CLH Digital - Issue #150

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital

“Unfulfilled potential”, the promise and ambition which does not come to fruition no matter where it manifests is one of life’s great disappointments

To my mind the hospitality sector meets the criteria of “unfulfilled potential” A news ar ticle on page 9 reveals that a record 2 6 million people are now employed in accommodation and food ser vice , with the sector creating one in five new jobs

Another repor t reveals that there has been substantial progress ” the sector’s recover y, which all point to a potential positive future for the sector

However I strongly suspect that the creation of jobs, and progress made for the future are in spite of government policy and not because of it

It would, in my opinion, be a bit of a travesty for them to take credit for the hard work, entrepreneurialism, resilience and dedication the sector is showing in the most difficult trading times in modern memor y

Our page one lead stor y issues a ver y stark warning indeed But it is not just shor t-term suppor t the sector needs when he was Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that taxes on draught beer and prosecco will be slashed in “sweeping changes” to alcohol duty that reward lower-strength drinks

Our now Prime Minister said that the UK’s 380 year old system of alcohol duty was “outdated, complex and full of historical anomalies”

Sunak’s five-point plan, which takes effect this year, will allegedly simplify the tax brackets at an overall cost to the Treasur y of £555m by 2027 The plans will cut the cost of a range of drinks, but increase the duty levied on wine with alcohol content above 11%, such as high-strength ciders and for tified wines like por t and Buckfast

We are taking advantage of leaving the EU to announce the most radical simplification of alcohol duties for over 140 years We’re taking five steps today to create a system that is simpler, fairer, and healthier ” He said in October 2021

In a separate measure the then Chancellor said would help pubs struggling because of the effect of the pandemic , announcing “draught relief ” , cutting the tax on drinks ser ved from pumps, such as beer and cider, by 5% The duty cut will bring down the cost of a pint by 3p, or as much as 25p for beer below 3 5% ABV

However, the sector has come under increasing pressure , and our lead ar ticle reveals that data from Oxford Economics estimates on-trade beer sales will decline by 9% in 2023/4 This equates to one million fewer barrels of beer sold (288 million pints) and 25 000 potential job losses in pubs and the wider industr y

So, the message to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is to act swiftly and decisively and comprehensively to suppor t the sector It is not as though he hasn’t been previously warned As often stated I was par t of a highly charged and emotional protest outside the Treasur y in November last year where speaker after speaker spoke of the struggles they face and also the anger at government apathy

So I do hope that the Chancellor recognises the potential the sector has and, instead of stifling that potential with redtape and taxes, he throws his suppor t behind the sector which in the long run will result in more money for the Treasur y

Another new stor y on page 5 took my eye A repor t reveals that the majority of consumers (81%) are planning to stay in a UK hotel in 2023, as cost-of-living pressures deter them from taking trips abroad

And I am one of them! I have rediscovered our natural beauty here in the UK after years of going abroad I haven t had a holiday abroad since 2019 and am looking forward to many shor t breaks here in the UK, beginning next week with a stay in Padstow!

Mixing work with pleasure! We have a trade show, Expowest Cornwall at Wadebridge on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th March, so please do pay us a visit It is always great to get feedback, and I will be making a point of asking visitors to the show what their opinions are for the for thcoming budget

I would remind you once again to consider lobbying your MP We are not that far away from a general election and they will be desperate to keep their seats and I have said in recent weeks that a campaign by ever ybody involved in the hospitality sector to contact your current MP and all parliamentar y candidates and get a definitive answer on what their opinion is on hospitality VAT and whether they would suppor t a cut from the current rate to 12 5% for at least a two-year period I have written to my current sitting MP and I’m still waiting an answer!

One more thing! Once again I would ask the favour - we want more Twitter followers! So please do follow us on Twitter and encourage as many people you know in the trade to subscribe to our digital issue Fur ther details can be seen at www catererlicensee com

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EDITOR

Peter Adams

Act Now Chancellor Urged or 2,000 Pubs Face Permanent Closure

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

Under the current plans, duty will be cut on all drinks with alcohol content below 8 5 per cent, and a blanket tax of 12 5 per cent will be introduced for wines with alcohol content between 11 5–14 5 per cent

The BBPA is calling on the Chancellor to confirm the new rates as soon as possible and consider a much lower rate for draught beer sold in pubs

60% BEER DUTY INCREASE IN THE PAST 20 YEARS

It said beer duty has increased by 60 per cent over the last 20 years and now the UK has one of the highest rates in Europe

And ahead of the Energ y Bill Relief Scheme being significantly reduced from 1 April the BBPA is also continuing to highlight the poor practice of energ y suppliers and the ongoing impact soaring energ y costs is having on the industr y, insisting that the Government holds suppliers accountable and fix a broken system that is penalizing hospitality businesses

SALES SET TO DECLINE

The BBPA’s call comes as data from Oxford Economics estimates ontrade beer sales will decline by 9% in 2023/4 This equates to one million fewer barrels of beer sold (288 million pints) and 25,000 potential job losses in pubs and the wider industr y

It also follows a new sur vey that reveals just how much Brits value their beloved locals – with venues up and down the countr y celebrated as spaces that provide first jobs, form friendships, bring communities together and help people find love

69% of respondents agreed that local pubs play an impor tant role in bringing communities together, while over two thirds (67%) say they play an impor tant role in creating jobs Six in 10 of us (60%) are concerned about an increase in loneliness if more local pubs close down, whilst 42% agree that closure of their local pub would devastate their community

In what’s being termed a make-or-break moment for the sector, the

BBPA are also encouraging those interested in suppor ting their local pub to sign their Long Live the Local petition at longlivethelocal pub and share their favourite pub memories across social media using #LongLiveTheLocal

THREE YEARS OF TOUGH TRADING

Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association Emma McClarkin said: “It is crucial the Government shows in this budget that it understands the pressures the sector is facing and just how much our pubs and breweries mean to communities ever ywhere across the UK

“We urgently need the Chancellor to deliver a plan for sustainable growth with fair, modernised tax rates and a focus on skills and training needed to ensure pubs and breweries can thrive

After almost three years of extremely tough trading conditions due to lockdowns, an energ y crisis, supply chain disruptions and more , now is a make-or-break moment to save our locals and breweries from failure now in the years to come , we need the Government to act now or risk losing something ver y special forever ”

Joanne Farrell, who has run the Windsor Castle near Stockpor t for over 15 years, said she has resor ted to installing a wood burner to save on bills, hoovering in the dark and lighting candles where possible to avoid using too much electricity She detailed how she’s worried that if people don’t use their local pubs they will close for good and these special places at the hear t of their communities will be lost forever

Emma Shepherd who runs The Blue Ball Inn in Worrall, Yorkshire , said her fixed rate electricity contract is due to end in just under a month’s time and she is struggling to find a new provider, with one quoting a standing charge rate that would be a 1000%+ increase on what she currently pays She describes herself as passionate about keeping the pub open at the hear t of the community, where it regularly raises money for local good causes, and hosts events and oppor tunities for local people to come together, from coffee mornings to dementia friendly days

ENERGY COSTS “ROCKETED”

Anthony Pender from the historic Somerstown Coffee House in London, a pub with with a special interest in ser ving brilliant ales and

British seafood, said, “In Januar y my gas bill was 4,800 and we had £1,600 government relief Similar bills were generally around £800 prior to increases Without relief and at full business rates we would lose money as a venue ”

Keris de Villiers, of the Pig & Whistle in Wandswor th, said in 10 years of running the pub she has never found it so difficult to turn a profit

She said, “ we got through Covid, but the cost of living crisis is worse costs on ever ything across our business from energ y to ingredients have rocketed ”

These stories are by no means outliers With cost pressures and slowing consumer spend, combined with a fur ther duty increase in August, the sector is grappling with the significant fear of widespread closures

Fur ther concern comes from the current Energ y Bill Relief Scheme suppor t ending on 31st of March, meaning many pubs and breweries will again be subject to rocketing bills that threaten to them to declare last orders once and for all

Wedding Business Is The Driver To Success

By Richard Mar tin, The Blazing Donkey Countr y Hotel, Hay Hill, Ham, Sandwich, Kent, England (www blazingdonkey co uk)

We are owner operators of a small but thriving countr y hotel near Sandwich in Kent Although our hotel accommodation is on point and our restaurant award winning we prefer to rely on our repution as one of our county's most prolific wedding hosts - and with good reason-its the most profitable segment to our business driving 90% of our profits

TIP 1 - FOCUS ON WHAT DELIVERS YOU THE MOST PROFIT

This year we celebrate our 30th year of ownership Our business has sur vived multiple recessions, Brexit, unfair treatment by the now taxpayer owned Natwest (formerly RBS) and most latterly and most profoundly the global Covid pandemic

So how have we managed to be sufficiently resilient to come through this most latest of challenges and what strategies will we be depending upon to sustain the health of our business moving forward?

The engagement of a top accountancy firm who take the time to understand your business is absolutely vital I am in no doubt that had I not met Paul Randall (senior par tner of UK top 50 London-based accountancy firm RPG Crouch Chapman) then our business could have ver y easily failed Too many small businesses in hospitality do fail needlessly because they don't get good advice and exper tise at the right time or at all

TIP 2 - APPOINT AND BE PREPARED TO PAY FOR A QUALITY ACCOUNTANT WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH HOSPITALITY (OUR ANNUAL ACCOUNTANCY FEES ARE LESS THAN WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL FULL TIME MINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYEE)

At the time the pandemic struck we were sitting on a record order book of booked events (weddings) and occupancy Covid put paid to a forecasted EBITDA in 2020 of £300k (34%) making way to an enormous trading loss of £190k Despite this deficit which previously would have been unfathomable , we were able to remain viable A combination of suppor t packages from our current bankers (suspension of commercial loan repayments) and rates refunds from council made a dramatic difference Although our balance sheet took a hit the government backed furlough and covid loan schemes made sur vival for us as cer tain as it could be All these schemes though depended on us working ver y closely with our accountants - and in the case of the bank suppor t and Covid loan negotiations, swifty instructing Paul and his team to produce the required detailed suite of information that was essential to ensure that our applications for suppor t were successful

In addition to having no sales income we were staring down the "barrel of a gun " in potential refunds of over £1/2m Our core business niche is weddings and so hundreds of thousands of pounds in refunds were a real possibility The lifeblood of any business is its order book so it became ver y impor tant for us to preser ve this as best we could

Despite Covid we were able to communicate clearly and regularly with all our valued wedding clients which

maintained their confidence in us Although the CMA event deposit guidelines were clear in that all deposits for events were unconditionally refundable , none of our booked wedding clients (212 at the time) asked for or demanded a refund Some of our clients changed their wedding date up to four (4) times

TIP 3 - CARVE YOUR NICHE AND PROTECT IT AT ALL COSTS

What are seeing now is the gradual normalising of all market conditions and business costs Some characterise whats' happening in hospitality and business as "payback" that's to perhaps say what the government gave in one hand during Covid they are now [indirectly] taking away The manifestation of this taking away is the resumption of normal vat levels, no furlough suppor t, Covid loan repayments, higher bank interest rates, bank repayment holiday removal and out of control inflation The result for our business has been dramatic with monthly overheads around 33% or £15 000 higher than pre-pandemic Fur ther our cash burn post pandemic has been dramatic

TIP 4 - REACT TO COST INCREASES BY BEING READY TO UPLIFT YOUR SELLING PRICES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO

YOUR COSTS AND ANY SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES

Assuming you have belief and confidence in your product and ser vice you must react quickly to market forces Don t allow the increased costs to erode your margins and immediately adjust your pricing upwardly Be bold, be confident as good quality customers are out there and still spending Our selling prices for weddings and accommodation have increased at a faster rate than our costs and we have discovered to our benefit that our price elasticity to demand (how demand is influenced by price) is extremely low

Selling Price Movement

at The Blazing Donkey*

Pre Covid Dbl Room Rate £145

Post Covid Dbl Room Rate £220

Pre Covid 100 Guest Wedding £6k

Post Covid 100 Guest Wedding £10k

*inc VAT

On the flipside we continue during these tough times to monitor cost of sales spend Instead of remaining loyal to our traditional and established supply chain we now "spot buy" in respect of food and drinks purchases In addition we continue to respect a self imposed non essential spend ban Although the proper ty needs maintaining it does not need fur ther or increased capital expenditure

TIP 5 - CASH IS KING - SUSPEND ALL NON ESSENTIAL SPEND AND INTRODUCE SPOT BUYING

Concluding our initiatives and strategies have allowed our firm to restore its current balance sheet value to levels preceded by COVID

TIP 6 - UNDERSTAND YOUR BALANCE SHEET AND THE IMPACT OF YOUR DECISIONS UPON SHAREHOLDER VALUE

Robert’s Dorset – The Perfect Snack

• We are 100% cer t fied by the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oi and buy only from a segregated supply c hain (Palm Oil only used in Fudge)

• Our ingred ents are of the highest quality, fully traceable and sourced locally where possible

Independent shops - Our colourful packaging is designed to draw the eye , and the contents won’t disappoint The pots can be stacked to optimise your space , and our mason jars will add that extra wow factor to any display

Pubs and Hotels - We have the perfect bar snacks to complement your fine beverages Whether you re wanting our eye catching, refillable , glass jars to add a touch of class to your bar area or want to add a special something to your guest’s welcome basket

THE BENEFITS OF WHITE LABELLING

ALL YOUR TRADE, HOSPITALITY AND WHITE LABELLING NEEDS MET

Nothing gives a better welcome to your customers than a delicious snack and whether they are following a Vegan or Keto lifestyle or need allergen-free snacks, Rober t’s Dorset has just what you need

We supply independent shops, pubs, and the hospitality industr y, with a range of sizes for direct reselling and are now offering white label products

WHY ROBERT’S DORSET?

We are family owned and run since 2011, with us business is personal, and this means our trade customers get:

• Delicious snac ks to de ight your own customer s

• Great customer ser vice with a dedicated Account Manager

Easy order ing options , either online or by phone

• All products are handmade in beautiful Dor set, England

• All items are prepared to order Customer s always get the freshest products

Our production process is 99 9% waste free

Whether you are looking to star t a new business or increase brand awareness of your current one white labelling is a fantastic way to go about it and here are just some benefits:

SAVE MONEY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

We already have a range of tried, tested, and loved products available in all sizes Saving you money stress and time

FULLY BRANDED FOR YOUR COMPANY

We will work with you to create your branded packaging Set up fees and minimum orders apply

EASY SALES PROCESS

Choose whether you would like us to deliver direct to your customers or send the products to you for distribution

FOCUS ON BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS

As we supply, package , and ship the product, you get to focus your precious time on sales and marketing

OUR PRODUCTS

Proper Pork Crackling - available in eight amazing flavours, including Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, and Chorizo Keto Friendly and Allergen Free - No

MSG – No ar tificial flavours – No enhancers – No compromise Prepared to order to guarantee freshness, and triple cooked to give you that perfect crunch ever y time

Yummy Nuts and Delicious Cashews - Up to 11 delicious flavours including Sea Salt, Sweet Chilli, and BBQ These AA grade nuts are ethically, and sustainably sourced Like all our other products, they come in fully recyclable packaging and our pots and jars reusable They are Gluten-Free , as well as being both Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly too

Fabulous Fudge - Fabulous by name and by nature , made with locally sourced, real dair y cream, and supplied in pouches or bars 11 mouthwatering flavours, including two Vegan options Clotted Cream, Sea Salt & Caramel Millionaire Vegan Vanilla and Vegan Sea Salt & Caramel

We have a range of Crumbs and Seasoning too!

If you are looking to rebrand and sell, stock, or gift our amazing, delicious snacks we'd love to hear from you

Contact Rober t to discuss your needs and ideas:

rober t@rober tsdorset com

01202 875280

www rober tsdorset com or see the adver t on page 3

‘Holidaying at Home’ is Here to Stay – 81% of Consumers Planning to Stay in a UK Hotel in 2023

The latest GO Technolog y repor t from hospitality tech provider Zonal and insight firm CGA by NielsenIQ, reveals that the majority of consumers (81%) are planning to stay in a UK hotel in 2023, as costof-living pressures deter them from taking trips abroad

The sur vey of more than 2,000 UK consumers highlights the continued oppor tunity for domestic hotel visits in 2023, with nearly half (44%) of consumers saying that they will avoid hotel stays overseas due to cost-of-living increases A fur ther 39% said they’d be ‘staycationing’ simply because they would prefer to travel within the UK rather than abroad this year up 12% from 2022

Fur thermore for consumers choosing to holiday in the UK it appears that the frequency of their stays will increase with just under a third of consumers (28%) planning to stay at a domestic hotel more than once this year Whilst half of consumers sur veyed state they stay in hotels the same amount as before the pandemic , a significant number (33%) of 18-34-year-olds have increased the frequency of their visits, with 23% visiting a UK hotel weekly With more consumers planning to holiday at home in 2023, hoteliers have a significant oppor tunity to attract more guests and boost profitability, so it’s vital that they are prepared

And it’s not just the frequency of stays where we can expect to see changes in consumer behaviour, how people holiday is also expected to alter With repor ts suggesting that people will look to plan shor ter breaks this year to help keep costs down[1 , the research shows that this will likely be the case , with nearly half (48%) of consumers staying at a UK hotel for a weekend break rather than a holiday (31%) When it comes to younger consumers in par ticular they are likely to plan much shor ter visits to a UK hotel with 27% saying that they would use a hotel for a day trip, driven by access to amenities such as a restaurant or bar, spa, g ym or swimming pool

Looking more closely at the other influential drivers behind consumers ’ decisions to stay at a UK hotel, price (66%) and location (61%) are at the top of their considerations, followed by hygiene standards (41%) and

good customer ser vice (39%) Digital platforms also continue to be a key influencer in consumers booking decisions Whilst older consumers prefer going directly to a hotel’s website , younger adults are turning to social media Three in five (60%) of those aged 18 to 34 say they visit a hotel’s social media pages before booking, highlighting the impor tance of these platforms

Commenting on the findings, Stewar t Moss, Managing Director, High Level Software , par t of the Zonal family, said: “Despite consumers facing increasing cost-of-living pressures, it’s welcome news to the hotel and wider hospitality industr y that Brits still want to holiday in the UK this year Whether it’s a long weekend or a shor t break, it’s clear that consumers don t want to miss out on their precious holiday time And although hotels across the countr y might already feel prepared for another staycation boom as a continued result of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, it’s impor tant they don’t rest on their laurels Developing a real understanding of what consumers want – from offering a selection of amenities, to seamless booking experiences – and capitalising on these insights, will not only help hoteliers prepare for an increase in guests but establish an advantage and attract spend, something which is key in a competitive market ”

Karl Chessell, Director – Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA, CGA by NielsenIQ added: “It’s been a challenging three years for hospitality in the UK but the staycation boom has been a rare upside Hotels have responded well to the surge in demand and the quality and variety of accommodation on offer has never been higher Our research shows how guests are satisfied and engaged, but that there are great oppor tunities to grow sales again this year especially through the smar t use of tech Engagement and responsiveness across websites, social media and review and booking platforms can attract even more visitors, while in-hotel and inroom innovations can help retain them As ever, brands that stay closely attuned to guests’ needs and respond nimbly will have the best chance of success in 2023 and beyond ”

[1] https //www waleson ine co uk/whats-on/travel/staycat on-book ngs-soar-2023-hol days-25856929

Unlocking the Potential of a ‘Liquid Workforce’: Hoteliers On Why Hospitality Businesses Should Embrace Flexibility and Agility in Their Workforce Strategy

The hospitality industr y is undergoing a significant transformation in the way its workforce operates Instead of traditional organisational structures, forward-thinking businesses are focusing on flexibility in order to right-size their staffing levels to demand and occupancy

Recently, we organised an industr y event where we brought together a number of hotel operators to discuss workforce challenges and how to improve operational efficiency During the event, we discussed applying a ‘Liquid Workforce’ approach to the shift worker experience and how it can enable employers to provide enhanced flexibility, operational responsiveness and employee self-ser vice whilst unifying demand against available labour

One of the most significant benefits of this approach is flexibility for both the employer and the employee Hotel operators often find themselves hedging their staffing costs, for example basing them on 80% occupancy The beauty of the ‘liquid workforce’ approach is that they can scale their workforce up or down to meet demand This avoids overstaffing during slow periods and understaffing during busy times, right-sizing labour cost percentage and maximising revenue

Being able to control your staffing cost as a total percentage of hotel occupancy provides complete control Moreover, it provides employees with the flexibility to work when and – for multi-site operators – where they want, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and employee engagement

Another advantage of this is the ability to tap into a wider pool of talent by offering variable shift patterns and flexible hours Not only does it ensure that hotels have access to the best talent available it also promotes diversity and inclusion With a diverse range of employees hotels can leverage the exper tise of their workforce to improve their operational efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction

The concept of a liquid workforce has been embraced by the team from CitizenM the growing boutique

By David Kelly, General Manager, EMEA at Deputy | www.deputy.com

hotel chain At our event, they shared how they experiment with fun ways of recruiting, such as casting days, which allow prospective staff to demonstrate their skills across a range of roles, in turn creating a more flexible workforce

It was noted that one of the biggest challenges of this strateg y is managing a diverse range of employee types It is essential for hotels to implement policies and procedures that cater to the unique needs of different employees

Effective communication can be another significant challenge With a variety of employee profiles and availability a necessity in the current climate , it can be difficult to ensure that ever yone is on the same page To address this challenge , hospitality businesses must invest in technolog y and tools that enable effective communication and collaboration between employees

Additionally, this approach can improve employee morale by providing workers with greater control over their work schedules This can lead to increased job satisfaction, which in turn can lead to better performance , customer satisfaction and employee retention For instance hotels can use staff scheduling software to allow employees to select their preferred shifts swap shifts with their colleagues and request time off with the ease of an app And these systems integrate directly with payroll providers so the complexity of managing a range of shift patterns, variable hours and pay rates is automated and error rates all but eliminated

Attendees at our event from Atlas Hotels, the biggest IHG Hotels & Resor ts franchisee of Holiday Inn Express Hotels in Europe , have embraced this approach They believe that although we can t control the external labour market conditions we ’ re all facing, we can control doing ever ything we can to make our existing employees happy’

Overall, the liquid workforce approach has the potential to revolutionise the way hospitality works By leveraging the exper tise and agile nature of a diverse range of employees, businesses can improve their operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction However, employers must implement policies and procedures that cater to the unique needs of each type of employee and invest in technolog y and tools that enable effective communication and collaboration With the right approach, operators large and small can stay competitive in an ever-changing industr y and provide their employees with the flexibility autonomy and job satisfaction that they crave leading to improved employee engagement and retention

Achievements And Exciting Future Highlighted By Welsh Chefs President

President Arwyn Watkins, OBE, has highlighted the “significant” achievements of the Culinar y Association of Wales and the exciting oppor tunities awaiting the countr y over the next three years

Speaking at the Welsh International Culinar y Championships (WICC) awards dinner hosted by The Imperial Hotel Llandudno he received an ovation when he announced that Wales would be hosting the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026

He explained that Team Wales, comprising the C AW, International Convention Centre Wales and The Celtic Manor Resor t in Newpor t and the Welsh Government, had beaten Rimini in Italy in a vote by Worldchefs members to host the huge culinar y event

It will be the first time that the Worldchefs Congress and Expo has been held in the UK “This is a significant achievement for the whole of Team Wales and will create exciting oppor tunities for Wales and the other home nations,” said Mr Watkins

As a result, Wales would receive automatic finalists for the Global Chefs Challenge , Global Young Chefs Challenge , Global Pastr y Chef Challenge and Global Vegan Chef Challenge at Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026

Wales also hoped to enter senior and junior teams in the Culinar y Olympics in Germany in 2024

“We are seeking chefs who can represent Wales on the global stage , so please ensure that you are a signed up member of the Culinar y Association of Wales ” he said

He repor ted that the Craft Butcher y Team Wales had finished sixth at the World Butchers’ Challenge in Sacramento last year and Ben Rober ts had finished third in the Champion Butcher Apprentice competition It was the first time Wales had competed in the global competition

He went on to repor t that the Junior Culinar y Team Wales had won silver and bronze medals at the Culinar y World Cup in Luxembourg last November Sion Hughes head chef at The Spa at Carden Park near Chester and Calum Smith, pastr y chef at Shrewsbur y School, had qualified earlier last week in Italy for the Global Chefs Challenge final in Singapore next year and Calum also won a silver medal in Global Young Chefs Challenge in Italy

Mr Watkins went on to announce that the C AW would be organising a 30th bir thday celebration at the Celtic Manor Resor t in June and hoped all previous winners of the National and Junior Chef of Wales competitions would be able to attend

He congratulated all the award winners at the WICC , which was held at Gr p Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea from Februar y 21-23

and thanked the sponsors of the event The winners received their awards from Lesley Griffiths Minister for Rural Affairs and Nor th Wales and Colin Gray, chairman of judges

A new award in memor y of the late Terr y Willcock, a long ser ving judge at the WICC and suppor ter of the C AW, went to Dan Andree , head chef at The Beach House , Oxwich, Swansea, for the best National Chef of Wales final dish

The award for best Junior Chef of Wales final dish went to Falon Bailie , junior sous chef at Foyles of Glasbur y

The award winners included: National Chef of Wales: Matthew Smith, a chef lecturer at Cheshire College South & West, Crewe Junior Chef of Wales, Stephanie Belcher, chef de par tie from Coast Restaurant, Saundersfoot Best commis in the National and Junior Chef of Wales, Jay Rees, Coleg Llandrillo Best live open class, Yuliia Batrak, Coleg Llandrillo Best restaurant class, Simona Kristof, Cheshire College South & West Best college , Coleg Llandrillo Best team, Black Horse , Market Boswor th

Jane Williams from Ecolab, a sponsor, who monitored hygiene during the WICC competitions, said she loved the passion, engagement and exhilarating atmosphere of the event

“You can see the care and attention that people take to adhering to hygiene regulations,” she said before presenting the Ecolab hygiene overall award to Coleg Llandrillo

The WICC’s main sponsor is Food and Drink Wales, the Welsh Government’s depar tment representing the food and drink industr y Other sponsors include Castell Howell, Churchill, Major International, Riso Gallo Dick Knives MCS Tech Products Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales, Cambrian Training Company and Gr p Llandrillo Menai

Tackling Cost of Living Crisis Top of Mind for UK Food & Drink Shows

Bringing together the ver y best of the hospitality, manufacturing and grocer y, speciality & convenience retail sectors the UK Food & Drink Shows return to the NEC , Birmingham this April 2023 (24th – 26th), to showcase the ver y latest products, big thinking, key insights and address key trends through the lens of the developing cost-of-living crisis

The must-attend event unites Food & Drink Expo, Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show and Foodex Manufacturing Solutions (incorporating Ingredients) under one roof, giving food and drink professionals 2023’s most comprehensive snapshot of the latest developments across multiple industries

The three-day event is well known for its ability to bring together the great and the good from the industr y ’ s diverse sectors with innovative exhibitors, hot-topic seminars and business-changing awards central to the shows’ unparalleled line-up

The UK has thus far narrowly avoided recession, yet the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect ever y par t of the industr y We’ll hear from the manufacturers supply chain operators retailers food producers star t-ups and key associations as they come together to discuss measures already in place and what comes next

Andrew Reed, Managing Director – Wine & Exhibitions, William Reed, said: “Across the UK Food & Drink Shows’ three days we’ll be addressing exactly what impact the heightened cost of living is having on the industr y, grilling our exper t panels on what can be done to help and highlighting the latest products and solutions the sector has to offer

The UK Food & Drink Shows are historically an event in which industr y professionals can come together, dissect problems, and share ideas Our industr y ’ s spirit was laid bare throughout the Coronavirus pandemic , now – as we face yet another challenge – I have no doubt that we will unite once again in April to prove our resilience ”

Food & Drink Expo invites buyers and decision makers across the whole industr y to come along and uncover the hottest trends latest product launches and the industr y ’ s vision for the future

Free to attend one trade badge provides access to all four shows Register free at www foodanddrinkexpo co uk

Restaurants and Bars Resilient in Northern Cities Amid Big Challenges

New research shows cities in the nor th of England are leading the UK hospitality market despite the impacts of multiple challenges including COVID-19, the cost crisis and rail strikes

The ‘State of the Nor th’ research from Nor thern Restaurant & Bar and CGA by NielsenIQ reveals that restaurant and bar sales growth since 2019 has been ahead of the GB average of 4 1% in most key nor thern cities

York claimed the top spot in the nor th, with average sales per venue in the city 16 0% higher in 2022 than in 2019, and growth in Newcastle (14 2%), Chester (10 5%) and Manchester (6 9%), also outstripped most cities including London where sales dropped by 6 5% vs 2019

The new CGA Outlet Index data also shows the resilience of the hospitality sector in nor thern cities, despite the turmoil of COVID-19 lockdowns and trading restrictions While there has been a net decline of 15 8% in Britain s restaurants and bars since 2019, the drop has been less than half of that in nor thern cities, with Liverpool affected the least (-2 4%), Newcastle (-5 8%), Chester (-5 8%), Manchester (-6 3%) and Sheffield (-7 9%) These figures are all substantially better than London, where there has been a net decline of 17 7% of pre-COVID-19 licensed premises

The research confirms the dynamism and innovation of hospitality in nor thern England, driven by the region’s ambitious local entrepreneurs, as well as national operators, who have invested as the pandemic eases, feeding the growing appetites of both locals and city visitors

The new research has been shared ahead of Nor thern Restaurant & Bar 2023, the leading trade event for hospitality professionals in the region, which takes place at Manchester Central on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 March CGA will present more insights into hospitality trends in the nor th on the first day of the event

Chris Brazier, Group Event Director of Nor thern Restaurant & Bar, said the findings reflected the strength,

resilience but also the ambition of restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes and coffee shops in Nor thern cities “Hospitality operators in cities like Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, and Newcastle have suffered just like the whole hospitality sector, with huge issues around the cost of utility prices, food inflation, and staffing issues While challenges remain, it’s encouraging to see operators being innovative and looking to the future It offers a much-needed burst of positivity to see so many new concepts sites and launches and to see discerning but happy consumers flooding through the doors ”

“This is exactly why NRB is so impor tant It’s the first oppor tunity of the year for the industr y to come together and suppor t and celebrate Nor thern hospitality It s an incredible chance for forward thinking operators to share stories and advice , learn from each other, to meet their suppliers and to source new ones With brilliant operators, hopefully fuelled by ideas and inspiration from NRB, I know Nor thern hospitality can continue to drive the economy, suppor ting vital jobs and supply chains whilst also providing quality, memorable experiences to millions of customers ”

Karl Chessell, CGA’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “These figures emphasise the strength of the restaurant, pub and bar scene in the nor th of England Businesses here have dealt superbly with the triple whammy of COVID-19 restrictions high inflation and rail strikes and consumers clearly remain as attracted to venues as ever despite the pressure on their disposable incomes Hospitality makes an enormous contribution to local economies, and while there are some major challenges ahead, with the right suppor t this sector can power Britain s economic recover y in the years to come

Nor thern Restaurant & Bar (sponsored by Uber Eats), the first major hospitality event of the year, returns to Manchester Central on 14-15 March An unmissable date in the diar y for ever yone in the nor thern hospitality industr y, NRB23 will bring together over 8,500 visitors and 300+ exhibitors for two days of business, networking, and education

“Substantial Progress” in Sector’s Recovery Says Report

The government has issued an update on its hospitality strateg y setting out the ways it is suppor ting the sector to overcome the significant challenges it faces par ticularly with staffing issues and licensing

The tragedy was originally launched by the then business minister Paul Scully and led to the creation of a hospitality council which was tasked with seeking solutions post-pandemic

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said:

“The Hospitality Strateg y was a seismic shift in the way Government sees hospitality, as was the development of a Minister with specific responsibility for the sector

“This update shows the substantial progress that has already been

made in the sector s recover y and towards a more resilient future , despite the massive external shocks we have faced

The work following the publication of the strateg y shows the clear value in Government working together with industr y on key issues within the sector, but there is still more to do to meet our mutual objectives

“Action from the Chancellor in the Budget this month can help suppor t those objectives, par ticularly across workforce , energ y resilience and access to finance Inter vention in the energ y market, reform of the Apprenticeship Levy and greater flexibility around debt repayments would greatly benefit hospitality businesses allowing them to accelerate growth and create even more job oppor tunities

Vital That Pubs Work Together with Landlords

By Alan Hamblett, Par tner at Shakespeare Mar tineau (www.shma.co.uk)

There is no doubt that the hospitality sector has been put through the wringer over the last few years, with the to-ing and fro-ing between lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic battering the industr y s ability to operate Many in the sector sadly had to shut their doors for good after a cease in cash flow impeded their ability to pay creditors

The industr y is in a much better place now with customers returning after the pandemic , but a perfect storm of surging operating costs amidst the cost-of-living crisis and staff shor tages as a product of Brexit has pushed many back into the red – and with this in mind, it’s vital that pub operators work together with landlords to ensure that they can weather the storm

The commercial rent code of practice that was published by the government during Covid outlines how responsible landlords and tenants should best work together during tough financial times The foreword says that "Government has always been clear that tenants who are able to pay their rent in full should continue to do so whilst those businesses that cannot pay in full should communicate with their landlord and pay what they can Landlords should also provide suppor t to businesses if they too are able to do so "

In the pub sector historically there may have been an element of mistrust between landlords and tenants based on inequality of bargaining power and fairness, but it’s essential for the sur vival of many in the hospitality sector that landlords and tenants should cooperate to their best abilities

Tenants must explain what financial help they have obtained and what they have done with it

Concessions can be made by landlords where they "reasonably" can, taking into

account their own financial commitments and all the information provided by the tenant which should be treated sensitively and confidentially, about the financial impact of restricted trading In cases where concessions are refused by the landlord, it’s important for the landlord to explain openly to tenants why they are doing so These concessions could involve a rent free period for example Other options could include a deferral of rent, payment monthly rather than quar terly, or waiver of interest on late payment

It’s vital that any variation to the lease should be confirmed legally in writing, so do speak to your solicitor if in doubt It should be also be confirmed in writing that any rent concessions will terminate automatically if any proposal for voluntar y arrangement is put forward The voting rights of the landlord will then be by reference not the reduced amount, but to the full amount

It’s also impor tant to prepare for the worst cases where agreements can’t be made and rent debts require enforcing Where the premises have been sublet by the tenant, it is possible to ser ve notice on the subtenant, ensuring the rent can be paid directly to the superior landlord

As a last resor t, forfeiture is now an available option again on the basis of non-payment of rent It all depends whether landlords wish to maintain a long commercial relationship, or whether their own immediate cash flow is the priority If the tenant’s business is simply not viable and if the landlord is able to re-let quickly, an agree surrender of the lease may represent a satisfactor y outcome for both par ties It might include some concessions regarding rent arrears as well This is a legal process, just as the creation of a tenancy is a legal contract It is best done with the help of solicitors

The Search is on for the 2023 National Seafood Chef of the Year

The search is on for the National Seafood Chef of the Year 2023 – as the prestigious competition opens for entries

The competition, open to all full-time and college-based modern apprentice chefs under the age of 25, not only gives them a chance to demonstrate their talent but also gives valuable industr y experience and a platform to demonstrate their flair, understanding and ability

It is highly regarded across the industr y for the valuable experience it gives these young chefs and the calibre of judges and prizes it attracts Previous years have seen Nathan Outlaw, Rick Stein, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Mitch Tonks, Mark Hix, Cyrus Todiwla and Aiden Byrne amongst the judging panel

The young chefs will compete in one of three regional heats to be held at Llandeilo Cymru on the 12th May, Norwich on the 18th May and Sunderland College on the 26th May

The successful nine teams from the heats will progress to the Grand Final at the Grimsby Institute on Friday 9th June where they will cook a three-course menu which will include an innovation test The test will challenge the finalists with a surprise recipe which requires them to produce an intermediate course using a specified list of ingredients The winning team will receive an amazing myster y prize this year, with the other prizes being announced over the next few months

Paul Robinson, Grimsby Institute Associate Principal, said:

“We are delighted to be officially launching the National Seafood Competition 2023 The standard of entries from colleges across the UK is always exceptionally high, and we can t wait to see what these talented young chefs will create for us this year

The platform it gives those who make it through to the heats, and the final is fantastic , with many of our previous winners going on to hugely successful careers in the industr y Ever y year the competition continues to grow, and 2023 will be no exception ”

Colleges have until Thursday, 30th March 2023, to submit their entries, paper judging will take place in the first week of April, with the successful teams through to regional heats being announced on 6th April 2023

Each submission must include a three-course menu using the specified fish species and a summar y of ingredient costs for each dish, including the method of production for each dish

All entries should be submitted via email to

robinsonr@grimsby ac uk or via post to Paul Robinson UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year Competition Co-ordinator Hospitality The Grimsby Institute Nuns Corner Grimsby N E Lincs DN34 5BQ

AA Reveals New Rosette Award Winners for 2023

The UK’s top restaurants and hotels have been recognised at this year ’ s prestigious and highly anticipated AA Rosette Awards

Fifteen restaurants were commended for their culinar y excellence , demonstrating an unprecedented level of quality and originality

One venue was awarded the esteemed four AA Rosettes, while an impressive four teen were granted three AA Rosettes

Establishments with three AA Rosettes are all outstanding restaurants achieving standards which demand national recognition well beyond their local area, while those awarded four AA Rosettes are considered among the top restaurants in the countr y

London-based restaurant, the Amethyst, received four AA Rosettes – standing out for its creativity and boundar y-pushing flavours and presentation, which earned it a top spot as one of the finest UK restaurants

The list of outstanding restaurants awarded three AA Rosettes, represents ever y corner of the UK, including One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, in Scotland; Upstairs by Tom Shepherd, in the West Midlands, Home by James Sommerin, in Wales, Karrek, St Enodoc Hotel, in Cornwall, and Alex Dilling, Hotel Café Royal, in London

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Hotel & Hospitality Ser vices, which operates AA quality assessment schemes said: “This year we ’ ve seen an exceptional level of culinar y excellence demonstrated by those receiving our coveted three and four AA Rosettes

“I’m constantly inspired by the resilience innovation and quality demonstrated by these trailblazers in our industr y Congratulations to the chefs and front-of-house teams who have helped make their Rosette awards possible

As is tradition, each winner of a Rosette Award also received the iconic porcelain AA plate Craig Mar tin, Head of Sales UK at RAK Porcelain, the sponsor for the 2023 AA Rosette Awards, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to provide the AA Rosette plates which are the hallmark of culinar y excel-

• The Chec ker s | Wales

lence It’s fantastic to recognise these outstanding restaurants which are amongst the best in the UK Congratulations to all wor thy recipients ”

Since 1956, the AA Rosette awards have been a mark of leading restaurant and hotel venues across the UK The allocation of multi-Rosettes is determined by one or more visits by an AA inspector to a hotel or restaurant

To discover all of the top restaurants across the UK with AA Rosettes and also watch the 2023 Rosette awards ceremony, please visit: www ratedtrips com/AARosette-Restaurants\

The full list of 2023 Rosette winners are

NEW FOUR AA ROSETTES:

• Amethyst | London

NEW THREE AA ROSETTES:

• Upstair s by Tom Shepherd | West Mid ands

• The Traddoc k | Nor th Yorkshire

• Smoke Hampton Manor | West Mid ands

• Home by James Sommer in | Wales

• Karrek, St Enodoc Hotel | Cornwal

• The Dog and Gun Inn | Cumbr ia

• Turnips with Tomas Ludakevicius | London

• Thornbur y Castle | Gloucester shire

• Ben Wilkinson at The Pass , South Lodge | West Sussex

• Alex Dill ng Hotel Café Royal | London

• 263 | Lancashire

• Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay | London

• One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin Glasgow | Scotland

Record Employment Figures Show Hospitality ’s Growth Potential

A record 2 6 million people are now employed in accommodation and food ser vice , with the sector creating one in five new jobs, all despite crippling vacancies and staff shor tages

At its inaugural Workforce and Skills Seminar, UKHospitality will highlight the significant job creation taking place in the sector now and its potential to go even fur ther

Even with vacancies 64% higher than pre-pandemic levels, the sector continues to offer employment oppor tunities for all: from students and apprentices to over 50s and the economically inactive Hospitality can continue its strong record on employment with the right action at the Spring Budget

UKHOSPITALITY IS ASKING THE CHANCELLOR TO:

• Reform the Apprenticeship Levy to enable funding to be used for other forms of training and to change its operation to offer greater flexibility to employers and employees over training – and incentivise economically inactive people into work

Implement minor, shor t-term immigration reforms to counter the sales being lost due to labour shor tages,

par ticularly abolishing or reducing the Immigration Skills Charge and offering more flexibility to students to work longer hours

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The ability of hospitality businesses to create more than 20% of new jobs in the past year, in the face of extraordinar y cost pressures, is testament to its resilience and ability to battle against the odds

Employing a record number of people is something we should all be proud of, especially when those figures don’t include the hundreds of thousands employed in broader contract catering, leisure and visitor attractions

“If we can do this now, just think what we can do in calmer economic times We can be the engine behind significant job creation and economic growth, offering ever yone oppor tunities to enter the workplace , fur ther their career or return from being economically inactive

“I’m pleased that we have the Hospitality Minister joining us today and I hope he leaves convinced that if the Government helps our sector in the Budget, through Apprenticeship Levy reform or minor changes to immigration policy it will be empowering a sector that is ready to deliver many times over for the nation ”

Popular Licensee At The Peel Arms Retires After 16 Years

Admiral Taverns, is celebrating local licensee , Margaret Weaver, at The Peel Arms in Ashley, Market Drayton, who is set to retire tomorrow, March 1st, after more than 16 years at the helm of the local pub

Margaret and her late husband, Graham took over the pub back in 2006 and since then have successfully cemented The Peel Arms as a hub of the local community For Margaret and her husband, taking the pub over was a dream come true Graham grew up in Ashley and spent much of his youth in The Peel Arms as a loyal customer and the couple even met there before getting married in the local church and raising two daughters, Jayne and Michelle in the village

Margaret has a wealth of knowledge and experience , having worked in the industr y for nearly 50 years and has managed to create a traditional, family-run, village pub which is much loved by the local community The husband-and-wife duo had also previously run two other nearby pubs, The Meynell Arms and The Loggershead

Margaret Weaver, licensee at The Peel Arms, said: “I’d like to take this oppor tunity to thank my customers and friends for all their loyalty and suppor t over the years None of this would have been possible without them, or my amazing team, and I will be eternally grateful It has been such a fantastic journey and whilst I am of course sad to be leaving after all this time I look forward to seeing what’s to come for the pub I’m only moving down the road so I will always be on hand to help out if needed!”

Margaret has dedicated much of her work at The Peel Arms to suppor ting her community through an annual schedule of events, from bingo nights, raffles, garden par ties, barbeques and charity fundraising initiatives – specifically in aid of local hospice Douglas Macmillan and cardiac risk charity Cr y She has also worked hard to suppor t other local businesses through hosting markets where she offers local craftspeople a place to come and sell their products

The Peel Arms offers a large selection of home cooked food, all prepared by Margaret and her team on site as well as a popular Sunday roast menu There is also an excellent selection of beers including Tribute , Timothy Taylor, Wainwright, Stella Ar tois and Guinness as well as a wide array of wines and spirits

Margaret will be passing the baton over to Victoria Brindley who has worked with her at The Peel Arms for eight years, to ensure residents can continue to enjoy ever ything the pub has to offer, and so it can remain at the hear t of the community

Dolores Quigley, Business Development Manager at Admiral Taverns, commented: “Firstly, I would like to congratulate Margaret for such an incredible achievement – she really has created such a special pub which I know is widely adored by her community It has been such a privilege working with her, her family and her team and I know she will be greatly missed On behalf of ever yone at Admiral Taverns, I wish her the ver y best for the future and I look forward to seeing her on the other side of the bar in the years to come ”

HOTEL L AUNDRY: Is an in-house, outsourced or a hybrid solution best?

First impressions count! Guests expect fresh clean linens when they step into their hotel room and to be able to trust hotels to care for their garments, so being able to deliver top quality laundry is essential for ensuring customer satisfaction and your hotel’s success

To deliver the best results hotels have three options: to outsource bring laundry operations in-house or a hybrid combination of the two Whilst outsourcing may seem like the easiest option, as there are no capital outlay or space requirements it often comes with high processing costs lengthy turnaround times and a lack of control

To help you decide which option would work best for your hotel commercial laundry specialist, WASHCO, looks at the advantages of on-premise laundries and reveals how you can overcome limited laundry space by adopting a hybrid solution

Advantages of handling laundry in-house

• Ultimate control over costs and quality

• Less stock is required compared with outsourcing your laundry

• Generate additional revenue from handling guests’ personal clothing in-house

• Minimise damage by managing use of wash chemicals and detergents

• React quickly to changes in demand with full control of the process

• Reduce your carbon footprint as transportation is not required

With many years of experience, WASHCO regularly partners with hotels to implement on-premise laundries Fairmont Windsor Park is currently benefiting from handling the entire process in-house using WASHCO s innovative range of smart laundry equipment WASHCONNECT which they’ve found has been vital in delivering consistent quality and sustainable results

The reliable machines use a cloud-based system to monitor every process helping WASHCO’s technical team to react quickly and solve any issues remotely, before the laundry team even notices there s a problem!

Want more control but limited by space?

An increasingly popular choice amongst WASHCO customers is opting for a hybrid laundry approach The latest commercial machines can be specifically programmed to handle various items allowing hotels to manage the quality of items, like robes and towels, whilst reducing their outsourced laundry costs

Other items such as bed and table linens which require large multi-roll ironers would be better outsourced, to save valuable space in the laundry room

Having an on-premise laundry will give you flexibility to clean your own uniforms and mop heads, to help manage infection control and lower the costs of outsourcing It also presents an additional revenue stream if you choose to take on hand-finishing of guests garments

Concerned about the cost of an on-premise laundry?

If you are concerned about the capital investment required to bring your hotel’s laundry in-house, a finance option, like WASHCO s rental package, could be the ideal solution

With rental, there are no upfront costs and it s easier to manage outgoings with affordable monthly payments WASHCO also includes the equipment 7-day repair cover, annual servicing and safety checks as standard, giving you full peace of mind

If you decide to bring your hotel’s laundry in-house, or opt for a hybrid approach, it’s important to invest in the right equipment

To help you choose the right solution WASHCO has created a useful Buyer’s Guide

Simply scan the QR code to download your free copy

Or visit: www.washco.co.uk/resource/hospitality-and-hotel-buyers-guide/ WASHCO’s end-to-end service has helped hotels across the UK to bring their laundry operations

like to find out more, get in touch with our expert team on 08000 546 546 or info@washco co uk

If you

UK Hotel Sector “Feeling the Chill” as Rising Energy Costs Start to Bite

Energ y costs are now star ting to bite the UK hotel sector, after benefitting from a lag in rising energ y prices, according to the RSM Hotels Tracker

The data, which is compiled and produced by Hotstats and analysed by RSM UK, shows utility costs per available room were 51% higher in Januar y than the same period in 2022, and more than double costs in 2020

Despite UK hotels following the seasonal trend in the sector and experiencing their usual “Januar y drop off ” in occupancy rates, room rates, revenues and gross operating profits the industr y has had a much stronger star t to the year than in 2022 when hoteliers were grappling with the hangover of Omicron

Occupancy rates of UK hotels fell from 63 5% (December) to 56% (Januar

Average

to £185 43 (Januar y) This big drop off is likely to be due to the success that hoteliers had with being able to charge extremely high rates last month Despite this, ADR is still 11% higher than the same period in 2020, and 13%

higher for London hotels

Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also dropped from £98 72 (December) to £68 19 (Januar y) in the UK and was down from £170 71 to £107 03 in London Gross operating profits of UK hotels nearly halved last month, from 33 3% (December) to 17 7% (Januar y), and from 42 9% to 25 4% in London

Chris Tate , head of hotels and accommodation at RSM UK, said: ‘Many hotels have been able to cushion themselves without facing substantial increases to their energ y bills but with the colder weather and some fixed price energ y tariffs coming to an end, there are signs these rising energ y costs are star ting to bite

‘While room rates took a tumble last month, the positive for hoteliers is that they have still been able to charge higher prices than previous years That said, gross operating profits came under significant pressure in Januar y, which suggests their ability to pass on rising costs may be slowly slipping away

‘Luckily 2022 was a relatively strong year for the sector, so hoteliers have been able to build up a war chest to cover the quieter months of trading This will be critical, par ticularly in helping to weather the next few months as consumers are still facing the challenges of the high cost-of-living Strong consumer demand could make all the difference in preventing a lot of casualties ’

Take Away More from Expowest Cornwall!

Expowest Cornwall brings the best food and drink, equipment and business ser vices to Cornwall's hospitality and catering buyers

New for 2023 is an aisle in the show which focuses on the Fish & Chip/Takeaway trade It features existing exhibitors, as well as some who are exhibiting at the show for the first time on their own stands Come and sample from T Quality Middletons Foods, Kerr y Foods, Dr ywite Ltd, Pacific West, Blenders, Pan Euro Foods, and Pukka Pies These organisations are grouped for your convenience , and there are many other suppliers to takeaways throughout the show

The show also has a new Leading in Innovation and Sustainability area, where you

can see how companies are working towards doing business in a way that is better for ever yone , and the LWC drinks area is back, bigger and better than ever, representing over 50 drinks brands

Expowest Cornwall takes place on Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th March at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge Meet over 150 exhibitors and get set of Easter the Summer and beyond! Find out all about the show and register to attend, at www expowestcornwall co uk

See the feature on pages 30-32

Best Practices and Recommendations For Maintaining Customer Loyalty

by Zsuzsa Kecsmar, Chief Strategy Officer at Antavo Enterprise Loyalty Cloud (www antavo com)

gram that can encourage greater engagement and motivation for customers to remember and return to your brand requires a few key elements beyond the traditional transactional experience

A NEXT-GEN DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

A holistic strateg y that encompasses online , offline and mobile is a powerful way to collect critical data to better understand your customers what’s impor tant to them and their habits and interaction style with your business The insights gained help towards building brand affinity and loyalty that fits in with their lifestyle

An omnichannel experience also helps to keep customers engaged and your business front of mind, even when they’re not with you In addition, embracing a mobile-first approach offers multiple oppor tunities including digital loyalty cards and app-only discounts

ence types Antavo found that the average annual spend of members who redeem personalised offers is 4 5X higher than those who have never taken advantage of such offers

A diverse rewards offering also impor tantly rewards customers outside of the buying cycle This helps to encourage emotional loyalty as customers feel that they are cared for and listened to continuously, as opposed to only when they are actively purchasing

TIERING

A tiered system helps to motivate customers to stay with your brand as more rewards are unlocked for each tier reached As a star ting point, three tiers is good but loyalty programs with more tiers see greater results and long-term retention

The hospitality industr y is in the midst of a staffing crisis causing a significant impact on ser vice standards Coupled with a national cost of living crisis forcing customers to more carefully consider how and where they spend their money customer loyalty is getting harder to retain Acquiring new customers costs five times more than retaining existing ones and so during this par ticularly challenging time as business costs are on the rise too, the way forward is implementing a robust and considered loyalty program Antavo’s 2023 Global Customer Loyalty Repor t found that 89% trust loyalty programs to help them overcome the inflation crisis

In today s ultra-competitive setting however, a customer loyalty pro-

With tech increasingly becoming the customer’s path of choice , regardless of whether they are looking to visit in-person or order their dinner online for deliver y, creating a full digital experience from initial interaction is critical

DIVERSE REWARDS

To counteract the effects of the hyper competitive market, a diverse reward offering helps to keep the attention of your customers giving them flexibility on how they want to interact with your business and how often

Implementing a por tfolio of rewards that includes earning points per spend new member freebies surpirse bir thday offers and gamification with challenge badges covers many bases catering to all different prefer-

The new rewards as customers work their way up the tiers can var y from getting more points per spend, money-can’t-buy experiences to tangible benefits such as free add-ons or money off their next in-person purchase and visit

Various businesses also implement a 12-month tiering system whereby customers’ tiers are refreshed to star t again at the end of one year helping to encourage more activity and engagement

As the hospitality industr y continues to be hit by all sides, customer loyalty has never been more impor tant for sur vival than today Keeping in mind the digital age and mobile-first world, the sector should embrace it to offer a creative and unique brand experience that goes beyond a visit while instilling robust loyalty so customers always feel happy spending with your business

National Chef of Wales Contest Glory for Matthew at Fifth Attempt

A Mid Wales based chef has achieved a career dream by winning the National Chef of Wales competition at the fifth attempt

Matthew Smith, 39, who lives in New Mills, near Newtown, won a final cook-off against eight rival chefs to win the prestigious title at the Welsh International Culinar y Championships (WICC), organised by the Culinar y Association of Wales (C AW) at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai’s campus in Rhos-on-Sea

Smith, suppor ted by 17-year-old commis Amy Phillips from Cheshire College South & West Crewe where he works as a chef lecturer said he could not think of a better early 40th bir thday present

“It means ever ything to me because I have committed so much to training and developing myself and sacrificed money time and mental health , ” he said “This was going to be my last attempt to win the National Chef of Wales competition

“I have put in a huge amount of work with the Culinar y Team Wales, training junior members and making mistakes Last year, I was too egotistical, thinking I was going to win the final and it gave me a kick in the teeth and showed me that I needed to listen to the advice I was given

It s great that the dragon trophy has come back to Mid Wales (Nick Evans in 2006 and Neil Rober ts in 2008 are previous winners) I also want to thank my commis Amy who is phenomenal ”

Smith’s winning prize was £500, a set of engraved knives from Friedr Dick, £250 wor th of Churchill products and the coveted dragon trophy

Runner-up, who received £300, was Sophie Rowe , chef de par tie at Gaerwen Arms, Gaerwen, Anglesey, who achieved success in her first competition, suppor ted by her boss Andrew Tabberner, who was her commis Tabberner is an ex-finalist and winner of the Junior Chef of Wales title

Colin Gray, chairman of the judges and Culinar y Association of Wales (C AW) vice president praised all the chefs for having the courage to enter the competition

“It’s a real honour to be crowned National Chef of Wales and to have that on your CV is a massive accolade ” he said “We have seen some great teamwork and an eclectic mix of finalists this year from different par ts of our industr y which has been great to see

Hilton London Bankside Named Hotel of the Year at the 2023 Splendid Hospitality Awards

Hilton London Bankside , has been named ‘Hotel of the Year’ at the 2023 Splendid Hospitality Awards, hosted at the hotel on 27th Februar y 2023 The hotel received the highly acclaimed award for its ongoing achievements and successes across all aspects of the business, including its sustained commitment to team members, the environment, local community and guest alike

The award recognises Hilton London Bankside s impressive performance throughout the year, including its continued commercial success despite facing the challenges of an unpredictable market It also accredits the hotel’s incredible dedication to the health and wellbeing of its team members, as well as its continued effor ts to suppor t the local community Hilton London Bankside champions its interaction and suppor t for local schools charities and societies litter picking and introducing greener y to the surrounding environment The hotel has also taken strides towards a more sustainable future , recently becoming par t of

The Mayor of London’s business climate challenge , in which it pledges to reduce its energ y consumption and accelerate its decarbonisation effor ts across the building

This latest accolade is an impressive addition to the Hilton Bankside’s ever-growing por tfolio of awards, with a whole host of achievements including the 2022 Winner of the UK s Luxur y City Hotel Award, awarded by the World Luxur y Hotel Awards, and winning Hotel of the Year at The Cateys 2020

James B Clarke , General Manager at the Hilton London Bankside , says: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the title of ‘Hotel of the Year’ at this year ’ s Splendid Hospitality Awards Dedication, hard work and dynamic thinking has led us as a team to exceed expectations yet again The team’s commitment to offering our guests an unforgettable experience and to providing the highest quality of ser vice is unrivalled so it is brilliant to have this perseverance and devotion recognised

Live Music Industry Calls on Sunak to Unleash Sector’s Potential in Spring Budget

Rishi Sunak’s Government will miss a golden oppor tunity to unleash the live music sector’s potential if it fails to reinstate a lower rate of VAT and fulfil his campaign promise to cut business rates at upcoming Budget

The live music sector is a catalyst for economic activity in towns and cities right across the UK However, after a tough couple of years during the pandemic , much of the sector is still dealing with the effects of increased costs, post-Covid changes, and a punitive , uncompetitive taxation system

LIVE, the voice of the entire live music sector, is calling on Rishi Sunak’s upcoming Spring Budget to:

1 Deliver on his personal promise to cut business rates

2 Reinstate a lower rate of 5% VAT on tickets (in line with international comparisons)

Rishi Sunak needs to make these simple and fair changes in the upcoming budget to unlock the potential of the industr y to return to pre-pandemic levels and create jobs generate investment and ultimately host more brilliant live events in ever y corner of the UK

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE said: “The live music sector is a catalyst for economic activity right across the UK but many businesses are still reeling from the pandemic Combined with rising costs, an uncompetitive tax system is holding back a sector-wide resurgence The Government has a golden oppor tunity to turbo boost the industr y by reintroducing the 5% rate of VAT on ticket sales in the upcoming Spring Budget This change would help return live music to full strength protect much loved grassroots venues and mean even more amazing festivals concer ts and gigs in towns and cities across the countr y

Hospitality Rising Hits More than 72,000 Job Applications

The world’s biggest hospitality recruitment initiative , Hospitality Rising, has attracted an incredible 72,409 job applications, just months after the official campaign was launched Hospitality Rising’s inaugural campaign, ‘Rise Fast, Work Young’, was launched last October in a bid to tackle the sector’s crippling jobs crisis

Suppor ted by some of the world’s most successful hospitality leaders and best-loved chefs, #risefastworkyoung aims to entice new recruits by showcasing the oppor tunities and promise that come with a career in hospitality

This week, it was revealed the initiative has seen a whopping 4,200 applications each week for the 43,707 roles that have been posted to the jobs page to date

Since its inception just over a year ago, the initiative has gained the backing of more than 300 businesses as well as celebrity chefs and hospitality leaders

By asking backers to pledge just £5 per employee , it aims to reach a £5m target allowing for a “ government-sized” collaborative campaign that will change the perception of the industr y and bolster its workforce for good

Mark McCulloch, founder of Hospitality Rising and campaign director, said:

We are over the moon with the success of the campaign so far and to see such an immense number of people coming forward to apply for a role within the hospitality sector

“The fact that our campaign has attracted more than 72,000 applications and counting within just four months highlights the fact that our movement is growing, and that people really do see what a fantastic industr y hospitality is to work in

“By coming together and simply investing a small por tion of our budgets into driving forward this major recruitment campaign, we can ensure that the industr y flourishes once again and gains the recognition it truly deser ves

“To achieve that we need even more businesses to join us and would urge any operators or suppliers not already involved to grab the oppor tunity to come together to help tackle the workforce crisis that is threatening our brilliant industr y ”

Businesses looking to join the movement should register their interest by emailing hello@hospitalityrising.org

Low and No Alcohol Alternatives “Ingrained in Consumer Responsible Drinking” says Report

The Por tman Group’s fifth annual research repor t into UK public attitudes to low and no alcohol alternatives is an impor tant point to pause and take stock of an historic increase in the sales over the categor y over this time

The repor t reveals the market has grown by over 130% from sales at £108 million in 2018/19 to one today wor th £255 million, and has matured and perhaps the categor y has now settled in the minds of consumers

The results show how these products have become ingrained with UK alcohol drinkers and their moderation habits, but sound a note of caution after years of explosive growth, suggesting fur ther steps may need to be taken to foster fur ther growth the repor ts says

The Por tman Group once again par tnered with the market research company

YouGov to commission an online poll of YouGov sur veyed 2 381 adults across the UK online between 28 and 29 November 2022 The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+)

The research continues to tell a positive stor y of how low and no products have become par t of UK consumer buying habits Five years of polling have given a substantial data set to reflect and build conclusions It shows how these products are by and large bought by current alcohol drinkers, as a key tool for moderation and responsible drinking

It is leading to a significant propor tion of alcohol drinkers to have cut back their weekly alcohol consumption since first tr ying a low and no alcohol alternative

These findings are echoed in recent research published by the independent charity Drinkaware which found that the use of alcohol-free/low alcohol drinks as a moderation technique’ (things people do to moderate their drinking) of reducing by drinkers is increasing”

It also found that “Some risky drinkers use alcohol-free/low alcohol as a tool to decrease their overall alcohol intake , par ticularly once they have decided that they are drinking too much alcohol ”

Polling may also suggest that neither the industr y nor the Government should take continued growth for granted, and the Por tman Group are urging greater awareness and availability of alcohol alternatives, especially in hospitality settings, would help ensure continued growth in the sector

Another key step would be for the UK Government to launch the long-awaited consultation on low alcohol descriptors this year The consultation would seek views on updating the terminolog y around the various ways in which products below 1 2%ABV are marketed – a key source of confusion for UK consumers The consultation is also a chance for the UK to be brought in line with our Western European neighbours and deem products 0 5% ABV and below as ‘alcohol-free’ This would also be in line with the UK Licensing Act which deems products 0 5%ABV and below to be non-alcoholic

Windsor’s Mango Lounge Wins at Asian & Oriental Chef Awards

Chef Vikas Soni of the Mango Lounge in Windsor has scooped the top award at this year ’ s Asian & Oriental Chef Awards BBC news anchor Samantha Simmonds presented the awards at a special at the House of Lords on 1st March hosted by Lord Kamall The evening was also used as a launch platform for the Asian Catering Federation s [ACF] full awards programme for 2023

Chef Soni s winning entr y Three Ways of Seafood Jewels – a star ter of oriental chili tiger prawns, battered fish with carom seeds, lobster cake with caper, rosemar y and aubergine salsa, beets coolie and herbal froth For the main, Vikas ser ved Tandoori Marinated Rabbit Loin, stuffed with rabbit kebab mince , red chili, coriander, baby spinach plus lababdar jus, ser ved with rabbit keema matter parcel, grilled corns, shallots, baby carrots and herbal sauce

A panel of judges was chaired by renowned restaurateur Rajesh Suri of the Michelin-ranked Grand Trunk Road in London

Suri acknowledged the incredibly high standards at the cook-off and paid tribute to the technical skills, originality and enthusiasm of the new generation of chefs competing in this year ’ s event

He commended on winning Chef Soni’s “perfect timings, enticing combinations of

colours and textures, impressive skill set and braver y in selecting a set of notoriously challenging ingredients ”

The Runner’s-Up award went to Jiwan Lal of Babur Forest Hill in London with Vinod Singh, Head Chef of Pushkar restaurant in Birmingham, the second runner-up Jun Au of Edinburgh’s Pomelo was named top Scotland chef Saroj Thapaliya of Pananas Gurkha, Lewisham was awarded Best Nepalese Chef Mohammed Najjib Ali of Maya Bar & Restaurant, Atherstone collected the regional award for the Midlands

Commenting on the competition, ACF Chairman Yawar Khan said:

“Despite standards rising exponentially among our up-and-coming chefs, even the best establishments are facing unprecedented challenges on the viability of their business with rising energ y food and wage costs and cash-strapped customers He called on the government to slash the 20 percent VAT rate on hospitality sector, to stem the growing number of business closures

The event was also used to launch the Asian Restaurant Awards which will take place in Manchester on 19th June and Edinburgh on 18th September and the Asian Curr y Awards in London’s Grosvenor House on 19th November

Smashed AF Drynks’ Mission to Get the UK to Rethink Drinking... Not Ban Drinking

For Dr ynks Unlimited founder Richard Clark alcohol free drinks are not just an oppor tunity to “cash in on the latest trend” Richard is on a mission to motivate the British public to rethink drinking !

“For me there’s a huge oppor tunity: the consumer wants to be excited more , and given more options Operators are looking to make more profit and attract new consumers - this is the perfect combination!”

With Sir Clive Woodward calling for big changes at Twickenham following the Welsh Rugby League setting up an alcohol-free zone at the Principality Stadium on international match days Richard argues that banning alcohol at spor ts events - whether Wembley or Twickenham - is not the solution

Richard believes that consumers should have access to have a good range of alcohol beers, ciders and wines

“People who drink alcohol have a great time but Dr ynks Unlimited believe in freedom of choice for those who may not want to drink, for whatever reason It would be great if more retailers would promote the great AF options available, he says Dr ynks Unlimited’s “Smashed”, its range of alcoholfree beers and ciders, are not just an addition to an alcoholic product but are all carefully brewed and dealcoholised using an innovative cool vacuum distillation machine Which, put simply, “smashes the alcohol out of its lager, pale ale , shandy as well as apple and berr y ciders

“As the branding says, we smashed the alcohol out of our bespoke beers and lagers and ciders creating some real drinks at 5% that are right to be de-alcoholised (not ever ything can be) and they become 0% real beers and lagers and ciders

"We can all go that bit more to suppor t retailers," Richard adds "Not just by providing more choice , but by offering staff training and samples

Lower Rates of Tax for Draught Beer & Ciders in Northern Ireland

The Campaign for Real Ale has welcomed the prospect of a lower rate of duty being charged on beer and cider in pubs, social clubs and taprooms across Nor thern Ireland as a result of the Windsor Framework announced this week

The UK Government is bringing in a new, lower rate of alcohol duty charged on draught beer and cider from August 2022

The change was only going to apply to licensed venues in Great Britain, but the Windsor Agreement will allow the UK to set excise rules on alcohol in Nor thern Ireland meaning the changes can be introduced in both GB and NI

The measure has been a flagship C AMRA campaign for many years It is designed to encourage pub going to help secure the future of the pub which plays a vital role in our social fabric , bringing communities together and helping to tackle loneliness and social isolation

C AMRA is calling on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to use his March Budget to set the new, lower rate at 20% lower than the normal tax levels for beer and cider

Commenting, Chairperson of C AMRA NI Ruth Sloan said: “Pubgoers will be raising a glass to the prospect of a new, lower rate of duty being charged on draught beer and cider ser ved in pubs, clubs and taprooms here from August

This is an impor tant principle that tax on beer and cider should be lower when it is ser ved on tap – reflecting the benefits of enjoying a pint in a controlled setting and the positive impacts that our pubs have on bringing people together and tackling loneliness and social isolation

“It is great news that NI’s hospitality venues will now be able to benefit from the new, lower duty rate to help our pubs sur vive and thrive

“Whilst this is welcome news, if NI’s beer scene is to expand and thrive as it has elsewhere on these islands, we desperately need the next Executive here to properly modernise our outdated licensing laws This is essential if new, smaller and specialist pubs can open, and so local and independent breweries and cider producers can have a fair crack of the whip against the multinational brewing giants ”

Rye Chef to Represent UK on Global Stage at S.Pellegrino Competition in Milan

Rye-based chef, Marcus Clayton, will be representing the UK at the prestigious S Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition Grand Finale , this week announced to take place in Milan on the 4th and 5th of October

The event identifies and recognises the best young chefs in the world and celebrates the talents that will lead the evolution of the gastronomic sector

Marcus emerged in the competition for his brilliant talent beating nine other chefs at the UK final last year, and rising to the top of thousands of applicants around the world

The 26-year-old chef lives in Rye , East Sussex, and works at Hide and fox, in Hythe but will be star ting a new role at the Vanderlyle restaurant in Cambridge in the coming weeks Before the big move , vandlyle restaurant is on the move down to Hastings, where Marcus and Alex rushmer, will be doing a series of pop ups over two weeks cooking a vegetable led menu He has been working in kitchens since he was just 14 and went to Sussex Coast College

At UK competition final, which took place at CORD in London, Marcus won over the renowned jur y, including Sat Bains and Claude Bosi, with his signature dish, Celeriac , Apple and Mushroom It’s a dish he’s been perfecting over the years and one he chose to put forward to show how delicious vegetables can be

Marcus Clayton, (26), comments: “It feels ver y surreal representing the UK at the grand finale It’s been a great experience so far, preparing for the competition by working closely with Lisa Goodwin-Allen on my signature dish ahead of the next stage in Milan ”

To help Marcus on his journey to the Grand Finale in Milan he has been assigned Michelin-starred chef LisaGoodwin Allen as a mentor who has been providing him with guidance on how to improve his signature dish and suppor t him in his preparation for the international finals

Stefano Bolognese , San Pellegrino International Business Unit Director, said: We launched the S Pellegrino Young Chef Competition in 2015 to nur ture the future of gastronomy by discovering young talents from all over the world

The number of applicants for this fifth edition alone – over 4,000 globally – has confirmed the value of the project The competition is also a pathway to the S Pellegrino Young Chef Academy a global community – more than 2 000 talented chefs strong – with the aim to engage chefs through a series of activities designed to inspire connect and educate The Grand Finale held in October is a final step and a key moment in our discover y process Sanpellegrino wishes good luck to all the finalists ” Those competing for the grand prize will have the oppor tunity to cook their signature dishes again this time in front of a grand jur y composed of seven giants of international gastronomy: Eneko Atxa, Riccardo Camanini, Hélène Darroze , Vicky Lau, Pía León, Julien Royer and Nancy Silver ton The jurors will evaluate the finalists based on three golden rules: technical ability, creativity and personal belief, and the candidates’ potential to create positive change in society through food On their way to the Grand Finale , the young chefs will continue to work closely with their respective mentors to perfect their recipes

P&G Professional: Reduce Energy Without Compromising Results

Trends and Implications in 2023 in the Travel and Hospitality Industry

Maintaining a thorough scan of the internal and external indicators of market demand, developing contingency plans and triggers, and engineering agility into operations are critical factors for successfully navigating 2023 – says Tim Davis, leading management consultant for the hospitality, travel and leisure sector at Pace Dimensions (www.pacedimensions.com).

In periods of uncer tainty adopting an agile approach becomes critical to success Currently, an air of ner vous positivity per vades in the industr y despite the market remaining as volatile as it is, which is driving an ultra-cautious approach to decision making, which, of course , impacts economic growth

Despite all the volatility we are seeing, the bottom-line results are continuing to outperform forecasts and a much more shor t-term approach to business planning cycles has been necessitated as we all navigate on through unchar tered waters and conditions

Whilst ever ything continues to change at speed, businesses must remain agile , adaptable , and flexible To cite Bill Gates, ‘ success today requires the agility and drive to constantly rethink, reinvigorate , react, and reinvent’, which encapsulates a lot of the principals of our work

THE CURRENT MARKETPLACE DRIVERS AND RESULTING OUTLOOK

While leisure travel recovers faster than forecast business travel shows a slower than anticipated return

The biggest and most consistent trend we are seeing across hospitality is that many underestimated the speed of leisure booking recover y whilst overestimating the speed of business recover y The net results are a positive outcome , but a tangible demonstration of the challenges around forecasting and business planning

STILL SHAKING OFF THE POST COVID LAG

There are several macro-level themes that are influencing where our industr y finds itself Primarily, we are still coming out of a post-Covid crisis era and feeling the lasting impact of that, especially in the hospitality industr y For example , there are still constraints on rehiring staff; in par t access to supply is the issue here , but equally businesses are more cautious about increasing costs

CONSUMER DEMAND FOR EXPERIENCES IS BACK WITH VENGEANCE

During the pandemic , the pendulum of consumer demand moved more heavily into product buying because of restricted travel Now since restrictions have lifted we have seen the pent-up appetite to travel again with this desire causing the pendulum to swing back Returning to travel consumers are seeking value more than ever, but also, more experience led purchases, which is a defining indicator for our industr y

RESILIENCE SHINES THROUGH

Although economic conditions are tightening, travel is, as we said above , bucking the trend The travel industr y has outperformed expectations and in doing so, is proving itself to be more resilient than other industr y sectors While people are cutting where they can in other areas to save money, there is a clear trend of wanting to preser ve the pleasures in life Of these , travel and experiences are shining through in consumer spending choices

Its notable and impor tant to flag, that this has not been the pattern in previous recessions Typically, travel is one of the hardest hit sectors, but there is no indication of this slowing, and we predict this is set to continue across the coming year

LESS HARSH RECESSION IS NOW MORE LIKELY

Economically while there are still growing fears over the impact of tightening fiscal conditions – high inflation, rising interest rates, increasing energ y costs, all impacting on people’s disposable income – the degree of fear is proving to be more negative than the reality

Falling inflation rates in the US (now between 6-7 per cent) and in Europe (sitting between 8-9 per cent) demonstrate a much rosier picture than was initially predicted Unfor tunately, it s only the UK that is sitting stubbornly over 10% Andrew Bailey, the governor of the bank of England, recently talked of several reasons to be more optimistic in the growth forecast Among the topics discussed were falling energ y prices, a lower market cur ve of interest rates, and an easing unemployment forecast which signalled optimism for a less harsh recession And the forecasts coming out of the IMF (International Monetar y Fund) and the Central Banks, are also all demonstrating an improvement over time This optimism makes the markets believe that we are going to come to a soft landing rather than falling into a hard crash recession

GOOD NEWS FROM CHINA

Another impactful element big picture-wise is the reopening of China As the world’s biggest expor ter this will have a material impact on stabilising markets by increasing supply and demand into international markets

However there are situations such as the war in Ukraine and the tensions between China and the West which have an ongoing negative impact This cloud of ongoing political instability, heightened by not knowing when the war will end or if it will escalate or the prospects of a developing relationship between China and Russia, leave a spectre of uncer tainty hanging over the industr y, affecting the market

EXERCISING OVERCAUTION

Both the level of investment and the speed at which companies are increasing costs to suppor t growth will hamper the speed of recover y in the shor t term Put simply, businesses are not cost cutting, they are just being vigilant about the speed at which they allow costs to grow And this is driven by uncer tainty

While last year ’ s results were strong and current orderbooks might be looking extremely healthy, ever yone is still ner vous about what the future holds So rather than rushing back to pre-Covid levels, costs and investments are expanding at a more pedestrian rate so as not to overshoot market demand

DON’T BELIEVE EVERY HEADLINE AND ANALYSIS

Media headlines are actively repor ting of a lack of talent to fill the vacancies in a thriving job market but the other side of the coin is that businesses are simply not rushing to hire people as fast as they otherwise would Instead, they are actively being more cautious

There is much discussion about how airpor ts and airlines are understaffed and struggling to find the staff,

when in actuality, they are consciously choosing not hire people quickly In a period of uncer tainty, they are exercising caution in an effor t to protect profit margins Businesses are worried that they will over-invest and that costs will become out of control should the demand not recover the way it is expected to

MEETING CHANGING CONSUMER AND MARKET DEMAND

We are living in a time of the biggest changes in consumer and market demand While diverse types of consumers are looking for new and assor ted products and ser vices we ’ re also in a world where there are enormous inflections in regional markets around the world

The reality for airlines car rental businesses hotels etc is that their sources of demand are dramatically changing from one season to the next and when you look forward, that change is still going to happen

SUCCESSFULLY TACKLING 2023 IN THIS ENVIRONMENT

A SHIFT TO AGILE THINKING AND ACTION

The need to be agile is two-fold Firstly, the lack of ability to forecast accurately in the current climate due to the multiple factors impacting recover y, and secondly, because consumer and market demand is ver y volatile

There have been a lot of significant changes over the last couple of years If you consider how seismic the last 24 months has been especially, then it's not surprising that businesses are having to respond and gear themselves ver y differently The predictability of consumer booking patterns is much more shor t term, whilst purpose and drivers for travel are continuing to evolve and change

When we refer to agility, we mean that your business antenna needs to be par ticularly attuned to understanding what changes are happening and when The need to access accurate , constant, and real-time data is no longer a nice-to-do it is a business imperative As critical however is a well mapped out researched planned and rehearsed playbook of scenarios to be adjusted and applied to your commercial and marketing actions as the market changes

For example , this could mean agility in your pricing, where companies are now adjusting pricing by the hour rather than by the day And reacting not just to historic patterns of demand but also to actual market demand, using real-time data to adjust in the shor t-term

MOVING TO MORE AGILE MARKETING & REAL-TIME DATA

Businesses need to be using technolog y and market insight to engineer a faster, more agile , more automated response And this extends to customer targeting and marketing Annual, long-term plans aren't sustainable anymore - they are too traditional and outdated in the modern market Instead, successful businesses are turning to more dynamic , shor t-term, market-driven campaigns

Success will come from marketing campaigns that are driven and based upon real-time customer and market information that is personalised to the individual Marketing spend must be adjusted and reallocated to different markets and consumers according to the current propensity to buy As such then investment in marketing is always-on and is constantly evolving based on the buying behaviour of consumers

RETHINK PRICING STRATEGIES

If you compare the old world with the new In the old world , we were continually benchmarking against the YoY data We looked at historic patterns of demand and pricing and we compared that to what we see today and if the outlook is better now, we increase prices and vice versa

Now, in the agile thinking ‘ new world’, benchmarking remains a factor, but it has become more real-time and incorporates wider market information that informs businesses on impor tant topics such as velocity of shopping and booking, and major events such as weather, natural disasters, and the announcement or cancellation of major city events etc and using that to adjust the pricing in real-time

Products are becoming more personalised too Whereas they used to be designed and orientated to fit a par ticular market segment, now, they are becoming unbundled to give customers the choice to buy exactly what they want and to pay for what it is they value

The common themes in how leaders in the industr y are reacting to the current marketplace and business environment are technolog y, real-time information, and agile processes to make smar ter decisions

So, while companies are adapting at different speeds and in different ways, too many companies are still overreliant on simply increasing price And this is due to the level of caution Constraining the level of supply, keeping its growth deliberately slower and less dynamic than the growth in demand

Therefore , we have huge inflection points between supply not growing fast enough but demand growing faster than anticipated which has caused pricing to accelerate with record growth Consequently inflation follows and consumers will need to look elsewhere in the search for value

FIVE KEY THINGS THAT BUSINESSES NEED TO CONSIDER FOR NAVIGATING THE PATH FORWARD

1 Adapt the operating model to be more agile – Focus on the way you manage and organise multifunctional resources and exper tise to form hybr id teams that focus on the end-to-end journey of c hange and adaption Thus , shor tening the c yc les and decision-making processes to adapt quic kly This is opposed to operating in functional silos where when the market c hanges only one of the functions makes the r ight c hanges and not in harmony with the other functions

2 Consciously invest more management effor t into structured scenario planning and forecasting –Putting in place a sound mec hanism for monitor ing c hanges n customer s and markets and everag ng that insight to inform and update the different scenar ios in whic h demand can c hange

3 Develop a commercial playbook – Look at all the possible and probab e scenar ios that could occur and have a plan of action for if they do For example , what if the market recover y is not as fast as we think, or if the opening of China doesn’t dr ive the demand that we anticipate , or if the situation in Ukraine escalates fur ther or gets resolved? What will we do?

4 Focus investments on digital transformation and improving the customer experience – A longer-term play, a continual focus on digital transformation extending from marketing and distr ibution to nc luding customer exper ience and product It s about empower ing the customer to have the exper ience that best suits them and better provide from a customer ser vice per spective and building brand trust

5 Product innovation – Adapt your products and ser vices to meet a greater range of demand types Rather than revolutionis ng and creating a completely different product this is about adapting and evolving your existing product to better meet the c hanging traveller requirements , suc h as adapting meetings and events space to accommodate shared working and cater for the increas ng number of digita nomads

Strong Fourth Quarter for Contract Catering but Sales Still Lag Pre-COVID Levels

Contract caterers’ sales grew in the four th quar ter of 2022 thanks to a COVID-free Christmas and a steady return to workplaces but trading remains below pre- pandemic levels

The latest Contract Catering Tracker from CGA by NielsenIQ and Bidfood reveals that sales from October to December 2022 were 27% higher than in the same quar ter of 2021, when caterers were impacted by growing concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID19 Caterers’ sales in the private sector were up by 32% year-on-year as more people switched back from home-based working to offices

However, sales in the last quar ter of 2022 were 7% below the equivalent period in 2019, when businesses were trading as normal After adjustments for inflation, sales are significantly fur ther behind the levels of three years ago in real terms The number of outlets ser ved by contract caterers has fallen by about 14% since late 2019

The Tracker has signs that contract caterers’ sales are gradually returning towards pre-COVID levels The three-year comparison of -7% represents the smallest shor tfall of sales of all four quar ters of 2022 but rising costs for businesses and consumers mean trading conditions will remain difficult in 2023

CGA’s Contract Catering Tracker aggregates sales from leading operators to provide monthly repor ts with year-on-year analysis It offers businesses a valuable benchmarking tool to measure performance across various metrics and market groupings, and par ticipants in the Tracker receive additional analysis in return for their contributions

Karl Chessell, CGA s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: Contract caterers have battled

back well from the havoc of COVID-19 and lockdowns, and sales have steadily grown since the end of restrictions But sales and margins are now under intense pressure from the soaring energ y and food costs that face both caterers and the places they ser ve Real-terms growth will be difficult in 2023, and all businesses will be hoping for respite on inflation as the year goes on ”

Debra Morrell, business development controller at Bidfood commented: “It’s good to see that on the face of it, the sector is creeping back towards its pre-COVID-19 levels, although we believe value sales (due to inflation) may mask the true picture in terms of meals ser ved It’s also difficult to factor in the difference that train strikes, the cold weather and the cost of living crisis may have had on this quar ter’s results We are cer tainly seeing operators respond proactively through innovation in terms of exciting concepts, and social or sharing offers to encourage uptake and spend With the right offer, there is always oppor tunity to compete with the high street

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: While contract caterers continued to face disruption for a third year in a row, par ticularly through rail strikes, there will be some relief that it didn t reach the levels of the pandemic and sales somewhat bounced back

“However, what looks like a successful quar ter on paper won’t translate to firms bottom line due to the intense cost pressures the sector is under Record food and drink inflation, in par ticular, is a key factor in why real term sales are lagging behind pre-pandemic levels

“With 2022 marred by rising costs, contract caterers will be hoping 2023 is the year inflation begins to significantly reduce ”

Tom Kerridge Partners with Knorr Professional Bouillons to Launch New Online Training & Inspiration Hub for Chefs

Chef Tom Kerridge has today been announced as the new Creative Director for Knorr Professional s Bouillons range Chef Tom is par tnering with the brand across a range of initiatives, including the launch of a new training hub for chefs The online platform, known as “The Base”, contains exclusive recipes developed by Tom and filmed as video tutorials, plus a series of training videos aimed at helping other professional chefs to improve their skills in the kitchen

Two Michelin-starred Chef Tom, known for his pedigree in pubs, has developed a range of classic recipes with a modern, seasonal twist, each utilising products from the Knorr Professional Bouillons range in a different way The dishes including a Herb Crusted Cannon of Spring Lamb and a Sea Bass & Fennel Paella, showcase the versatility of Knorr Professional Bouillons, from delivering depth of flavour at the base through to a seasoning boost, meat rub or salt replacement

Tom Kerridge said: I m so excited to have taken on the role of Creative Director for Knorr Professional Bouillons and to have the chance to share some of my favourite recipes, plus tips and advice , with fellow chefs and culinar y professionals Sharing is such an impor tant par t of what we do as chefs It’s integral to keeping our amazing industr y thriving, innovating and celebrating amazing, seasonal food – and it’s a celebration of seasonality that’s right at the hear t of the dishes I’ve created for The Base ”

Tom continues: “Knorr Professional Bouillons allow chefs to create really exciting food that’s delicious and rich in flavour – whilst saving time and cost Using bouillons in kitchens isn’t about cutting corners It’s about bringing the best out of the ingredients in a dish adding an extra dimension to your food and making this food accessible and achievable for chefs of all levels My goal is fundamentally to inspire other chefs To get them excited about putting their own twists on classic dishes and to help them grow and develop their skills and careers ”

With Tom Kerridge at the helm as Creative Director, Knorr Professional is also making The Base a hub for chefs and operators from other more specialist corners of the foodser vice industr y

fect for those whose taste buds might be declining in later life ”

Kath Breckon has joined Knorr Professional Bouillons as a brand ambassador for Education, helping to inspire school caterers across the UK with her extensive knowledge and experience from over 30 years of working in school kitchens An award-winning chef, Kath is also the only front-line school worker to sit on the LAC A board, using her first-hand experience to make a real difference

Kath said: “The challenges school caterers face ever y day are ver y different from the wider foodser vice industr y, so it’s great to be working with Knorr Professional to identify and help mitigate some of these challenges My recipes for school caterers use Knorr Professional Bouillons to create nutritious and cost-effective dishes suitable for both primar y and secondar y education facilities delivering maximum flavour from simple , staple ingredients ”

Alex Hall Executive Chef at Unilever Food Solutions the brand owners of Knorr Professional, said: “Knorr Professional and Unilever Food Solutions are delighted to be working with three chefs at the top of their game Tom, Preston and Kath are the definition of ‘The Best in the Business’ in each of their respective sectors It’s been truly inspiring to see them create recipes and content for The Base over the past few months and we are delighted to be launching this platform enabling chefs from all corners of the industr y to learn and get inspired These chefs have created some amazing dishes using Knorr Professional Bouillons that I’m confident will help other chefs to elevate the flavours in their dishes do more with more diverse seasonal ingredients and deliver exceptional food for their customers ”

Each Knorr Professional Bouillons ambassador will be creating and releasing new recipes and content via The Base at regular inter vals in the coming months and beyond

The Base web hub along with fur ther information about the Best in the Business campaign from Knorr Professional Bouillons can be found at: www ufs com/bitb or see the adver t on page 27

KP Snacks Gets Flavourful With Exciting New McCoy ’s Launch

KP Snacks has unveiled a brand-new product range for the UK’s number one ridged crisp brand with the launch of McCoy’s Epic Eats

Delivering on McCoy’s unmistakable bold flavour, the range features two new irresistible products, Nacho Cheese and Spicy Salsa

Rolling out from 20th Februar y, the McCoy’s Epic Eats range delivers unique and tempting flavours and promises an epic snacking experience for consumers looking to tr y something new

Amy Heap, Marketing Manager at KP Snacks says: “McCoy’s is the original and best ridged crisp brand, synonymous with big and bold flavours We know taste is the most impor tant factor driving purchases in CSN and our NPD reflects flavour trends and delivers innovative new products to the categor y McCoy’s Epic Eats packs that flavour punch with the same signature crunch ”

Scottish Brewers say Measures Announced for the Deposit Return Scheme Don’t Solve its Fundamental Flaws

Small producers and impor ters including independent craft brewers, distillers and wine makers, say the recently announced changes to the Scottish Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will help alleviate cashflow issues, but much more needs to be done to make the scheme viable and deliverable This includes increasing the threshold from 3m units to 5m units for businesses exempt from the day one and month one charges, and fur ther necessar y steps not included in the changes announced by Circularity Scotland Limited (CSL) this week Without addressing SME legitimate concerns, Circularity Scotland could fall shor t of their claim to register over 4,500 producers

Following a disappointing meeting with the Minister yesterday, the Society of Independent Brewers (SIB A), Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), and Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) have today made a united call for the Scottish Government and Circularity Scotland to urgently address the remaining key concerns for small producers in the fast approaching system and carr y out an immediate full Gateway Review as recommended in the previous review published in December

In a joint statement the trade associations said: “The registration for DRS closes within days at the end of Februar y and whilst these recently announced changes will cer tainly alleviate cashflow issues when the system is introduced, it leaves a mountain to be climbed for small businesses to be compliant with the scheme , with essential changes still needed to fix the system s fundamental flaws In order to make the scheme viable there are three key changes that must be made; a simplified registration available over a longer time period, an 18 month grace period for small producers and a de-minimis low volume exemption to allow the supply chain and retailers the time to work out the inevitable teething troubles, and an increased focus on providing producers and retailers timely information and solutions which are propor tional to the environmental impact of businesses ”

“Small producers contribute a tiny propor tion of products towards Scotland’s littering issues and yet are being burdened with the same legislative complexity and costs as Global producers The Minister should urgently carr y out a new full Gateway Review that was recommended last year

Greene King Pledges £1m to the Macmillan Cancer Support Emergency Grants Appeal

Pub company and brewer Greene King has pledged a substantial donation to the Macmillan Cancer Suppor t Emergency Grants Appeal

The first £1m raised by Greene King in 2023 will go towards helping people living with cancer with day-to-day expenses so they are suppor ted during the cost-of-living crisis

The charity pledge is the latest drive to suppor t people struggling financially during the cost-of-living crisis Over the last few months, Greene King has provided its team members and customers with a series of enhanced suppor t initiatives and offers

Greene King recognises it can play an impor tant role in helping Macmillan to be there for those living with cancer at such a difficult time According to the cancer suppor t charity 83% of people living with cancer in the UK – almost 2 5 million people – experience some kind of financial impact from their diagnosis, and for those affected, this reaches an average of £891 a month[i]

Recent research by Macmillan also showed that cost pressures had led to at least 20,000 cancer patients (6%) delaying or cancelling travel to medical appointments related to their cancer diagnosis[ii]

The charity s Emergency Grants Appeal provides those living with cancer practical financial assistance – helping them to pay necessar y expenses such as fuel to get to hospital appointments, or suppor t with food and heating bills to aid recover y after operations

As a long-term charity par tner to Macmillan since 2012, fundraising effor ts are ongoing in Greene King’s 1,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the UK

As well as collection tins in pubs and Pennies – the digital collection tin – its

pubs take par t in annual fundraising events throughout the year, as well as many team members from across the business taking on personal challenges, from skydives and running marathons to long distance cycle rides and mighty hikes

Nick Mackenzie , CEO at Greene King, said, “The cost-of-living crisis is something that affects ever yone in different ways, so it is vital that the suppor t we offer to team members, customers and communities is as varied as possible so people can find a scheme that’s right for their own personal situation

“As a long-term par tner to Macmillan we ’ re pleased to be pledging the first £1m of funds raised in 2023 to the Emergency Grants Appeal The funds are just the latest in the cost-of-living crisis suppor t we re providing to both customers and team members throughout 2023 and beyond ”

Claire Rowney Executive Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Innovation, at Macmillan Cancer Suppor t, said: “We are hearing day in day out that many people living with cancer are extremely worried about money because of the devastating financial pressures of both their diagnosis and the increasing cost of living

“The Greene King pledge to donate £1m to the Macmillan Emergency Grants Appeal will make a practical difference to thousands of people living with cancer in the UK by providing them with a rapid payment to meet their immediate needs and release some of the intense pressure on their lives People living with cancer need to live , not just sur vive and with the suppor t of our wonderful par tners like Greene King, we will continue to do all that we can to suppor t those who need us during this challenging time

Beer Piper Putting Quality First To Deliver Cost Savings For Customers

Beer Piper, home of the automated beer line cleaning system, are offering a package deal to make beer line cleaning simpler, more consistent and ultimately cheaper by focusing on quality

For just £175 a month* customers will receive a beer piper automated cleaning unit and all chemicals delivered bi-monthly This amazing deal also includes installation, training, technical suppor t, a free hygiene star ter pack, discounts on other products, as well as use of the dedicated app and por tal

It’s no secret that times are tough and businesses are worried and the hospitality industr y is no exception Identifying new money saving measures is at the forefront of ever yone ’ s minds and this is where Beer Piper can help

The Beer Piper system is easy to use and can result in major cost savings for customers by reducing the amount of time staff spend on the task – a Beer Piper clean takes just 8 5 minutes! Not only does the system improve staff efficiencies, but it also ensures consistent high quality cleans are achieved ever y time The sealed system mixes the neat beer line cleaner with fresh water directly into the lines, ensuring the correct dilution rate regardless of flow

The superior quality chemicals used and supplied by Beer Piper ensure lines are immaculate and allow customers to ser ve the best pints possible Another advantage of this is

that with time customers can go longer between cleans The automated nature of the system also means that there is no need to manually mix these chemicals thus reducing the associated risks to staff

No CO2 is required with the Beer Piper system so the surging costs of CO2 in the UK need not be a concern The system also uses much less water than a manual clean so this also adds to the cost savings being made As does Beersave – a function unique to an automated line clean as it allows the beer that would usually be wasted and poured down the drain before a clean to be sold, ensuring even more money is saved

Beer Piper moved into a new facility last year along with their sister company Chemisphere UK The extra space has allowed the companies to expand their Research & Development depar tment and invest in new equipment and develop a wider range of products

Beer Piper are currently working on their next generation machine , the new BP5, which will utilise sister company Chemisphere’s game changing powder-based line cleaning product The companies are also developing a training academy as their mission to raise the bar in quality standards in the industr y gathers pace

Visit www.beerpiper.co.uk for more information

New First Minister Can ‘Reset’ Relationship with Hospitality

UKHospitality Scotland is urging the three candidates for SNP leader and First Minister to re-engage with Scottish hospitality and unlock its economic potential

Following the confirmation of Kate Forbes Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf as the candidates to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, UKHospitality Scotland Executive Director Leon Thompson has highlighted the oppor tunity to build a genuine par tnership with Scottish hospitality, for the benefit of the economy

He said: “Scottish hospitality is at the hear t of our economy, whether that be the 200,000 people it employs, the £9 billion it delivers to the economy or the millions of visitors it attracts each year

“Those figures are just the tip of the iceberg of what our sector can deliver for Scotland, if the new First Minister chooses to engage with business and reset the relationship with hospitality

“At the moment, there is an overriding feeling that our sector is not being listened to or valued Poorly-

Equipment

Supplier

designed initiatives like the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will burden the industr y with cost and regulation, with almost no benefit, and the proposals around alcohol promotion feel like a blunt instrument that will harm businesses, without achieving its desired health objectives

“I would encourage all the candidates to speak with UKHospitality Scotland and its members to understand our concerns, and then take them on board into office It’s not too late to learn from the mistakes that have been made with the business community and fix them whether that’s fixing DRS or choosing not to introduce a flawed tourist tax that will damage Scotland as a leading visitor destination

“I hope all the candidates take time during this contest to visit hospitality venues and see for themselves what an integral par t of our community they are If they suppor t our sector we can deliver even more growth, jobs and prosperity to Scotland ”

NOWAH Team Up with the School of Artisan Food

Earlier this month equipment supplier NOWAH's Director Youli Chr ysikaki, along with a small NOWAH team, had the pleasure of visiting the wonderfully inspirational School of Ar tisan Food, on the beautiful Welbeck Estate

Ian Waterland, Managing Director of the not-for-profit school, showed the NOWAH team around the school s teaching facilities, and also explained how deeply committed the school was to the promotion of healthy, sustainable and delicious food

NOWAH are pleased to suppor t the students at the School of Ar tisan Food by providing KEMPLEX and NOWAH products for use on their education programmes The equipment will be used to teach a variety of students, par ticularly on their Advanced Diploma, Foundation Degree and Professional programmes

The School of Ar tisan Food is a registered charity and NOWAH are delighted to work together with them for the benefit of the students

The School of Ar tisan Food was recently thrilled that the bursaries for refugees are among the 30 things mentioned in the Obser ver Food Monthly magazine's "Loves in the world of food r ight now "

For fur ther information about Nowah, see the Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out feature later in this issue

BBPA Recognised as Industry Leader on Diversity & Inclusion

The British Beer and Pub Association has won the Diversity and Inclusion award at the annual Trade Association Forum Awards The award acknowledged the development and success of #OpenToAll, a collaboration with BBPA members to drive diversity & inclusion as a top priority across the sector

The Trade Association Forum Awards star ted in 2009, and are the gold standard for recognising success in trade associations in the UK This year ’ s edition, hosted in the iconic exWhitbread Brewer y had over 320 people in attendance and almost 40 different trade associations nominated in 18 different categories The Diversity and Inclusion award was one of a range designed to recognise the effor ts of trade associations that are leading on cer tain issues

In June 2022 the BBPA launched the sector’s ver y first char ter on Diversity & Inclusion, setting out commitments to strive for great equity diversity and inclusion across brewing and pub businesses

The #OpenToAll Char ter was well received by the industr y and we have since developed a toolkit with practical advice and guidance carried out benchmarking sur veys and celebrat-

ed and shared the numerous ways our members are enacting real, long-term change in this space

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: We are really proud that our work on diversity and inclusion is being held up as an example for others We are passionate about our industr y providing safe , inclusive spaces for customers and our member businesses are inclusive places where people from all walks of life can thrive

“This is an accolade we simply wouldn’t have achieved without the amazing work of our brilliant members in this space , they are passionate and progressive and eager to drive change not only in our sector but across society We look forward to continuing to work closely with our members on this agenda to ensure our pubs and breweries are open to all ”

BBPA’s work on diversity and inclusion will continue throughout 2023 and beyond with a series of learning events for members and the wider industr y involving leading practitioners in this space being launched ver y soon

Burgh Island Hotel Appoints New Head Concierge Simon James

The iconic , Ar t Deco Burgh Island Hotel has appointed a new Head Concierge Simon James, who brings a wealth of experience in the hospitality industr y, spanning four decades, with previous experience including working at one of the UK’s most luxurious hotels

Simon’s passion and dedication has earned him one of the hospitality industr y ’ s highest accolades, membership of the elite international association of concierges Les Clefs d’Or With only around 3 000 members globally working in over 80 countries and 530 destinations it is a mark of distinction and only awarded to the true concierge professionals dedicated to delivering the highest level of ser vice to their guests and hotels

Simon began his career as a luggage por ter at the Grosvenor Park Hotel and his career trajector y since then has been varied, but he was always drawn back to the hospitality sector He has taken on roles across the retail sector and social work, along with the management of a leading boutique hotel in Wales and, subsequently, of several bars across Spain and Malta Prior to joining Burgh Island Hotel, Simon was Head Concierge/Guest Ser vices Manager at the Raithwaite Sandsend luxur y estate near Whitby

Simon’s impressive journey through the world of hospitality has now brought him to the Burgh Island Hotel in Devon This prestigious establishment dates back to 1929 when noted film maker and theatre producer Archie Nettlefold conver ted his holiday home into a hotel, and boasts a plethora of famous past guests, including Noel Coward, the Prince of Wales and Winston Churchill Agatha Christie also famously resided here when penning her novels And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun

Bill Gates

Bill Gates has acquired a 3 76% stake in Dutch drinks giant Heineken,

Since joining Burgh, Simon has already made a lasting impression on both staff and guests One recent guest who was suffering from a serious illness sent him a handwritten letter thanking him for making her experience at the hotel an unforgettable one , ‘taking away [her] worr y ’ and helping her feel ‘like a lady ’

Giles Fuchs, Owner of Burgh Island Hotel, said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon into the Burgh Island family His illustrious career and reputation are the result of his professional excellence and passion for his role He is a notable addition to the team at Burgh and will considerably strengthen our guest ser vices at a time when we are under taking the largest renovation in over a 100 years to provide new standards of contemporar y luxur y ”

Penny Brown, Managing Director at Burgh Island Hotel, said: “It is brilliant to have Simon onboard at Burgh Island I can say from past experience working with him at the Raithwaite Sandsend luxur y estate that he is attentive , motivated and extremely professional In his shor t time at the hotel, he has already made an impact on both guests and staff His upbeat attitude and willingness to solve any issue make it a pleasure to work alongside him ”

Simon James, Head Concierge at Burgh Island Hotel, said: “I am thrilled and honoured to join the team here at the Burgh Island Hotel Working at an establishment with so much histor y and heritage is a joy and meeting the steady stream of new and regular guests keeps me motivated to provide the best ser vice possible As a lover of ar t and painting myself as well as studying Hindu Jain and Buddhist teachings, the oppor tunity to work in such a culturally and ar tistically significant hotel is one I cherish

Products and Services

Discover the Power of Chefs’ Most Trusted Bouillon*

Chef Tom Kerridge has joined forces with Knorr Professional Bouillons to launch a new online training hub for chefs The Base contains exclusive recipes, video tutorials and training tools that will help other professional chefs to improve their skills in the kitchen

As the new Creative Director for Knorr Professional Bouillons, two Michelinstarred Chef Tom has also developed a range of classic recipes with modern, seasonal twists, each using products from the range in a different way The dishes showcase the versatility of Knorr Professional Bouillons, from delivering depth of flavour at the base through to a seasoning boost meat rub or salt replacement

Tom said: "Using bouillons in kitchens isn’t about cutting corners It’s about bringing the best out of the ingredients in a dish adding an extra dimension to your food and making this food accessible and achievable for chefs of all levels Knorr Professional s Bouillons are available in Powder, Paste and Jelly formats, offering chefs versatility and flexibility in usage and application, plus consistent depth of flavour ever y time

GET TOM’S RECIPES AT UFS COM/BITB

See the adver t on the facing page for details

*Aggregated UK wholesa er va ue sa es 52 w/e 27th Januar y 2023

Exclusive Elegance and Quality by Design

Benefiting from Fracino's extensive research and development programme , world class engineering skills and state of the ar t production technolog y, the new Romano-R is a genuine fusion of style and luxurious quality

Available in 2 or 3 group versions, it boasts all the power, technical qualities and reliability synonymous with Fracino products, in a stunning design to create the ultimate coffee bar furniture The Romano elegantly combines classic cur ves and retro styling with contemporar y materials and close attention to detail ensuring a truly outstanding finish Featuring latest technolog y integration, the full width touch pad features ‘digital trace’ icons for the drink selection and a wide range of control features within the programme - including controlled on/off times for maximum energ y efficiency, coffee extraction displayed in volume and time for each espresso shot for precise drink quality, multi-lingual display selection and digital programme set-up for easy user adjustment capability

Our powerful combination of stylish design and creative technolog y enables discerning clients to choose a

Gibson Plus Landmark Baubles

Gibson Plus is a family-run, manufacturing business based on the outskir ts of Newtownards, an historic market town in beautiful County Down, Nor thern Ireland Established in 1989 by Brian and Jacqui Gibson, the ever yday running of the business is now taken care of by their children, Susan and Matthew Traditionally, our company specialised in the manufacture of labels, badges and signs selling mainly to industrial customers schools and nursing homes We pride ourselves on having built our family business around a core of loyal, returning customers over many years Quality products at fair prices, attention to detail and excellent customer ser vice are our top priorities at Gibson Plus

LANDMARK BAUBLE

Our Landmark Baubles are produced in the U K using 3mm ethically sourced, Maple Veneer with a thin plastic backing The beauty of the Landmark

Hotels and restaurants typically exhibit significant but varied hot water and heating usage patterns, which contributes to the current 40% tally of UK greenhouse gas emissions generated by the built environment

To help achieve climate-neutral building stock by 2050 the industr y is being challenged to reduce operational energ y use By increasing the use of renewable energ y supply and prioritising on-site renewable energ y sources the hope it to reduce both harmful carbon emissions and bills

There is no doubt that being more sustainable comes with a cost Whether in the form of new build projects or, and far more likely, the refurbishment of existing, yet ageing facilities understanding the necessar y capital investment, operational savings and payback periods is going to be key

Addressing the efficiency of domestic hot water (DHW) systems - whether through the implementation of heat pumps, solar thermal, direct electric water heating or even simple modernisation of existing gas appliances - helps proper ties meet sustainability goals in a practical and cost-effective manner It also delivers

bespoke finish for their Fracino espresso machine Our exper tise caters for individuality – whether it be to enhance a theme or interior design, promote a brandor simply to challenge convention

We offer the option to select a bespoke mirror finish in a range of lustrous colours, which draw out the beauty of the highly polished stainless steel, whilst an extensive range of dramatic solid colours – in a satin or matt finish – are available to complement and enhance the interior designer’s creativity and provide the finishing touch befitting the individuality of the exclusive luxur y restaurant and coffee bar

Transforming the purely functional into an enviable work of ar t; that’s Romano!

sales@fracino.com www.fracino.com

See the adver t on page 13

Bauble is they can be produced with the landmark or image of your choice This allows you to create a design that you can be confident your customer base will love!

MAGNIFIQUE BAUBLES

The same great product manufactured using the exact same processes, but adapted for the warmer months The Magnifique Magnet is perfect for hotels, gift shops and tourist attractions We can engrave the image of your choice to make the perfect personalised magnet for your customers!

PRODUCT BENEFITS:

• All our products are handcrafted in the U K

• L ght weight & robust perfect for popping in a Chr istmas card

• Free no obligation ar twork, see exactly how your product will look before committing to an order

• Minimum order from just 60 products

Visit www.gibsonplus.co.uk call 028 9181 8801 or email admin@gibsonplus.co.uk

See the adver t on page 7

improved year-round conditions for staff and customers providing access to spaces better suited to delivering quality hospitality

For buildings already on gas and that rely on large amounts of DHW - a large propor tion of current UK hotels for instance – silent solar preheat is the preferable option For new build proper ties, the expectation is for specification to default to a mixture of heat pumps and direct electric afterheat New system approaches, including prefabricated packaged plant rooms, also

Is It Time For Some Fresh Promotions?

Chef's Buyer's Guide

Bacchus Wines PLDC

Bacchus Wines PLDC Ltd is an independent wine merchant that offers joyful and affordable wines Launched online in 2021, Bacchus Wines is a par tnership between Hampshire locals, wine broker and hospitality exper t Pierre-Loup DeCam and Trond Rornes of CardsSafe Limited They offer wines to restaurants caterers, bars, and wine enthusiasts

The current Bacchus Wines collection features three family-owned independent wine estates - Chateau Parenchère , Paul Lebrun Champagne and Château du Rooy

The flagship collection by Parenchère features the ‘Magnificent Seven’ wines, which includes four beautiful reds and the sulphite-free and fruity L’Équilibriste Bordeaux Rouge , a wonderful Blanc-Sec and two unique rosé wines

I have been buying wines from Pierre-Loup DeCam of Bacc hus Wines for over twenty-two year s When I owned the Mic he in-starred JSW Restaurant in Hampshire , and since retirng, I stoc ked my cellar with the joyful w nes of Château de Parenc hère They are my go-to wines and I always receive excel ent wines and ser vice

CHEF & RESTAURATEUR J AKE S WATKINS

Bacchus Wines PLDC is also excited to announce their new UK-exclusive par tnership with champagne house Paul Lebrun

Founded in 1902 the Maison draws its inspiration from multi-generational winemaking know-how Their Champagnes are top in their class and have beaten the biggest brands on the market in taste tests Currently three 100% Chardonnay champagnes are available , including the Car te d’Or Brut with a nose of candied lemon and peaches The elegant Extra Brut has notes of white blossom, pineapple and low sugar content And the spectacular Cuvee Prestige Brut aged on lees for a minimum of for ty-eight months with an intense structure “I ser ved the Extra Brut c hampagne at my supper c lub The citrus notes and creaminess compl mented my salmon s salty, smoky notes The c hampagne solic ted muc h pra se from the diner s!”

CHEF TIM WHITTAM

Small yet perfectly curated, the Bacchus Wines PLDC collection is handpicked and personally selected by the founders They choose quality wines with provenance and integrity, with the utmost impor tance on the ar t of winemaking rather than mass production They offer prices and ser vice hospitality businesses can appreciate

For more information, please visit https://bacchuspldc com/

Farm Frites - The Fresh Taste of the Land

Potatoes may be a seasonal har vest, but demand is year round We balance seasonality with demand to ensure high quality crops are used at their best

At Farm Frites we har vest multiple varieties across two seasons with processes that ensure that the quality outcome is the same whichever variety we use Sustainability star ts with us There is a great responsibility with food manufacture and we are aware of our impact on the environment Growing manufacture and supply is the beginning of the chain, and it is impor tant to us that we are setting the right intentions to minimise the impact

Potato products go a long way to satisfying need for customisation consumers expect to be able to customise for taste or to suit an allerg y requirement Loaded fries allows from healthy to indulgence offers for flexitarian diets and allow an

The year ahead presents many challenges for the hospitality sector and its consumers Still, it remains a place where we all enjoy spending time for social engagements, a celebration or a treat!

Seafood is often seen as a tricky product to prepare at home , meaning that operators ser ving

operator to respond to trends in a cost-effective way – ever ything works with chips from plant-based, classic sauces & cheeses to world flavours and spices

Our potatoes are grown and farmed at sites near our factor y HQ and then prepared and frozen quickly allowing for essential nutrients to be retained in the product - freezing in itself is a preser vative

The Quick Oven Fries range is ideal for food outlets who need to ser ve great tasting fries but can t use deep-fr yers due to location operation or regulation These fries can be oven cooked in a conventional, trade oven from frozen in just four minutes Fast cooking times mean these fries allows operators to cook five times more por tions in 20 minutes than other oven fries

Our Ultimate Chip goes beyond triple cooked and is based on a ten-step process – the texture of Ultimate Chip is second to none A full chip that is effectively a roast potato in terms of its inner fluffiness and external crisp The imperfect lengths in each ser ving will offer an authentic product with more of a focus on texture , crispiness and taste – the ideal premium side dish

For more information call us on 01452 415845, or visit www farmfrites co uk

You’re Invited to Expowest Cornwall in March!

Spring is nearly here , which means that so is Expowest Cornwall! Taking place on Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th March at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge it's your oppor tunity to get ready for Easter, the Summer, and beyond

Over 150 exhibitors will be bringing you ever ything from the latest food offerings to the newest drinks, the best in business ser vices sundr y supplies catering equipment, food ser vice and much more besides It’s your annual oppor tunity to get all the products your business needs for the year ahead, and to keep up with the ver y latest trends and innovations Catch up with colleagues, suppliers and customers as well as making essential new contacts After all you can t see touch and taste on the internetthere s no substitute for meeting producers face to face and tr ying their products in person!

New for 2023 is an aisle in the show which focuses on the Fish & Chip/Takeaway trade It features existing exhibitors, as well as some who are exhibiting at the show for the first time on their own stands Come and sample from T Quality, Middletons Foods, Kerr y Foods, Dr ywite Ltd, Pacific West, Blenders, Pan Euro Foods, and Pukka Pies These organisations are grouped for your convenience , and there are many other suppliers to takeaways throughout the show

A new Leading in Innovation and Sustainability area will be signposting you to organisations within the show that display these qualities within their business products and ser vices There will be a mixture of information and products to inform you about innovative new products and ser vices, or sustainability credentials, that align

Duchy Cash Systems

with your business objectives and ethos

See how companies are working towards doing business in a way that is better for ever yone

The LWC drinks area is back, bigger and better than ever LWC Drinks is the UK’s largest independent drinks wholesaler Discover a world of wines a whole range of spirits, beers, ciders, as well as mixers and soft drinks Let them quench your thirst for the best for your business! They have more than 50 brands represented this year – so if you run bar in your business, it s cer tainly wor thwhile spending time here at the show

As well as stocking up, you can network with colleagues, and take advantage of a range of exclusive show offers Expowest brings exhibitors to Cornwall who want to meet the region’s buyers The show is easy to reach and well signposted from ever y direction What’s more there’s ample free parking within an easy stroll of the show Expowest Cornwall really is the show that has it all covered!

For more information about the show, to book a stand, or register to attend, please call 01934 733433 visit www.expowestcornwall.co.uk or follow @Expowest UK

Chadds Foodsmiths

Chadds Foodsmiths The Cornwall family based foodser vice wholesaler supplying local business for the past 75 years

Supplying Food and hygiene products to –• restaurant, hotel, pub, cafe , coffee shop, take-away, farm shop, vis tor attraction care home sc hools & colleges

We offer an extensive range of food categor ies from frozen ice cream da r y meats and grocer y & Dr nks

We also stoc k an extens ve range of Hygiene products inc luding c leaning c hemicals Hardware B n Bags and hand towels and toilet rol s and laundr y c hemical systems

Also eco fr iendly c hemical systems

‘We are the one stop shop for caterers’

Our range will appeal to all those who have a pas-

South West Labels

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

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

sion for great food and a great ser vice From the big brand products to working with local ar tisan suppliers we have something for ever yone

Chadds Foodsmiths are members of the Sterling Supergroup, this allows us to benefit from the group purchasing power when negotiating deals with suppliers; we can then pass these savings on to our customers It also enables Sterling own label produce to be available The own label range has significantly developed over recent years and continues to help us offer a good value product to our customers Come and meet us on our stand G26 at Expowest For more details call our telesales 01288 353964 for a representative to visit www.chaddsfoodsmiths.co.uk

different names depending on their use Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industr y A wide variety of specialist features including auto-incrementing guns for batch codes

All equipment is supplied with a one year factor y warranty and are designed to give years of reliable and effective ser vice

Visit us on stand F26 to view our products

Cornwall Scale & Equipment Ltd

Established in 1975 Cornwall Scale & Equipment Ltd are now one of the largest Suppliers of Cash Registers and Electronic Scales in the South West Of England as well as shipping world-wide

Whether you are looking for a basic low cost Cash Register or a fully integrated, EPOS solution for retail or hospitality environments, we are always happy to help Supplying and maintaining cash registers and scales throughout the south west of England All makes and models including Sam4s, Casio, Pi Electronique , Aster and much more Full training and suppor t on any make and model of Cash register, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Expowest Cornwall Preview

Rosemullion Distillery Cultivates Success... 60 Awards and Growing

Founded by Liz and Andy Bradbur y in 2017, and based on the Helford river Cornwall, Rosemullion s success stems from their commitment to being protectors and perfecters of the distillers craft They take their role as Ar tisan-producers ver y seriously ensuring quality control by confining production to 300 to 500 bottles at a time , with all spirits produced by hand using their bespoke copper stills

Being placed in an area of outstanding natural beauty has enabled Rosemullion to draw upon its unique proper ties – Helford rainwater is used in the fermentation and distillation process complemented by local Cornish ingredients plus seasonal fruit from their own orchard and vines

These business values and natural benefits have led to Rosemullion being one of the most awarded Ar tisan distilleries in the UK Currently holding 60 awards, these include a Gin Guide Award for its Rosemullion

Barton Reed & Co

Bar ton Reed & Co is the leading supplier of quality furniture to hotels restaurants public houses and leisure facilities in the South West We can supply beautiful leather sofas stylish high bar stools comfy tub seats, elegant restaurant tables and chairs, and relaxing beds

From laid back, seaside charm to cutting-edge design our extensive product range will suit your style and give your business the look that you want to achieve We have a huge choice of colours, fabrics and finishes and all our furniture comes with a two-year warranty Bar ton Reed & Co is a family-run business and we have been involved in the furniture industr y since 1945 Over the years we have forged strong relationships with our suppliers to give you the best furniture available with a ser vice that goes above and beyond

Summer Gin, and, most notably, a haul of 9 awards in the Sip Awards 2022 The Sip Awards covered 3 Platinum wins for Rosemullion’s Har vest Gin (including best flavoured gin), Dark Rum and Dr y Gin; they were also awarded a Double Gold for the Summer Gin and 5 Gold Awards for their Seafarer’s Gin, Spiced Rum, Gold Rum, White Rum and Chocolate rum (which also received an innovation award)

Andy Bradbur y confirms ‘like all the entrants UK and Worldwide , we work really hard to get our spirits noticed, both nationally and Internationally so these awards cer tainly gave us a licence to celebrate! We are hopeful this recognition will help us expand our hospitality and retail stockists in 2023 and look forward to meeting trade attendees at the for thcoming Expowest Cornwall, Stand number J27, to offer the 10% discount for this show

www.rosemulliondistiller y.com/CLH

our customers’ expectations

Seven reasons why you should choose Bar ton Reed & Co to supply your contract furniture:

• W de range of styles

• Easy order ing and re-order ing

• Single point of contact Shor t lead times

• Direct deliver y

• After sales ser vice

• Two-year warranty on ever y item Get in touch to discuss your furniture requirements or to order our new brochure – we ’ re here to help Call us on 01409 271189, visit www bar tonreed co uk or email info@bar tonreed co uk

Alternatively see us on Stand H28 at Expowest Cornwall

Expowest Cornwall Preview

MOOR COFFEE LTD

Pukka – the nation’s number one pie brand[1] - has been baking its bestselling pies for 60 years and as par t of this bir thday celebration Pukka has launched a special new recipe that pays tribute to its Chip Shop hear tland

Expo Cornwall 8th - 9th March Stand E31

Come and say hello and see what in-show offers we have

SUPPLYING PREMIUM COFFEE MACHINES & PRODUCTS MACHINE SERVICING & REPAIRS

PLEASE VISIT US AT WWW.MOORCOFFEE.CO.UK 01409 231166

Combining two iconic British favourites, The Pukka Pie and chip shop curr y sauce , Pukka’s new Chip Shop Chicken Curr y Pie has the seal of approval from industr y exper ts and is already delivering on the brand’s full on flavour promise Set to fly off menus, almost three quar ters

Moor Coffee Ltd.

We’re ver y excited to be exhibiting at the 2023 Cornwall show after a couple of years out We encourage you to come along and talk to us about our special offers, take advantage of our enhanced machine bundles and sample some delicious freshly ground coffee - we look forward to meeting you! Stand E31

Our Independent coffee company based near Dar tmoor specialises in commercial coffee machines, coffee beans, brewing equipment and machine repairs throughout the

South West and the UK

With over 25 years ’ experience in the beverage vending industr y we understand that coffee machines can be an expensive outlay, so we offer a range of purchase options on both new and refurbished equipment Machine accessories can be added to create a complete business model and once you have chosen your machine we will deliver, install and train you and your staff free of charge! After-sales suppor t is taken seriously (no box sellers here!) so we provide you with a comprehensive back-up ser vice with regular customer contact a range of point-of-sale material and a fully equipped ser vice depar tment

Come and Say Hello - Stand E31

Sustainable Resources

Are Consumers Ready For A Sustainability Sea Change In The Hotel Industry?

With sustainability becoming a growing concern for individuals around the world it is no surprise that a recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council, Trip com and Deloitte discovered that 69% of travellers are actively seeking sustainable travel options For younger generations in par ticular, sustainable travel decisions are star ting to become a priority but, faced with the cost-of-living and energ y crises, it is unclear if customers are in fact willing to fork out for more sustainable travel options The impetus is now on those in the hotel industr y to take the driving seat by assessing their current environmental credentials and evaluating how best to bolster these to meet growing consumer demand

LUXURY IS LEADING THE WAY

For some hotels the transition is already well underway as being sustainable is at the hear t of their brand For luxur y brands that have the money to make large-scale sustainability decisions, they are able to use renewable building materials, grow produce on-site and go plastic free Some hotels are even able to create their own waste management and recycling facilities and harness the technolog y to capture waste heat to create energ y For example , Fairmont Hotels have heat recycling systems and green roofs – some of them even include bees! All of their hotels are top rated when it comes to green building practices Meanwhile Hilton Hotels & Resor ts is prioritising recycling and waste reduction by making small but significant changes that most hoteliers can implement The chain recycles mattresses and par tially used soap; donates to local food banks to minimise food waste; and even claims 94% of its energ y is green energ y

The popularity of these hotels has naturally risen in recent years, as we have all become more aware of the effects of our actions on the planet but these premium hotel companies are of course not accessible to all

Although this move towards sustainability can be seen in most sectors globally there is a par ticularly pressing cost incentive behind this shift in the hotel industr y With energ y prices soaring hotels will find sur vival challenging if they do not take bold leaps to find alternative energ y sources or at least reduce their energ y consumption Those that prioritise reducing their carbon footprint will see their utility bills drop

A POSITIVE FUTURE?

There are a significant number of hotels making changes to become more environmentally friendly but there is one factor that may get in the way of this progress – consumer demand With younger generations leading the sustainability agenda, there is little incentive for hotels to completely transform, as affordability still reigns supreme in their list of priorities The cost-of-living crisis has meant that even those who would prefer a more sustainable hotel, would not choose this over securing an affordable option In the shor t-term, without a wholesale change in consumer demand major sea changes in sustainability commitments from the hotel industr y are likely to lag behind

That is not to say that the future is completely bleak Any developer looking to bring new hotels to the market risks looking completely out of touch with the forward momentum of the sector if they do not prioritise environmental initiatives within developments And with energ y prices unlikely to dramatically reduce anytime soon, hotel owners and developers would be wise to consider more sustainable energ y options to suppor t their path to success in the years ahead For a complete transformation of the sector, consumers must help drive this mindshift to encourage the hotel industr y to find creative , affordable and sustainable solutions

Osprey Charging, the one of the UK’s leading EV charging networks, par tnered with Marston’s (amongst other UK wide hospitality groups) to install EV chargers across their UK estate The ongoing par tnership has proved a huge success and provides a footprint of how businesses can embrace the transition to electric mobility

The Marston s project is an excellent example of how EV charging can be integrated into existing business operations The pub chain has over 1,500 locations throughout the UK, and as more people switch to electric vehicles, it became clear that offering charging facilities would be a valuable ser vice for their customers The process of installing EV chargers requires a significant investment in infrastructure and logistics, so Marston’s decided to work with Osprey Charging, as a leader in the UK market, to deliver and operate the infrastructure Osprey worked with Marston’s to understand their requirements and to find the best solution for

each location, with a range of hardware speeds to suit each site The chargers were also designed to be user-friendly and simple to operate , with easy payment options and clear instructions, making the customer journey as simple as possible The installation of the chargers has also helped Marston’s to attract new customers, as well as to retain existing ones who have switched to EVs

The roll-out continues at pace , with Osprey installing and operating over 200 chargers across the Marston s por tfolio As the market has grown, Osprey have worked with Marston’s to revisit and upgrade earlier sites to keep up with customer expectations and demand To date , the par tnership has delivered over 25 million electric miles, the equivalent of nearly 7000 tonnes of CO2 savings

The par tnership provides an excellent example of how businesses can embrace the transition to electric mobility, with the help of exper ts such as Osprey Charging It’s not just about providing a valuable ser vice for customers – it’s also about future-proofing your business With the UK government planning to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 the shift to electric vehicles is inevitable Businesses that are ready to offer EV charging facilities will be in a better position to meet the needs of their customers, as well as to contribute to their company ’ s ESG targets and the UK’s wider decarbonisation effor ts proper ty@ospreycharging co uk www.ospreycharging.co.uk

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

The hospitality sector is a prime example of an industr y in which EV charging solutions can flourish, whether electric vehicle charging points are placed at a pub for a quick top-up or at hotels where guests can safely and efficiently charge their vehicles overnight

In 2021, over 220,000 EV owners sought hotels that provided EV charging facilities, choosing to book at these destinations over hotels without EV charging The average cost of an overnight stay in a UK hotel is around £85 –£90 per night; that’s about £19 8m of EV-related revenue last year alone

This revenue increase doesn’t just stop at check-ins either ; with RAW

Charging s fully-funded host solution you can enhance your business and create a new revenue stream

So why exactly should you invest in EV charging solutions?

Here are just four reasons for introducing EV charging facilities to your commercial premises:

• You ll attract more guests – With 1 in 5 of al new veh c les in the UK being an EV and ever y major manufacturer offer ng an EV range open ng up your bus ness to EV owner s is a no-brainer

• You ll ncrease your ROI – With plenty of incentives and subscr ipt ons , suc h as RAW Charging s fully-funded solutions , EV c harging faci ities are affordable for any business and, in turn, can dramatically increase income and footfall

You ll increase guest dwe l time – EV owner s using hospitality-based EV c harging are far more likely to stay longer as they c harge This increase in dwell time subsequently means they’ll spend more at the destination

• You’ll cement your brand as a sustainable business – Being environmentally conscious is a huge plus for many potential guests In addition investing n EV c hargng facil ties w ll boost your ESG credentials signpost

Riso Gallo - Sensationally Sustainable!

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

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

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

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

Rice House is an Italian initiative in which the secondar y materials in rice cultivation are used to build ethi-

cal houses

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

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

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

Riso Gallo is committed to reducing and monitoring greenhouse emissions and uses energ y from renewable cer tified resources www risogallo co uk

Whether you are a business or an individual switching to more sustainable eco-friendly solutions is becoming a central par t of our ever yday lives

At Intrinsic , we want to help customers with this transition by providing market leading paper straws that truly deliver on Quality, Safety and Sustainability These are impor tant values for how we operate as a business and are embodied in each and ever y drinking straw that we manufacture

All our paper straws are made from carefully selected materials (e g FSC® paper, inks, adhesives, packaging), that must meet our strict criteria of being sustainable , compostable , biodegradable , and food safe approved

As a cer tified Carbon Balanced Printer through global conser vation charity World Land Trust we are able to offer carbon balanced straws that contribute towards offsetting projects tackling carbon, reducing deforestation, and protecting threatened species

With onsite manufacturing facilities, we can give customers a complete straw making ser vice , offering a choice of paper straw solutions suitable for various

drinking applications and beverages

Including:

Cocktail Straws

• Classic Straws

• Milkshake Straws

• Smoothie Straws

• Bubble Tea Straws

• Individual Wrapped Straws

• Custom / Branded Straws

Whatever your requirements, product aesthetics and performance are fundamental features of any Intrinsic straw as we want people to enjoy their drink experience , giving them peace of mind and the ability to sip in comfor t Our straws are strong and durable in many different liquids, ensuring their shape and integrity are retained for many hours, while also looking great and feeling comfor table on your lips

Would you like to know more? Interested in samples or pricing? Get 20% OFF fir st order when quoting CLH0223

Call us on 01952 980810 visit www.intrinsicpaperstraws.com or email hello@intrinsicpaperstraws.com.

Cocktails - “Defying Cost of Living”

The number of cocktail drinkers is on the rise! Research late last year revealed that on trade cocktails had increased by 11 percentage points

Despite the current economic climate , the sector has seen, post-lockdown, a return to market has seen a growth in demand for premium ser ves amongst treat-seeking consumers But, the price of cocktails is rising, against a broader market backdrop of growing inflation and a costof-living crisis

As a result, consumers are increasingly focusing on price and value And their price-consciousness highlights a renewed onus on pricing and promotional mechanics for the categor y

CGA by NielsenIQ’s sur vey of 1,000 nationally representative GB On Trade cocktail drinkers in 2022 revealed that 19% of GB consumers drink cocktails out of home Out of 9 million cocktail drinkers, 67% are ver y likely or quite likely to pay more for a higher quality cocktail, (+7pp vs Q1 2021)

Many consumers are undecided on the cocktail they will choose before visiting But the most impor tant factors when choosing a cocktail are –

1 flavour(s)

2 ngredients

3 s already tr ied and tested

4 on promotion

5 pr ice compared to other coc ktails

The cost challenges currently facing bars, pubs and nightclubs mean that costs are being squeezed, and some price rises will have to be passed on These cost expectations have grown across the On Premise with consumers expecting sharp increases to prices on each drink in restaurants (+£1 18) and nightclubs (+£1 51) vs Q1 2021 This includes significant increases in expected price points for cocktail ser ves, with inflated prices especially in the nightclub sector

“VALUE FOR EXPERIENCE”

Despite cost of living increases, consumers are still planning to prioritise food and drink spend, but they are increasingly “value led” For a significant propor tion of consumers, this means “value for experience”, for example – is the price wor th paying for? Value is considered to be more impor tant than price , however value doesn t necessarily mean cheaper,

but can be considered synonymous with quality To this end, high-quality, premium cocktails that are par t of a memorable experience will keep visitors coming back

Price is also impor tant to consumers even if it’s not the most important factor in choosing a cocktail – with 56% of consumers purchasing this drink type on promotion ever y time or almost ever y time they go out for cocktails (+8pp vs Q1 2021) In addition, non-cocktail drinkers are 32% more likely to be tempted by an offer to change to the categor y

Phillip Montgomer y, director of client ser vices – UK & Ireland, said: “Many consumers are alleviating the rising cost of cocktails by focusing more on the availability of deals and promotions, as they assess the value outlets are offering So, offering cocktails at great value is impor tant for operators and suppliers hoping to appeal to a much broader consumer base rather than just competing for consumers who actively seek high quality cocktails ”

BRANDED SPIRITS

The latest CGA Consumer Impact repor t shows that in the past month 2 in 5 consumers have visited the On Premise 3 or more times and 56% of consumers ’ last trip to the On Premise was within the past week Visitation levels remain positively steady compared to the previous month, however 38% of consumers have been out for a drink-led visit, up +2pp compared to July; likely driven by consumers wanting to make the most of patio season and the warmer weather

Significantly, the repor t reveals that almost 3 in 5 cocktail drinkers

have seen cocktails listing branded spirits on menus when visiting bars and/or restaurants in the past 3 months, and 44% have subsequently ordered these cocktails

Among consumers who have ordered cocktails including branded spirits in the past 3 months, 2 in 5 have done so ever y time/almost ever y time they have visited the On Premise – highlighting the influence this brand exposure has when positioned as a key ingredient in a preferred cocktail type

There is still significant room for growth in this area for brands to entice consumers to tr y a branded spirit in a cocktail by optimising this crucial par t of the consumers ’ path to purchase – 52% of consumers order cocktails with branded sprits only occasionally when visiting bars and/or restaurants

Typically, when ordering spirits, 43% of spirits drinkers order by specific brand, while just over a third (33%) order the categor y generally, and 24% do so depending on the situation This presents suppliers with the oppor tunity to engage loyal brand consumers, and to drive consumers to trial brands when presented in a range of cocktail ser ves

Matthew Crompton regional director – Nor th America said “Casual dining chains continue to be the most visited venue type in the On Premise , with over half of consumers visiting the channel in the past 3 months Working effectively with target outlets to get branding and branded descriptions on menus can help boost visibility fur ther to influence cocktail choice It’s impor tant for suppliers to consider the effectiveness of branded and non-branded options when building On Premise strategies with operators and independents ”

STEADY LEVEL OF CONSUMER VISITS

On Premise satisfaction remains high across the board, par ticularly around quality of ser vice The research also suggests operators and suppliers can expect steady levels of consumer visits to bars and restaurants in the upcoming month, and new oppor tunities to entice target consumers to repeat purchase and trial brands

“Being able to truly understand the nuances of consumer preferences, need states and motivations to influence effective decision-making is key to success On Premise occasions are impor tant to consumers and suppliers and operators need to be able to cater to the needs and expectations during visits, said Matt Crompton

Of AwardWinning

Norwegian Forests

Norway is renowned for the best quality berries in the world; juniper, blueberries and lingonberries are selected for their depth of taste and aroma Whilst herbs sourced from amongst the pine trees add dense dark under tones of the forest floor Produced at the Oss Craft Distiller y in Bergen, Bareksten Botanical Gin tastes exactly as you would expect it to - of the Norwegian forest The nose is vibrant and inviting with clear notes of fresh pine inter twined with enticing spiced under tones For a perfect ser ve , a classic Bareksten Botanical Gin & Tonic is best ser ved with cherr y tomatoes to fully appreciate the botanical flavours

Bareksten has bottled the essence of Norway, in both taste and character – dark, wild, breath-taking and dramatic Developed with the finest ingredients and exceptional flavours, the hero product in this range of spirits; Bareksten Botanical Gin (46% ABV) is a smooth potato based botanical gin, a superpremium, versatile spirit, making it a distinctive addition to any bar’s gin line-up Featuring 26 botanicals, 19 of which are found locally the exquisite black bottle hints at the deep, dark forests where the majority of the botanicals are sourced

The Bareksten Spirits collection also includes Navy Strength Gin Old Tom Gin Double Gin Illsint Absint and the Scandinavian favourite , Botanical Aquavit Bareksten Botanical Gin was awarded Gold in the Gin categor y at The London Spirits

Competition in 2022

For trade enquiries, please contact sinead@osscraft no or visit www barekstenspirits com

Spirits and Cocktails

Goldstone Rum

There’s a new family run distiller y on the scene in Sussex and it’s offering something a bit different to Britain’s rum industr y Their scratch rum is made from fresh sugar cane juice which is added to the fermentation within hours of being pressed This along with three other types of sugar jagger y, panela and traditional molasses makes for a ver y unique tasting rum

John Bowell co-founder said Our rum has a flavour profile like nothing else we ’ ve tried during our recipe development The rum has notes of baked banana and hazelnut making it rich and round on the palate and nose

We’ve been overwhelmed with the feedback we ’ ve received from customers and hospitality professionals’

Born out of the idea that there is a gap in the market for an ar tisanal quality rum usterlising traditional methods over mass production Goldstone Rum is made with a slow fermentation, using high quality natural sugars The result being something exceptional

Tom Surger y who recently visited the distiller y said ‘I’m so excited to see the journey Georgina and John are on with Goldstone Rum It’s inspiring stuff The rums are characterful, pure and super smooth I can t wait to watch them develop fur ther ’

The team at Goldstone Rum are currently developing their flavour range inspired by traditional rum cocktails Ginger and lime after the dark and stormy and Kola Nut after the cube libre The flavoured rums will be available in the Spring

The Brighton-based husband-and-wife duo are also working with the hospitality industr y to provide sessions at the distiller y for restaurants and bars to expand their knowledge on fermentation and distillation of spirits Their rum school upstairs allows sommeliers and bar staff to create their own flavour combinations of rum Their distiller y is open to the public on Saturdays for tours and tastings for just £10 per head

To find out more visit www.goldstonerum.com

Pineapple and Ginger Daiquiri

INGREDIENTS

50ml Goldstone white

Rum®

50ml pineapple juice

25ml ginger syrup

25ml coconut water

Juice of half a l me

METHOD

- Make the ginger syrup by combin ng the sugar, coconut water and a thumb of peeled grated ginger in a saucepan on a low heat and stir until dissolved Allow to cool

- Combine Goldstone Rum®, pineapple juice , lime juice and ginger syrup together in a coc ktail shaker with ice Shake well strain and ser ve

Flavour Blaster - Add Theatre to Every Serve With Aromatic Bubble Garnish

A DEVICE adding the wow factor to cocktails has taken the international market by storm, after being inspired by the childhood experience of blowing bubbles

Flavour Blaster Pro, which creates aroma filled bubbles on the top of drinks, is now used by professionals in Michelin Star Restaurants and Five Star Hotels around the world As well as leading mixologist and Flavour Blaster ambassador Simone Caporale owner of Sips 3rd best cocktail bar in world

The professional aroma gun is sold to more than 40 000 customers in 150 countries thanks to its use of innovative technolog y

Other clients include top chains such as The Alchemist Maybe Sammy in Australia and it is also currently helping to create the immersive experience at Johnny Walker in Edinburgh

The company also has a strong foothold in the international market, particularly in the USA where it can be found in venues in California, Florida and Las Vegas to name a few

Its success is the result of a collaboration between hospitality entrepreneur Colin Myers and manufacturing

guru, Rober t Flunder who came up with the initial concept to add some theatricality to the drinks experience And the resulting creation was down to Colins fascination with the concept of edible bubbles which would use authentic aromas rather than synthetic flavours

Australian-born Colin, who previously worked in the bar and leisure industr y in the UK, spent four years helping to develop the product which he describes as “ an inner child gadget ”

The company uses a leading company in New York to prepare its aromas, which are distilled from actual fruits herbs and spices rather than being ar tificially produced

And it’s not stopping there Now with a 15-strong staff plus a R & D team a number of other products for the Hospitality sector are also in development

“The ultimate in theatrical mixolog y ”

For fur ther information visit www.flavourblaster.com

Cleaning and Hygiene Ozone Clean

Ozone Clean is the leading manufacturer and supplier of Ozone generating equipment to the hospitality sector as well as many other industries for Odour and Infection control We supply a range of generators suitable for all applications both industrial and domestic that can effectively treat small to ver y large areas

Our company is multi internationally award winning and has rapidly built a strong reputation within Hospitality and other industries since our inception in 2005 Our goal is centred on supplying products that are efficient, safe and cost effective , backed up by an excellent ser vice ethic and after sales operation

We have over 850 clients and 11 million rooms per

year being treated with our equipment In manufacturing we only use the highest quality par ts which enables us to say that we still have machines that are still in use after 15 years Therefore , our range of products are the most efficient and reliable on the market

Due to the efficiency and reliability of our flagship products the OC1500 and OC700, at a cost from 28p per day we have empirical evidence that by using Ozone Cleans range of products you will be able to enjoy an ROI within 12 months, often sooner Genuine and provable results This is achieved by the permanent removal of Odours, Bacteria, Mould and Viruses in as little as 5 minutes

Peace of mind efficiency and reliability go hand in hand with Ozone Clean and don’t forget by using our OC range you will be having a positive impact on the environment as opposed to the traditional methods which have a high energ y or chemical consumption

Should you decide to buy either our OC1500 or OC700 we will offer you a 15% discount exclusive to this ar ticle Just quote OZO15

Web: www ozoneclean co uk

Call : 020 8883 2756

Emails: sales@ozoneclean.co.uk

edencleen from Cleenol

Over the course of our histor y, we at Cleenol have always produced products that offer a perfect balance between cleaning performance and efficiency with an attention to reducing the environmental impact that our products may carr y edencleen our latest brand reaffirms our commitment to our credentials for environmental guardianship, and represents an evolution of what has been an integral par t of our DNA Edencleen has been designed to reflect in par t our vision for a cleaner, safer world, that touches not only the environmental aspects of sustainability, but has as an aim, a social ambition to leave the planet in the safe care of and for future generations As such with edencleen, Cleenol looks to ensure transparency in our approach, which may on occasion result in some counter intuitive elements

The range covers the essential needs to cover 80% of daily cleaning and include: a washroom cleaner and toilet gel cleaner and urinal deodoriser, an all-purpose surface sanitiser, a degreaser and a washing up liquid, a no rinse floor degreaser, a window cleaner and a laundr y detergent and fabric softener

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GroutGleam - Refresh, Recolour, Restore

GroutGleam restore and recolour grout and tiled surfaces to like new condition incredibly affordably No mess no stress, no hassle , completed and reusable in hours

This everlasting solution has huge commercial appeal with low upfront costs which result in ongoing cost savings with reduced cleaning and maintenance requirements

Operating successfully for over 5 years, our 50+ nationwide network of Official Par tners exclusively offers the GroutGleam ser vice after completion of our full training programme

Any grout and tiled surface in any tiled location can receive the full GroutGleam treatment

Our list of satisfied customers grows daily and so far, includes hotels, pubs, restaurants, holiday parks, offices, leisure centres, g yms, theatres, stadiums, airpor ts, train, and bus stations and much more

We are not tilers, we do not regrout Our bespoke compound overlays and chemically bonds to your existing grout resulting in an everlasting low maintenance easy clean surface

edencleen from Cleenol

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

edencleen products have been developed around the following principles and ingredients:

• RSPO cer tified palm oil der ivatives

• No animal der ived products

• Cruelty free

• Minimal petroc hemical der ived products

• No parabens , formaldehyde , CMI/MIT, tr ic losan, phosphates , c hlor ine bleac hes , optical br ightener s , quaternar y ammonium compounds

• VOC free and phosphate EDTA NTA free

• Rec yc lable / rec yc led pac kaging 100% bio-based surfactant - made by us ng bio-based ethy ene oxide whic h is manufactured from biomass ethanol

EXAMPLE ONE:

20 room, independent hotel in Blac kpool, affordably recoloured all 20 ensuite shower cubic es in just 6 days with one of our Official Par tner s

EXAMPLE TWO:

After almost a decade in ser vice a holiday lodge company with 10+ UK s tes and approac hing 800 cabins were concerned about the condit on of their bathrooms

Their biggest complaint from customer s when sur veyed is the tired appearance of their bathrooms To replace 800 bathrooms would require an investment of mill ons of pounds and too muc h downtime To regrout 800 bathrooms would require an investment approac hing a million pounds and too muc h downtime

The solution to GroutGleam each bathroom will save the company hundreds of thousands of pounds when compared to regrouting And ver y impor tantly with one GroutGleam Official Par tner able to complete 2 bathrooms per day, with them being reusable within hours, there is barely any downtime

GroutGleam is proven to be a total win win for their customers with huge savings and next to no downtime

See the adver t on this page for fur ther information

• Bioethanol, naturally der ived acids , sugar-based surfactants , bio-based solvents , low impact preser vat ves

Combining carefully formulated products, with appropriate packaging, using recycled material or recyclable componentr y, the range ’ s mostly colourless liquid and low fragrance usage are designed to convey a transparency and straightforwardness of our approach which will be a hallmark of all edencleen products and associated ser vices

Careful use of enzymatic formulations and more traditional chemistr y brings a por tfolio of products that s finely attuned to delivering effective cleaning which when used as instructed helps maintain a neutral environmental impact edencleen’s new range represents just the star t to a fully refreshed solution to meet the most demanding of customers expectations

See the adver t on this page for fur ther information

Only GroutGleam Official Partners offer the MOST AFFORDABLE and COMMERCIALLY VIABLE grout and tiled surface refurbishment, restoring to like new condition in HOURS with almost no downtime

GroutGleam operates nationwide, offering your establishment an everlasting solution that has already transformed thousands of bathrooms, kitchens, restrooms, shower facilities, entrance ways, offices, lobbies and more over the last 5 years

Join our growing list of super satisfied customers that include hotels, pubs, restaurants, holiday parks, offices, leisure centres, gyms, theatres, stadiums, airports, train and bus stations and many more.

We are not tilers, we do not regrout Our bespoke compound overlays and chemically bonds to your existing grout resulting in a low maintenance, easy clean surface As well as being incredibly affordable, GroutGleam reduces your ongoing cleaning and maintenance costs

Hospitality Technology

Aqilla Helps Independent Hotel Reach a Level of Financial Control to Rival Global Groups

When Sage 200 Extra Online was withdrawn it was the perfect oppor tunity for Rober t McCluskey, Financial Controller at The Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells, to implement new accounting software that would offer advanced financial analysis, reduce the time spent on manual tasks and gain a competitive advantage for this independent hotel He chose Aqilla’s cloud-based accounting software to help achieve these strategic goals

Explaining his reasons for choosing Aqilla, Rober t said, “Having come from larger hotel groups, I’m used to working with the level of financial analysis you get from bigger applications QuickBooks was never going to do it, and the bigger packages are out of my range , but

Aqilla is in that middle space where you can get lots of functionality from quite a light product and a low cost of ownership ”

THE CHALLENGE

The 70-room independent hotel has several revenue streams, including a Spa and Leisure Club, restaurants, conference ser vices and events Different business applications are in place to suppor t each depar tment; the hotel management system covers bookings and housekeeping and a spa and leisure club system manages therapy bookings and memberships There is also a food and beverage till system, which stores information to help manage stock and predict purchasing needs in line with historic trends

There are around 2 000 metrics that can potentially be har vested and analysed daily for improved financial control The data from each system is currently impor ted into Excel However, it wasn’t possible to upload Excel data into Sage This meant that the financial analysis could only span the volume of data the accounts team could manually input each day – on average just 30 lines Par ticularly impor tant following the impact on the business caused by the pandemic , improved financial analysis would help the hotel control costs, increase efficiencies and make more accurate predictions

THE SOLUTION

Sage’s limitations meant that Rober t could only tap into a small percentage of the total data available to him, limiting his range of performance measures and the quality of the insights from such a small data pool Aqilla s Excel Add-In means that Rober t can combine 100 per cent of his data in Excel before impor ting it to Aqilla He explained “I was only able to manually input about 30 lines a day Now I have almost 100 automatically uploaded that I use to check costs and performance

He continued “With Aqilla I push a button and it takes seconds to populate the data The sheer volume it can handle is incredible , and it gives me the kind of detailed insights you’d expect from a much larger system It saves me an insane amount of time maybe as much as two hours a day that I can spend improving efficiency

Rober t also uses Sharperlight, a self-ser vice BI tool integrated with Aqilla that draws information out for repor ting purposes He explained how it saves time tr ying to find the source of discrepancies, “I’d often get to the end of the month and wonder why my spreadsheet is different to the accounts Drawing repor ts from Aqilla via Sharperlight means my repor ting is always in sync ”

Quantifying some of the advantages the finance team have experienced since switching to Aqilla, Rober t added, The daily banking process used to take two and a half hours with Sage With Aqilla it takes less than an hour The bank reconciliation process at month end that used to take three or four days now takes me less than half a day ”

Streamlined, accurate accounting and access to cross-company data can help hospitality businesses recover from the challenges of Covid and get through today’s turbulent economic times Summing up Rober t says “Our accounting needs are basic; bank rec , general ledger and purchase ledger Mainly, I want to get large volumes of data in and out of the system, fast The level of analysis we can get from Aqilla and our ability to combine data from various sources gives us a real advantage I ve got big system analytics from a fast and light mid-range system It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 or 100 lines, I push a button on the toolbar, and the data is in ”

For fur ther information visit www aqilla com

Boost Your Efficiencies During the Spring & Summer Rush

As the spring/summer season approaches, the upcoming events calendar is looking quite busy; from St Patricks Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Coronation of Charles III, and Father's Day, all the way through to Eurovision and the FA Cup Final

During this busy period operators need to raise their tech game to ensure customer experience and operational efficiency are slicker than ever

Call Systems Technolog y (CST) specialise in innovative communication technolog y and software solutions that transform and enhance the hospitality industr y – for both customers and operators Helping to deliver a truly first-class ser vice whilst subtly elevating the experience to stand out from competitors Staff should be readily available without being constantly visible , and communication between teams should be almost invisible yet still allow the establishment to operate at its best Thankfully, modern paging systems, designed specifically for the hospitality industr y, are allowing just that

Here are our top tips to make sure spring/summer is a sizzler :

1) With many operators currently shor t-staffed call buttons allow customers to instantly gain a team member's attention when needed, making it easier to

order additional food and drink or request to pay the bill

2) Instead of getting customers to wait in a long, tedious queue , create an invisible one instead Utilising customer paging solutions gives diners the freedom to wait where they wish – such as the barwhile reducing congestion

3) Simple but effective WaiterCall instantly connects front and back-of-house for the slickest ser vice

Instant communication eliminates the need to run back and for th from the kitchen pass, leaving more time to upsell drinks and maintain high levels of customer ser vice

4) Two-way radios provide instant communication between managers, kitchen staff and waiting staff Meaning table turns are increased incidents are dealt with immediately, and the overall guest experience is enhanced No guessing, shouting or time wasted –just clear communication

Keeping on top of the latest technolog y not only relieves stress for staff during busy periods but also helps improve simple operations keeping customers happy and most impor tantly, loyal

For more information www call-systems com or solutions@call-systems.com

Recruitment Challenges Set to Continue in 2023

Hospitality teams put in longer hours over the festive season to meet the demands of strong trading according to workforce management specialist Bizimply, but staff recruitment remains the biggest challenge for the sector in 2023

According to Bizimply’s sur vey, 66% of operators did not have enough staff available in December, prompting them to ask existing employees to work longer hours Average hours worked in the second half of December climbed to 32 hours per week, compared to 28 in October

Employees in top end restaurants put in even longer shifts, averaging 48 hours, up from 40 before the festive period

Of the operators polled by Bizimply one-third are expecting no easing of the challenges in recruiting front-of-house staff, rising to two-thirds when it comes to filling kitchen vacancies

Shaw commented: “Despite the cost of living crisis we re seeing signs of a recover y for hospitality Operators need to make sure they have the right staff in place to meet increased trade later in the year ”

BIZIMPLY’S TOP TIPS FOR STAFF MANAGEMENT

Staff, par ticularly new recruits, thrive when their GM is visible and actively managing them, so make sure your GMs are front of house and reduce the time they spend in the back office on admin like staff rotas

Respect your team members by giving them plenty of notice of their shifts And empower them to schedule their own holidays with Bizimply’s ‘Unavailability’ feature

Use the data to identify whether you are over- or under-staffed and create your staff rotas accordingly www bizimply com

A FULL TURNKEY SERVICE

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump)

Creates Considerable Interest

The New DrainMajor C (Combi Oven Pump) manufactured by Pump Technolog y Ltd

There are significant advantages that this combi oven drainage pump offers The pump features a 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 par ticles before the reliable star t/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 ever ywhere

Inox Equip - A Full Kitchen Refubishment Service

A kitchen refurbishment can cause a massive disruption to your home and residents and can prove to be overwhelming But don t worr y - Inox Equip has you covered with

temporar y commercial catering facility ser vice Not only does Inox Equip handle all aspects of the refurbishment processfrom electrical work to gas work, ventilation, Altro flooring, Whiterock walls, and ceilings - they also offer a turnkey solution that takes care of ever ything from star t to finish And with their competitive pricing and project management ser vice , you can trust that the entire refurbishment will be handled efficiently and effectively Inox Equip doesn't just stop at refurbishments They also offer a range of high-quality commercial catering equipment and supplies and their team is on hand to

help you choose the right options for your needs and budget Plus, with installation and maintenance ser vices available , you can trust that your equipment will always be in top working order Inox Equip is dedicated to providing their clients with the highest level of ser vice and quality So if you ' re in need of a temporar y commercial catering facility or new equipment and supplies, don't hesitate to reach out to their team of exper ts They'll make sure your business stays up and running, even during the largest refurbishments Please contact us on 01280 822124 or sales@inoxequip com

Please visit our website for more information https://www inoxequip com

COMMERCIAL CATERING KITCHEN SPECIALISTS

Giving

As well as supplying catering equipment from all the top manufacturers in the catering industry, at Inox Equip we can also provide full fit out services for new and refurbishment projects. This includes:

Altro Whiterock or Hygeinic wall cladding

Altro or Polyfloor non- slip safety flooring

Full electrical wiring with NICEIC certification

Mechanical services including new and replacement water, waste and gas pipe with GasSafe certification

Lay-in grid and plasterboard ceiling solutions

Lighting systems

Internal wall removal and construction

Temporary kitchen supply

n 01280 822124 e sales@inoxequip com d

com

Fryers and Oil

Operators should consider when purchasing a fr yer and their oil, the oil capacity against production rate , burner efficiency and recover y rate as well as a true cool zone in gas fr yers to help prolong the oil life Blue Seal V ray Gas Fr yers are our premium fr yer and burner system, which come at a higher price compared to some competitors’ gas models However the fuel efficiency cost saving, performance and stainless steel high build quality far out way the additional initial cost to the operator

Blue Seal produce high performance thermostatic controlled gas & electric fr yers Our Evolution range gas fr yers GT60 GT46 & GT45 have a premium feature benefit of all using our patented “V’Ray” burner system This system uses infra-red technolog y radiating the heat into the tank, only heating the area of oil the baskets are sitting in This promotes incredibly fast recover y rates, high efficiency for limited fuel consumption provides a true cool zone in conjunction with the specially shaped tank The true cool zone prevents crumb and food debris that

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

By David Chesshire , National Accounts Manager, Blue Seal (www blue-seal co uk)

drops below the batter plates from continuous cooking and carbonising, which in turn helps prevent the degrading of oil quality This all achieves considerable cost saving for the operator with fuel and oil, as well as time efficiency, producing the finished products

Blue Seal also offer an additional Filtration units that give a fantastic solution to improving oil life , have great mobility and space saving features as well as powerful pumps & full stainless steel construction

Moisture , fatty acids and food residue contaminate cooking oil, spoiling fried food taste and causing the oil to smoke Blue Seal Filtamax removes impurities, quickly and effectively maintaining consistent high cooking quality and considerable extension of oil life

The Carbon Pads remove sub-micron par ticles down to 0 5 microns – this is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand Daily filtering of fr yer oil using carbon filters can massively increase the life span of the oil creating large cost savings and create more consistent finish and taste to the food product

Choose British-Made Stainless Steel Products

Pland has been manufacturing commercial Stainless Steel products for over 100 years

Still based on the same site in Leeds, there isn’t much they don’t know about designing stainless steels products for the catering market

Stainless steel has many beneficial proper ties that has led to its dominance in the commercial kitchen It offers a smooth neutral surface that impar ts no taste to food so ideal for food preparation

This also makes it difficult for bacteria to adhere and sur vive , it s therefore naturally hygienic and it s also ver y easy to clean It has a high resistance to corrosion too so will not be affected by its surrounding environment be that steamy, in the case of a kitchen or ver y cold, within a freezer The surface works well over a long period and at the end of its life it is 100% recyclable and therefore less harmful to the environment

When total life cycle costs are considered, stainless

Avancini Launches Heavy Duty Variable Speed Single-Phase Spiral Mixers

Avancini, a company with 60 years’ experience of manufacturing spiral mixers for bakeries and restaurants, is extending its classic SP mixer range by offering mid-sized variable speed models in a single-phase format

Traditionally multi-speed spiral mixers with a dough handling capability in excess of 20kg (33litres), are only available in three-phase configurations, which means that the majority of high street operators are denied the opportunity to prepare stiff doughs, high-hydration doughs or enjoy the time-saving benefits of larger multi-speed machines, by virtue of the fact that they only have a single-phase supply on site

steel is usually the least expensive option so it truly offers long term value

The Pland range of catering products star ted in the supply of Sinks and they still produce them in many sizes, with or without leg stands They also produce a broad selection of wash basins be they circular or square inset or wall mounted Through customer demand their collection over the years grew to include stainless steel urinals cupboards work surfaces tables shelving units and trolleys with complementar y accessories too

Check out their standard range of catering products online at www plandstainless co uk, but please be aware , a growing number of the products they produce today are specially designed for clients to a par ticular size or to help provide a product solution For this ser vice speak to their in-house design team by calling Pland Stainless on tel: 0113 263 4184

But now after a year of R&D and many months of rigorous testing in a commercial kitchen environment, Avancini launched a range of single-phase spiral mixers with fully variable speed controls, in 23, 50 and 85 litre models at Italy s SIGEP Expo in January

Michael George, from Avancini s UK distributor NOWAH, explained the reason for these new additions to the Avancini range "In recent years we've seen increased demand for multi-speed mixers from local artisan bakeries, as well as independent contemporary Italian pizzerias/restaurants, all of whom want to craft excellent quality products using stiffer or high-hydration doughs and breads These specialist doughs require a mixer with two or more speed settings in order to achieve the ideal yeast activation and optimal mixture Sadly, in the past, it was only businesses with a three-phase electrical supply that could produce these doughs (in volume) and benefit from the time-saving features of multi-speed mixers But not anymore, thanks to Avancini

NOWAH, Avancini’s UK distributor, are Craft Guild of Chefs business partners, sponsors of the CGC Graduate Awards, and sponsors of the 2023 Young Pastry Chef of The Year by Passion to Inspire Apart from Avancini mixers, NOWAH also distribute the highly regarded Kemplex range of dough sheeters/ laminators/ dough breaks GGF deck ovens and La Pastaia pasta machines

For more information on the Avancini spiral mixers, or the other specialist pastry, bakery and restaurant equipment supplied by NOWAH visit www.nowah.co.uk

Please

For All Your Commercial Catering Ventilation Needs

Why

is a Five-Star Choice For Top Pastry Chefs

Commercial Kitchen Fit-Out

Temporary Catering Facilities For Events & Kitchen Refurbishments

Mobile Kitchens Ltd specialises in the hire or sale of temporar y catering facilities and foodser vice equipment

Ideal for events or to provide temporar y catering facilities during your kitchen refurbishment, our versatile units and equipment offer an efficient and economic solution to the caterers’ needs

Production Kitchens Preparation Kitchens, Warewashing Units, Dr y Store Units, Cold Rooms and Restaurant Units are available as individual units in their own right or they

uk

Kitchen Extract Hygiene – A Burning Issue

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 par ts 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

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 par ticles 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

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 ever y maintenance menu www swiftclean co uk

Congratulations to OiLChef for winning the prestigious Best Kitchen Innovation Award at the Restaurant & Takeaway Expo at the Excel in London Cooking oil is expensive Would you like to save up to 50% on fr yer oil purchases ever y month? If you do then OiLChef is for you

OiLChef device is a small accessor y that fits inside your Deepfr yer and will double the life of your fr ying oil saving you up to 50% on oil purchasing This is not a filter!

Outdoor Spaces

Why Weather-Proofing Your Commercial Outdoor Space Should Be A Priority In 2023

By Stuar t Dantzic , Managing Director, Caribbean Blinds (www cbsolar shading co uk)

As the world returns to a sense of normality after a chaotic couple of years, life post-pandemic cer tainly looks a lot different for many of us Reigniting our love for the great outdoors and the “staycation” are amongst some of the most prominent new norms for Brits Statistics show an additional 18,000 restaurants that listed ‘outdoor dining’ as par t of their offering since the star t of the pandemic For establishments to capitalise on this new-found interest and growth in outdoor dining, it s impor tant that they utilise the full potential of any outdoor spaces and secure them for year-round protection

INCREASE CAPACITY

As a general rule , all businesses should be taking advantage of ever y resource available to them however commercial outdoor spaces can often be overlooked and not utilised to their full potential By investing in and monetising outdoor spaces, commercial establishments such as restaurants, bars and hotels can reap the rewards, resulting in an increase in revenue , footfall, reputation, and overall business success

Preparing outdoor spaces for year-round use can provide venues with additional seating/eating areas, expanding their capacity and enabling them to welcome more guests – especially during busier periods such as public holidays, the festive season and national/regional events

CAPITALISE ON ‘BEER GARDEN’ & ALFRESCO DINING CULTURE

As summer approaches, many Brits will flood towards pubs, bars and restaurants in search of a pint in the sun or an al-fresco style lunch/dinner, and with many businesses competing for their attention; it’s essential to provide an outdoor space that offers comfor t, is aesthetically pleasing

and stands out from the crowd

Although soaking up the sun will be a priority for many, comfor t is key to enticing customers, whilst enhancing their overall experience As such, it’s impor tant to provide substantial shading to offer a welcomed break from the heat Awnings provide instant shade and shelter from direct sunlight; both heat and glare (bright light) and offer outstanding UV protection (typically 95% minimum UV block) Not only this but they also deliver a much-needed cooling effect to the indoor room adjacent to where they are positioned and help stop fixtures and furnishings from fading

PREPARE FOR RAIN

If the change-up of the 2022 World Cup being held in December has taught us anything, it’s that regardless of weather and time of year, the masses will flock to local watering holes to suppor t national/popular events 28 5 million pints were sold across the UK on the 10th December – the day England exited the World Cup – an increase in 166 pints compared to a regular Friday and Saturday

To suppor t these busy times, utilising all available space is impor tant and, in the winter/wetter months, waterproofing outdoor spaces is imperative It’s likely that more temporar y covers such as brollies and parasols won’t stand up to adverse conditions and although retractable awnings can protect and shelter customers from sun, shade and light rain showers at the touch of a button, they can be susceptible to damage from high winds

Modern pergolas with either sliding fabric or rotating aluminium louvered roofs and sides offer a more pragmatic solution, providing protection from heavy rain, gale-force winds and even snow Pergolas with a retracting or rotating louvered roof are also multifunctional and can be left open throughout the warmer months and fully closed during the winter The addition of side screens LED lighting and infrared heating will also provide customers with additional comfor t and warmth, enabling businesses to make the most of their outdoor commercial space at all times of the day (or night) and in any weather

Regardless of season and time of day, weather-proofing your commercial outdoor space will benefit and suppor t business growth, revenue and capacity, whilst working in tandem to boost the venue ’ s potential and enhance its reputation as a result

Outdoor Spaces

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 Industr y all year round

The benefits of purchasing from Fenton Timber is not just the fact we deliver all of our own goods, with our own transpor t 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 barbecues summer fairs live music etc there are also unfor tunate 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 (Ends Fri 10th Mar '23) so call us free on 0800 085 6447.

Enjoy The Sunshine With Our Maintenance Free Outdoor Furniture!

With Spring just star ting (we hope!) what better way for your customers to enjoy the sunshine than sitting outside and relaxing TDP’s furniture , made from recycled UK plastic waste , will be ready and waiting as it doesn’t have to be stored away for the winter or be treated for the new season

Our range of furniture includes picnic tables, dining sets, benches and chairs as well as planters and children s furniture All products benefit from a 20-year warranty and ver y low maintenance , with no annual staining or treatments required It will not rot or splinter, is ver y stable and extremely durable , lasting for decades in even the busiest of areas

TDP has been supplying environmentally friendly products to the industr y for over 30 years We are the choice supplier for those who want outdoor furniture that lasts and to date we have saved

Bolsius Professional Helps Operators To Unlock Revenue In Their Outdoor Spaces

Following last year ’ s heat wave , and with an additional bank holiday on the horizon, consumers are expected to flock to pub gardens and restaurant terraces this spring and summer, representing a valuable oppor tunity for operators with outdoor spaces

Premium candle specialist Bolsius Professional has released a new guide for operators keen to capitalise on their outdoor spaces

Combining stunning exteriors, design tips and cost-effective ideas, ‘Investing in outdoor : attract and retain customers to grow revenue provides ideas and guidance on creating a compelling multi-sensor y outdoor experience for customers

Paul Christodoulou National Account Manager UK & Ireland Out of Home at Bolsius

Professional said:

“At the moment, consumers are ver y conscious of where they are choosing to dine and spend their money Yet, with one in four (27%) pub goers saying that they expect outdoor areas and almost half of UK consumers that go to pubs or restaurants stating that they would prefer to sit in an outdoor area – even if the weather was ‘just okay’ , getting your outdoor space right is more impor tant than ever

“In these challenging times, a welcoming outdoor area can mean more covers and extended dwell time -

As the cold winter months star t to make way for the warmer and hopefully drier spring and summer period, the use of outdoor enter taining spaces star ts to increase

At Space-Ray we can help you maximise the potential of your outdoor space and extend its use beyond sunset, and the inevitable drop in temperature

Specialising in heating solutions for external areas, Space-Ray’s range of gas fired and electric heaters offer you the option to choose the product best suited to your applications:-

The Coldblocker gas fired radiant heater, is ideal for covered outdoor spaces and is rain proof to IP44 Fitted with a tinted glass front which not only offers flame protection, it also gives the heater a stylish sleek appearance when not in opera-

tion

The Linea electric radiant heater offer IP55 level of protection along with remote control and glass front, it is ideal for the smaller space where gas is not available , or a viable option

Our SURA Plus and AQUA ranges of electric heaters use high quality Dr Fischer shor twave radiant lamps also offer an IP55 rating making them durable and weather resistant The Sura plus range is remote controllable

The Eclipse range of zero glow electric radiant heaters are perfect for those intimate areas where no additional light is required Ceramic heating elements are utilised, which provide a gentle level of heat from the sleek and stylish fully black heater Suitable for covered outside areas and offer protection levels of IPX4

Check out our outdoor heating website for fur ther information

www outdoorheating spaceray co uk info@spaceray co uk

Extending Outdoors Ltd

Extending Outdoors offer a wide range of Pergolas & Verandas to extend your living into the outdoors

Many hoteliers, restaurants and cafes depend on their open-air space to distinguish them from their rivals so displaying this space with an excellent outside open or covered construction can help entice customers in and to appreciate the ambience and vistas regardless of the weather

For hospitality businesses requiring a fast, simple and affordable change to their outside space one of our pergolas or canopies could be the ideal arrangement Both pragmatic and beautiful, they give shade and protection from the elements

For existing verandas and pergolas, outside blinds can be mounted to the top and sides to give powerful protection from the sun or rain, establishing a

comfor table climate throughout the entire year

Shades and pergolas offer an incredible expansion to large open spaces, par ticularly when supplied with your own personalisation including remote controlled retractable or sliding rooftops sliding glass zip screens separate passage entr yways climate sensors and LED lighting and radiators

All work carried out is fully guaranteed and our products are all fitted by our own fitters and offer nationwide coverage We have over 35 years experience in bespoke made to measure glass extensions, conser vatories and orangeries

Allow your customers to dine outdoors with full protection or utilise the extra space for a children's play area the oppor tunities are endless

See the adver t on this page for fur ther details

Please

Outdoor Spaces

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

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

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

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

We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industr y and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand Bespoke goods are also a speciality with custom made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture .biz

Preparing for Spring Advice

Now is the time to get your outdoor areas tidied up and planned for spring trade

Here are 3 top considerations to help you prepare

1) KERB APPEAL & FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Get more people through the door by creating a great fir st impression

Smar ten and tidy up your outdoor s

• Give your grass c hance to recover from winter

• Jetwash your patios and dec ks

Use plant pots or planter s to create welcoming entrances

• Chec k and c lean outdoor dining furniture , replace any broken Create impact with colour

Stand out from other venues and be eye catching to passers-by with an injection of colour Choose bright plants colourful outdoor furniture and parasols

2) PLAN YOUR OUTDOOR

SPACE TO MAXIMISE SALES

What do your customers want from your outdoor space?

Who are your core customers?

Does your outdoors suit their needs? Are they comfor table on the furniture you have?

What are they doing? Is it mostly consuming drinks and snacks or do you offer full dining? Or a bit of ever ything? Do you have a mixture of furniture to accommodate all these requirements?

Weatherproof your outdoors

Make customers comfor table no matter the British weather, increase dwell time and spending with outdoor shelters and parasols

3) MAKE YOUR OUTDOORS GREAT Events and Enter tainment

Your outdoors provides extra space to host events and enter tainment

Are you planning events for the kings coronation?

Will you need additional seating or long tables for large groups?

Be memorable and do something different

Use your outdoor areas to differentiate your venue from others

Do you have space for outdoor games or a pizza oven or BBQ?

Is it welcoming especially going into the evening? Can you add lighting to create a welcoming atmosphere

Contact Woodberr y Outdoor Furniture

Woodberr y are outdoor furniture and shelter specialists for the hospitality trade Give Woodberr y ’ s friendly exper t team a call to chat through how you can improve outdoor trade 01926 889922

Browse a wide range of outdoor furniture , shelters and planters online at www.woodberr y.co.uk

Design & Refit

Magicman - Repair, Renew, Restore

The appearance of your hotel is of paramount impor tance when inspiring confidence and delight amongst clientele You have earned your name and now want to maintain your position and reputation

Being awarded ‘Best for Innovative Hard Surfaces Restoration and Repair Ser vices 2022’ by Design and Build Awards and with 30 years ’ experience in specialist repairs and restoration, Magicman can assist

Our customers include celebrated hotels, famous cruise lines and busy international transpor t hubs From Park Lane to Pakistan, Bermondsey to Bermuda, we provide repair and restoration ser vices all over the UK and around the world At Magicman, we know that a good repair is the best thing to do

If your premises are in need of some TLC we have the ser vices and equipment to help you out We can handle minor chips scratches and other superficial issues as well as more major damage such as dents burns and cracks

Our team can handle most problems with efficiency and ease , whether they involve cabinets or furniture We'll even handle any of your snagging issues before you hand over possession of the room to your client, so they don't have to worr y about paying extra fees due to incomplete repairs

We've got all kinds of options when it comes to repairing damaged items in your hotel rooms

If you want to find out more visit www.magicman.co.uk or download our free app available now

Additional Ranges as ILF Continue to Expand

www.ilfchairs.com email terr y.kirk@ilfchairs.com

With the ever-growing success of the ILF Chairs website , 2023 has seen an increase in their stock chairs to 8 ranges available in different Faux and Velvet upholster y and selection of frame colours, plus an 8 colour stock range of Egger laminated 25mm table tops in a selection of sizes

A full range of table bases in metal and stainless steel are also kept in stock In addition a new range called Boutique elegant seating with frames in Ash Walnut and Beech and offering a full selection of stain finishes and fabrics

Their new online website offers both indoor and outdoor seating and table solutions

Divided into Contemporar y seating, Boutique , 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 is 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 upholster y 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

We have developed a range of innovative repair solutions to rectify damage to all types of hard surface – wood, laminate, ceramic, metal, uPVC, stone, marble, granite, even glass

The damage disappears, just like magic!

Design & Refit

Get Ready for the Great British Summer with Indoor/Outdoor Furniture

With blue skies never guaranteed, planning for the summer months can be a challenge That’s why at Trent Furniture , we ’ ve got a great range of options that are ever y bit at home in the interior of your hospitality venue as they are in your outdoor seating area throughout the summer months

Our Bolero Chair is lightweight and stackable making it easy to move around as the weather and other needs dictate Made from hardwearing polypropylene , it’s built to last and its brown woven design looks great both indoors and outside with the matching and equally versatile Bolero Table If you prefer black, check

Lose Less, Sell More

If you re considering the CardsSafe system for your venue , retaining your customers’ banking or ID cards is safer than ever CardsSafe eliminates walkouts and helps increase customer spending and trust in your brand while protecting staff from discrepancies

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 them to up-sell onsite

LESS LOSS

CardsSafe s cost-effective tab-keeping system works alongside existing POS to retain customer credit and debit cards securely As a result CardsSafe vir tually eliminates walkouts and chargebacks because it is a deterrent for slipper y customers and prevents it from happening because their bank card is securely retained

MORE PROFIT

CardsSafe is a fantastic

out our popular Plaza range for similar contemporar y style and flexibility

The clean monochrome lines of our Cannes range is another great option for furniture that provides chic and comfor table seating alfresco or inside The full aluminum construction means it will ser ve you well in any setting for years to come and when not in use it can be easily stacked and stored away For more information about our cost-effective range of indoor/outdoor furniture please call us on 0116 2864 911 or fill in our contact form at www trentfurniture co uk/contact-us

Over 5000 venues, including Young’s pubs, Hilton Hotels, Lord’s cricket ground, and many independent restaurants and bars, utilise the system The CardsSafe units can sit discreetly behind the bar or POS, and the system does not capture data, so it never breaches GDPR

Our system has revolutionised how the hospitality industr y manages its customers’ obligations It’s also incredibly easy to install and requires minimal staff training Our customer ser vice team is on hand with troubleshooting, and we also supply you with free replacement keys should they go missing The question is, can you afford not to have CardsSafe as a

For more information please visit www.cardssafe .com

Or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040

Design & Refit

Top Engraver Supports Hospitality Sector

with Swift Service for Etched & Printed Table Numbers & QR Discs

One of the UK’s most professional and 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 industr y

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

The numbers and discs enable customers to link to apps or menus,

10 Years of Mayfair

Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 10 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture

Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways

We keep in stock a huge variety of items ready for immediate dispatch, and can fulfil a wide range of bespoke orders We deliver to all areas of the UK, Ireland & Europe

We are not just a supplier ; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like to give themselves a fresh new look That's why not

Furniture

only do we supply contract furniture , but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refurbishment we also offer a complete clearance ser vice We ll organise ever ything from a suitable time and date , professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted Along with our sister company Caterfair who provides commercial catering equipment for your kitchens we are the ideal people to speak to when you are looking to refurbish

See the adver t below for fur ther details

Sanicom Provides The Solution For

In Historic York

MST Auctioneers Ltd

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs

We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA)

For the past 25 years, we ' ve provided a unique disposal ser vice tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers as well as private and corporate vendors We carr y out probate valuations and conduct complete house and commercial clearances

We have the largest Auction venue in the South of England Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq ft of undercover space , selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days

We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line"

See adver t on this page for fur ther details

Property and Professional

Saffron Academy Limited - Training. Development. Collaboration.

Saffron Academy deliver a world class training ser vice by: Collaborating, Development, Training

These are the values that we prioritise and believe are desirable and wor th striving for Saffron Academy Limited gets a buzz from helping individuals, teams, and businesses to be the best that they can be , and we are passionate about the power of training, watching individuals grow, and

pursuing talent and creativity

We provide training that is ENGAGING INNOVATIVE & MADE SIMPLE; from engagement to completion, we will handle ever ything for you These internationally and nationally recognised courses could be your chance at achieving the goals you ’ ve set and improving your qualifications

For details of the courses we offer, go to the courses page for full descriptions of the training packages and the latest training schedule; https://saffronacademy co uk/courses/

These packages are a combination of accredited and bespoke training, and we can tailor them around your own organisation if you prefer ‘in-house’ training

The funding for our courses is par tly provided by the European Social

Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis has made it a challenging time for hospitality business owners, but that doesn’t have to hold back your ambitions to thrive Millbrook Business Finance can help you secure funding to make your business dreams a reality

Millbrook Business Finance are leisure and hospitality finance specialists

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 Unfor tunately, business owners are once again confronted with turbulence , thanks to the ongoing cost of living crises However, there’s still an oppor tunity to prosper

If you ’ ve got exciting business plans in 2023, we can help you achieve them 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

Capify s finance can be used for any business purpose , whether that’s:

• Managing shor t-term cash flow issues

• Purc hasing seasonal food and dr ink

• Hir ing additional staff

Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

With over 30 years of industr y experience in the Hospitality sector The Bowden Group s Managing Consultant

David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements:

Profitability, Operational Strateg y, 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) suppor t through our Sprowts4Mentoring system, to analyse , ever y single week, your business performance figures giving you weekly analysis and concise repor ts, with appropriate guidance , to optimise your business’s Sales, Profitability and Staff Management PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS

Our exper ts 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

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 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, ever y 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 MANAGING PEOPLE

Managing people brings with it a whole set of new skills that are now needed more than ever From

‘’Managing the Managers’’ through to Ser vice and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management Motivation guidance and Development

We have a ver y 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 Strateg y 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 adver tising to print design, Promotions and offline adver tising, 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

Fund (ESF) and is available from the Depar tment for Work and Pensions (DWP) until December 2023 We can offer this funding to businesses in the Hospitality, Leisure , Travel, Tourism and Retail sectors, operating in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly providing that they have less than 250 employees

On the other hand, we also have available commercial courses, such as First Aid, for any business outside the earlier sectors, should they need it For fur ther information about us, please contact:

https://saffronacademy co uk/contact/

Email: hello@saffronacdemy.co.uk

Telephone: 07983 469870

https://www.facebook.com/saffronacademylimited/ https://mobile .twitter.com/saffronacademy

• Purc hasing new cater ing equipment or anything else which your business needs

Our flexibility means we will tr y and look beyond your credit histor y when assessing your application and instead, we will consider whether your business has the potential to deliver solid and sustained growth

If you d like to find out how much finance you qualify for, www.capify.co.uk/hospitality-fund

You'll be taken to Capify s website , where you can get a no-obligation quote within minutes You'll also be able to find out more information about the business loan and the unique and straightforward repayments

To find out more www capify co uk/hospitality-fund or call us on 0800 151 0980 to speak to one of our specialist finance sale team

Property and Professional

The Grey Walls pub and hotel on Elleray Road in Windermere , a year-round Lake District top tourist destination, is being offered to experienced operators to lease with the benefit of a major £750,000 investment

Extensive staff accommodation and parking, a rarity in this prime location, and multiple income stream potential make The Grey Walls an appealing commercial oppor tunity

Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars plans for The Grey Walls will transform the tired premises into a premium local with a reputation for great food and drink, filling a gap in the market It will also have 10 ensuite letting bedrooms and a newly refurbished two-bedroom manag-

er s flat alongside its plentiful staff accommodation and parking

The proposed works, which the new operator would have input into, would involve a top-to-toe redecoration of the pub giving it a more modern countr y look and feel and creating seating for over 200

Inside , upgrades will include new lighting, flagstones and hand sawn wide timber floorboards, a new bar with overhead gantr y, retro style leather armchairs and rustic wooden tables and chairs An open through fire with woodburner will demark the pub’s two trading areas and create a greater sense of space

Outside , the pub façade will be redecorated in more contemporar y black and grey colours with new signage and lighting completing the look The front of the pub will also benefit from a new alfresco café style eating and dining area The large beer garden at the rear of the pub will also be upgraded with new timber furniture Planting and festoon lighting will add to the ambience

Other changes will include a new commercial kitchen and upgrade of the customer toilets, a new hotel reception area, renovation of the cellar and installation of the latest dispense technolog y which improves the quality and consistency of draft beer and cider The Smar t Dispense System’s unique cooling technolog y and line insulation from keg to tap is 20% more energ y efficient than standard systems, keeping cider and beer colder

Says Star Pubs & Bars Area Manager, Rick Rose-Coulthard: “The Grey Walls is all about location, facilities and an oppor tunity to be par t of one the UK’s top staycation locations It is right in the centre of beautiful Windermere in the Lake District National Park one of the UK’s leading tourist destinations Even better, it is only 200 meters from

Windermere train station and has parking, so is perfect for both local and tourist trade With competition for staff, the extensive staff accommodation is a real bonus, especially as this is a rarity locally

“There is a great oppor tunity for the right operator to capitalise on the current lack of premium, destination food-led pubs in the area They will need to have run a good food pub before and preferably have hotel experience

Anyone interested in finding out more about leasing The Grey Walls can see fur ther details by visiting www.starpubs.co.uk/pubs/greywalls-windermere