality sector’s recovery.

Pubs are Key for Growth and Levelling Up in Every Community says Report Issue 119

A survey of British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) members, has highlighted the fragility of pubs in every community across the UK, as they face huge inflationary headwinds, disproportionate costs for their businesses, severe staff shortages and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on consumers.

Our nations’ pubs represent a unique opportunity, bringing together significant economic contribution to the Treasury, supporting jobs and careers for people of all ages, whilst providing an essential and accessible hub at the heart of every community.

IMPACT ON PROFITABILITY The survey revealed that over 75% of members are down on the revenues they saw in 2019, with 84% of those being down by more than 10%. 28% are down by more than 30% vs 2019.

In addition, 86% have reported that their profits are down vs the same period in 2019 and almost half of those were seeing profits down by more than 30%.

Their profits are being eaten away by the exceptional cost inflation they are facing across the board, with 66% saying their costs have increased more than 10%, 43% saying their costs have increased by more than 20% and 1 in 10 experiencing inflation of over 40% in the last 6 months.

Consumer confidence has also taken a massive hit, with changes in behaviour since the pandemic and their reduced disposable income as they themselves face hikes in the cost of living, which all further impact on the profitability of local pubs.

STAFFING CRISIS 75% of pubs currently have vacancies in their businesses that they are struggling to fill. Of these, over half have more than 10% of their roles

currently vacant and 1 in 8 have more than 20% vacancies.

The impact of this lack of staff means that 1 in 2 pubs are having to reduce their trading hours, and 1 in 4 are having to close their doors for 1 or more of their usual trading days, losing valuable revenue opportunities. All this, when they should be trading fully to make the most of the summer, ahead of the quieter autumn and winter periods.

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY A worrying 30% of respondents said they currently have no cash reserves in their business, with a further 50% only having between 1 – 3 months’ worth of cash reserves.

Furthermore, 70% have debts in their business, with over a third of those carrying debts of up to £30k, 40% having debts of up to £50k and a huge 1 in 4 pubs having debts of between £50k and over £100k.

Without support, business failure will result in much of the repayment of Government backed debt will be lost.

When it comes to investing in the future of their businesses, nearly 90% are not currently seeking any additional finance and of those who were, 2/3 have not been successful in securing that finance through any route. 1 in 4 have used their own savings to invest but only 5% have been successful in securing finance through their existing bank and only 16% able to access funds through a new or additional bank.

FUTURE TRADING 15% say that their business is no longer viable, and they will be leaving or selling their business shortly. Of these, over 1/3 have been in the trade for 10-20 years and over ¼ have been running pubs for more than 20 years, losing the wealth of knowledge, experience and commitment to the local community of these licensees and their families.

PRIORITIES FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT The following are the key areas for support that BII members have identified: 1. VAT reduction for hospitality businesses 2. Energy price rise cap for pubs 3. Full cancellation of business rates for 23/24 4. Draught beer and cider duty cut for pubs

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Many of our members operating drink led venues, commented that a VAT cut had marginal benefit for their businesses and would want to see any cut extended to alcohol to ensure a level playing field with supermarkets and other retailers.

Steve Alton, CEO of the BII commented: “Pubs are a vital and vibrant part of our unique heritage and national identity. They provide safe spaces for all, offering a diverse range of opportunities for people to come together; from breakfasts to business meetings, celebrations to community connections and everything in between – they are an essential and intrinsic part of British life.

“Hospitality is not a small subsection of our economy – pubs are everywhere in the UK, providing the opportunity for economic and social value in every village, town and city and can be the key to growth and unlocking the levelling up agenda across the nation.

“They also offer a vast range of employment and career opportunities to people from a wide range of backgrounds, education and demographics.

“With so many shops disappearing at a rapid rate from our high streets, they are essential for the regeneration of our communities and towns, but are currently under threat from the exceptionally tough trading conditions that they are battling.

“Government support is essential to enable us to create and develop economic, employment and social value growth in every community.

There is no need for failure with the right support in place, but if Government do not step forward, they will have missed the opportunity to tackle so many of the issues we are facing as a nation, head on.

“Pubs have weathered the storm of Covid, by repurposing and diversifying their offer, creating safe, environments in every community, welcoming customers and teams from all walks of life and caring for those communities in the darkest of times.

“Without support from Government across the 4 key areas our members have identified, we will undo all of the good they do in bringing people together. Without support we will lose the opportunity for growth and regeneration, we will lose pubs from the heart of their communities, and we will lose something very special in our nations’ unique heritage and culture.

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Issue 119

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Hospitality Urged to Help Households with Cost of Living The government has announced the launch of the campaign entitled “Help for Households” which is seen Cost of Living Business Tsar and former Just Eat boss David Buttress joined forces to encourage businesses to offer discounts to help tackle the cost of living crisis.

vide access to free entertainment such as Freevee and Amazon Music, as well as educational resources for school-aged children and low-price essential groceries. Morrisons is also providing a free meal for every child at in-store cafes when a parent buys an adult meal.

Signed with some of the UK’s biggest businesses the deals are designed to reduce costs at the checkout, help provide entertainment and ensure access to necessary services for families during the summer holidays and beyond.

These deals form the first part of the Help for Household retail campaign which will aim to provide deals for families over four distinct periods –the summer holidays, back to school, Autumn pressures and Christmas retail – with deals secured and hosted on the government’s new Help for Households website so that people can find them easily in one place.

Agreed with the government’s Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress, the deals include the extension of Asda’s ‘Kids eat for £1’ scheme, where children aged 16 and under can access a hot or cold meal for £1 at any time of day in Asda Cafes across the UK. Sainsbury’s is introducing it’s ‘feed your family for a fiver’ campaign, helping customers with budget-friendly meal ideas to feed a family of four for less than £5.

Theatres in London are uniting for Kids Week, an initiative giving children the chance to see a West End show for free throughout August with a full paying adult, with half price tickets for two additional children in the same group, while Vodafone is promoting a mobile social tariff of £10 a month.

Along with new initiatives, some deals are a continuation of successful support schemes which businesses are already running and want to promote under the Help for Households campaign to raise awareness.

These include Amazon’s new ‘help for households’ page that will pro-

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said: We’re facing incredibly tough global economic headwinds and families across the country are feeling the pinch.

That’s why this government is providing an unprecedent £37bn worth of support to help households through the storm.

Both the public and private sector have a role to play here – and that’s why it’s great to see so many leading UK businesses are now coming forward to offer new deals and discounts that will provide much needed respite at the checkout.

This won’t solve the issue overnight but it’s yet another weapon in our arsenal as we fight back against scourge of rising prices and inflation.

Cost of Living Business Tsar David Buttress will also thank businesses for their support and praise the campaign’s “good start” while making

clear that “we’ve got more to do and more deals to announce - not just over the summer holidays but when kids return to school and in the run up to Christmas when costs are typically higher”.

These deals build on the £37bn package of Help for Households already being provided by government – including tax cuts and help towards energy, childcare and transport costs.

The government’s online cost of living support pages, which have been visited over 2.2 million times, are helping the public to access the panoply of different cost of living support schemes available across government. 90% of users have said that they find the site helpful.

John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon said: We are proud to be part of the Government’s ‘Help for Households’ campaign, as we continue to support our customers across the UK with great value and convenience.

In fact, today we’ve launched a brand-new page on amazon.co.uk which shows you how to access free or discounted products and services from Amazon.

This includes free entertainment for all, learning resources for students, along with more details of how else customers can save online.

We will continue to offer the widest selection of products at the best possible prices, with many of these products sold by the 85,000 small and medium-sized UK businesses who use Amazon to reach customers here and around the world.

CAMRA Backs Law Change to Make Sure Bar Staff Always Keep their Tips The Campaign for Real Ale has given its backing to a change in the law to make sure that bar staff will always receive tips left by customers CAMRA, the group representing beer drinkers and pub goers, has lent its support to efforts to change the law so that all bar staff – and other hospitality workers – always receive the full amount left to them in tips from customers.

The House of Commons voted unanimously in favour of the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Bill this afternoon (15 July). The Bill will change the law so employers are always required to pass on the full amount left as a tip to workers.

The legislation, put forward by Watford MP Dean Russell, will now go on to further stages of debate and votes, and with Government backing it is likely to become law.

Speaking after the debate in the House of Commons, CAMRA

Chairman Nik Antona said: “Outstanding service from bar staff is one of the things that really makes a great pub or social club. Pub goers up and down the country rightly want to know that if they leave a tip in recognition of great service, that the money will be going to the staff who deserve it.

“It is absolutely right that the law should be changed to stop some businesses failing to pass on tips and service charges to staff, guaranteeing that hard working bar tenders receive the entire amount that is left to them in tips.

“We hope that this new Bill will continue to receive support from all parties and from the Government so that it can become law as quickly as possible and offer the amazing people who work in pubs, social clubs and taprooms up and down country a guarantee that they won’t have tips withheld from them.”

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Disabled Access To Pubs and Bars: The Shape Of Possible Rule Changes In England & Wales Compared With The Position In Scotland

By Piers Warne, legal director at UK law firm TLT In 2017 the House of Lords Licensing Select Committee, in their review of the Licensing Act 2003, found that disabled access to licensed premises had been left largely to disabled people themselves to police and push for change. This, was, they said, unacceptable.

Amongst their recommendations, the enjoined the government to do something about it, referencing Scottish licensing requirements relating to disabled access as a potential model. Following a period of deathly silence, the House of Lords has recently demanded the government take action. Will this inspire change? If so, what could it look like?

Findings of the Select Committee: has anything changed?

In 2017 when the Committee first made their recommendation, the government response was: “The Act should not be used to control other aspects of licensed premises; this would be outside the scope of the licensing regime and contrary to the principles of better regulation.”

What followed was… nothing.

However, in July 2021, the government published its National Disability Strategy. The Strategy recognised that, every day, many disabled people “feel excluded from leisure opportunities and socialising.” The UK Disability Survey 2021 found 66% of respondents had been unable to access, or had extreme difficulty accessing pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes.

Therefore, with the pressure from the Select Committee following on from the government’s own findings, it would seem now is a good time to consider what changes might come into force down the road, should the government decide to grasp the nettle on this issue.

THE SCOTTISH POSITION The requirement for a “Disabled Access and Facilities Statement”, DAS for short, has been in force in Scotland since March 2018. The Scottish DAS has its roots in the “Barred!” campaign which sought to raise visibility on the lack of disabled facilities in pubs. The introduction of the legislation was a remarkable achievement at the time.

WHAT IS REQUIRED? The role of the DAS in Scotland is to require a statement to be completed and submitted with any new premises licence application. In theory therefore, licensing boards in Scotland can reject applications as

incomplete where no statement is provided. However, if produced, there is no power for a Licensing Board to refuse an application simply because they do not like what the statement says.

The DAS effectively poses three questions: • Is there disabled access to the premises?

• Do you have facilities for those with a disability?

• Do you have any other provisions available to aid the use of the premises by disabled people?

Applicants are required to provide clear and detailed description of how accessible the premises are for disabled people. e.g. ramps, accessible floors, signage. Applicants are then required to set out what facilities are offered, such as braille or large-print menus for customers, hearing aid induction loop, provision for assistance dogs and on.

WHERE DOES THE LIABILITY STOP? What is very clear, however, is that the Scottish licensing system cannot be used to address an alleged mischief of a non-licensing nature, and that includes equalities law. The sole purpose of the regulation is to ensure the DAS is provided as a part of the application – and therefore made public. To put it another way, whilst a DAS might be explored and the applicant interrogated about its contents during a hearing, the application cannot be refused based on the information in the DAS or based on what facilities may or may not be provided- even if there are none.

In practice, it is not uncommon to find licensing board members ask questions about a DAS when considering a new licence application at a hearing. The agent or applicant would do well to field those questions sensibly and respectfully. If the case is one where certain facilities simply cannot be provided for practical reasons, this can be explained in submissions.

Ultimately the Scottish DAS is a tool to ensure additional details on disabled facilities, such as they may be, are in the public domain. This is achieved through the public licensing register which must also by law, capture these details, so that people can do some research ahead of visiting a pub or bar if they so wish. Of course, business themselves often make clear what facilities they can offer their disabled guests via a website or social media.

Could it be said that the Scottish system is a tick-box exercise, rather than a means of improving disabled access? We’ll leave that to the reader to decide.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SCOTTISH LICENSING AND THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Firstly, licensing registers in England and Wales are not consistent means of obtaining information about disabled access at premises. In fact, many authorities do not have online registers that give access to licence details, let alone ancillary documents such as a DAS. For this reason, providing a public statement at the time of applying for a new licence will not necessarily benefit disabled customers looking for this information on the council websites.

Perhaps more importantly however, a significant difference that hasn’t really been given much consideration by the Select Committee is that Scottish licensing in this context deals solely with the sale of alcohol. In England & Wales, late night refreshment and regulated entertainment are also regulated under the Licensing Act. Therefore, any requirement built into the licensing legislation- for instance by way of a mandatory condition- would have a much wider impact on a much larger cross-section of premises. Whilst that may sound positive for disabled access rights, the truth is that using the Licensing Act to try to get meaningful change is likely to create a larger number of arbitrary discrepancies between premises required to undertake statements and those who are not. For instance, cafes without alcohol licences or take away food premises not trading after eleven pm, for instance, would be excluded. This may lead to whole sections of hospitality that operate without premises licences simply being missed out. It also could result in potential for enforcement action to be taken along similar arbitrary lines of the haves and have nots.

IS THERE A BETTER MECHANISM FOR SECURING DISABLED ACCESS RIGHTS OUTSIDE OF LICENSING? The Select Committee, in their latest report, recognised there might be another way: ‘If the Government does not believe the Licensing Act 2003 is the right mechanism to bring about change, it is imperative that the Government reviews the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 and in consultation with disabled peoples’ charities and organisations ensure accessibility to licensed premises is improved to enable everyone to enjoy licensed premises. The Committee welcomes the appointment of a hospitality Disability and Access Ambassador and hope this role can champion the reforms needed to improve access.’

In 2021, Kate Nichols, was appointed as the first Hospitality Disabilities and Access Ambassador. Kate is the Chief Executive of UK Hospitality and has been a voice championing the hospitality sector for many years.

The role of ambassador requires her to use her influence in business to encourage and support changes in access for both disabled consumers and employees. One suspects that with her deep insight of the sector, alongside input from disabled peoples’ charities, a better more joined up approach could be found. Using the tools of legislation designed for the purpose, such as the Equalities Act, that do not discriminate (no pun intended) must be a better option than trying to retrofit such important work into licensing legislation. However, it might be that, as has happened in the past, the government sees it as an easy win to simply amend licensing legislation and leave it at that.

Whichever route the government takes, premises capable of identifying and making reasonable adjustments to welcome disabled customers voluntarily will be putting themselves on the right side of the ledger- irrespective of whether the law takes a more draconian approach to enforcing it.

Hospitality Food Costs Soar Up to 40% as Supply Chain Fragility Hits Hard Spiralling costs and major disruption to the supply chain are having a drastic impact on hospitality operators’ food and drinks bills – and profits – according to latest data.

A new report from Fourth, the leading global software provider for the hospitality and leisure industries, shines a light on how global events, including the fallout from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, has created unprecedented supply chain issues.

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Data collected from a sample size of more than 1,000 pubs, bars and restaurants reveals that:

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• The hardest hit commodities are dairy (costs up by 40%), grains (+35%), meat (+35%), fish (+25%) and fruit and veg (+20%) • Average overall costs are up by 10% compared to 2019 • Food costs are up by approximately 13%, while drink costs are up by 8% over the same period • In the 12 months to May 2022, average Gross Profit has fallen by four percentage points, from 78% to 74% Factors behind the unparalleled supply chain crisis include the surge in utility and fuel prices, UK inflation at its highest since the 1980s, labour shortages and the consequential wage increases

across the supply chain, import cost increases and the lack of availability of products due to a shortage of shipping and flights, the war in Ukraine, and suppliers being unable to source goods or even trade at all.

It has led to operators deeply analysing supply chains models, with many combatting the issues by turning to technology, streamlining their supplier base, and adapting recipes on their menus.

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “These stark figures highlight the extent of the damage that rising costs are having on the hospitality and leisure market, engulfing and suffocating businesses and consumers alike.

“After more than two years of unprecedented challenges due to Covid, cost inflation now poses a massive threat to our industry and the wider economy. The impacts of rising costs are being felt across every facet of running a hospitality business, including on jobs and recruitment, economic stability, business viability, consumer confidence and willingness to spend. It’s absolutely crucial that the sector receives as much support it can get – without it, more and more businesses and jobs will fall away.”

Sebastien Sepierre, Managing Director – EMEA, Fourth, said: “After enduring the shock of enforced closures, followed by the stop-start nature of trading during the pandemic, the hospitality industry now has another major challenge to confront in the form of supply chain disruption. The complexities are such that most operators have never seen anything like this before.

“Technology has a huge role to play in helping operators contend with the instability within the supply chain. It is the most efficient way of comparing suppliers, checking the availability of products, analysing price fluctuations, and knowing exactly what you need and when you need it in your venues.

“The supply chain crisis is one of the most pressing concerns within the sector and it is imperative that operators have the tools at hand to understand and address the challenge of overcoming the disruption.”

For more information about Fourth and to download the full report go to - www.fourth.com/engb/resource/facing-up-to-supply-chain-fragility/

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Government Delays Announcement on Alcohol Duty Reform The government has confirmed that no announcement on alcohol duty reform will be made before the autumn.

Plans for alcohol duty reform were originally announced in the 2021 autumn Budget. A consultation was published which closed on 30th January.

Trade bodies have expressed disappointment at the announcement: “The delay to the alcohol duty reform is extremely disappointing and will come as a blow to pub and brewing businesses who have been waiting on an announcement since this year’s Spring Statement,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association.

“We would urge any new government to keep these reforms on track to guarantee a reduced rate of draught beer duty, that helps Britain’s brewers and pubs and supports lower-strength products, as soon as possible.”

Kate Nicholls OBE, UKHospitality CEO said: “This delay is incredibly disappointing for the pubs and hospitality. With the sector and its customers facing soaring costs, we needed to see positive action on lower duty rates for draught beer and cider. The new Government must make this legislation, which is already agreed policy, a priority in early September so we can deliver benefits to pubs, the wider hospitality sector and, crucially, consumers. The economic advantages are clear for the Treasury, so it is time to act.”

“Small brewers and pubs have been left in limbo at a time when businesses need support as they have to deal with a multitude of supply constraints and the cost of living crisis. We call on the Government to commit to achieving the changes in February next year and ensuring that community pubs and independent brewers will be able to benefit from the new Draught Duty Rate as soon as possible.”

NEW SYSTEM OF ALCOHOL TAXATION NEEDED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE CAMRA Chief Executive Tom Stainer said: “With the beer and pubs sector continuing to be hit hard by rising prices, spiraling energy costs and the knock-on effects of a dip in consumer confidence and spending it is clear that our locals – and the great breweries and cider producers that serve them – need more help from the Government if they are to survive and thrive in the coming months and years.

“That’s why introducing the new system of alcohol taxation designed to give pubs, social clubs and taprooms support through a new preferential rate of duty charged on beer and cider served on draught compared to the likes of supermarket alcohol is so important.

“We were also expecting important details to be announced on the replacement for the Small Brewers Relief scheme, meaning more uncertainty for small brewers feeling the burden of the cost of business crisis much more acutely than their globally-owned counterparts.

SIBA Chair Roy Allkin said: “Independent brewers have been waiting on tenterhooks for the next stages of the alcohol duty changes and are deeply disappointed that we’ll now have to wait until the Autumn to know what the final reforms will look like. These changes include the Draught Duty Rate that will provide a much needed boost to community pubs and independent brewers by providing a duty discount on beer sold in pubs.

“CAMRA welcomed the Government’s commitment to this new way of taxing beer and cider but we are now calling on the Treasury to bring forward firm plans on how this will work in practice and announce when it will be introduced as quickly as possible to give our pubs the helping hand they desperately need.

“This delay puts the Government’s timetable for implementation at risk, leaving little time to consult on changes to legislation in the autumn. Many small and independent brewers have already made business decisions for next year that rely on these widespread changes to duty being introduced on time and any delay will create further uncertainty.

“In the meantime through our Summer of Pub campaign we are continuing to urge people to support their locals as much as possible, as well as calling on the Government for extra support for pubs and breweries through a VAT cut for food and drink served in pubs, extending business rates relief and offering businesses help with rising energy costs.”

Drinks Sales Warm Up but Inflation Cools Growth

Drinks sales in Britain’s On Premise were just behind preCOVID-19 levels last week, CGA by NielsenIQ’s latest Drinks Recovery Tracker shows Average sales by value in managed venues in the seven days to Saturday (9 July) were only 1% down on the same week in 2019— an improvement from a drop of 3% last week and a 7% dip in the previous seven days, which were affected by rail strikes.

Rising temperatures over the week helped to bring consumers out to drink, though sales fluctuated from day to day. There was modest growth on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday (4, 5 and 9 July), but negative comparatives on every other day—including Friday, which has struggled all year as people change their working habits.

With inflation now running at 9%, sales are significantly behind pre-pandemic levels in real terms. Rising drinks prices also means that the current volume of sales is even further behind 2019’s totals than the value.

As they have been for most of 2022, spirits were the best performing category last week, with sales 5% ahead of 2019’s levels.

Cider (up 2%) was also in growth thanks to the warm weather, but beer (down 1%), soft drinks (down 4%) and wine (down 15%) were all in the red.

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"Dear Prime Minister: The Hospitality Sector Urgently Needs Your Help – Here’s 5 Ways You Could Help" The inflationary surge and wider market forces including growing supply chain pressures, reduced commuter numbers and depressed foreign travel are heaping more pressure on leisure and hospitality businesses up and down the country, says Paul Newman head of leisure and hospitality at audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK. As the storm clouds gather, RSM UK sets out 5 ways in which the UK government could (and should) help support a sector that faces an autumn and winter of discontent, potentially more challenging than lockdown #2 in winter 2020/21.

1. Business rates relief – retail, hospitality and leisure relief replaced the retail discount on 1 April 2022 to reduce pressure on high street businesses and encourage consumer spending. However, the criterion for eligibility needs urgently reviewing to ensure a greater volume of sound businesses are protected.

2. VAT holiday – a further tax relief in the form of a reintroduction of the temporary reduced rate of VAT would also go some way in supporting VAT registered businesses.

3. Easing immigration restrictions – reviewing the current regulations that restrict the ability of foreign workers to enter the UK and work within the sector should be reviewed to ensure that the widespread job

vacancies that are hampering businesses can be filled to meet consumer demand.

4. Restricting Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CIBLS) repayment liabilities – with many businesses now obligated to repay their CIBLS liabilities and reports of widespread defaults on those payments, we would encourage government to legislate loan repayment holidays or ensure a greater level of flexibility over the coming months.

5. Energy price cap – an introduction of an electricity and gas price cap to set the maximum figure that can be charged to businesses on a variable rate for a six-month period over the winter period.

Paul Newman continued: "There are huge challenges ahead for the leisure and hospitality sector. The government’s support throughout the pandemic was critical in saving many businesses. But it could all be for nothing if measures are not reintroduced at pace in the coming months. A new Prime Minister could bring about meaningful reforms to the way businesses are taxed. An improved business rates system for example, would be an obvious way for new leadership to bring back the UK’s thriving highstreets and encourage consumer spending."

Hospitality Groups’ Like-for-Like Sales Up 5% in June, but Inflation Bites June’s like-for-like sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub and bar groups were 5% ahead of the pre-COVID-19 levels of June 2019, the latest Coffer CGA Business Tracker reveals.

demic are now returning to eating out. Managed groups’ dine-in only sales were up by 2% on a like-for-like basis in June—the first time this year that they have been in line with total growth.

The result from the Tracker—produced by CGA by NielsenIQ in partnership with The Coffer Group and RSM UK—represents the strongest month of like-for-like growth since the start of 2022.

However, June’s figures are skewed by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which provided two Bank Holidays against none in June 2019. The growth is also below inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index, which recently topped 9%.

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA, said:

Restaurants were the strongest performing of the Tracker’s three hospitality segments in June, with like-for-like growth of 8%. Pubs’ sales were up by 3% on three years ago, and bars’ sales rose by 5%.

Trading in London remains challenging, the Tracker shows. After a flat performance in May, like-for-like sales within the M25 were down by 1% in June, compared to 7% growth beyond the M25. It follows rail strikes over several days in June, which significantly reduced footfall from workers and visitors in London.

The Tracker also suggests that some consumers who have opted for deliveries since the start of the pan-

“Like-for-like sales growth of 5% would represent a strong performance for managed groups in most months. However, high inflation means sales are down in real terms, and mounting costs continue to pile pressure on profit margins. The first half of 2022 has brought some welcome stability to the hospitality sector, and consumers have returned to most of their pre-pandemic habits— but while the long-term outlook remains good, there may be some tough months ahead for many businesses.”

Mark Sheehan, managing director at Coffer Corporate Leisure, said: “We are seeing a very slow return to normality. Recent publicly announced results show Loungers at 17.9% like-for-likes on 2019 and Wetherspoons at 0.5% for example. Some operators and locations are trading well. Inflation and recruitment remains a priority.”

Good Air Quality Offers A Winning Point Of Difference For The Hospitality Sector 14

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Issue 119

By Ernesto Fucci, Business Development Manager of Planetwatch (https://www.planetwatch.io/) The prospect of a polluted city for business travellers is such that a Zoom or Teams call will likely be preferable, while for tourists it’s just a necessary evil from which to find an exit to a greener, cleaner destination. But for many, all of that is mitigated by what they believe to be clean air in their workplace or in their hotel. And if there are attending a conference, that includes the conference venue too.

And yet, that’s not always the case. In fact, levels of indoor air pollutants can be two to five times higher than outdoors – and sometimes much higher than that. This matters because people spend on average 90% of their time indoors. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), indoor air pollution causes up to 3.8 million deaths per year. Poorly ventilated indoor spaces can severely impact mental health and physical health.

A problem with indoor air quality (IAQ) clearly exists, but for the hospitality sector it presents an opportunity, a chance to offer a point of difference – clean air – that’s meaningful and sought after by customers.

Short-term health effects of IAQ problems include eye irritation, headaches, allergic reactions and can aggravate asthma and or other respiratory conditions. In some cases, it can contribute to life-threatening illnesses such as Legionnaire’s disease or carbon monoxide poisoning. Years of exposure can lead to lung diseases, heart disease, and cancer.

If these reasons aren’t sufficient, there is a compelling economic and business case for improving air quality.

Analysis conducted by CBI Economics in 2020 estimated that adhering to WHO clean air guidelines would deliver a £1.6 billion boost to the UK economy each year. Not only that, in the UK, 17,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year from respiratory diseases and three million working days could be gained by reducing worker sickness absence or absence due to sick children – people’s homes also have air quality

issues.

It follows that when choosing a hotel, consumers value good indoor air quality, in the same way they would look for a restaurant that doesn’t serve up food poisoning. A recent study by YouGov, a research firm, suggests that 71% of UK adults worry about the impact of polluted air on their own health. In the research, the main concerns raised were the presence of dust, bacteria and viruses, chemicals, smoke, and pollen.

HOTELS WITH BAD AIR LIKE RESTAURANTS WITH BAD FOOD It highlights the importance of accurate and up-to-date air quality monitoring that can help identify which spaces need more ventilation, thereby helping customers to feel healthy and safe when visiting hospitality venues. And it’s not just customers, it’s employees too. At a time when the hospitality sector is experiencing real pressure to recruit staff, amid wage inflation and a scarcity of potential employees, offering a decent workplace is clearly important if the level of service is to be optimum.

After all, hotel visitors are looking for an escape from the stresses and strains of the outside world, and air quality forms part of that. By monitoring the air quality, a hotel tells its guests that it is conscious of the need to be attentive to the issue in order to do something about it should a problem arise. Very often, increasing ventilation by opening a window can do the trick – during the pandemic peak, many a school in the UK asked for pupils to wear warmer clothes so that the classroom windows could be kept open.

A IAQ reading tool such as that of PlanetWatch makes sense; a nimble, plug-and-play network comprising affordable sensors that are easy to operate and cause no disruption to business. It allows for a comprehensive network of multiple sensors that can provide hyperlocal data on a near real-time frequency. With that information, it is possible to work out a solution, be it opening a window, installing air filters to capture particulate matter, or maybe changing the cleaning equipment – creams are less polluting than sprays – or clamping down on smoking. The data streams gathered by PlanetWatch’s sensors can be used for certification to RESET as well as other green building standards.

Air pollution, both indoors and outdoors, is a huge global problem. It is the single largest environmental risk to health, according to the WHO. Worldwide, 99% of the population breathe air that exceeds WHO limits, with some seven million deaths attributed to it.

By taking the initiative, businesses can lead the way in making sure that this urgent issue is addressed and the lives of customers and staff alike are actively improved. It’s a win-win-win for businesses, employees and customers alike.

“Recovery Continuing” as Fullers Release Trading Statement London pub operator Fuller’s has said its sales recovery is continuing, especially in the City and West End of London. The company stated ahead of its annual general meeting earlier this week.

The site is a perfect complement to London’s Pride, our successful airside pub in the same terminal.

A further three sites are in advanced stages of negotiation.” Chief executive Simon Emeny said:

In the first 16 weeks of the new financial year, total sales are up 3% on pre-pandemic levels and up 81% on the same period last year.

“We are pleased with our sales growth trajectory, particularly in our central London sites where momentum is building well. The industry-wide inflationary cost pressures around food supply, labour and particularly energy are showing little signs of abating.

Our premium offer and effective supply chain management provide a degree of protection, but we are not immune from its effects on costs or consumer behaviour.”

On a like-for-like basis, sales for the 16 weeks to 16 July 2022 are up 27% on last year. The company is well-financed, with total available facilities of £226m and with net debt reduced from £131.9m at the start of this financial year to £123.6m at 17 July 2022, demonstrating the healthy recovery in free cash flow generation.

The underlying strength of our long-term business is reflected in our implied net asset value per share of £13.80, based upon the directors’ valuation of the estate undertaken as at 26 March 2022. During the period, the company has acquired one new site – The Queen’s Arms, landside at Heathrow Terminal Two, The Queen’s Terminal – that will open in early August 2022.

“Fuller’s is a long-term business with a strong balance sheet, a clear strategy, and great people to execute it. Hospitality continues to bear the brunt of many challenging external factors, but we remain confident that Fuller’s is well placed to continue to prosper.” The company said it will next report on 17 November 2022, when it issues its half-year results for the 26 weeks to 24 September 2022.”

More Casual Dining Deals Predicted as The Restaurant Group Snaps up Barburrito Experts have hailed a “strong appetite” for further consolidation in the casual dining sector after law firm Dentons advised The Restaurant Group (TRG) on its £7 million purchase of Mexican-themed chain, Barburrito.

Brian Moore, Dentons’ Edinburgh-based divisional head of corporate, who led the team that advised on the deal, said buyers with the necessary cash were eyeing opportunities in the UK and Europe.

Mr Moore, who is a respected expert on food and drink deals, having advised clients including Macallan-owner Edrington, First Milk and Nc’nean Distillery, said: “Even when their spending is being squeezed by rising inflation, consumers are still loyal to their favourite brands, especially when it comes to treating themselves to a meal out.

“Our expertise in working with branded hospitality portfolio owners means that we know there are other deals out there just waiting to be done.

“There’s definitely a strong appetite among portfolio owners to buy more hospitality brands.

“Our experience in the food and drink sector and with brand protection helped us to complete this transaction swiftly, getting the best deal for TRG.” Dentons was the sole adviser to TRG on the deal, with Mr Moore being joined by his fellow partner Lorna McCaa from the UK tax team, along with colleagues Diana Mennie, a senior associate in its Edinburgh office, and Charlotte White, an associate in its Glasgow branch.

They were supported by tax consultant John Finnick, real estate partner Brian Hutcheson, real estate associate Graham Ronald and intellectual property partner Ross Nicol.

The law firm has a long history of working with TRG on numerous mandates.

Dentons’ broad experience in branded hospitality portfolio deals includes advising European restaurant operator AmRest on the acquisition of Sushi Shop Group and the German operations of both Kentucky Fried Chicken and Starbucks, supporting High Bluff Capital Partners’ takeover of Church’s Chicken in the US, and running franchise masterclasses at the annual Global Restaurant Investment Forum in Dubai.

Mr Moore’s comments came after TRG unveiled plans to double Barburrito’s footprint during the next four years, focusing on the south of England.

Barburrito, which was founded in Manchester by Morgan Davies and Paul Kilpatrick in 2005, already has 16 sites in the UK. The company has grown its like-for-like sales by 20% in the year-to-date, outperforming the 14% growth posted by the wider restaurant sector.

TRG – which owns brands including Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, and Wagamama – operates around 400 sites throughout the UK. The group said: “The Barburrito proposition is well aligned with key consumer trends – including healthy eating, convenience, and customisable cuisine – and offers high-quality products at attractive prices with an average spend per customer of circa £10.

“Barburrito’s strong current trading gives us confidence in its ability to align with and extend TRG’s track record of market outperformance.

“The sites have historically generated strong returns on invested capital in excess of 30% and TRG believes there is significant scope to further develop and expand the brand, particularly in the south of England, where there is limited presence.

“The initial expansion plan would be to double the existing estate over the next four years.”

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CAMRA Urges the Government to Put Tied Tenants’ Views Front and Centre of Pubs Code Review

The Campaign for Real Ale has launched a survey for tied tenants to give frank feedback to the Government.

CAMRA is calling on tied tenants in England and Wales to share their views on the Pubs Code and how it is working via a simple and easily accessible online survey. The survey has the option of responding anonymously and is available here.

The consumer group, which played an instrumental role in bringing forward the introduction of the Pubs Code for England and Wales, is keen to ensure tied tenants’ views are front and centre in the second statutory review of the legislation.

The Pubs Code is a fundamental part of the key legislation that is meant to regulate and balance the relationship between tied tenants and their pub companies. It was brought in after the self-regulation regimes put in place by pub owning businesses was found by Parliament to have fundamentally failed.

A review of how it is working in practice has been launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and will cover the period April 2019 – March 2022.

CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said:

“The introduction of the Pubs Code was the culmination of years of campaigning by tied tenants, however, it’s not delivering as it was intended. It’s vital that tied tenants take part in the Pubs Code Review and are able to be honest and open about where the Code is working, and more importantly where it isn’t.

“Every time legislation concerning pub companies is proposed or reviewed, we see the inevitable slew of press releases and reports extolling the virtues of the tied model. While pub companies certainly offer services for tenants, it is vital that tied tenants are given the opportunity to share views independently of their pub companies, and with the option to remain anonymous if they wish – which our survey allows.

“We will be submitting the survey results to the Department for Energy, Business and Industrial Strategy, alongside our formal submission which will raise issues such as inflated dilapidations bills, guest beer rights, and the necessary expansion of the remit of the Code to include more tied tenants and types of operating agreements.”

Splendid Hospitality Group Acquires Holiday Inn London Brentford Lock from Brightbay Splendid Hospitality Group is delighted to announce the off-market acquisition of the 134-bed Holiday Inn London Brentford Lock from Brightbay Real Estate Partners.

The Holiday Inn London Brentford Lock is a four-star, full-service hotel offering 134 bedrooms and six meeting rooms capable of accommodating 500 delegates overlooking the scenic waterways of the Grand Union Canal. The hotel features a unique open lobby concept with a lounge feel suitable for both business and leisure travellers. Ideally located only 20 minutes from central London by train and 20 mins from London Heathrow Airport.

Commenting on the new acquisition, Nadeem Boghani, Vice

Chairman of Splendid Hospitality Group, said: “We built this asset some 17 years ago and are excited to have this back in our fold. Various asset enhancement opportunities for this hotel are currently being considered which we hope to announce soon. This is an exciting time for Splendid Hospitality as we look forward to further expansion with new acquisitions.”

Stephen Oakenfull, CEO of Brightbay Real Partners, said: “Having experienced a strong recovery in the hotel market, the disposal of the Holiday Inn London Bretford Lock marks a successful step in our strategy of focussing on the limited-service sector in London and Edinburgh.”

Parkdean Resorts and Calor Join Forces to Reduce Co2 Emissions with Calor Futuria Liquid Gas The UK’s leading holiday park operator, Parkdean Resorts, has announced plans to switch its energy supply to Calor Futuria Liquid Gas (previously bioLPG) through a pioneering partnership with Calor.

Calor has been Parkdean’s main gas fuel supplier for many years, and the companies identified Futuria Liquid Gas as a mutual opportunity to improve the sustainability of Parkdean’s gas supply and reduce CO2 emissions. The partnership will form a key part of both organisations’ sustainability commitments, with Calor’s ambition to become a fossil free business by 2040, and Parkdean’s own commitment to creating a positive environmental impact on nature and resources and reduce its CO2 emissions by 25% by 2025 and net zero by 2040.

Through the partnership, Parkdean Resorts will become the first holiday park company to use Futuria Liquid Gas, a co-product of biodiesel production made from a blend of waste, residues and sustainably sourced materials.

Forming a key part of Parkdean Resorts’ wider work to care for its parks, people and planet, and reduce CO2 emissions, more than 14% of the total LPG supplied by Calor to Parkdean Resorts will be Futuria Liquid Gas by the end of 2022, rising to nearly 25% by the end of 2023.

Parkdean Resorts has made a significant sustainability commitment by agreeing the new partnership with

Calor, which will be a big step on the path to Net Zero.

Jane Bates, Director of Procurement and Sustainability, Parkdean Resorts, said: “We’re doing a lot of work to care for our people, parks and planet and using Futuria Liguid Gas will be a key factor in reducing our CO2 emissions.

It’s important to us that our suppliers can help us deliver our commitments, and we’re delighted to partner with Calor in providing this solution, which will be a big step towards achieving our first milestone of a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025, and represents a key initiative in our industry-leading strategy to create truly sustainable parks.”

Alastair Lovell, Head of Sustainable Fuels at Calor said: “Calor is delighted to partner with Parkdean and supply Futuria Liquid Gas as a renewable fuel source to their sites.

“Parkdean Resorts is a leader in the leisure industry, creating sustainable staycations for its customers. This partnership demonstrates our shared values as we strive to reduce carbon emissions - and will have a significant impact in achieving our sustainability commitments.”

To find out how Calor can help you reach sustainability targets, visit www.calor.co.uk/business-energy/solution-for/hospitality/hotels

Worlds no.3 Vodka Brand Appoints UK Distributor MASPEX, the Leading Polish food group have announced the appointment of Paragon Brands as the distribution partner for their ubrówka premium vodka Brand. Maspex acquired ubrówka as part of the purchase of the CEDC Business from Roust Corporation (who acquired the brand in 2013) in February 2022 - returning the brand to full Polish ownership and severing all ties to Russia. ubrówka is the no.3 vodka brand in the world by Volume (in 2021) and the worlds no.1 Polish Vodka Brand, sold in over 130 countries, with a history dating back over 500 years. Zubrowka Bison Grass is typically served in the iconic ‘Apple-Zu’ cocktail made with cloudy apple juice.

Chris Jones, MD of Paragon Brands, commented ‘we are honored to have been chosen by Maspex to represent this iconic global brand within the UK, where the vodka category is currently in strong growth as consumers switch

out of the declining Gin category and seek out premium vodka brands with heritage and a point of difference’.

Marcin wiatło & Aleksandra Zygmunt, country managers at Maspex and Members of the Board of Directors at Maspex UK Ltd commented: We are very happy to be working with Paragon brands representing the ubrówka porfolio in the UK, they bring a wealth of industry experience and reach for ubrówka and we look forward to growing the brand together in the UK. For more information about the Zubrowka range or Paragon Brands, visit www.paragonbrands.co.uk. +44 (0)161 390 0019

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A Welcome Reception: The Mind-Blowing Technology Behind Automation In The Leisure And Hospitality Industry Revealed According to reports, 87% of operators in the leisure and hospitality sector believe that technology adoption has been critical for survival over the last two years, with businesses being forced to run on leaner teams with fewer resources during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the past, the sector was notably slow to uptake new technologies whereas now, the leisure and hospitality industry has opened up to various types of automation, with elements such as automated hotel task management, guest communication and even robotic butlers. This enhanced technology has enabled businesses to serve customers more efficiently, move faster, and save money by operating more cost-effectively.

Taking a snapshot of how tomorrow’s technology is reshaping our world today, digital transformation, technology, commercial and manufacturing experts at leading law firm Walker Morris have compiled the definitive list of the top 25 automations across five key industries, including hospitality.

The project highlights technologies that give us a glimpse of our automated future, such as Savioke’s “Relay the Robot Butler,” which manages room service deliveries and navigates crowds, corridors and lifts. The robot has proven a hit with guests at the hotel it was trialled in. In Japan, Nagasaki's Henn-na “Strange” Hotel has taken automation to entirely new levels by automating processes throughout the facility, from check-in to room service.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, a ReviewPro survey found that almost three quarters of hoteliers believe that automation is the key to their recovery. Now, the technology is finally checking in. A 2020 report on robotics in travel found that tourists welcome the use of robots in applications as varied as cleaning and transporting luggage but feel uncomfortable with their use in security or emergency situations. The study also

found that the check-out process was the part of a reception experience best suited to automation.

Automation’s transformative potential leverages mind-bending technology to boost productivity, improve safety, reduce lead times and deliver products and services more quickly, it also frees up human staff to focus on other value-adding tasks.

However, as with any new tech, automation has far-reaching legal implications that impact people and processes, so it is absolutely imperative that any organisation looking to implement new tech understands its responsibilities and liabilities.

Sally Mewies, Head of Technology and Digital at Walker Morris, says: “Automation has incredible potential for improving customer service and adding value in the leisure and hospitality sector.

Breakthroughs in robotics, machine learning, and other technologies are making automation a reality in several industries – and this trend will only increase over time.

“Today, manufacturers, retailers and service providers alike must leverage the benefits of smart-technology and embrace the robot revolutions to remain competitive, meet customer needs and respond to social and environmental challenges. As more of these tools evolve, and are deployed, it is vital that businesses understand the potential legal implications and other intellectual property (IP) risks that they present, particularly in relation to the ownership of what AI or ‘robots’ create. Whilst these issues are widely discussed, the legal system remains fairly slow in putting any new regulation in place for these types of new technology.”

To review the longlist of 25 revolutionary automated systems leading the way in industry, visit the Walker Morris Factory of the Future website at https://thefactoryofthefuture.co.uk/

Hospitality Laundries Plan Major Sustainability Push: ‘Everybody Does It, Or It Doesn't Work' The laundry industry is gearing up to implement a major sustainability drive, working in conjunction with specialist consultancy Grain Sustainability. The initiative was unveiled at the Textile Services Association (TSA) Spring Conference, where members enthusiastically bought into the concept.

With the button pushed, Grain is now undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the laundry industry through research, surveys and interviews, including its suppliers and its customers, with the aim of presenting TSA members with a series of objectives and an ambitious sustainability roadmap.

"We need to understand where we can improve," says Shyju Skariah, director of programmes and projects at the TSA. In fact, the laundry industry already has an enviable record on sustainability. By its nature the service it provides is circular, since it is about reusing textiles and thus avoiding disposable products. In addition, the industry committed to making a 25% reduction in gas and electricity consumption between 2012 and 2021. "It was great to reach that target, but the hard work begins now," says Skariah. "We need to look at new areas, such as investment in highly efficient industrial heat pump systems."

A key area of sustainability will be an increased focus on circularity. "Each year UK industries, such as hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing, source 7,000 tonnes of textiles which are then cleaned and processed by commercial laundries," says Skariah. "We know what happens at ‘end of life' to less than half of this volume - not much of which goes for long life recycling. There is still a big gap when it comes to understanding the journey of our textile products. We need to make sure that most of the individual components of these 7,000 tonnes are being reused, recycled or turned into something productive. Cotton for example is an easily recyclable material, however separating zippers and reflective tapes from PPE garments is a much more demanding process. We cannot begin to make any lasting changes until everyone in the value chain is active-

A Summer of Sport

Whether it’s organising sweepstakes, setting up the big screen, or stocking up on extra drinks for the bar, preparing your venue for a summer of sport is no doubt well underway.

From writing up your specials boards to working out your rotas, you have probably already thought about most things, but have you also thought about making sure you are correctly licensed to show each event – including the music used as part of the broadcasts?

It can be a little confusing, which is why have put together a quick guide to help you stay ahead of the game this summer.

a TV licence will be required to show sports to your customers.

However, tv programming uses more music than people often realise, such as in the opening and closing titles, highlights and featured sequences, as well as the advertisements during commercial breaks. You’ll therefore usu-

ly involved."

Christoph Geppert heads the Grain team helping the TSA. "Circularity is more than tracking, reusing and recycling," he says. "It means looking at the entire value chain, from growing the cotton and transport to optimising end of life solutions. We have to educate laundries, their suppliers and their customers to understand the complexity of textiles, to de-commoditise them. A single kilo of cotton textile can take thousands of litres of water to make. Meanwhile thousands of tonnes of cotton go to waste every year. That's unsustainable."

Commercial laundries won't be able to realise the circularity vision on their own. Skariah says, "As an example, when sourcing textiles, their longevity and recyclability need to be key specification criteria. We all have to understand the process, and work with our customers and the textile supply chain. If we don't cooperate, we won't make it.

"Everybody does it, or it doesn't work."

Working together with the TSA and its members, it will take Grain around six months to complete the initial assessment of the laundry industry, to structure the tailormade approach for the sustainability strategy and to prepare a detailed implementation plan. The implementation plan is laid out over the next years, defining short term, medium term and long term goals. "The sustainability plan will set us on the journey that will make a real difference," says Skariah.

For more information on Grain Sustainability visit www.grain-sustainability.com The TSA is the trade association for the textile care services industry. The TSA represents commercial laundry and textile rental businesses. Membership ranges from family-run operations through to large, multinational companies. Visit www.tsa-uk.org for more information.

ally need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS Ltd if you’re using the television for showing sports and other programming in public.

A TV licence allows you to receive the broadcast signal to the television within your business. However, it does not give you permission to play or perform the music within the broadcast.

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, permission is needed from the relevant copyright holders – those people who create music – in order to play or perform music in public.

TheMusicLicence gives you that permission, for virtually all commercially released music available.

So, this summer, make sure you are correctly licensed to entertain and immerse your customers, from the qualifiers to the closing ceremonies.

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

A New Independent Report Predicts Top Tourism Trends for 2042 20

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A new report ‘Tomorrow’s Travellers: Hospitality Trends for 2042’, is launched today at Clockwork Marketing’s special ‘30 years in hospitality’ celebration event at luxury boutique venue, ANRÁN.

any guest experience in hospitality will be more important than ever.

Tomorrow’s travellers are likely to pay an increasing premium for personal service.

The “Tomorrow’s Travellers” report, written by futurist, Will Higham and commissioned by Clockwork Marketing predicts future traveller’s desires and expectations of a holiday experience in 20 years.

“As we move into a new era, we must begin to think of hospitality differently, luxury and price alone will not entice tomorrow's guests.

They will expect a reciprocation of their values and seek out people to travel with that have similar ideas. Hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and self-catering properties need to evolve.”

Higham conducted in-depth analysis of consumer and industry news reports, consumer polls, and academic studies and analysed comments from experts in technology, science, and economic change to identify seven trends that will define the tourism sector in 2042.

Clockwork Marketing is a specialist hotel and hospitality marketing agency providing digital marketing, design and branding, website development, and gift voucher software to clients throughout the UK. Celebrating 30 years’ working in the sector, its team understands hospitality businesses in a way only insiders can.

Three of the top tourism trends in the “Tomorrow’s Travellers” report include: 1. Travel Easy: Travellers will demand the ease and convenience that only new technologies bring. Expect to see automatic check-ins, bathroom smart mirrors, and hotel suites that adapt the heating, lighting, and music to guests’ personal preferences.

2. Have it Your Way: Consumers are already getting accustomed to personalisation as standard. By 2042 they’re likely to want their entire holiday to be tailored to their individual needs. As technology improves, we could see DNA trackable wearables that tell restaurants what food to prepare based on guests' specific requirements.

3. Community Spirit: With a rising demand for human contact in their personalised service, guests will also seek out holidays with “people like me”. We’ll see a revival of communal package tours and every venue will be customised for social media sharing.

Will Higham, Futurist and CEO, Next Big Thing Consulting, commented on the research report: “The future offers both risks and opportunities for the leisure industry. Consumers have adopted new technologies faster than most hotels and venues have, and this needs to change if those businesses are to attract tomorrow’s tourists. For those companies that do adapt to these new demands, the future looks hugely positive.

“But the more technology encroaches on our lives, the more important ‘human contact’ will be.”

Clare Bushby, Managing Director, Clockwork Marketing said: “What is clear and encouraging from “Travellers: Hospitality Trends for 2042’ is that while existing and new technology will be ubiquitous, a human approach to

Clockwork’s first client 30 years ago was The Hotel Riviera at Sidmouth, owned by The Wharton Family, and is still, proudly, a Clockwork Marketing client today. Peter Wharton, The Hotel Rivera said: “We have worked with Clockwork Marketing for 30 years and we have seen how Clare has evolved her business to what it is today. Clockwork Marketing has grown and prospered due to their hard work, professionalism and total dedication given to their clients. We are, and will continue, to be great supporters of their work ethics and would not hesitate in recommending Clockwork Marketing to any future clients.”

Clockwork’s Marketing support to the tourism industry throughout the UK has been a constant. The company has recently launched GuestNet, taking its 30 years of marketing knowledge online for smaller hospitality businesses to learn marketing through a series of bitesize videos and guided support.

Clare Bushby added: “Clockwork has always changed with the times. Now, people are concerned about the welfare of our planet in a way unseen before. However, travel has a large carbon footprint and social media aestheticism is causing overtourism in beauty spots around the globe, including the UK. “Clockwork has taken a small step supporting the Devon Wildlife Trust, helping to preserve the wildlife and nature in our region. Looking beyond this to the future, the business wants to support regenerative tourism projects, enhancing communities and ecological health and encourage others to do the same.”

Free Banners for Schools & PTA’s

Parents and Teachers are working harder than ever before in a desperate effort to raise funding for our children. Funding goes towards a whole magnitude of resources or experiences that enrich pupils' education. HFE Signs are the UK’s leading supplier of Printed Signs and Banners, HFE have helped many Schools over the years and have made it as simple as possible for them to obtain their much needed banners for FREE! When ordering banners the main considerations are as follows:

• Dimensions – Smaller banners won’t get as much impact, average size is 8ft x 3ft • Location – Ensure your banner will be place with high volume visibility.

• Artwork – Clean and bold works best, do you need a designer and how much will it cost?

• Price – How much is it? Will we cover the cost?

HFE have made it easy and are committed to helping Schools and PTA’s.

DIMENSIONS AND LOCATION

Decide where your banner will be places and carefully measure the available space. Ensure you have a good volume of passing audience and most importantly get permission – you don’t want your banner to be removed.

ARTWORK HFE offer a FREE design service with all Printed Signs and Banners, so email the team at sales@hfe-signs.co.uk with 1) The size of your banner. 2) Your key information & 3) your images and logos. The HFE design team will work their magic and send you over a proof. Please review your changes with others before replying to HFE so you can be 100% sure on all your changes and the proof can be updated.

PRICE Great news! HFE offer FREE banners for to Schools and PTA’s – All the information on this can be found here https://www.hfe-signs.co.uk/free-school-banners

‘Rice Up Your Life!’ - The Rice Association Supports the Foodservice Industry this National Rice Week National Rice Week is returning for its fifth year this September (12th – 18th), with a multichannel consumer campaign that sets out to raise the profile of the UK rice sector.

Led by The Rice Association, with support from relevant influencers, the campaign will invite the nation to ‘Rice Up Your Life’ and highlight all the great things rice has to offer from its versatility and convenience as a recipe ingredient, to its proven nutritional and health benefits. The 2022 National Rice Week campaign will engage with our audience on social channels, and support this with media outreach. Content will range from inspirational recipe and serving ideas to myth busting facts and nutritional information.

Jon Calland, Chair of The Rice Association says, “We’re delighted to be celebrating Rice Week 2022 because rice is of course, such a crucial ingredient for many of the global cuisines, foods and flavours that consumers enjoy when dining out. That’s why this year we’re highlighting not just the many benefits, but the excitement of rice, to consumers via our media and social media activity. We hope that this will help encourage people to support their local venue or takeaway during National Rice Week and make this the biggest

National Rice Week yet.”

HOW COMPANIES CAN MAKE THE MOST OF NATIONAL RICE WEEK • Feature National Rice Week in promotional campaigns and marketing activity – use the logo (available from The Rice Association) to highlight the campaign on material such as menus and posters • Use National Rice Week to launch new products or menu items or to run a special offer • Hold tastings, promotions or competitions • Share content online across websites and social media channels using #NationalRiceWeek and #RiceUpYourLife • Encourage staff to talk about the week and recommend new rice-based dishes to diners For further information visit www.riceassociation.org.uk/national-rice-week-join-in

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Inspiring Staff Productivity In The Hospitality Workplace Why staff training and development in hygiene and cellar management is crucial for running an efficient ship As the country and its hospitality industry began its post-pandemic recovery, we breathed a collective sigh of relief as punters were able to head back to their local bars and pubs, restriction free, for the first time in many, many months.

and provide real-time information on the cleans. As this age group is usually comfortable with tech and adept at using apps and systems, training them up to use the mobile tech is a great way to keep them engaged and capitalise on their personal skills.

The cheery optimism for the hospitality sector, however, was short lived, as - in the first few months of 2022 alone - the industry faced a series of new challenges that were somewhat unforeseen by bar and pub operators, managers and landlords.

“Again, as Hance said, taking the time to explain WHY clean beer lines are critical for drinks quality is a good way to keep staff members interested and engaged. Beer from unclean lines can be fobbed, flat and taste awful, and - considering cask and craft brewers pour their hearts and souls into their creations - serving sub-par pints is a huge no no and will directly affect sales and customer satisfaction.”

Rising energy costs, soaring inflation, co2 issues, staff shortages and supply issues have conspired together to present a harsh playing field for many, which is bolstered even further by varying levels of consumer confidence and the tightening of purse strings as a nation.

After several lockdowns, Brits are well versed at entertaining themselves at home and creating premium drinks and special occasions for friends and family, so - with such a rocky outlook - what can our much loved and unique pub and bar sector do to run as efficiently as ever, while attracting consumers and ensuring they are always served great quality ales and beers?

Jeff Singer from Beer Piper, the UK’s leading beer line cleaning firm, and Hance McGhie from Chemisphere UK, which manufactures and sells a wide range of top quality cleaning products for the hospitality industry, look at why staff members can make the difference that is required to stand out from the crowd and run a tight yet effective and welcoming ship.

STAFF MEMBERS - THE KEY TO SUCCESS? Hance McGhie says: “With recent reports showing that hospitality staff are working longer hours to keep venues afloat, and the staffing crisis still rumbling on after Covid, it’s more crucial than ever to invest in your team members and ensure they are valued and appreciated.

“Having engaged, proactive and happy members of staff can make the difference between success and failure, and will have a profound effect on team member retention levels. The most important way to ensure staff members feel this way is with training and support, and considering much of bar work takes place behind the scenes, ensuring that your team is well trained and knowledgeable on cellar management, hygiene and cleanliness and beer line maintenance will result in a tight ship that runs smoothly with no issues.

“Staff should be trained up properly, and time should be invested in these training sessions. It’s all very well to learn on the job for some aspects of hospitality; drinks creation, service and even the usage of tech in some cases- but hygiene, cellar management and beer line cleaning are all aspects of the role that need special attention and cannot be done “on the job” or picked up during a shift.”

TIPS FOR RUNNING A TIP TOP CELLAR “The cellar is the true engine room of the pub or bar, and should be treated as such” continues Hance.

“Cleanliness is absolutely king, and the cellar needs to be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week with the correct sanitising products and kept clean throughout the day - much like a commercial kitchen. Regular

HOW TO INSPIRE PRODUCTIVITY IN HYGIENE AND CLEANLINESS Hance adds: “As we have said, hygiene and cleanliness is one aspect of the job, together with customer service, front of house management, food service, drinks creation, the usage of tech/machinery and systems and more. cleaning will prevent the build up of bacteria and also help the air quality to remain tip top. Both of these things can affect beer quality, as dirt and unclean air can make beer go off and increase wastage - or, even worse, produce sub-standard pints for punters.

“It’s been said that a well-kept cellar can directly increase profits - and we wholeheartedly endorse this notion. But how do you empower staff to keep this side of the business running smoothly?

“Firstly, take the time to train staff in how to clean the cellar itself, maintain the coolers and clean the beer lines. Write up a rota and a day to day guide for what has to happen, and by what time. Make it easy to understand so anyone starting a shift can understand where they are up to and hit the ground running.

“On top of this, tell them WHY the correct cleaning products need to be used and WHY clean beer lines are so crucial. Explain WHY coolers need to be maintained and the temperature needs to be constant.

Topping up knowledge will help staff members to feel engaged and to understand the reasons why certain tasks need to be completed.

“It can be hard to find the time for these kinds of endeavours, but it will absolutely result in the saving of time and money in the long run.”

BEER LINE CLEANING - A CRUCIAL PART OF THE SUCCESS STORY Jeff Singer comments: “If you think of beer line cleaning and immediately sigh at the thought of arduous, time consuming manual cleans that take staff members out of the picture for hours, you need to consider installing a system that takes care of this aspect of cellar maintenance and does it to the highest standard.

“The best way to train staff and ensure they are engaged and productive - in all aspects of the job - is to have a dedicated “orientation” procedure, or live introductory training programme. This could take the guise of a two/three hour or longer session where a senior manager or the landlord takes the new staff member or members for a tour of the venue and takes them through all aspects of the job that they will need to know straight away. Including cleanliness procedures in this introductory session will set out your stall from the word go, communicating the importance of running a tight ship when it comes to hygiene.

“As stated earlier, cellar management is worthy of its own training, so carving out the time for a dedicated session will ensure that you run a tight ship behind the scenes.

“Consider producing a handbook or document that can be emailed and presented in person with information and procedures that all staff members will need to know. And ensure any need-to-know information is easily accessible within your venue and cellar.

“For any specific aspect of the job, e.g. Beer Line cleaning, consider outside training sessions or educational courses that can help staff members to learn the intricacies of each element.

“When it comes to hygiene and cleanliness behind the scenes, nominating one staff member per shift to be the “clean genie” could be a good way to inspire productivity and empower team members to embrace accountability and responsibility.

“Lastly, for all aspects of staff training and development, don’t forget about rewards, praise and encouragement. Having a monthly meal out, free drinks at the end of a shift or even a weekly/monthly “star” with a small prize can do wonders for morale and productivity.”

“Our latest BP4 machine uses high tech systems to clean beer lines to perfection - eliminating the need for manual cleans altogether. What’s more, it enables you to sell the beer in the line as it’s being cleaned, saving waste and - critically - saving money.

Beer Piper is the UK’s leading beer line cleaning firm with unrivalled systems that help landlords and bar managers save time, money and waste. Find out more here: https://beerpiper.co.uk

“For millennial or GenZ staff members, the tech aspect may appeal, as the system uses cloud based technology and a mobile app to run, log

Chemisphere UK has manufactured top quality hygiene products for the hospitality industry for decades and is widely regarded as the best one-stop shop for all requirements. Find out more: https://chemisphereuk.com

Cash Still King for UK Staycationers Brits have picked up a penchant for staycations in recent times with a whopping 76 per cent going on holiday in the UK in the last five years.

Over half of Brits are planning on a UK holiday this year, with the week commencing 25 July set to be the busiest week for UK staycations.

for ice cream scooped first place as the most common cash-spending occasion with parking and tipping at restaurants also shown to be common reasons for going card-less.

71 per cent of Brits planning on going on holiday in the UK this year plan to take out cash before leaving to go on holiday.

The new research by the Post Office found that four in 10 Brits planning to go on holiday this year admitted that the love of holidaying in the UK was their number one reason for taking a staycation.

Of those who have been on holiday in the UK in the last five years, almost a third (31%) admitted to being caught out cashless whilst on holiday in the UK.

The ease of not having to plan a trip aboard (35%) and supporting the UK economy (24%) also featured in the top three reasons.

No cash for parking was shown to be the most common financial faux pas whilst one in five Brits (21%) have literally been caught short whilst on a UK trip, finding themselves without cash for public loos.

In an increasingly digital world, cash is still king for British staycationers. The research showed that Brits carry twice as much cash with them whilst on holiday in the UK compared to their day to day lives, with over £50 on average lining the pockets of Brits when on holiday in the UK. What’s more, the survey found that only 14% of Brits want to live in a cashless society and that 40% of those carrying cash do so as it helps them to budget and keep track of spending.

TOP SITUATIONS WHEN BRITS USE CASH WHILST ON HOLIDAY IN THE UK 1. Buying ice cream on the beach 2. paying for car parking 3. Giving a tip 4. When at a cafe or restaurant 5. When at a small business that doesn’tt acceptcard payments The new research also revealed the situations where holidaying Brits are most likely to use cash. Paying

As staycation hot spots prepare for an influx of tourists this summer, with 11,500 branches across the UK, Post Office is the most convenient place to access cash for everyday holiday essentials.

Commenting on the research, Martin Kearsley, Banking Director at Post Office said: “Our research has shown that in recent years the UK has become a top choice holiday destination for Brits. Hard earned holidays are a time for relaxing, not worrying about being caught out by not having enough cash. Whether you’re heading to the seaside, scenic countryside or a festival, no matter the staycation destination, Postmasters are on hand to help with any holiday cash essentials.

“Free cash withdrawals to the penny are available at all branches across the UK and small businesses benefitting from all that seasonal cash can pay it back in through any Post Office too.”

Results of the survey showed that we truly do like to be beside the seaside. Over half of Brits (52%) lining up a UK staycation this year will be grabbing their bucket and spade and heading to the coast. However, British staycationers are more likely to be caught out by not having cash at the seaside than at any other destination.

UKHospitality Urgently Calls for Reductions Under Reformed Business Rates 24

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New rateable values, due to come in next April, are coming at a time of ‘unprecedented circumstances’ for the industry, something which should be reflected in the 2023 revaluation, UKHospitality has said in its response to a Government consultation on the proposals.

In its response the industry body highlighted the profound impact of the pandemic on hospitality property values and the financial fragility of hospitality businesses. Most are carrying heavy debt and facing soaring costs and there is therefore a need to ensure that any reduction in business rates is reflected in the bills as rapidly as possible.

In its full response UKHospitality has called for: • Assurance that the scheme will allow for all businesses to reach their true reduced value from April 2023 • A cap on how much bills can rise

• No RPI increase in the total sum of business rates • The continuation of business rate reliefs for businesses hit hardest by the pandemic.

UKHospitality CEO, Kate Nicholls, said: “The priority must be enabling reductions in bills to be felt immediately and the Government needs to ensure that the cost is reduced for those sectors hit hardest by the pandemic and in most need of support.

“We strongly believe that Government needs to reflect the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, compounded by the impact of an economic downturn and high levels of inflation, in the new rates scheme. If this is taken into account, the hospitality sector can play its full part in the wider UK economic recovery, creating jobs and delivering skills and boosting our high streets and communities.”

1.2 Million Travel & Tourism Jobs Across the EU will Remain Unfilled Unless Urgent Action is Taken World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the European Travel Commission (ETC) warn the Travel & Tourism sector’s recovery could be put at serious risk if almost 1.2 million jobs remain unfilled across the EU. The challenging summer labour shortfall has been revealed by WTTC in its latest analysis of the sector and calls for urgent action to address this critical issue.

In 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, the Travel & Tourism sector across the EU suffered the loss of almost 1.7 million jobs*.

In 2021, when governments began to ease travel restrictions and travellers’ confidence improved, the sector’s direct contribution to the EU’s economy recovered by 30.4% and recovered 571,000 jobs.

This year, WTTC projects that the sector’s recovery will continue to accelerate and almost reach pre-pandemic levels with an expected 32.9% increase in its direct contribution to the EU economy.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “Europe showed one of the strongest recoveries in 2021, ahead of the global average. However, current shortages of labour can delay this trend and put additional pressure on an already embattled sector.

“Governments and the private sector need to come together to provide the best opportunities for people looking for the great career opportunities that the travel sector offers.”

A serious number of vacancies are likely to remain unfilled during the busy summer period, with travel agencies forecasted to be the worst hit with a 30% shortfall of workers (nearly one in three vacancies unfilled).

Meanwhile, air transport and accommodation segments are likely to suffer one in five unfilled vacancies, representing 21% and 22% staff shortage respectively.

WTTC has been at the forefront of leading the private sector in the drive to rebuild international travel

since the pandemic brought international travel to its knees.

ETC has been working with key stakeholders to better coordinate the response measures at the EU level and facilitate travel.

WTTC and ETC have identified six measures that governments and the private sector can implement to address this urgent issue: • Facilitate labour mobility within countries and across borders and strengthen collaboration at all levels, providing visas and work permits • Enable flexible and remote working where feasible – particularly if travel restrictions still prevent workers from moving freely across borders • Ensure decent work, provide social safety nets and highlight career growth opportunities – with work that is safe, fair, productive, and meaningful – to reinforce the attractiveness of the sector as a career choice and retain new talent • Upskill and reskill talent and offer comprehensive training as well as create – to equip the workforce with new and improved skills • Create and promote education and apprenticeships – with effective policies, and public-private collaboration, that support educational programs and apprentice-based training • Adopt innovative technological and digital solutions to improve daily operations, as well as mobility and border security to ensure safe and seamless travel and an enhanced customer experience.

Luis Araujo, ETC President said: “Europe, as the leading and most competitive tourism destination in the world, is committed to becoming the most sustainable one. But the goal of the twin transition (green and digital) will only be achieved if we succeed in attracting and retaining talent for this sector. This is one of the biggest challenges for the sector and needs coordinated, multi-layered and joint (public and private) solutions.”

The two bodies believe that by implementing these measures, Travel & Tourism businesses will be able to attract and retain more workers.

This in turn would enable the sector to meet the ever-growing consumer demand and further speed up its recovery, which is the backbone to generating economic wellbeing across the bloc.

Saniflo Solves Drainage Issue For Prestigious Floating Holiday Accommodation Saniflo UK – a leading designer and manufacturer of macerators, pumps and lifting stations – is known for being able to supply drainage solutions for unusual places, such as basement and attic conversions in older buildings, commercial venues with limited waste discharge options and a whole range of other applications. In recent years, the boom in staycations here in the UK has revolutionized the tourism sector and the more unusual the accommodation and the location, the more de rigeur the venue becomes.

Many need a pumped waste solution and Saniflo has supplied a range of products for glamping pods, cabins, caravans, boats, campsites, festival venues and portable WC and shower cabins.

Recently, Saniflo provided a number of Sanibest Pro macerators and a Sanifos 280 lifting station to Hampshire- based MDL Marinas – a multi-service leisure business running marinas, boatyards and holiday centres in the South of England – for its new marine lodges overlooking the stunning Badnam Creek on the River Hamble.

The challenge for pontoon supplier, Intermarine and lodge manufacturer, Trojan Timber, was to work out the most efficient waste discharge from the bathrooms and kitchens with least possible disruption to customers and marina staff. Pumps were always going to be needed in the lodges themselves, but collection and storage was the biggest stumbling block and ideas such as manual collection with a waste trolley or a separate floating tank were considered but rejected.

Saniflo was approached by Tony Goodman of Trojan Timber for advice and a technical engineer from the

company visited the site to meet the stakeholders, assess the options and present a workable solution. This was in the shape of a Sanibest Pro macerator fitted in the bathroom of each lodge and a Sanifos underground lifting station to collect and pump away the waste to a landside drain.

Waste is discharged through a pipe out of each lodge which connects to a run of pipe installed under the service cover along the main pontoon. This then runs for 20m to meet an adjacent jetty where a Sanifos 280 lifting station, built in to an anti-corrosion black metal box, is installed out of sight under the edge. It is activated when a certain fill point is reached and the waste is then pumped into discharge pipes under the water, up the wall of the quay and across to the mains drain.

Karl Decaux, from pontoon supplier, Intermarine, was delighted that the solution recommended by Saniflo enabled the waste to be discharged landside; “Thanks to the innovative method of connecting the Sanibest Pros into the Sanifos, the whole waste discharge process happens automatically and makes use of the mains drains on the site and that means no manual emptying – a real bonus. We couldn’t be any more impressed with the support we received from Saniflo and there are plans to add more lodges in future. We will know from the outset how to plan the drainage using their recommendations.”

For more information and technical details, please visit www.saniflo.co.uk

Hubbard Advice On Keeping Your Ice Machine Clean 26

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As summer gets into high gear the ice experts at Hubbard Systems highlight the importance of keeping your ice machine safe and hygienic with a schedule of regular preventative maintenance.

Ice machines continually process water, which means they are at risk of becoming contaminated if not cleaned and maintained. High quality ice machines like the range from Scotsman include design features that help to keep them operating at peak efficiency. However, it is vital to institute a schedule of maintenance and cleaning on a daily, weekly and monthly basis as well as regular visits from trained service engineers.

Ensuring staff are trained in how to use and maintain your ice machine is the foundation of maintaining ice hygiene. Regular training and refresher sessions should be scheduled to make sure staff knowledge remains fresh.

ICE MACHINE MAINTENANCE TIPS · The ice storage bin should be fully emptied and cleaned every couple of months. This will ensure that ice is kept in perfect condition until needed.. · The water filter cartridge should be replaced at least once a year, although depending on local water quality and usage levels this might need to be more frequent. · After cleaning either the storage bin or changing the filter, the fresh water system should be flushed through before use to remove any residual contaminants. · While a good quality water filter will dramatically reduce the build up of scale on the evaporator, if you have very hard water it may still occur. Removing scale from the evaporator will keep the ice being made as pure as possible. This is usually a job for the service engineer. · Check the evaporator for build up at the same time as you clean the storage bin. Ice with scale can look milky or cloudy. · The air filters can often be overlooked in maintenance schedules, but should be cleaned regularly to guarantee the machine’s cooling capacity is working at optimum efficiency.

ICE HANDLING TIPS · Correct handling technique is vital so ice reaches customers in peak hygienic condition. Make sure ice never gets touched with bare hands and is only removed with a scoop.

· The scoop itself should be only stored in a tub of sanitiser between uses, not left on top of the machine or in the ice storage bin. · As well as this they should ensure that it is never contaminated by foreign bodies like bottle tops or labels. If glass enters the storage bin it’s vital that it is emptied and cleaned thoroughly.

LOOKING AFTER ULTRAVIOLET SANITISING SYSTEMS Ultraviolet sanitation systems have become increasingly common in ice machines since the pandemic. They provide an extra level of security by using the natural power of UV light to destroy viruses and bacteria, preventing the growth of mould, mildew, slime, and stopping odours The XSafe system is one of the key safety features fitted as standard on the Scotsman range of ice machines. Unlike many other UV systems it is capable of working throughout the machine, even in a storage bin filled with ice.

Over time the effectiveness of the UV lightbulb reduces, and as the XSafe system runs constantly Hubbard Systems recommends getting it changed every 12 months. This will ensure the bulb and the XSafe system is always working at its full potential.

Arranging for a qualified engineer to regularly service your ice machine can take a lot of the guesswork out of these regular maintenance tasks. The dealer or retailer who supplied the machine should be able to help, either by providing service themselves or by recommending a third party. If in doubt, Hubbard System’s sister company HTG Service can provide service for the full Scotsman range and most popular makes of ice machine.

For specialist advice on looking after your ice machine, contact the ice experts at Hubbard Systems on 01473 350000. There are also a variety of specialist cleaning and maintenance guides which can be found in the downloads section at Scotsman-ice.co.uk.

Hubbard Systems is the UK distributor for the market-leading Scotsman range of icemakers and the Friulinox range of refrigeration products, which are available via dealers nationwide. Hubbard Systems is part of HTG Trading Ltd. For more information and details of local stockists, call Hubbard Systems on 01473 350045, email sales@hubbardsystems.co.uk or visit www.scotsman-ice.co.uk

Family-Run Scottish Hotels Recognised with Business Accolade A Scottish family-run hotel business has been recognised as the best in the country.

Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels has been crowned the Family Business of the Year for Scotland by Family Business United.

The renowned collection of hotels includes Crieff Hydro Hotel, Peebles Hydro Hotel, and Ballachulish Hotel and Isles of Glencoe Hotel in Glencoe with a total of eight hotels in Perthshire, Dundee, Scottish Borders and the west coast.

Stephen Leckie is Chairman and CEO and is the fifth generation of his family to head up the business. His wife, Fiona, two sons, Richard and Charlie, and two daughters, Louisa and Sarah all hold roles.

Finalists for Scotland included Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company, The Scottish Bee Company, Redpath Bruce and Wholesale Domestic Bathrooms.

Stephen said: “We were shortlisted among some fantastic Scottish family businesses so it is an honour to have won the title of Family Business of the Year.

“This award isn’t just in recognition of our family of hotels, but all of our amazing team. Everyone contributes towards the warm welcome and first-class experience at each of our hotels.

“Together, we continue to drive the business forward, recently acquiring Highland Safaris in Perthshire – the latest addition to the family.”

The Family Business of the Year Awards were created by Family Business United to celebrate the UK family business sector, to recognise the diversity of family firms across the country and to celebrate the contribution that they make.

Paul Andrews, Founder & CEO, Family Business United: “It is an absolute honour to champion family firms all year round, celebrating the immense contribution they make to the local, regional and national economy.

“These awards have grown and grown since we introduced them over 10 years ago and we are delighted by the number of businesses from across the UK that took part again this year. Finalists came from all corners of the UK and represent some truly fabulous businesses that continue to make a difference each and every day, through the provision of jobs, generation of income, creation of wealth and their role in communities up and down the country as a real force for good.

“Their contribution deserves to be recognised and the Family Business of the Year Awards celebrate the very best of British, family firms that have a narrative, clearly defined values and a real sense of purpose.

“Family firms really are the backbone of the UK economy and across the UK they will be vital as the economy recovers from the events of the past few years. All of the winners are proud, British family firms and deserve their moment to shine. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

Celebrating 30 Years Servicing the UK Pump Market!

This month sees Pump Technology reach its 30-year milestone delivering the best commercial and industrial pumps, and custom builds all backed by an experienced inhouse technical and support team.

After working in the pump industry for many years, Jeremy Brownlee established Pump Technology Ltd. in 1992 in response to the un-serviced demand for commercial systems to pump wastewater or sewage.

The company quickly expanded to offer a comprehensive range of pump systems, in particular a pumping station range of products. To maintain the quality and supply of these tanks sister company Pegasus Pumps was established, who now produce tanks from 300mm3 to chambers 2.1m diameter and 5m plus deep.

In 2005 Pump Technology Ltd. was authorized by Jung Pumpen GmbH as a main distributor, they are now the largest supplier of products such as Compli, Hebefix, WC Fix Plus … in the UK. The group of companies expanded further in 2014 when LeeSan, market leaders for marine sanitation, toilets and pump-out stations was acquired.

Over the years the Group has gathered a team of dedicated, experienced professionals who pride themselves on attention to detail, as well as expanding their range of home grown products, which now include the DrainMajor series, the FlushMaster Toilet Pump and more recently the DrainMinor C Combi Oven Pump and DrainMinor S Shower Waste Pump The company’s success is built on high quality products, comprehensive knowledge, competitive prices and sound advice coupled with unique service and technical support.

Jon Barker, Pump Technology Managing Director Comments; “I congratulate everyone on this 30-year achievement, from our staff, suppliers, and customers. I’m very proud of everything that we have accomplished during this time and look forward to another 30-year milestone!”

“We are pump people who supply the pumps you need when you need them. Our philosophy that has held true for 30 years is simple”.

• SPEED of RESPONSE: Present us with your problem and, working with you, we will present you with the most economical solution on the market providing optimum performance and lowest ownership costs.

• SERVICE is KING: We pride ourselves on attention to detail. Your need is individual; therefore, every solution is custom built with the advice on product selection and installation that you require • STOCK: “I NEED IT NOW” is the industry standard request. We respond by stocking pumps from MOST MAJOR MANUFACTURERS such as Jung Pumpen, Saniflo Whale and many others in our extensive warehouse so we can fulfil YOUR NEEDS and keep YOUR project ON TIME and ON BUDGET. • SUPPORT: How often have you bought something only to be left with no support. That’s NOT the Pump Technology way! Our comprehensive knowledge coupled with our unique service and technical support ensures COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. • NATIONWIDE: All of our products are supported by a nationwide service coordinated by Pump Technology Services Ltd. About Pump Technology We are a leading UK distributor of wastewater, water and sewage pump systems. Our extensive range of wastewater and sewage pumps, systems & stations (Floor or below ground) is renowned in the industry.

Specifiers, house developers, contractors, merchants, retailers, commercial kitchen operators, all rely on Pump Technology to deliver the right specified products the first time to keep projects on track and to budget.

See the advert on page 48 for further information.

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Heating Solutions

Gas Water Heating & Sustainability If you are wrestling with meeting calls to be more environmentally aware as a business, then it is worth understanding that a limitation on new gas grid connections for heating systems becomes effective this year.

However, this mandate does not apply to already connected buildings. For the time being, if a hospitality business uses gas and is intending to refurbish premises then it can upgrade to new condensing gas-fired appliances until 2035 without fear of breaching new buildings regulations. This provides a safety net while assessing new low carbon technology options prior to the 2035 deadline.

Opting for a heat pump based all-electric hot water system is going to considerably reduce emissions, but comes with additional capital costs, despite the government’s boiler replacement scheme which is open to small businesses. For those ‘on gas’ it is well worth considering the implementation of solar thermal preheat for gas-fired systems if you wanted to make sus-

tainability commitments with proven and genuinely renewable technology.

But with so many companies already using gas, and aware of the cost implications that come with system replacements, Adveco has developed two new ranges of direct-fired condensing water heaters – the AD and the ADplus for instantaneous demands. Both ranges provide a compact, floorstanding design that is easy to introduce into an existing plant room. High efficiency translates into 30% savings in fuel consumption, making it more cost-effective, while reducing emissions. Both AD and ADplus exhibit ultra-low NOX and CO emissions.

So long as there is an existing gas connection, the AD & ADplus can help bridge towards the next generation of more cost-effective sustainable technologies, such as hydrogen in the gas grid. 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

Chef's Buyer's Guide

Issue 119

CLH DIGITAL

Fylde Fresh and Fabulous Based in the heart of the Fylde countryside Fylde Fresh and Fabulous Ltd are a wellestablished family run business with over 30 years of history growing and processing potatoes. We are passionate about what we do. We grow, harvest, store, process and deliver fresh chips and potato products under the Triple F brand to customers the length and breadth of the country. We operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

We are BRC AA accredited and Red Tractor approved, making us a reliable supplier to the foodservice industry.

POWERED BY POTATOES Fylde Fresh are committed to supporting the environment. We have our very own anaerobic digester which is uses all of the peelings generated from the potato process. This produces biogas which powers the site and the local community and produces a fertilizer for growing next years spuds.

Whitby Seafoods Founded back in 1985 by Graham Whittle, Whitby Seafoods are a buccaneering, privately owned, family business based in Whitby - a real place with a rich history as a fishing port.

Graham founded the business with a quest to create ‘proper’ Scampi, using Langoustine tails responsibly sourced from the waters around the British Isles. This ‘quest for the best’ ethos remains, and we continue to be obsessed with top-notch seafood and remain market leaders in quality.

We are the beacon brand for scampi and are the UK’s largest buyer and manufacturer of scampi. Simply put, we sell more scampi than anyone else anywhere else, with a whopping 1 million portions of Whitby Scampi being eaten by discerning seafood lovers each week!

Being experts in what we do has enabled us to remain as the number 1 brand in foodservice since the company began. Whitby Scampi has become a famous

WHAT WE OFFER We provide national coverage, delivering our fresh potato products direct to your door via a network of distributors across the UK. We offer a number of fresh potato products from fresh chips to whole peel and quarter cuts. Our chilled products take all the hassle out of food preparation. Products can be delivered fresh daily. There’s no waste, prep time, labour cost or mess.

All you need is chilled space. We aim to take the stress out of potato preparation. Why not contact us today for a free sample. Just email sales@fyldefreshandfabulous.com and one of our sales team will be in touch directly to deal with your enquiry.

FFF chips are now available to buy online from our website www.fyldefreshandfabulous.com. We are offering all Caterer Licensee readers a 10% discount off their first order. Simply quote discount code CLM22 on the website to take advantage of this offer. dish in pubs and restaurants throughout the land, gracing the very best menus as a signifier of discernment.

To bring a touch of the seaside to your establishment, we offer free point of sale items including greaseproof, napkins and swingboards available with the purchase of our flagship Whitby Scampi. Not only is our point of sale wonderfully eye catching, but it’s also a signifier of quality to those looking for something delicious to eat.

Our point of sale has been a firm favourite with many of our customers over the last 10 years. Here is what some have had to say: “Whitby branded POS where I am does work- I’m based opposite 1500 caravans so when it’s nice and they are sitting outside with the branded serving items it really does make a difference” “Having Whitby POS has helped promote our scampi sales dramatically. Presentation is key to encourage return business and for positive reviews with images too.

The Whitby Scampi POS products help us achieve this.”

If you want to hook into our point of sale, call 01947 606101 or email info@whitby-seafoods.com with proof of purchase to claim.

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

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Macduff - Wild About Shellfish Macduff’s wild-caught Hebridean Langoustines come from the pristine, rich waters of the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, where the warm flowing Gulf Stream meets the cool currents of the Arctic and Greenland Sea. Here, fishing boats depart for short one- to two day trips, ensuring only the freshest langoustines are landed.

At the factory, langoustines are washed, size graded and carefully hand-packed. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with an Advantec freezer, a high velocity air freezing

technology that allows the rapid and efficient freezing of langoustines within 25 minutes or less, locking in freshness. They are then hand-packed by our dedicated team, resulting in rich, vibrant-orange langoustines with a firm texture and uniquely sweet delicate flavour.

Popular amongst chefs in fine dining restaurants, Macduff’s West Coast Hebridean Langoustines are a true shellfish delicacy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MACDUFF OFFICE NEAREST YOU: Mintlaw Sales Office: +44 (0) 1771 624000, sales@macduffshellfish.co.uk Windsor Sales Office: +44 (0) 1753 858 188, windsorsales@clearwater.ca

10 Years of Foodie Flavours

The Club – Food Procurement Made Simple create supply chains that work for you, reducing offgrid purchases, optimising your quality and commercial control.

for Vegans & Vegetarians, Glutenfree, Dairy-free, Egg-free, no added sugar and made in the UK.

They set out to bring professional, manufacturing grade natural flavourings to the home and small business market. Ten years on and Foodie Flavours have established their brand bringing high strength flavourings to serious foodies and small businesses across the UK and beyond.

Taste and aroma are the senses that define and help us recognize the things we love to eat and drink. Foodie Flavours’ professional quality natural flavourings are crafted by experienced flavourists using quality materials sourced from around the world.

Consistent taste profiles are a must for food & drink producers and Foodie Flavours products are all manufactured to strict GFSI compliant quality standards.

As well as ever popular Raspberry, Vanilla, Caramel and Orange - their extensive range includes a wonderful Rhubarb, Sweet Hazelnut & Chocolate, Passion Fruit, Ginger, Cinnamon, Chilli and many more. All are natural flavourings or extracts, suitable

Loved by Chef’s as great ‘kickers’ for their mouth-watering recipes. Valued by hospitality for their low cost in use and consistent flavour profiles. With sizes available to buy online in 15ml, 200ml, and 1 litre or more Foodie Flavours give a very flexible advantage to customers.

Quick delivery from stock as well as samples and made-to-order flavours round out the service from this innovative company.

Insight – Our insights and the wealth of data at our disposal help you make the right decisions for your business.

What is The Club?

We created The Club as an easy-to use procurement tool to deliver sustainable supply chain savings to a wide variety of businesses who buy food and drink. The Club champions cost reduction, optimises quality and service levels, and simplifies processes to effectively manage your organisation’s developing needs. Think of us as part of your team, without the cost, working in harmony with your business and helping it grow.

Foodie Flavours has built a reputation for quality, strength and friendly advice. Their flavourings are used in cooking, baking, confectionary, desserts, chocolate, fudge, ice cream, cocktails, beers, ciders, spirits, soft drinks, snack bars and much more.

What are the benefits?

Check out their website at www.foodieflavours.com not only for great natural flavourings, but also some great recipes and guides on how to use flavours.

Saves Time – We are always working in the background - so you don’t have to - ensuring you don’t overpay for your items.

Lower Costs – Rapidly accessed savings that drive benefit straight to your bottom line.

Professionally negotiated and carefully managed, our team puts you ahead of the market.

Supply Chain Control – We work with you, to

Resources - Access to a team of procurement experts and a dedicated commercial manager to keep you up to date with the marketplace, review dashboards and supplier performance.

Flexibility – You are unique, constantly growing and evolving. Regular reviews ensure the solutions in place are appropriate, for now and for the future.

Tech – Powerful, efficient online ordering and reporting system, that can be accessed anywhere through your desktop, phone or tablet powered by Fourth.

No Cash Outlay – We collect our fixed fee directly from suppliers, so you always know exactly what we earn.

Peace of Mind – First class supply chains take time and expertise. Our team of procurement specialists have been creating sustainable supply chains that deliver savings and add value since 1998.

Visit www.prestigetheclub.com or see the advert below.

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

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Issue 119

Products and Services

Are You Looking To Make Your Menus More Sustainable?

Are you looking to make your menus more sustainable?

We’re proud to present Grass 95 – a paper that is ecologically responsible without compromising on the print quality!

Grass 95 is a new and exclusive grass-based paper from Online Paper. Give your customers a truly authentic experience by printing your menus, flyers and more on this unique paper. Made from 70% FSC wood pulp & 30% grass pulp, Grass 95 is recyclable, compostable and eco-friendly. It has a wonderful look and feel that will add credibility to environmentally conscious restaurants and businesses.

With one side of the paper coated for inkjet printers and the reverse optimised for laser printers, Grass 95 is a fully versatile paper that can suit any restaurant or

office setup. Achieve fantastic prints with rich, crisp text and detailed images on any printer.

You’re guaranteed to produce high quality results without the large costs and time-restraints of outsourcing your printing, keeping both sustainability and economics at the forefront.

Don’t have a printer yet but thinking about bringing one into your business? As suppliers of Canon printers and ink, Online Paper can help get you set up.

The team have a wealth of knowledge and can answer any questions on the world of paper and printing whilst finding you the best prices.

Call Online Paper on 01892 771245 to discuss your requirements or request a free sample of Grass 95. You can also visit www.onlinepaper.co.uk to explore the whole range of products.

Going Waterless Could Cut Hospitality Sector Urinal Running Costs By More Than Half At The Same Time As Slashing CO2 Hospitality businesses could save over £1,200 on their annual water bills for every three urinals converted to waterless technology, at the same time as slashing CO2.

The findings have been released by Smarti Environmental, the UK’s leading waterless urinal business, to coincide with Water Saving Week 2022 .

The savings are possible with the installation of its newly launched eco-friendly Vortex triple seal valve (TSV), which has been designed to cut urinal water bills by over half, at the same time as dramatically lowering carbon footprints, eliminating bad urinal smells, blockages and eradicating the spread of infections caused by flushing urinals.

The smart-tech, eco-friendly, retro-fit Vortex valve ends the need for water in urinals, saving on average 100,000 litres of clean water and 105kg CO2 per urinal, per year.

It also prevents airborne infections caused by spray during flushing, which has been shown to spread 500,000 germs per inch, per flush, landing on skin, surfaces and clothing, spreading viruses including Covid-19, influenza and norovirus.

The Vortex TSV, which fits 98% of all urinals, enables businesses to retain their existing urinal bowls while cutting annual running costs by over 50%, compared to conventional water-flush alternatives.

Confirmed as the fastest flowing waterless urinal

Bottleproof Cocktails have been supplying their premium range of pre-made bottled cocktails exclusively to the hospitality trade since 2016. Customers include hotels, theatres, restaurants, pubs and events venues across the UK. Why choose Bottleproof? Well, they have a range of over 25 cocktails including 0% cocktails and they only supply the on-trade. Plus they have received a list of awards as long as your arm from IWSC, Spirits Business and LSC. Their cocktails are, as Charlie Anderson, co-owner of Bottleproof says “created to replicate the perfect bar serve. They are all full abv and we only use premium ingredients and branded spirits just as a top bar would. We don’t add any preservatives, flavourings or colourings so they really are the real deal with no synthetic tastes” Bottleproof cocktails are now served in some of the UK’s best hotels, pubs and restaurants and the reason, other than the taste, says Mark Thompson, co-owner, who heads up sales, is ”they can be served in less than 30 seconds, require no training (other than how to use a cocktail shaker) and allow venues far greater stock control. Both Charlie and I have either worked in or supplied the ontrade for over 20 years and we understand the hospi-

solution on the market, the fully recyclable, British-manufactured, hygienic one-way multi valve system, traps all odours so that the foul drain smells become a thing of the past. No other waterless urinal technology is as effective.

The Vortex valve also accelerates the flow of urine down into the drainpipe, and includes an eco-friendly bio-block enzyme ring and integrated bio-tablet tablet which breaks down uric acid and bio film proteins during use, preventing costly and damaging back-fill flooding and blocked pipes by making the urine PH neutral – a world first!

Visit www.smartilimited.com or call 01392 311 202 for a no obligation washroom survey and quote.

See the advert on page 7 for details.

Introducing 8Track: A New UK Made Premium Spiced Rum Upbeat Spirits, a new independent drinks company based in Cornwall, introduced an exciting new spiced rum – with the launch of 8Track.

The refreshing new spiced rum boasts a full flavour, smooth, zestful spirit – balanced with fresh citrus and warm spice – offering a premium, allnatural and high-quality product.

Owing its name to the iconic 20th century eight-track recording kit used by artists ranging from the Beatles to David Bowie, 8Track was born from a shared love of music, togetherness, celebrating good times.

8Track is designed to be enjoyed served straight, on the rocks, with a quality mixer or as the base of a cocktail.

Made from a base of fine Guyanese rum, the bespoke blend is infused with Seville oranges, vanilla, cloves, ginger and cinnamon to create a unique spirit that is already winning many fans. In its first 12 months of trading, 8Track is now served in over 700 bars and pubs and has won several awards, including a Gold at the recent London Spirits Competition.

8Track is showing its commitment to celebrating and supporting independent music by partnering grass-roots music festivals and venues and also by show-casing unsigned music artists in 8Track’s social media and through “8Track Presents” nights at music pubs from Cornwall to London and Manchester.

Striving to do better for the planet, 8Track uses only lightweight recycled glass bottles (which are 100% recy-

Bottleproof Cocktails – Allowing All Venues To Serve Quality Cocktails

clable) and is partnering with paper packaging pioneers, FlexiHex - to offer a sustainable packaging solution that’s plastic free.

Standing out from the crowd, the fun-loving and exciting new rum is presented with a bold and bright label design – encapsulating its ‘good times’ philosophy.

8Track signature serves include:

Back to Black: In a tall glass, squeeze in the juice of half of a fresh lime. Drop two lime wedges into the glass and top with ice cubes. Pour in a double measure of 8Track and pour over cold cola.

Stir with a barspoon and start sipping – with nonchalance.

Twisted Fire Starter: Fill a tall glass with ice and add a measure or two of 8Track.

Pour over ginger beer, stir with a barspoon and garnish with a twist of lime. Feel the heat.

Night Fever: Fill a tall glass with ice cubes, followed by a measure of 8Track. Top-up with Mediterranean tonic and garnish with a slice of fresh orange. Guaranteed to keep you cool, on the hottest of dancefloors.

8Track is available nationwide in the UK through regional and national wholesalers including St. Austell Brewery, www.Masterofmalt.com www.eebria.com Inn-Express and Baby Bottles. 8Track has also recently won a listing with Nectar.

Visit www.8Trackrum.co.uk for details.

tality business. I think the fact that our cocktails are an ontrade exclusive is really appealing to our customers.

Also, the post lockdown staffing difficulties have seen many venues really struggle with staffing and serving cocktails with un-trained staff has been a real issue.

Bottleproof’s cocktails have provided a solution” In addition to their range of cocktails, Bottleproof also make many bespoke cocktails for customers, including a cocktail designed specifically for hotel rooms that requires no ice and no shaking! With a range of 0% cocktails as well, Bottleproof really can allow trade venues a full and balanced cocktail list.

And Eco-friendly Paper bottles options…..

As to the future, Charlie says, “we are really working on improving and encouraging sustainability and from August 2022, we will be the first cocktail company to make some of our cocktails available in environmentally friendly paper bottles. These ground-breaking paper bottles are 94% more recyclable than glass and reduce the carbon footprint by up to 6 times. Plus they significantly reduce the commercial waste collection costs of venues compared to bottles” Bottleproof Cocktails are available either direct or through selected trade wholesalers.

For more details, visit www.bottleproof.co.uk or email info@bottleproof.co.uk

Have Fun in the Sun with Smashed 0% AF Drynks ing delicious alternative to booze.

The hospitality sector is still playing catch on offering ranges of alcohol free drinks which appeal to consumers who want to flex their drinking. Our insight shows that consumers want to be able to flex their drinking so offering a choice of drinks options makes good business sense.

Drynks Unlimited produces Smashed which is Britain’s only 0% beer, lager and cider range.

The summer BBQ season is the perfect time for hospitality venues to offer alcohol free drinks to customers. Our triple gold award-winning duo of 0% British ciders – Apple and Berry - offer refreshment and a quality experience that tastes just as good as an alcoholic cider. They have no added sugar so are much more drinkable than sweeter alcoholic alternatives.

Our Smashed range of 0% beers, lagers and ciders can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere and perfect for summer drynking.

We’ve had great customer feedback on our Smashed drinks at summer events as they offer a thirst quench-

Our ambition was always to create a range of 0% beer, lagers and ciders which catered for everyone, whatever their tipple of choice.

We use real beer, cider & lager as their base (5.2% ABV) to offer a genuine alternative allowing consumers to enjoy the “taste belief” that you are drinking the real thing.

Alcohol free drinks are a positive purchase showing that you can have fun without drinking alcohol. This step-change in messaging is vital if we are to grow the total market in the UK in the long term.

For further information visit www.smasheddrynks.com or see the advert on page 7.

The Quiz Platform That’s Defeating Cheats and Driving Footfall and Sales In Thousands Of Pubs The concept behind SpeedQuizzing was simple: an easy-to-use digital pub quiz platform and app that eliminates opportunities for players to cheat.

But as the original smartphone quiz, SpeedQuizzing has not just had a resounding impact on defeating the quiz cheats – it’s transformed quiz nights in thousands of pubs and bars across the UK, driving footfall and sales.

Speaking with SpeedQuizzing co-founder Alan Leach, it’s easy to understand why.

“SpeedQuizzing games are designed to be fast-paced, entertaining and hassle-free, both for pub hosts and players alike,” says Leach.

“Games are hosted in each venue via our platform using a laptop, and instead of using a pen and paper, players answer the questions in real-time through our app, which they download for free. There’s no need to keep score as that’s done automatically, and we’ve done our best to eliminate opportunities to cheat too, with our software making it easy to set time limits on how long

teams have to answer each question.”

It's been cited as the saviour of pub quizzing by many publicans, including Mark Pinckney who runs The Deramore Arms in York.

"From taking the faff out of preparing for and hosting quizzes, through to driving some of our biggest crowds of the week, SpeedQuizzing has transformed our pub quiz night.”

Alan is proud of the role SpeedQuizzing plays in helping pubs and bars to thrive, with the company recently launching its first ever national advertising campaign, in partnership with TV’s Paul Sinha, aimed at helping more people to find their nearest smartphone pub quiz through SQFinder.com. It’s the only quiz provider to publicly promote individual events on behalf of pubs and bars, and its giant billboards advertising the site can currently be seen next to some of the UK’s busiest motorways.

For more information, visit www.SpeedQuizzing.com or see the advert on page 2.

Products and Services

Issue 119

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New Additions to the Weetabix Portion Pack Range

By David Bone, Foodservice Channel Manager, Weetabix Catering for the differing needs of consumers at breakfast can be a tricky business. We know that they want taste but are concerned about the healthiness of their breakfast so delivering tasty healthy cereals has always been a focus for us. Weetabix Original is and will always be a low sugar, high fibre cereal. It is low in salt, fat & sugar to aid a balanced diet, fortified with vitamins and iron. It is by definition, HFSS & CQUIN compliant. Our more indulgent products such as Weetabix Chocolate, Chocolate Crispy Minis and our new launch Weetabix Melts also share strong nutritional credentials with the parent brand.

Cereal has a lot of versatility – it’s quick and convenient but can also be personalised with additional toppings and different milks, which taps into the trend for personalised breakfasts. This is a great option for caterers to allow consumers to customise their breakfast cereal, offering variety in the morning. Cereal is also still the number one breakfast product - it offers great value for money, which will be important both to consumers and caterers in the months ahead.

Whether you’re expanding your continental breakfast offering or looking for convenient options to serve, our new portion pack range helps caterers satisfy convenient individual servings, regulate portion control and provide lower volume service.

Beautiful Bamboo Baskets urally flexible fibres making it an ideal material with which to weave baskets. Lightweight yet surprisingly sturdy and durable, they make a wonderful choice and are very cost-effective. Perfect to fill with gifts for the foodie, new parents, or gardener, but still practical for storage and organising for years afterward.

Costs are increasing on everything we purchase. As a business owner or manager, you are undoubtedly having to look at ways to offer your customers excellent value for money without compromising on quality. Do you need a way to package your gift baskets but need to consider suitable alternatives to wicker?

Do you need something attractive but useful long after the contents have been enjoyed? You should definitely look at bamboo baskets!

Sustainable and eco-friendly are attributes these baskets can boast. Bamboo is a fast-growing, selfregenerating, low-maintenance, woody plant with nat-

Whether you need to fill them with sweeties, toiletries, or bottles of wine, there will be something to suit your needs in stock. We hold several sizes and shapes all year round and the range is only going to expand!

Visit our website at www.candigifts.co.uk Feel free to contact us on 01502 501681 or email salesdesk@candigifts.co.uk Alternatively, you are welcome to visit us and take a look around our showroom. We’re based near Lowestoft, but please get in touch and make an appointment so we can make sure someone is free to pop the kettle on!

See the advert on page 11 for further details.

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISERS.

Weetabix Original and Weetabix Chocolate are now available as two-biscuit portion packs in the classic Yellow Box format Weetabix Crispy Minis Chocolate Chip is available in a 40g portion pack. Convenient, easy to prepare, hygienically packaged and portable, Weetabix’s portion packs are ideal for breakfast serving occasions.

Weetabix On the Go breakfast drinks are a great way to offer a convenient way to start the day for customers. Available in deliciously smooth chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or banana flavours, our Weetabix On the Go range all provide the protein, energy, and fibre of a typical Weetabix cereal with milk. Alpen cereal bars also offer a perfect snacking boost to offer any time of day, offering a high in fibre snack in a range to tasty flavours.

See tbe advert on page 15 for further information.

‘Mix Like An Italian’ With The New Range Of Premium Mixers From Sanpellegrino As cocktail consumption continues to surge and popularity of low and no alcohol serves continue to rise, Sanpellegrino brings its 90 years of drinks experience, natural quality ingredients, exceptional citrus heritage and unique sparkling bubbles to the super premium mixers market with its new range.

Superbly balanced bitter-sweet, crisp and vibrant flavours, presented in beautifully premium glass bottles, the Sanpellegrino mixers range includes Tonica Citrus, Tonica Oakwood, Limonata, Aranciata, and brand-new Ginger Beer and Tastefully Light Tonic.

Since 1932, Sanpellegrino has crafted Italian sparkling drinks with selected and refined ingredients, masterfully mixed by Italians to create authentic, refreshing premium drinks with a distinctive citrus flavour.

The new range aims to bring people together in the Italian way through the traditional aperitivo drinking occasion. The six premium sparkling drinks are made to uplift shared drinking occasions, whether mixing

into a cocktail, elevating a mocktail or serving over ice with a slice; inviting consumers to savour their drinking moments in style.

Michela Tasso, Sanpellegrino UK Brand Manager says: “We can see that early evening consumption from 5 to 8pm – known in Italy as the aperitivo moment - keeps growing and that a strong cocktail offering provides great benefits to outlets; with cocktails accounting for 7% of total venue food and drink sales in 2021, compared to just 4% in 20191. Italian to our core, this ‘aperitivo hour’ is something we have always embraced at SanPellegrino and are delighted that we can now enhance this moment with the launch of our new Italian mixers range. Indeed, for moments to savour, mix like an Italian.”

Available to purchase online and in the on-trade directly from Nestle Waters.

See the advert on page 11.

1 CGA Managed Volume Pool August 2021

Food Waste Dryer Slashes Hospitality Food Waste Costs Hospitality costs are up all over the place with utilities, fuel, food, staff and product costs all contributing to the inflationary pressures. Two years of pandemic have hit everyone hard and getting sales back to normal has been a struggle. So where can you cut costs and increase profits without cutting service and putting off customers?

One answer is in waste disposal and in particular food waste disposal. Waste contractors are paying more for fuel and are passing the cost on to customers like you. You can fight back by reducing the amount of food waste you dispose in general waste. Reduce the wheelie bins and your bills will go down.

The Eco-Smart Food Waste Dryer is taking the country by storm, saving catering and hospitality owners around 80% in food waste disposal costs. Hotels, restaurants and hospitals have all taken advantage of the easy-to-use technology which has been in the UK for over ten years now. The concept is very simple: you load the food waste throughout the day and turn it on at night when it’s full.

KP Snacks - Sport in Pubs & Bars

With summer on the way, families are looking forward to sporting entertainment and activities. As the Official Team Partner of The Hundred – an action-packed 100 ball cricket competition – KP SNACKS is encouraging families to get active this summer and for pubs and bars to support the exciting tournament.

In 2021, the tournament’s first year, The Hundred captured a broadcast audience of 16 million. This year's tournament, which will feature on Sky Sports and the BBC, looks to build on this success.

The partnership features KP Snacks’ leading brands including popchips, Butterkist, POM-BEAR, Tyrrells, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, and Skips, across the team shirts of eight men’s and women’s teams competing in the

The machine extracts the water from food waste, (typically about 80% of the weight) overnight, leaving a dry powder, only 20% of it’s former weight and volume. The dry powder can go into general waste but it is a fraction of the original wet food waste. Simple and effective.

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

fast paced tournament. Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Tyrrells ranges feature engaging cricket-themed designs to further promote the partnership.

From tasty nuts, perfect when paired with a cold beer, to premium crisps, KP Snacks has a popular and recognised portfolio to help bars drive sales. As the number one supplier of Bagged Snacks , the KP Snacks portfolio is perfectly placed to trade up drink only visits while customers enjoy a spot of televised cricket this summer.

Watching sporting events whilst enjoying a drink and snack is the perfect opportunity for pubs and bars to drive sales and success.

Familiar brands that are matched to your customer base are extremely important in driving snacks sales and the KP Snacks portfolio is extensive, offering something for everyone.

See the advert on the facing page for more information or visit www.kpsnacks.com

Coffee and Hot Beverages

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Capitalising on the Growing Coffee Trend With demand for coffee in the UK continuing to grow, the ability to offer a quality coffee product can set a pub/bar or restaurant apart from the rest.

Coffee has long been part of the social scene in the UK. According to Project Café UK 2021, the branded coffee shop sector was worth £3.06bn in revenue last year, with 9,159 outlets in operation.

That means each outlet made more than £327,000, despite the impact of Coronavirus. In 2019, the figure was more than £390,000.

What used to be mainly an after-dinner drink is now something to be enjoyed any time of day and as a social event – “let’s meet for coffee”.

So, post pandemic it’s more important than ever to capitalise on this growing market. The good news is that both coffee and tea continue to see an increase in demand within the pub/bar and restaurant sector, with the Tetley Tea Report revealing that coffee is the third most popular drink in pubs, with tea coming in at sixth.

The report’s findings highlight how coffee and tea have both seen an increase in consumption, largely as a result of breakfast becoming a more critical part of a pub’s offering. Pubco Wetherspoon has long since embraced this market, offering a broad breakfast menu, and pre-pandemic were selling upwards of 50 million hot beverages a year.

As the landscape of British pubs and beer has seen a dramatic change, pubs have looked for and found innovative ways to ensure the market remains current and attractive to consumers, and by opening earlier in the morning pubs have reinvented themselves slightly, giving them more of a coffee shop atmosphere. Britain’s increasingly mobile workforce are often looking for a place outside the home/office to get some work done and setting up in a pub with WiFi can be an enticing idea for some.

Pubs should see this growing demand as an oppor-

tunity to take advantage of a product that will bring in customers at times of the day that traditionally see low demand for alcoholic beverages. The opportunity to offer coffee in the morning and at lunchtime, combined with the low cost of production means that pubs can make the most of a product that should fit perfectly in their environment.

STANDING OUT Selling coffee successfully in a pub environment is only going to be possible if you take the option seriously, and that means well-trained staff, a visually appealing machines, and high-quality coffee.

It means taking pride in your product and creating the right ambience. What coffee shops may have, which pubs often lack, is a bright, light-filled interior.

However, with more pubs introducing comfortable seating and with many having the benefit of attractive gardens and outside seating, there are clearly ways of promoting any pub as a daytime coffee bar.

DIVERSE TASTES Pubs and bars do, however, face continuing challenges when it comes to the diverse tastes of consumers. They now need to cater to the ever-changing alcohol market, as well as those seeking out venues where they have a greater choice of non-alcoholic beverages. It is key for owners to meet consumer demand head-on, as failing to do so will see younger generations turn their back on them.

It is important to constantly assess the market and understand the changing tastes of consumers. While it is difficult to know what the next five years will hold, the statistics indicate that the out-of-home hot beverage market remains growing one. With consumers’ growing desire to stay fit and healthy, the trend only looks set to gather pace.

Ultimately, operators in the hospitality sector that can gauge rising consumer interest and subsequently cater for it will have the best chance of success.

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISERS.

Cleaning and Hygiene

Mechline’s 5 Star FOGS Solution at The Landmark “Obviously the most important thing for us is that any FOGS system is compliant with regulations, meets industry standards and ensures we maintain the highest possible hygiene levels. We were also looking for something with a proven track record, that is efficient, cost-effective, long lasting and odour free! We were clear that any FOGS solution must also be easy to maintain and require minimal input from staff. After the design team reviewed available options, they agreed to proceed with Mechline’s proposed FOGS system which consisted of BioCeptor, GreasePak and Food Waste Strainers.”

The five-star Landmark Hotel opened its doors in 1899 and for the last 123 years has provided an oasis of luxury in central London - welcoming guests into their iconic Winter Garden, an eight-story courtyard covered by a glass roof. The Winter Garden Restaurant is just one of many dining areas in the Landmark which includes The Mirror Bar, Great Central Bar, Garden Terrace, plus private dining in the Empire Room, Grand Ballroom and Tower Suite – all of which are served by the main kitchen and its 62 strong brigade. Following a six-month refurbishment programme, the Landmark recently reopened its kitchen after a complete transformation of the layout, operations, facilities and equipment.

The refurbishment was led by Executive Chef, Gary Klaner who worked closely with project managers Berkeley Projects. Gary’s objective was simple – a new kitchen with quality equipment to optimise efficiency, so his brigade could continue to achieve the exemplary culinary standards The Landmark is renowned for. A key consideration for Gary was the installation of a complete system to manage the Fats, Oils, Grease and Starches (FOGS) - a natural by-product of the foodservice industry which is strictly regulated. Gary shared what his priorities were when reviewing various FOGS management options:

Mechline’s BioCeptor system combines the power of GreasePak’s BBA approved, biological treatment solution and its naturally occurring, nonpathogenic bacteria, with the FOG Intercept and Treatment unit (F.I.T). The result is that drains are kept clear and free-flowing as FOGS are permanently degraded into smaller compounds so they cannot reform or solidify – providing the level of FOGS management performance Gary required.

In addition, Mechline’s easy-to-use Food Waste Strainer, with its innovative basket design, helps to prevent food waste sediment getting into drains in the first place - and when used with the BioCeptor system can prolong intervals between servicing in comparison to a standalone grease trap.

Oliver Tuff, Project Director at Berkeley Projects, commented: “After the complexity of striping out the existing facilities and the installation of a completely new kitchen Mechline’s products were very

easy to fit and the products themselves are very flexible. For example, the BioCeptors have universal fittings, which makes plumbing incredibly simple. There are no electrics to consider, which makes connection and placement much easier. After the products were installed the Mechline’s service team were a great help with the commissioning and helping with staff training programmes. In terms of costs, the systems represented great value to the client.”

Six months on, Gary Klaner has been delighted with the decision to use Mechline’s products in their new kitchen as he explains: “The greatest compliment is that we don’t really have to be involved in any day-to-day process. The Mechline FOGS systems are in, working, and being well maintained. Our involvement is absolutely minimal. They’re discreet and just work efficiently in the background. I can’t praise Mechline’s service team enough; they were very attentive and had great engagement with the onsite team. It’s great to just have an odour free kitchen and clear drains!”

Oliver concluded, “We’ve had great feedback from the team around Mechline’s whole end-toend service. We already recommend Mechline FOGS solutions with every confidence and will continue to do so with future clients.”

Mechline’s experienced team are available to advise on the best solution to suit your requirements and can be contacted on 01908 261511 or via email on info@mechline.com See the advert on page 33 for details.

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 119

Cleaning and Hygiene

Hospital-Grade Air Purification Made Portable

Rensair is a specialist in portable air purification, protecting and enhancing lives through clean air.

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

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

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

We collaborate with clients to develop the optimum

indoor air quality for meeting building requirements, as well as government recommendations for mitigating the risks of Covid transmission.

We take into account floor plans, existing HVAC systems, occupancy rates and noise tolerance, before recommending a tailor-made solution based on our portable, modular units.

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

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

Eliminate Odours and Sanitise Rooms

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

15 minutes is all it takes to remove bacteria, viruses and unpleasant odours from indoor rooms and spaces. Don’t just mask bad smells, permanently eliminate them with the MAG Room Sanitiser. It’s safe, it’s sustainable, it requires no chemicals, plus it’s quicker and 3,000 times more effective than other cleaning methods.

Hygienic indoor air quality is seen as an essential part of every business and we all have a responsibility to look after our staff, visitors, guests and clients. Monkeypox, Covid-19 and other airborne viruses will continue to come and go so regular air purification is important as nobody knows what the future holds.

As well as sanitising the air and surfaces in a room, MAG’s sanitising machine guarantees to remove odours however strong including smoke, cooking, alcohol, body odour and incontinence. It’s used by care homes, hotels, pubs, restaurants and thousands of businesses in the UK and across the world.

How does it work? Ozone is safely created and

destructed within your preferred time frame. Simply wheel the ozone generator into the room that needs sanitising, plug in the machine, start the cycle, leave the room and when you re-enter you will be pleasantly surprised by the extra fresh fragrance. It’s very simple, completely safe and free product demonstrations are available across the UK. Ask about our 5 star feedback and testimonials. Andrew Morgan, Managing Director of Morgan Care shares “Great sales experience with a pre-order demo and very efficient order & delivery service. Would have no hesitation in recommending MAG Ozone”.

For more information contact MAG Ozone Ltd on 01353 883025 or sales@magozone.com Did you know the MAG Group also provides commercial washing machines and tumble dryers? Find out more at www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk Visit www.maglaundryequipment.co.uk/ product/ozone-sanitation/mag-ozone-generator

Hospitality Technology Keep Candidates Engaged In The Hiring Process with Placed 40

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Effective recruitment isn’t just about attracting the right people for your jobs.

It’s about the relationship you form with candidates throughout the hiring journey and beyond. In a competitive market, it’s simply not enough to just attract. Strong candidates within the service sector are in high demand, and with jobseekers casting their net across many jobs, it’s vital to keep them focused on your company to avoid losing talent to competitors.

Here are the most common reasons candidates drop off during the recruitment process and how you can tackle them to boost quality hires and elevate your brand above the competition.

KEEP YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS CLEAR AND SHORT One of the biggest reasons we see candidates check out of the application process is because the application journey is too long, or unclear. We understand the need to filter out and find the best, most relevant candidates for your role, but it’s worth considering whether the application needs to be a 10-step process. Modern candidates want to apply easily and speedily to roles, and will lose interest quickly in lengthy online forms or

endless interviews.

For employers using Placed, a big portion of the candidate filtering is already done through an AI matching algorithm. Therefore they can keep the actual application process as short as simply tapping ‘apply’, avoiding drop-offs and thus maximise their pool of quality applicants.

GIVE A TRUE SENSE OF YOUR COMPANY ONLINE Company culture is a hugely important factor for candidates. According to a survey by Glassdoor, 77 percent of adults would consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, and two-thirds of millennials place culture above salary when it comes to job satisfaction.

So, while your job post may strike interest in a candidate, they are far more likely to drop off if they can’t get a sense of your company culture. To help the right candidates feel more confident in their application, consider creating a dedicated Brand page on a platform such as Placed or revisiting your current content to ensure you are showing off the essence of your company, such as your values, benefits and culture.

BE UP FRONT FROM THE START ABOUT SALARY AND BENEFITS It’s always best to be open and honest about what you can offer as an employer. List the pay in your job description to avoid candidates dropping off halfway if the figure turns out to not match their expectations. This will

not only save you a great deal of time, but will elevate your brand as an honest and open company above those who do not mention salary.

BE SWIFT AND INFORMATIVE IN RESPONDING Almost all candidates know the burden of not hearing back from an employer. As a result, it’s common to see candidates quickly move on if they do not receive a response in a timely manner. It’s worth noting that long waiting periods can leave candidates feeling uncertain, or even worse, give them the opportunity to accept an offer from another company.

To avoid losing out on top candidates it’s important to be as responsive as possible, whether that’s getting back after an interview, or promptly responding to any questions they may ask. If the process is going to take a little longer, it’s always best to let an applicant know what timeframe they may expect to hear back – not only does this keep the candidate engaged in anticipation, but it demonstrates your company as open and communicative.

Remember, keeping candidates engaged is about being engaged yourself, too. And importantly, the way you treat candidates during the recruitment process will ultimately influence how they will view your company in the future.

Get more insightful tips on how to attract and retain talent by booking a demo with Placed today at https://placed-app.com/employer/

How Label Printers Keep Food Safety Standards High and Compliant expiry dates quickly and accurately, using thermal print technology without the need for inks or toners.

Aaron Hopkinson, product and solutions manager for labelling at Brother UK, explains how technology is helping Portable label printers like the ones offered in Brother’s TD line of printers offer hyper-fast connectivity caterers and hospitality businesses to keep food safety stan- through a wireless platform without any extra clutter around the machine - perfect for food prep environments. dards high, while allowing kitchens to comply with new legMore kitchens are adopting labelling technology like our TD range following the introduction of Natasha’s Law. islation.

But it’s true that they have a broader role to play in food safety.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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. Consumers are being choosier in who they shop and work with – particularly in light of how badly some corporations have treated their customers or staff at times of great adversity. Candidates want 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 longterm 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.

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Step 3: Release the pizza. 7,000 names were quickly gathered meaning it was time to rock. Airship drip fed 7,000 ‘Release the Pizza’ emails over 7 hours, including a link to a ResDiary booking form inside.

ResDiary, the booking platform, effortlessly facilitated booking across the opening 6 weeks.

Mission Mars, known for their Mancunian music venues Albert Hall, Albert’s Schloss, and their northern pizza brand Rudy’s, began their southern expansion by opening their first Rudy’s in London’s Soho last year. The first hurdle to their new venture; their fame hadn’t quite reached the south… yet. So, in order to get their name on the streets of London, they did what anyone would do: Give away 10,000 free pizzas. Here’s how they did it.

Step 1: Speak to the people. Wireless Social, a WiFi super-power, helped Rudy’s use Facebook’s ‘look-a-like’ advertisement service in order to find new, potential Sohonian customers, based on their Manchester database.

Step 2: Fill the bucket. Targeted ads reached potential Rudy’s lovers and offered the opportunity to grab a free pizza. These suitors were sent to an Airship form, so they could fill in their details to then be added to an Airship holding group, waiting to be contacted about their free pizza.

Within the first two hours of emails, 6,040 pizzas had been claimed with the first 3 days of trade being fully booked within 17 minutes. It went so well that Rudy’s decided to give away an additional 3,400 pizzas.

Airship, Wireless Social and ResDiary created a flawless ecosystem that brought this project to life. Now, Rudy’s in Soho is livelier than ever and has truly made a mark on the capital. How do we know? Following the ‘Pizza for All’ campaign, the attendees were contacted and asked to leave a review through Feed It Back. The response was so positive that Rudy’s is now no. 26 on TripAdvisor for London Pizzerias.

Book a demo at www.airship.co.uk or see the advert on the facing page.

Employees Working Longer To Keep Hospitality Afloat Hospitality employees are working around six hours a week longer than before the pandemic to keep pubs, restaurants and bars afloat in the current unprecedented staffing crisis, according to research from workforce management specialist Bizimply.

Average hours worked per week have increased from 19 to 25, with employees in food-led businesses putting in an average of 28 hours while fine dining restaurants are typically asking staff to work 40+ hours a week.

The figures are based on recent user data from hundreds of Bizimply customers in the UK and Ireland, equating to thousands of outlets and tens of thousands of employees, across pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, cafés and fast food outlets.

Bizimply CEO Conor Shaw said: “Employers are relying on goodwill from staff to work longer hours and keep their doors open to customers. In this competitive labour market, they need to be prepared to reward that

Technology for People’s Sake We’ve taken our knowledge and experience from working with the biggest names in the UK hospitality sector including Pizza Hut Restaurants, TGI Fridays and Bella Italia, to create a suite of customer experience products for small and medium-sized organisations that improves the guest journey. Our solutions are tailored to a hospitality business’s specific requirements, budget and time demands, plus they are scalable and built with future needs in mind. We’ve helped a lot of clients on their digital journey. We understand your business’s needs, which is why we’re a partner, not a supplier.

Adactus is a people-first organisation. Our team is at the heart of our success. Everything we do is centred around people; whether that is how we operate as a business, or ensuring that the team is happy with a clear vision of the role they play in the future growth of the company or the development of our software and product offering. We ensure all products we develop meet people’s needs – from our clients’ needs to their customers’ needs.

commitment with improved pay and conditions, and a better work-life balance.

“Using technology like ours to manage staff rotas and payroll can be a huge help. It frees up managers to spend more time front of house, helping their team members.

“It also allows employers to give their staff earlier notice of their shifts, meaning they can plan their lives better. And, as payroll is automated, staff are paid accurately and promptly for any extra hours they work. The result is a happier, more motivated and loyal workforce.”

Bizimply’s software helps hospitality 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 technology to draw up rotas, compared to using Excel or similar.

For a free demonstration or more information: www.bizimply.com This includes our customer solutions product range – Intelligence, Reservations, Orders.

Customer Intelligence – enables companies to become a customer-centric data-driven business with a CRM system that provides a single view of the customer and intelligent data analytics. Data is collated and organised from all customer touchpoints for a tailored customer experience, improved business development and much more.

Customer Reservations – offers a business-adaptable service to ensure no sale is lost. Many customers want the certainty of a confirmed booking, and businesses are then able to better plan service and offer a more personalised welcome.

Customer Orders – provides a range of restaurant/food service ordering features, including Order at Table, Waiter Service, Kiosk, Click and Collect, Delivery and Drivethru. This product helps businesses improve the consistency and quality of the customer experience offered.

With thousands of hours work gone into creating these products, it is a powerful engine which will help increase sales and improve your customer experience.

To find out more contact us: 01844 269090 adactus.co.uk hello@adactus.co.uk

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Outdoor Leisure

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

A Special Offer from Fenton Timber Fenton Timber was established in the late 1990’s by Jim Miller who sadly passed in 2007, since then the business has continued under the management of Alex Spencer, with Ade Tate overseeing manufacture… who were both staff members from the early days of the business.

Fenton’s USP is delivering fully assembled, weather treated “ready to use” Picnic Benches/Tables and associated Garden Furniture to the License Trade, Schools and the Leisure Industry… all year round.

Along with the License Trade, as COVID lockdown closed all of our customers, Fenton had a rollercoaster ride over 2020/2021, with no customers, then material shortages, then the roadmap out… but were still able to provide furniture to every customer we promised, by the advised times we promised.

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

The benefits of purchasing from Fenton Timber is not just the fact we deliver all of our own goods, with our own transport and staff… but that we also guarantee

our goods and operate all year round. It might sound strange selling garden furniture during the winter!

Aside from customers whom might have outdoor functions, Guy Fawkes/bonfire night… Christmas etc.. there are also unfortunate times whereby customers have been flooded and suffered losses, and we are there to assist getting them back up on their feet.

As readers of the Caterer & Licensee – you can also take advantage of our current offer – 20% off RRP on Supreme and Octagonal Tables (while stocks last)… so call us free on 0800 085 6447.

Outdoor Leisure Marmax and South Causey Inn Marmax have been supplying a wide range of high-quality recycled plastic products to the South Causey Inn for over 10 years.

Over the years Marmax have supplied South Causey Inn with numerous outdoor products including: Bistro Planters, Circular tables, Traditional seating, Sloper chairs, Heavy duty picnic benches and Harrogate table and chairs.

In fact, there are very few establishments that are as great an endorsement of Marmax!

The products come with a 25-year manufacturer’s guarantee and despite knowing they can pick up the phone and call Marmax with any issues, they have never done so.

Sustainability is at the core of the South Causey Inn’s ethos and is particularly important to their customers.

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With Marmax products all being made from 100% recycled HDPE plastic, they were the perfect partner to provide sustainable and durable furniture for the inn and its accommodation.

Marmax Products are easy to clean to help stop the spread of germs as well as coming in assorted colours, the now black benches match the black windows and doors. South Causey Inn display the Marmax tags on their products and this has resulted in direct approaches to Marmax from their customers.

Marmax plan to work with the South Causey Inn to develop new products for the hotel and restaurant market.

Interested in working with us too? Contact Marmax using the contact form here: https://marmaxproducts.co.uk/contact/

There’s A Great Deal Going On At LeisureBench LeisureBench Limited is one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of commercial quality outdoor furniture, selected from manufacturers worldwide for strength.

Longevity and excellent value for money.

Now is the right time to buy, to take advantage of Summer Special offers on selected products across their extensive range, together with bulk buying incentives.

Up to 15% discounts are currently available on Aframe and round picnic tables, polypropylene chairs, dining sets, made from a range of materials, Rattan furniture and much more.

On top of this, there are different finance options available to help you buy.

If you act quickly, you can grab yourself a bargain.

LeisureBench are now manufacturing their own recycled plastic furniture using 100% UK recycled plastic materials.

The range includes benches and a wide variety of picnic tables in both ‘A’ Frame and 8 seat square designs.

They will all be hard wearing, easy to maintain, and a strong powder coated underframe will guarantee them for 15 years.

Customised and bespoke furniture is also available.

You can see all the latest offers by logging into www.leisurebench.co.uk or emailing their dedicated sales team at sales@leisurebench.co.uk.

Telephone 01949 862920.

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

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Outdoor Leisure These Are The Last Gazebos You Ever Need To Buy. At Least Not For 15 Years Or So Delivered in July 2010 and still giving our customers a lovely relaxing area providing sun and rain protection.

• UK’s only 100 Mph Stormproof Guaranteed Gazebo • 100% Waterproof Self Cleaning Canopy • 4 Sizes from 2.40m [ 7’ 10” ] x 2.40m [ 7’ 10” ] • Options - 40 colour choices & side screens • 5 Year Guarantee • Designed & Carefully Made in Yorkshire by Us Investing in high quality all weather protection gives you a fabulous rate of return [ paid for in less than 4 weeks ] - prices start at £1,915 ex vat WHITE PAVILION Hospitality Gazebos 01653 695 285

The New Inn, Tresco , Isles of Scilly • Sturdy & Strong - Good for 15+years years of service

Pop-Up for Profit!

‘Pop-up’ barbecue means paring back to folding gazebos and collapsible tables, two or three cool boxes with thermometers thrown in and a hand wash within easy walking distance. At all levels of operation, initial costs can be much lower, outdoor areas can still be multi-purpose and storage space is kept to a minimum. Spot the ‘deliberate’ mistake in the cartoon. BIG TIP: HSE don’t like cool boxes sitting on the ground, even with lids!

www.whitepaviliongazebos.co.uk/pub-restaurant-hotelhospitality-gazebo See the advert on the facing page for details. skill and make life a little less fraught.

Smaller half sized models also available – www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk Have a great summer and remember, POP-UP for EASIER PROFITS.

Whilst Cinders gas barbecues fold flat for easy storage, the popular Classic TG160 model is capable of over 1000 burgers a day at a large event, - which must be the fastest pay-back on equipment ever! Made in Britain and with a two-year warranty for commercial use, the work-horse TG160 will also hum away in the corner of a beer garden with our flat griddle on one side and a couple of gastronorms on the other, to de-

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

sPeCIal oFFer Buy 11 get 1 Free!

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The Sausage Man - Authentic German Sausages Warmer climes and longer days are here, and a busy outdoor leisure season is taking off.

Outdoor catering just wouldn’t be the same without the distinct aroma of sausages fresh from the grill, the scent of beechwood smoked frankfurters permeating the air is enough to get anyone’s tastebuds tingling!

Charles Coleman, Sales Director at The Sausage Man says, “The hot dogs and sausages market is reported to grow by $13.03 bn over the next five years, progressing at a CAGR of over 3%.* Hot dogs represent a perfect, practical menu choice for a grab and go offer, a winner with customers; full of flavour and easy to eat on the go, they are also a convenient, speedy and simple to prepare product for operators, providing a good profit margin with the opportunity for add on sales.”

Outdoor events provide a big draw for families and especially the younger generation, it’s worth noting what’s in favour with Generation Z, who will ultimately shape the future of the food industry. Sodexo** insights on the food habits of Gen Z reveals ‘alongside the demand for street food options, the trend for snacking shows no signs of abating among young foodies, with 23% of Generation Z saying they prefer quick grab and go meals, bowl food and sharing plates to a traditional sit

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 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

down meal.’

Famed for their vast range of authentic, gourmet sausages, The Sausage Man supplies only the best quality produce to delight any selfrespecting foodie.

Delight your customers with a variety of popular frankfurters – available in bumper packs of 10, The Sausage Man’s famous 25cm/150g Cheese Käsekrainer Frankfurters offer the perfect blend of beechwood smoked pork frankfurter and creamy Emmental cheese or try the depth and richness of the smoky Krakauer Bacon Frankfurter, beautifully smoked pork with added bacon delivers a wonderful texture and available in 25cm/150g or the generously sized 30cm/200g option.

For those who like it spicy the 28cm/160g Chilli Beef Giant Frankfurter is studded with chilli flakes, imparting a warming heat without being too overpowering.

To accommodate the sausages Brioche Jumbo Hot Dog Rolls are available along with a range of tasty sauces and sides. For the ultimate convenience and speed of service, all of the above sausages are supplied pre-cooked, frozen and are gluten free. *Research & Markets ‘Global Hot Dogs and Sausages Market 2021-2025’ **Sodexo ‘Understanding the impact of digitally-driven Gen Z on food habits’ 2021

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

Getting an eyecatching design is the most important when displaying your banner amongst others, so at Monster Mesh we offer a complete in-house 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.

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

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Top Engraver Supports Hospitality Moda, Where Outdoor Furniture Really Sector with Swift Service for Etched & Means Business Printed Table Numbers & QR Discs One of the UK’s most professional & technically advanced engraving and etching supplier, Brunel Engraving, is providing a rapid response to the growing demand for etched table numbers and QR code discs in the pub and catering industry.

The company has made a substantial investment in additional state of the art equipment and related software in order to produce a wide range of individually engraved & printed table numbers and discs.

The numbers and discs enable customers to link to apps or menus, reducing staff contact and eliminating the requirement for hard copies of menus. Although no longer a legal requirement to order remotely, this is something which the government is still actively encouraging and can improve table service through the reduction of queues.

In addition to their engraved products, Brunel Engraving has teamed up with a number of UK based Mobile Ordering Platforms to develop full colour labels, these are supplied alongside each companies

developed app and are suitable for internal and external environments.

“Working alongside App Developers and introducing the full colour range of products has really exceeded our expectations, the demand for our products has significantly increased despite the relaxing of Covid restrictions and are displayed all over the UK” said Tom Pycock, Sales Director of Brunel Engraving.

“Our investment in additional equipment and software has ensured that our customers in the hospitality sector can benefit from high quality products with excellent swift service at a fair price”.

In addition to rotary engraving, Brunel offers laser engraving, chemical etching, anodic print, dye sublimation print, flatbed UV print and wide format UV print.

For further information please contact: 01275 871720 Emal: info@brunelengraving.co.uk Website: www.brunelengraving.co.uk

Inclusive Furniture Not long ago we noticed that in our local park there was adequate seating for the non-disabled but none for the wheelchair-user, the more we looked the more we saw a complete lack of effort in complying with regulations and laws specifically brought in to counter this ignorance and discrimination.

We decide to act, our plan was: • Make our products both 'accessible & 'inclusive'.

• • • • • • •

Unlocking the potential of your outdoor space can be a seriously good business move. Whether you need a place to close deals with clients, a second meeting room or a nineteenth hole par excellence, taking your work outside offers huge attractions. And as the UK’s leading luxury outdoor furniture brand, Moda is ideally placed to help turn your vision into reality. Having started out as a family-run company in 2014, Moda has quickly established a reputation for innovative furniture solutions with exceptional customer service. This has led to a growing demand for their services from an increasingly diverse client base, as a greater variety of commercial sectors have looked to transform their outdoor spaces.

A TAILORED APPROACH With a dedicated Commercial team, Moda’s clients can choose from a vast collection of furniture sets to meet all business requirements.

UNIQUELY MODULAR, UNIQUELY MODA Your outdoor space can change from one day to the next, which is where Moda’s flexible modular systems really come into their own. All of their furniture ranges have a number of modular configurations that

Design furniture with the wheelchair-user in mind Act within both the Disability Act and the Equality Act Provide quality products for non-disabled and disabled alike.

Consider the elderly Make the products affordable Make rental to events an option Use sustainable products where possible We then thought we need to provide picnic benches and outdoor furniture for people who use wheelchairs. There is definitely a need for disabled, easy access outdoor furniture. All made robustly to take the knocks from wheelchairs

can be customised - move them around your business areas, expand your collection, split them up or put them together to complement your changing commercial requirements.

SMART FURNITURE TO DRIVE BUSINESSES FORWARD With their all-weather materials and uncompromising build quality, Moda furniture collections are meticulously engineered to withstand the demands of the modern workplace - and the great British weather.

Every item of luxury outdoor furniture is designed exclusively in-house. This allows Moda to offer a perfect balance of both style and substance that can be enjoyed all year round. What’s more, Moda’s market leading three-year commercial guarantee offers commercial clients peace of mind and their aftercare policy and maintenance packages reinforces their commitment to client satisfaction.

Take the first step to maximising the use of your outdoor space. Talk to one of Moda’s Commercial Business Development Managers. Tel: 033 3363 7015, email: commercial@modafurnishings.co.uk or visit www.modafurnishings.co.uk/commercial See the advert on the facing page for details.

and manufactured from sustainable wood from environmentally friendly sources. They also need to make the user feel inclusive.

For many businesses not only is it their legal duty under the discrimination acts people who happen to use wheelchairs also happen to enjoy sitting outside in fine weather, they are also appreciated in public places as well as private homes & gardens and places where care is a first priority Peter Cubbin Inclusivefurniture.com inclusivefurniture@gmail.com https://inclusivefurniture.com

Claire House - The Wirral

At Inclusive Designs we believe in addressing the needs of disabled people as a first choice, not an afterthought.

We manufacture outdoor furniture which is specifically adapted to accommodate wheelchair-users.

This creates a more inclusive environment - no longer stuck at the end of the table!

We make a wide range of models to match your needs as well as matching them with traditional tables.

Our heavy duty wooden picnic benches are suitable and fully treated for long-term outdoor use.

All our stock is manufactured in the UK using red wood from sustainable sources.

We are also the trusted suppliers to the National Trust and many local authorities.

We offer free delivery to all parts of the UK.

lnclusiveFurniture.com

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

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Kitchen Extract Hygiene – A Burning Issue One of the biggest challenges in keeping a commercial kitchen spotlessly clean is the regular cleaning of the canopy, fan and extract ductwork. This must be tackled, not only for the sake of hygiene, but also for fire prevention and compliance.

Airborne fat, oil and grease is a natural by-product of even the healthiest diet. Carried in the steam that rises from cooking, grease and oil particles are drawn into the kitchen extract system to be vented away to the outside. As the exhaust stream cools, grease is deposited on the metal surfaces of the hood, canopy, filters, canopy plenum, fan and ductwork.

Should a kitchen fire reach the extract ductwork, or a flash fire occur in the extract system, then the accumulated grease deposits can act as fuel, helping to spread the fire. The ductwork itself can also help to spread the fire,

acting as a chimney through which smoke and flames can travel, spreading the danger to the other parts of the building.

To counter this potential fire risk, operators of commercial kitchens are required to comply with a new standard for the fire safety management of grease accumulation in kitchen extract systems, TR19® Grease.

Compliance is also essential to ensure that you don’t compromise your buildings insurance. If a fire should break out and the ductwork can be shown not to have been cleaned in accordance with TR19® Grease, many insurers will now refuse to pay out on a claim.

Ensuring legal compliance, a reduced risk of fire and greater hygiene in your kitchen are items which should always be on every maintenance menu. www.swiftclean.co.uk

Monitoring Device Reduces Oil Usage by Up to 52% in Whitbread Pubs Overspending and misuse of food oil is a pressing issue in the curren economic environment.

Most restaurants change their oil either based on colour (when it goes dark/black, using single-use test strips and a simplistic colour chart) or schedule (twice a week – because it has always been done that way).

The first approach relies on guesswork and subjectivity, and leaves businesses at risk of acrylamide build-up – a customer-harming, cancer-causing chemical.

The second approach unnecessarily discards perfectly usable oil – a costly and unsustainable outcome, given that oil is one of the largest contributors to carbon footprints in commercial kitchens.

Fortunately, there’s a third approach from Klipspringer, used by the likes of Five Guys, Wasabi,

McDonalds, Chopstix, and Whitbread to refine their frying process, conduct eco-friendly practices, and cut their oil usage by half. Interested?

Enter Food Oil Monitors. By providing objective, easyto-read data, these oil testing devices remove all guesswork when it comes to changing your oil. This means…

• Significant reductions in oil usage and costs • Enhanced fried food quality and consistency • Greater sustainable practice • Assured customer safety • No more ongoing cost of test strips • Increased working life of oil amid rising prices Kitchen staff across almost all Whitbread venues now use the Food Oil Monitor for daily checks. Before, oil was changed prematurely, but since implementing Klipspringer’s digital solution nationwide, Whitbread have seen an average reduction in oil usage of around 30%, with some sites reporting savings of up to 52%.

Does your restaurant, pub, or hotel kitchen still use a subjective oil monitoring system?

Want to modernise your approach and reap the rewards?

Contact our hospitality team: 01473 461 800 or see the advert on the back cover for details.

www.convotherm.com

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Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Smeg Foodservice UK is Thrilled to Announce the Launch of its New ALFA43 Electronic Oven Range Smeg convection ovens represent the perfect solution for modern catering services, coffee shops, bakeries and supermarkets that require a compact oven with peak performance. Perfect for baking and reheating, from pastries and morning goods to sausage rolls and lunchtime pasties, it is the ideal compact solution for busy catering venues.

The ALFA43 electronic oven range offers rapid and uniformed heat distribution for maximum speed and even baking. Features include a dual speed fan with humidification, multi-step cooking and the ALFA43XE1HDS model has a USB port for the upload and downloading of recipes via an app. The fast heat up and temperature recovery systems lower energy consumption and maintain stable cooking temperatures and the ovens’

large, triple-glazed door, with a middle glass to help keep external temperature low in accordance with regulation and help minimise heat loss.

The Smeg electronic convection ovens are made with a full stainless-steel external construction and an enamelled internal cavity. The ovens capacity allows for 2/3 GN or 4 trays at 435 x 320mm. With outside dimensions of (W x D x H) 602 x 584 x 537mm, the ALFA43 ovens are compact and perfect for smaller kitchens whilst still maintaining top functionality and performance.

Email foodservice@smeguk.com for further information.

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.

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.

Convotherm maxx pro – High Definition Innovations from Start to Finish The Welbilt brand Convotherm is once again setting new standards in the development of advanced, future-oriented products. Introducing Convotherm maxx pro, a new generation of combi steamers. This premium class device impresses with innovations and technologies such as a 10” TFT HiRes glass touch display with scroll function, automatic cooking and triple glazing of the oven door for improved energy consumption.

THE NEW CONVOTHERM PHILOSOPHY – INTELLIGENTSIMPLICITY From the outset, the Convotherm maxx pro is well thought-out. Innovations that are suitable for daily work in professional kitchens and lead to more efficiency and productivity as well as profitability, can be found throughout the entire device. A further benefit is the ease of use of all hardware, functions and software on all levels of the Convotherm maxx pro. This approach follows the Convotherm philosophy IntelligentSimplicity.

This term unites the combination of intelligence and simplicity in all areas, in other words, solving complex requirements as simply and efficiently as possible, which also positively impacts usage, service and operating costs.

HIGH DEFINITION FOR PRODUCT QUALITY, COOKING PROCESSES AND EFFICIENCY True to the motto IntelligentSimplicity, four Functional Management features developed by Convotherm, support optimal work in the Convotherm maxx pro and thus always ensure the best results: • Climate Management: In the Convotherm maxx pro, the unique, closed system with Natural Smart Climate™, a custom-fit cooking climate can be set for each product to ensure perfect cooking and baking results. In addition, energy efficiency has been improved by up to 10 % compared to the previous product.

• Quality Management: A multitude of innovative functions help cooking and baking professionals to always achieve the best product quality. Smart sensors, particularly well-conceived routing using AirFlow Management as well as an intelligent, customised program-controlled interplay of steam, hot air and time ensure optimum quality for every item to be cooked and baked.

• Production Management: Perfectly matched intelligent functions ensure that operating the Convotherm maxx pro is always simple and clear, even with the most complex processes. These include Press&Go, which guarantees automatic cooking with the touch of a finger, an integrated baking and cook book that can be viewed at the touch of a button, and TrayView, which is helpful for mixed loads on a rolling basis.

• Cleaning Management: The Convotherm maxx pro boasts optimal cleanliness. The fully automatic, multi-stage and environmentally friendly cleaning system is even approved for unattended operation. Since users never have direct contact with the cleaning agent, gloves are not required for use.

What’s more, the innovative HygieniCare package provides extra hygiene in the kitchen.

options with which the Convotherm maxx pro is available: • The smart ConvoSmoke makes the Convotherm maxx pro the perfect smoking oven, suitable for all catering concepts that smoke themselves without requiring additional space in the kitchen. Both hot and cold smoking is easy with ConvoSmoke.

• With ConvoGrill, the new Convotherm maxx pro enables you to achieve perfect grilling results every time without the need for an additional rotary grill. Simply select Press&Go, choose your chosen cooking profile for your grilled foods and the oven will produce consistent, quality results every time. Thanks to ConvoGrill’s patented grease management system which uses a sensor-controlled, intelligent pump system to separate excess grease from other cooking juices, operators can now reduce waste, be more environmentally friendly and save time on their waste management procedures.

• The intuitive ConvoServe makes cooking stress-free. Meals can be prepared in advance and will be ready to serve just as the guests arrive. ConvoServe is particularly suitable for large quantities, buffets, plate banquets or à la carte services. The combination of sophisticated technical functions for the perfect regeneration and finishing of meals with tailormade accessory solutions, make ConvoServe a unique solution that perfectly understands how to make demanding things simple. IntelligentSimplicity at its best.

• The future of cooking and baking is fully automatic, and with the Convotherm maxx pro ConvoSense, it’s already here. With its artificial intelligence and cutting-edge sensor technology, the innovative ConvoSense opens up completely new perspectives in food preparation. Maximum efficiency and reliability can be achieved while at the same time being cost-effective by conserving resources.

THE WHOLE WORLD OF BAKING The Convotherm maxx pro family also includes BAKE, which combines traditional baking knowledge with the modern functions of the combi steamer. Fresh baked goods, snacks and small dishes of the highest quality can be made in the Convotherm maxx pro BAKE. The Rise&Ready fermentation profiles are perfectly designed for producing baked goods, and the multi-level baking function BakePro, guarantees the best rise for small baked goods, with an optimal crumb and shine. Optimised suction panels as well as baking trays and accessories in the baker’s size of the Convotherm maxx pro meet the demanding requirements of the bakery trade.

THE SMART WORLD OF COOKING WITH KITCHENCONNECT®, THE CLOUD-BASED NETWORK SOLUTION With the innovative and future-oriented networking solution from Welbilt, it is possible to keep an overview at all times with the Convotherm maxx pro and kitchenconnect®. Data and information can be accessed in real time from anywhere in the world using the cloud based kitchenconnect®. Processes can be analysed, evaluated or rescheduled, and asset efficiency and menu management can be controlled on the screen.

THE CONVOWORLD: CONVOSMOKE For further information please visit – CONVOGRILL – CONVOSERVE – www.convotherm.com or see the advert on the CONVOSENSE previous page.

The catering industry is diverse; as are the various

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Design and Refit Refurbishing? Refurbish with Pro Auction Ltd

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Pro Auction is a well established professional firm acting for both corporate & private clients conducting sales throughout the UK and internationally.

our clients work with us because they know we have their best interests in mind.

This trust is built from our shared values and understanding of what is most important to them.

as a result, we serve a diverse clientele across the following sectors: • • • •

Hotel, Leisure and Hospitality.

Manufacturing Industrial Plant and Machinery Retail and Wholesale Stocks Luxury Goods, Prestige & Branded Products

We conduct sales by auction, tender and private treaty, supported by web based marketing and conventional promotional campaigns that reach the buyer quickly efficiently and professionally ensuring each and every sale is a success.

We can assist with the valuation, removal and sale of assets surplus to your requirements.

Contact us for full details: Pro Auction Ltd on 01761 414000

info@proauction.ltd.uk

www.proauction.ltd.uk

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Looking to refurbish or sell surplus furniture, fixtures and fittings, from your hotel bar or restaurant ? Pro Auction has a long history of helping both corporate and private clients source and sell valuables across the UK and internationally.

integrity, expertise and customer-first attitude are the three pillars upon which we continue to grow.

Trust underpins our entire operation and our clients stay with us because they know we keep their best interests front and centre.

For us, the auction process is a journey and one which we take with our clients. Ours is a results-driven service underpinned by solid technology, expert advice and a willingness to turn the first contact to repeat customer to a trusted friend.

This trust is built from our shared values and understanding of what is most important to them.

Our comprehensive service is based on the needs of our clients. Our expertise in valuing, marketing, and selling surplus assets means our clients can achieve the best prices and end result with minimal effort. Our

Pro Action pride ourselves on our consultative, problem-solving service and our tradition of exceeding expectation.

Contact us today for a free no obligation appraisal.

Pro Auction Ltd (T) 01761 414000 (E) info@proauction.ltd.uk (W) www.proauction.ltd.uk

Benefits of CardsSafe for Your Business

The CardsSafe system is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit and debit cards while the cardholder runs a tab. As a result, staff can securely keep customers’ bank cards while customers enjoy the facilities, allowing the team to up-sell onsite.

The CardsSafe units are wireless, which means they can sit discreetly behind the bar or POS. In addition, the system does not capture data, so it never breaches GDPR.

MAJOR BRANDS TRUST CARDSSAFE Over 5000 brands in the UK use CardsSafe. Young’s pubs, Hilton Hotels, Lord’s cricket ground, and many independent restaurants and bars utilise the system.

Benefits to using CardsSafe in bars, restaurants and pubs:

• Managing customer tabs

• Helping to increase spending, therefore profits • It is a significant deterrent for dine & dash • Offers customers security against credit card fraud • Pays for itself by reducing call-back • No data is captured • Wireless • Customers have peace of mind that their bank cards are kept safely and keep the unique key!

“Average spend is up, and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers’ minds at rest.”

Timothy, Young’s Bar Manager

CARDSSAFE IS AFFORDABLE! Each CardsSafe unit contains ten card drawers that can be hired for just £9.99 per month. In addition, each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting, free replacement keys, and additional units can be added at any time.

The question is, can you afford not to have CardsSafe as a part of your business?

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com Or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040

Scott Willis Designs Scott Willis Designs (SWD) is a new and innovative interior design business which specialises in design, build and fit out of licensed premises. With particular expertise in Audio, Lighting and AV design, its owner and principle, Scott Willis, has nearly 20 years of experience in this sector having worked extensively across the UK and Ireland on commercial and private designs and installations, many of which feature in award winning venues.

In the short time it has been established, SWD has already advised on numerous signature developments and redevelopments.

INTERIOR DESIGN This can range from a simple space plan layout with or without fabric or materials selection, through to the most detailed design package incorporating full workshop drawings. We use the newest and most innovative CAD software and produce complete concept boards, colour studies and detailed proposals for suppli-

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ers, tradesmen & tender returns.

DESIGN, BUILD & FITOUT Exactly as described and more commonly referred to as “Turn Key”. We provide the designs and involve the client at every stage of the process. Ensuring our clients are completely happy with the overall concept is absolutely fundamental to us. We then tender the project to a number of tried and tested contractors, provide you, the client, with an overall fit out package price including project management.

PRO AUDIO, LIGHTING & AV SYSTEMS Having supplied and installed all sizes and scales of PA systems - from the largest nightclub systems, to the smallest, best value domestic systems. We have the experience and expertise to advise you on all the options available and offer some of the best pricing within the industry.

From supplying a flat screen for your Bar, an audio system for your Hotel or a Lighting system for your Nightclub, you’ll be catered for on a 1 to 1 basis.

Visit www.scottwillisdesigns.com for further information.

Make Your Business Stand Out with Mr Wood’s Fossils Edinburgh’s famous fossil shop was founded in 1987 by fossil hunter Stan Wood. Matt Dale began as manager before buying the business in 2006. Over the years, the business has forged an international reputation for quality and value, and Matt travels widely to carefully select stock from all over the world. While the shop has a wide-ranging customer base, from the collector to the fascinated tourist, it also helps museums and universities source display specimens and handling collections.

Fossils and minerals can be beautiful natural objects, a combination of aesthetic and curiosity factors making for appealing decorative pieces. There’s the age, for one thing. Fifty million year old fish, meteorites as old as the planet – a sense of perspective to accompany

the natural beauty. The iconic spiral shells of ammonites, rich, earthy tones of slabs of fossil wood, or the framed tooth of a giant shark or dinosaur – something a little different and a memorable talking point.

These aren’t manufactured products, of course. Every example is a unique individual, and it can be a very subjective appeal, which means it’s always worth taking a closer look and choosing carefully. It can take a while to make your way around the shop, in the city’s historic Grassmarket in the Old Town. If you can’t make it there in person, there’s a website with a good range of the smaller lines to explore, and you can always contact the shop to ask about other possibilities.

0131 220 1344 / www.mrwoodsfossils.co.uk

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Imaginative and Integrated Interior Design, Vicaima Makes It Real!

Vicaima, as one of the leading European exponents of contemporary joinery solutions, including interiors doors, doorsets, wall panels and associated furniture products, have just introduced a new brand for professionals called Infinity.

Combining their extensive experience within this sector with the latest technological advancements in image realisation, they present a major step forward for the world of interior design, enabling creative vision to be made real, with imaginative design composition that encompasses multiple elements.

No longer constrained by conventional limitations, Infinity provides scope for interior design professionals to think beyond what they thought was possible, towards what they would ideally like to achieve.

Whether creating a theme that brings rhythm and repetition, or a more dramatic and contrasting vision with pronounced statement pieces, Infinity can make it real.

Infinity permits almost endless possibilities when it comes to visual aspect, with choice of colour, tone, pattern and even the perception of texture. This enables interior designers and specifiers complete flexibility when aiming to deliver bespoke project solutions.

However, for those professionals looking for insight from the Vicaima experts in trends and fashions, Infinity’s top three collections offer a myriad of fresh inspiration. Select from either wood, stone or metal for an immersive experience which includes among many others, Spalted Maple, Terrazo Amber and Antique Patina.

Once the design and hues have been chosen, it is then a matter of selecting which joinery elements can be combined to reflect the desired theme. Here Infinity broadens horizons and uniquely permits creators to match and play with individual pieces in a way that has traditionally been limited. Blending integral building elements such as interior door assemblies and decorative wall panels, with more ephemeral components like wardrobes and furniture to achieve the perfect balance.

While flexible aesthetic design is the hallmark of Infinity, it should not be forgotten that as a Vicaima brand, superior quality and performance are integral to all elements. Exceeding industry recognised standards and in the case of doors and doorkits, third party fire accredited to both TRADA and the British Woodworking Federation, all products are environmentally produced and FSC certificated.

Infinity marks a new era in design for interiors, whether in public, commercial or residential applications. Expanding, evolving and elevating both the creative process and eventual project realisation by combining visionary image technology with industry leading joinery manufacture, to achieve outstanding results.

For more information or to request a brochure visit www.vicaimainfinity.com

Lifeforms Design Lifeforms Design provide a full range of interior and architectural design services across the hospitality, leisure, retail and commercial industries. Whether big or small, every project is given the same dedication and commitment so as to provide our clients with the desired results.

Our approach is creative and flexible - clients return to us because we take the time to understand them and can realise their vision.

Our creative interior designs for bars and restaurants provide spaces that stimulate, invigorate and engage users. With years of experience and projects covering bars, cafés and restaurants, through to bespoke interiors for retail outlets and office spaces, we are the right people for the job. We are able to create inspired design solutions to make your business stand out from the crowd.

Design and Refit From concept to completion, being unique isn’t easy in a world dominated by visual influence. Having worked for 20 years creating environments for people to engage with, now more than ever it is important to create something that appeals to all the senses. The rise in social media has created a setting where design makes up people’s everyday life, often to the point of not realising it. Our job is to deliver such design aspirations whilst ensuring the original brief is adhered to.

Experience gained allows us to direct ideas using an understanding of how a unit can feel day to day. Numbers of covers, quality of materials, furniture, lighting, acoustics are just some of the aspects which need to be considered to ensure the end product does more than look good on an Instagram post, although one should never underestimate how important that is as well!

See the advert on the facing page or visit www.lifeforms-design.com

Second Clearance Showroom

If you are someone that loves a bargain, take a trip down to our second outlet showroom in Clacton, to get inspired for your next interior project. Up to 80% off on popular styles and fabulous home décor pieces. With new lines, added every week and available to you whilst stock lasts; discover popular ranges like the Sylvia velvet kitchen stool (£70), and its eye-catching silhouette – helping to elevate your kitchen island to the next level. Or consider the Malmros dining chair in black (£57), with its padded faux leather seat and curved Scandi style - it’s easy to see why this is the first choice for customers looking to revamp their dining table.

However, if you are someone that is simply after soft furnishings and home accessories, our Clacton second outlet has that covered too. Add a funky element to your living room with our collection of rugs, coat hangers and more. Or create that high-end, ambient feel in your dining space with our lighting range - from

pendants and floor lamps to table and wall lights.

Whether you’re into Industrial, Mid Century, Scandinavian or Contemporary styles, the Clacton second clearance showroom is open 6 days a week and offers ontrend pieces - from chairs and stools to lighting, sofas, and tables - it’s simple to design a life you love with Cult!

*Please note: The products in our Clacton showroom are largely discounted as they may be a customer return, exdisplay model, refurbished or have visible marks (i.e small dent or scratch). However, all are complete and in good condition but cannot be sold as new.

Want to take a look?

Visit our outlet: Unit 1 Brunel Road Gorse Lane Industrial Estate Clacton on Sea Essex CO15 4QW Call us: 01255879896

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The Fine Bedding Company

As a fourth generation British business our family of innovators have spent more than 100 years pioneering bedding, better for people, business and the planet.

We have been using trailblazing technology throughout the era’s, from delivering durability for cruise-liner mattresses’ in 1912, to creating our carbon-neutral factory in 2000.

Our united purpose is and has always been, to create and deliver a better night’s sleep for your guests.

Sustainability is the heart of our business and a continuous thread throughout the whole process. From responsible sourcing of eco-friendly materials, our award-winning eco-factory where manufacturing is powered by 100% renewable energy, right down to our 100% recyclable packaging.

Our Vegan Down range is the perfect solution for hote-

liers who want high end luxury without compromising their environmental credentials. This range looks, feels and replicates natural down in a more environmentally friendly way.

The Vegan Down’s design creates a sumptuous down like layer of superfine fibres which are encased in sustainably sourced 100% BCI cotton, the sewn through cassette construction traps air for warmth, volume and breathability, it’s washable, hypoallergenic and the microfibres are manufactured from GRS Certified recycled PET plastic bottles.

Today, our production practices are modelled on the BCorp framework as we work towards certification, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to ethical and environmentally friendly production for a better tomorrow. www.finebeddinghotels.co.uk

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Choose Classic Shaker Style For A Cost-Effective Dining Solution

Even though its origins can be traced back to the 1800s, simple yet stylish Shaker furniture remains a perennially popular style of furniture. With its minimalist, well-made design, it’s a fantastic choice for a timeless décor theme for any café or restaurant.

Trent Furniture’s great range of Shaker Tables are available in round, square, rectangular and poseur designs, in a variety of sizes. Whatever shape or size you choose, our Shaker Tables are all available in a choice of dark oak, light oak or walnut finishes to their solid rubberwood tops, making them a versatile choice for any hospitality space.

Thanks to their clean, simple

lines, Shaker Tables are compatible with many different styles of chair, however, the clean, classic lines of our Boston Side Chair and Washington Side Chair make the perfect partner to the Shaker Table. Both these contract grade chairs are available in a great choice of finishes and upholstery options or with a simple solid wood seat.

With Shaker Tables starting at just £84.90 and Washington Side Chairs and Boston Side Chairs available from only £44.90, there’s never been a better time to invest in fabulous Shaker style furniture. To find out more please call 0116 2989 854 or fill in the enquiry form at www.trentfurniture.co.uk

New Ranges Launched by ILF www.ilfchairs.com email;terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com With the ongoing success of the ILF Chairs comprehensive website, ILF have now added a stock armchair in 7 different Faux colours plus a 4 colour range stock of Egger laminated table tops in a selection of sizes.

Their new online website offers both indoor and outdoor seating and table solutions.

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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. Also included now an extensive range of stock seating, barstools, table bases and table tops.

Most made to order indoor seating and indoor

wooden table bases and tops can be finished to any customer specification. Outdoor items offer a variety of colours within the same product style.

Also included is a link to priced chairs and table bases plus a selection of priced made to order seating in a selection of Faux Leather upholstery colours and wood frame colours. These products can also be 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.

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Castelan Commercial Services Set the Standards

We caught up with Rob Jackson, from Castelan Commercial Services to ask what have been the key drivers to Castelan’s success in hospitality restoration after Covid.

"Our Commercial Division works on many projects across the UK- helping our hotel clients and working tirelessly together to provide cover in social care with the following services -

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Carpet/hard floor cleaning Upholstery cleaning Bath tub restoration Re-Upholstery service Environmental cleaning

“During the COVID crisis we expanded our cleaning services to include carpet & upholstery cleaning, re-upholstery services, mattress cleaning, bedroom deep cleaning (environmental) and bath tub restoration. Not only did we offer greener, safer cleaning products, but we found we were really effective at doing the work -and being competitive at doing this was a bonus."

If you need any assistance with the restoration of your fixed assets or have any questions around restoration ideas, please contact Rob Jackson who will be happy to help.

Contact Email: commercial@castelangroup.com M 07787 847 353 or T 0330 024 0433

Demand for Hospitality Furniture Outstrips Supply for Many in the Industry The ever increasing need to differentiate and refresh hospitality interiors has led to shortages of outdoor furniture and extended lead times on anything made to order. All sizes of business from local pubs to large hotel chains are feeling the pinch, and having to pay a premium for any available models they can find that fit their concept.

These are challenging times for suppliers too, as managing director of the market leading Contract Furniture Group, Richard Bellamy, confirms: “Timber, fabrics, plastics, transport – you name a cost and it’s gone through the roof. Our margins have always been thin, so trying to find ways to keep our prices down is tough – especially when our customers rely on us being the most cost-effective supplier around.

“We’ve seen demand skyrocket in the last couple of years, while many of our competitors have struggled to keep up. The market consolidation has seen us grow, but also limited buyers’ options – which has subse-

quently put further pressure on supply chains and the cycle continues. Luckily for us we work exclusively with a number of European manufacturers, so our lead times have not been as badly affected as others. We’re seeing some pretty big players having to quote over fourteen weeks to get bespoke upholstered seating, which is just far too long for most people. I’m not saying we can return to the three or four weeks we used to work to, but happily we’re nowhere near those kinds of delays.”

With the summer upon us and the need for outdoor furniture imminent, it seems inevitable that there will be a clammer for different ways to kit out new spaces or replace damaged items. Forward planning for furnishings has never been so business critical for the hospitality industry. Thankfully there are still contract furniture suppliers out there agile enough to deliver when the unexpected occurs and we need solutions fast.

See www.contractfurniture.co.uk or the advert on this page.

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Capify - We're Here to Support Your Hospitality Business For almost 15 years, Capify has worked closely with the hospitality sector, providing business owners with much-needed funding. We’ve been there through some difficult times – like the 2008 recession and Covid-19, and have continued to lend even when the banks have said no.

• Purchasing extra food and drink • Hiring additional staff • Purchasing new catering equipment Our flexibility means we will try and look beyond your credit history when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth.

We’ve recently conducted a Business Confidence Survey and found that cash flow and cash reserves are key concerns for business owners across the UK. Over half of those who responded also said they lack confidence in their existing banking partners to meet any future borrowing needs.

If you’d like to find out how much finance you qualify for, visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund

We’re proud to have created an accessible business loan which is both quick and easy to apply for, and, once approved, the funds can be paid out in as little as 24 hours.

You’ll be taken to Capify’s website, where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes. You’ll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments.

The finance can be used for any business purpose, whether that’s:

To find out more visit www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team.

• Managing short-term cash flow issues

Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

With over 30 years of industry experience in the Hospitality sector, The Bowden Group’s Managing Consultant David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements: Profitability, Operational Strategy, Staff Management, Marketing and The Future of your business.

David will also be on hand to give you extra (and this can be without any extra charge) support through our Sprowts4Mentoring system, to analyse, every single week, your business performance figures … giving you weekly analysis and concise reports, with appropriate guidance, to optimise your business’s Sales, Profitability and Staff Management.

the labour usage in your business.

And YES … Covid19 changed a lot of things. We need to learn from those things!

Right now we are experiencing massive increases in the cost of the raw materials that we buy … both Food and Drink. We will take that fully into consideration. When was the last time that you fully and meticulously costed out and priced correctly, every dish on your menu … both Food and Drinks?

Budgeting, Forecasting, Menu Management, Stock Controls, Purchasing, and controlling Variable Costs are just a few of the other areas that David Hunter, your Restaurant Consultant, will work on with you, and improve with you.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS

MANAGING PEOPLE

Our experts will analyse your entire operation and also its key operating figures if they are available. We then help you to identify strategies to manage costs and overheads associated with the core Profitability of running a Hospitality business.

Managing people brings with it a whole set of new skills that are now needed more than ever. From ‘’Managing the Managers’’ through to Service and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management, Motivation, guidance and Development.

The largest overhead, even higher than Cost of Sales, is the Labour cost, so, with detailed analysis of your wages and being able to understand ‘’the way your business actually works’’ we can ensure that you are maximising

We have a very good record in helping Hospitality business owners to implement processes that improve how they manage their people, which in turn benefits the owners as well as the Team Members themselves.

We can help you to manage ‘difficult’ people situations, to improve your operational planning, to recruit, train and manage your team better, creating a more productive, pleasant and ‘’retaining’’ working environment.

MARKETING We will help you build a workable, planned Marketing Strategy. We don’t do fancy, posh or expensive … we just recommend what our experience says will actually work for your business.

It’s no longer enough to rely on word-of-mouth and repeat business.

You need to employ a wealth of skills in a number of areas to ensure that your Marketing is attracting new customers and engaging with existing customers.

From Digital Marketing, such as Social Media marketing, Websites, eMail Marketing and online advertising, to print design, Promotions and offline advertising, your Hospitality business should be constantly working on ‘’ all things Marketing’’.

If your business is actually struggling, or if you just feel that it could be doing some things better, give David Hunter a quick call on 07831 407984 to arrange a ‘’Free of Charge’’ initial consultation (please quote CLH Offer), when David will discuss with you what could be achieved if you ask us to work with you.

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

W! NE

PRICE: £1,950,000

W! NE

PRICE: £49,950

W! NE

PRICE: £600,000

CHARLTON HORETHORNE, DORSET

• Stunning Country Inn Providing 10 Luxurious Boutique Letting Bedrooms • Character Main Bar, Dining Room, Snug & Restaurant/Function Room • Stunning Terrace, Raised Beer Garden, Outside Kitchen & Large Car Park • Beautiful Detached 2 Bed Owner’s Cottage with Private Lawn, Patio & Deck • Incredibly Successful & WellEstablished Business

FREEHOLD

REF: 4277

• ‘Cottage Style’ Freehouse in South Devon Estuary Village • 2 Character Refurbished Trading Areas with 1 Bedroom Owners Accomm • One Bedroom Letting Studio • Large Outside Trading Area with Sheltered Seating & Farm Shop • A Thriving ‘Free of Tie’ Pub Business held on an Affordable Rent

HATCH BEAUCHAMP, SOMERSET

PRICE: £620,000

REF: 4289

• Impressive Detached Tudor Style Property in Fabulous Location • Long Established, Well Appointed Licenced Restaurant with Outside Seating • Commercial kitchen with Prep Area and Wash Up Room • Exceptional Self-Contained 4 Double Bed Accommodation • Private Parking for 4 Cars and Outbuildings

REF: 4265

PRICE: £525,000

PRICE: £150,000

REF: 4025

REF: 4188

• 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

LEASEHOLD

DEVON COUNTRY VILLAGE

DEVON TOWN

DARTMOOR, DEVON

Licensed Thai Restaurant

Highly Visible Landmark Restaurant

Set In Around 2 ½ Acres

High Street Trading Position

Two Dining/Restaurant Areas 100+

Character Restaurant Areas (94+)

Restaurant Areas (40+)

External Seating 50+ & Car Park

Al Fresco Seating For 120+ & Car Park

Commercial Catering Kitchen

Purpose Built & Equipped

Exceptional Business Opportunity

Impressive Turnkey Opportunity

Significant Turnover & Gross Profit

Well Renowned Country Village Inn

LH £95,000

4821

LH £30,000

2142

LH £150,000

2141

SOUTH HAMS

SOMERSET VILLAGE

DARTMOOR DEVON

Licensed Restaurant/Tea Room/Takeaway

Exceptional High Turnover Free of Tie Inn Bar & Dining Areas (140) Trade Gardens & Patio Ares (64) 6 Double Bedroom (2 Ensuite) Owners Accom.

Sought After Free of Tie Leasehold

Day Time Only Café & Restaurant

Net Profits In Excess Of £100,000 Trading Day Time Only Spacious 4/5 Bed Apart & Parking Outstanding Business Opportunity

LH £125,000

2143

LH £150,000

4815

Excellent Reputation With Much Potential 30 Covers & Commercial Kitchen Self Contained 2 BedOwner's Accom.

Quality Business In Sought After Town

LH £89,950

2133

REF: 4008

• Long Established Licenced Café/Bistro in Superb Trading Location • Stylishly Decorated with Internal Seating for Circa 45 • Benefitting from Outside Seating for 6 • Well Equipped Commercial Kitchen • Huge Potential to Expand on Current Trade

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON

LONG LEASEHOLD

FREEHOLD

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

• Stunning Ground Floor Lock Up Restaurant • Elegant & Informal Fine Dining Restaurant Beautifully Refurbished Throughout • Quietly Trading to Suit Current Owner/Operators • Fully Equipped Commercial Kitchen and Ancillary Spaces • Turnkey Operation Held on a 999 Year Lease

PRICE: £150,000

REF: 4184

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON

MINEHEAD, SOMERSET

FREEHOLD

FREEHOLD

• Fabulous Waterfront Inn with 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 with Spectacular Sea Views

SHALDON, DEVON

LEASEHOLD

• Substantial, Completely Refurbished 18th Century Coaching Inn • 2 Spacious, Character Trading Areas (54+ covers) • 5 Superior En-Suite Letting Rooms & Very Well Presented 3 Bed Private Accomm • Outside Courtyard Trading Area, Car Park & Skittle Alley • Stunning Property and Business, Must be Seen

TORQUAY, DEVON

PRICE: £79,000

LEASEHOLD

REF: 3853

DEVON COUNTRY VILLAGE

EAST DEVON COAST

SOMERSET VILLAGE

Beautifully Restored Country Village Inn

Attractive Licensed Restaurant

Substantial Former Farmhouse

8 Quality Ensuite Letting Bedrooms

Busy Prime Trading Location

Refurbished To High Standard

Lovely Restaurant Areas (65+)

Restaurant Seating 42+

Flexible Business & Home Opportunity

Al Fresco Seating Area (76)

Well Equipped Catering Kitchen

Offering 6 Individual Bedrooms

Strong Turnover & Profits

Deliberately Restricted Opening Hours

Sauna, Hot Tub, Gardens & Private Parking

FH £695,000

4817

LH £39,950

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

2109

FH £549,950

6009

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

Property and Professional

Issue 119

CLH DIGITAL

Margate Old Town Hall to be Offered for Lease

Margate is home to a vibrant and expanding creative sector. Its Old Town has become a year-round mecca for art lovers who visit Turner Contemporary and numerous independent galleries as well as the cafés, restaurants and vintage and contemporary shops that surround the cobbled Market Place.

As Margate is served by high-speed trains from London, with a journey time of just 90 minutes, a new generation is now discovering this original seaside escape. We enjoy a year-round demand for high quality serviced accommodation, driven in part by the Dreamland live music programme, the annual Margate Soul Festival and the area’s reputation as a stunning location for film and photoshoots.

The Grade II listed Old Town Hall sits right in the cen-

tre of Margate’s Old Town. Completed in 1898, the magnificent neoclassical structure served as the headquarters of Margate Borough Council and court building until Thanet District Council was formed, moving to larger, purpose-built premises in 1974.Since then, it’s been used as the Mayors Parlour and evidence of this can be seen inside with many a wall adorned with fine portraits and photographs of past Mayors.

Thanet District Council is now looking to let the entire building on a long lease as part of its capitalisation of its property asset register. Sitting as it does, centre stage in Margate Old Town Market Place, surrounded by bars, restaurants, art galleries and quirky independent retailers, it is expected it will attract a high level of interest. The building would suit conversion to a boutique hotel, business centre or retail. The council is open to innovative proposals (subject to the relevant planning) but these must demonstrate a strong sustainable business model and be fully funded.

The property is being offered on a long lease with a guide price of £75,000 pa. Please note that the Margate Museum building does not form part of the lease. Block viewings will be taking place over a six-week period. To book a viewing contact Dave Tappy, Commercial Director at Oakwood Commercial via email: commercial@oakwoodhomes.biz or by calling 01843 222704. Full and final bids must be submitted to Oakwood Commercial in writing or by email by 1200hrs on Tuesday 12 August 2022.

The Westmorland Inn, Bowness-OnWindermere Comes on the Market

The Westmorland Inn is quite simply a brilliant business that is only available as the owners wish to retire.

With a highly rated restaurant & pub for the past 4 years on Trip Advisor, the new owners can be assured of a great business moving forward. With a large lower ground floor restaurant, fully equipped commercial kitchen, bar area with additional mezzanine area and then 8 great en-suite letting rooms. Is this a bar, with a restaurant and letting rooms, a restaurant with a bar and rooms or a B & B with bar and restaurant, we'd suggest all 3.

The restaurant offers good traditional food, the cosy bar has a range of 5 real ales, draft lagers, wines, spirits and a large selection of gins together with everything else one might expect. Each of the 8 letting rooms are en-suite and are neatly presented and furnished.

The business is currently owner operated but managed allowing the new owner to do as little or as much as they like. Also, with opening hours starting at

1pm except Sundays which opens earlier for Sunday lunch there is scope to enhance the business. If the new owner wanted to open and offer breakfast and lunchtime food this would increase both the food and beverage sales within the business as the letting rooms are on a room only rate.

To the rear of the property is an adjoining 3 bedroomed house, for either the owner to live on site or as staff accommodation.

All in all, this huge building amounting to over 6000sq ft or 560m2 needs to be seen to appreciate.

Prominently positioned on Lake Road, just before the Royalty Cinema towards the top of the popular tourist village of Bowness-On-Windermere on the main road leading from Windermere to Bowness.

To book a viewing call 01539 444461 or see the advert on this page for further details.

Catering Partner Needed for Oxford Masonic Hall

Oxford Masonic Hall Company Limited was established in 1943 to provide accommodation for Masonic Lodges meeting locally. In 2016 they acquired their current premises (Cardinal House, in the village of Marsh Baldon, South Oxfordshire). Our provision of accommodation for & services to these lodges enables them to focus more of their time on their charitable activities (nationally, Freemasonry donated over £50m to charitable causes in 2020 and provided over 18 million hours of volunteering time).

These new premises were extensively renovated and updated by the Company and includes a fully-equipped, professional grade kitchen. Use of these premises for the caterer’s other commercial purposes is encouraged, with details to be agreed.

Currently some 20+ Masonic Lodges meet at the premises, a total of 70+ meetings estimated for the year commencing 2022. Using 2019 as an example of ‘usual’ trading, over 2200 meals were served in this period. The board considers that 2000 meals per year may be considered a good ‘lower estimate’ of masonic meals required throughout 2022, with the belief that as the impact of Covid-19 reduces this number will increase over the coming years.

The company also actively promotes its facilities for third party useage for social, commercial and charitable purposes and so the total provision of meals is likely to be somewhat higher than this.

The directors are looking to appoint a new catering contractor to provide services (via the company) to its members and other users of the premises.

We hope that our future catering partner would consider this relationship as a source of secure, repeat business.

If you would like to discuss this request for tender (or our process) in any further detail, please get in touch with: Mr. Tom Boardman-Weston, Director Tom.Boardman-Weston@omhc.org.uk Or Mrs. Tara Buck, Centre Manager Tara.Buck@omhc.org.uk

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

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