CLH Digital - Issue #191

THE LEADING PUBLICATION FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR & LICENSED TRADE Issue 191

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FSA Backs Call To Make Allergy Information Compulsory On Menus

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has backed calls for “Owen’s Law”, which would force restaurants to publish allergy information on their menus.

On Wednesday this week the FSA agreed it would like to see written allergy information made compulsory across the hospitality industry in restaurants, pubs and coffee shops, and board members said the body will write to

Government ministers to discuss their ideas.

The call for “Owen’s Law” follows a campaign by the family of Owen Carey, 18, from Crowborough, East Sussex, who tragically died from an allergic reaction after eating a meal at Byrons Restaurant.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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CLH DIGITAL

Issue 191

Editor's Viewpoint

Welcome to the latest issue of CLH Digital EDITOR

Peter Adams

We lead today with the news that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is backing calls for a “Owen’s Law” and will be writing to the government to recommend legislative changes.

Transparency, again only in my opinion, is key. Times have changed considerably since I was in frontline operations. The public are far more proactive and aware and have a right to know what ingredients are present in the dishes they consume, and it is the duty of establishments to provide this information in a clear and accessible manner.

In the wake of the tragic and preventable death of Owen Carey, the Food Standards Agency's announcement to recommend changes to allergen rules, coupled with their endorsement of "Owen's Law," marks in my opinion, a crucial turning point for the UK's hospitality and licensed on-trade sector. This pivotal moment demands a steadfast commitment to fortifying the safeguards that protect patrons with allergies.

Menus must become a trustworthy source of information, empowering customers to make informed choices about what they eat. By embracing transparency, the sector not only safeguards the well-being of its patrons but also demonstrates a commitment to fostering a culture of responsibility and care.

While extremely rare, deaths and tragic cases such as this are very alarming. Any changes/initiatives/new laws which can help reduce incidents such as this can only be welcomed.

I have to say. having spent many years in frontline hospitality working for several hotel chains a restaurant chain and having my own business (wine bar/restaurant) back in the 80s and 90s allergens were something that simply never came to the forefront. It was never discussed or highlighted, nor was there “awareness training”. However, a little research has revealed that the number of those suffering allergies has trebled in the last 30 years. There's also been a marked increase in allergies since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Data published by the NHS in late 2022 revealed that hospital admissions for allergic reactions rose sharply from March 2021 – March 2022.

Therefore Owen's story serves as a stark reminder of the very real consequences of anaphylaxis, a tragedy that unfolded within the confines of a dining establishment. And his family have to be supported by the hospitality industry and beyond in their valiant efforts to create new laws.

Furthermore, the incident has ignited a broader conversation about the growing issue of allergies and the hospitality sector's responsibility to address this pressing concern.

The proposed changes to allergen rules signal a positive step forward, yet they prompt us to reflect on the underlying challenges facing the industry. The transient nature of staff within the hospitality sector, often reliant on casual personnel, creates a unique set of hurdles in ensuring consistent adherence to safety protocols. This underscores the critical need for comprehensive staff training, instilling in every employee the gravity of accurately conveying allergen information to diners.

Furthermore, the call for "Owen's Law" accentuates the urgency of legislative changes that will instigate a profound shift in the way the hospitality industry approaches allergen management. Owen's legacy demands that we move beyond mere compliance and adopt a proactive stance in prioritizing the safety of our customers.

As we navigate these necessary changes, it is paramount that the industry engages in open dialogue with regulatory bodies, encouraging a collective approach to refining and implementing new standards. The goal is not only to comply with legal requirements, but to actively contribute to a safer, more inclusive dining experience for all.

The proposed amendments to allergen rules and the endorsement of "Owen's Law" signify a watershed moment for the UK hospitality and licensed on-trade sector. These changes will not only protect the public but also enhance the reputation of establishments as responsible custodians of their patrons' well-being.

I would also take this opportunity to congratulate BaxterStorey’s “Fantastic” Alex Maphalala who was kitchen porter of the year for 2023. (See page 7).

“Back in the day” when I was a humble student here in Bournemouth I did more than my fair share of KP-ing”. I was on the books with an agency that provides casual staff, so I did anything from waiting on, kitchen portering, hall portering, even chambermaiding, you name it I did it, and kitchen portering was as hard as it gets! I am sure every chef in the land recognises the importance of a good KP, so well done Alex!!

And on that note we would take the opportunity to wish all readers (online and offline) and our advertisers, without whose support this publication would not be possible, all our very best wishes for the festive season and we truly do wish you a very successful and prosperous New Year!

Once more I would ask you to please do follow us on Twitter, and encourage as many people you know in the trade to sign up to our digital issue, further details can be seen at www.catererlicensee.com

The Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News Group is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, 3 Carlton Mount, 2 Cranborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5BR. Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.

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EDITOR Peter Adams

SALES EXECUTIVES David Bartlett Guy Stephenson

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades

PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN Charlene Fox

Published by Published by

FSA Backs Call To Make Allergy Information Compulsory On Menus CLH Digital

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

“It’s been a struggle, we’ve been going at this for quite a few years – it has sometimes felt like it was never going to get anywhere, so yes, I was a little bit overwhelmed and had a little tear in my eye today when they said they were going to recommend to the minister that it becomes law.”

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

“We’re hoping that people with allergies can go out and eat in comfort now if you have this law, because they can see what’s in their food.”

Since his death in 2017 his family has called for a new law that would mandate food outlets to put all allergy information on the face of the main menu to ensure customers have “full visibility” on what they order. After the campaign received thousands of signatures, the topic was debated in UK parliament on 15 May 2023.

Georgina Mansergh, 24, had gone to the Angel Inn in Ferndown Dorset on February 11 when she suffered a reaction to the sesame seed oil used in the tahini sauce in the dish.

VERBAL CONVERSATION The FSA has said they will work to develop strong guidance for food businesses on how to provide written allergen information to help drive up compliance and make it easier for people with a food allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease to protect themselves when eating out.

In addition to providing written information, the Board also acknowledged that there should be an expectation for a verbal conversation to take place between customers and food business staff, to ensure an added layer of protection for consumers.

LEGAL REQUIREMENT Commenting on the Board’s position, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair on the FSA said:

3

Owens father Paul Carey said: “I’m just having a little celebratory whisky because we’ve had some good results today from the FSA.”

When ordering at the restaurant in 2017, Owen explained his allergies to the server and having no other information on the menu to the contrary, was assured he dish would be ‘plain grilled’ and therefore safe for him to eat”, however the chicken burger had been marinated in buttermilk, something that he was “highly allergic” to.

Earlier this year a student from Dorset died after suffering an allergic reaction to a mushroom risotto she had ordered during a pub lunch with her family.

Issue 191

Mr Carey said the FSA has listened to the family and praised its professionalism and objectivity throughout the long process.

“At the FSA we are committed to making lives better for the 2 million people who have a food allergy, food intolerance or coeliac disease. In today’s discussions, it was clear that the Board feel that we should set an expectation that food businesses like coffee shops and restaurants provide allergen information in writing as well as having a conversation.”

“The Board also considers that to maximise the likelihood of this happening, written information should be a legal requirement, rather than just guidance. I will write to Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and contact my counterpart at Food Standards Scotland to discuss the Board’s position as the Board would like to see them take this forward on a four-country basis.

“Meanwhile I want us to do all we can in the FSA to provide guidance and support to business so that we can quickly start to make improvements that will be helpful for people with food hypersensitivities when they are eating out.

“I would also like to thank the Carey family for all their work in highlighting the importance of this issue since their son Owen died tragically after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to in 2017.”

FSA PROFESSIONALISM

BETTER UNDERSTANDING UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Hospitality businesses take allergen management extremely seriously and do everything within their power to be transparent with customers about ingredients.

“The overarching message we receive from hospitality businesses, both large and small, is that dialogue between staff and customer can be the most valuable and effective way to cater for people with allergies, alongside other methods to communicate allergy information.

“While all businesses make available allergen information for customers, additional guidance is always useful to ensure a venue’s practice is as best as it can be.

“Given the ever-changing nature of menu items and ingredients used, it’s often the case that blanket policies lack the nuance needed to deliver effective allergen management.

“We’re keen to continue working with the FSA in developing this guidance, to ensure it is practical for businesses, and gain a better understanding of its recommendation to mandate written allergen information.”

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How Hospitality Operators Can Mitigate No-Shows This Festive Season 4

Issue 191

CLH Digital

By Matt Rawlins, CTO at three rocks® (www.threerocks.co.uk)

As all hospitality operators will know, the festive season is an important time for businesses in the sector, with earnings made during this period giving many a boost for the months that follow. During the holiday season there is an increase in demand for hospitality services such as accommodation, dining, and event hosting. People frequently go out, travel, or organise parties to commemorate holidays and special occasions, leading to a spike in customer footfall. In fact, hospitality venues, including restaurants and bars, forecast a £12bn boost this Christmas – revenue which will be critical to a sector currently challenged by the cost-of-living crisis and a labour shortage, as well as rising costs. However, noshows present a significant challenge to operators trying to capitalise on the lucrative opportunities of the Christmas season.. According to new research, the number of customers who fail to show up for their reservations in pubs, bars, and restaurants has more than doubled since September of last year. A considerable 12% of customers are still not respecting their bookings and notifying venues in advance.

It is estimated that no-shows cost the sector £17.59 billion in revenue losses each year, and the impact is significantly larger when wasted food and labour expenses are factored in. This can have a devastating impact on venues. In fact, nearly a fifth of hospitality businesses have considered permanent closure as a result of lastminute cancellations and no-shows.

Dealing with no-shows often requires quick adjustments and adaptations, adding stress to the daily operations of hospitality businesses. Last-minute changes in reservations or the need to fill unexpectedly vacant spaces can disrupt the smooth running of the establishment and often affect customer service, staff productivity and morale. However, there are steps that can be taken to reduce no-shows, and their impacts on your business.

AUTOMATED CONFIRMATION AND REMINDER MESSAGES Setting up automated booking reminders and confirmation emails that are sent to the diner as the appoint-

ment date approaches is a simple strategy to assist in preventing no-shows. These reminders can be sent via email, SMS, or even through mobile apps, providing guests with convenient and timely notifications.

Double confirmations are an especially powerful technique. When you send an email from your booking system to a diner asking them to click on a link to confirm their attendance, this is recorded in your booking system.

WAITLIST MANAGEMENT Implementing a waitlist feature in your reservation system is a great way to fill vacancies created by noshows. When a guest cancels, the system can automatically notify those on the waitlist, allowing for quick rebooking.

TABLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS For restaurants, table management systems can assist in optimising seating arrangements, helping to accommodate walk-ins and manage reservations efficiently. These systems can provide real-time data on table availability, helping staff adapt to changes caused by no-shows resulting in less stress and increased productivity and an enhanced customer experience.

FLEXIBLE CANCELLATION POLICIES Implement transparent cancellation policies and clearly communicate these during the reservation process to set expectations and encourage guests to provide timely notice for cancellations. It’s important to remember that no-shows can often be due to genuine reasons; individuals become sick, or plans change at the last minute. Giving your customers the flexibility to cancel or change their bookings is beneficial to both sides.

While these measures are a great step to help reduce the number of no-shows your business experiences, there will always be people who miss their booking. So, to lessen the damage of no-shows implement a deposit or pre-authorisation policy which are compulsory in many other situations where capacity is limited.

For example, consumers aren’t able to secure their holiday or trip to a gig or the theatre without an up-front commitment.

The landscape for hospitality businesses operating in 2023 is challenging and the issue of no-shows is not slowing down. With this holiday season set to provide a much-needed boost to the sector, implementing steps and processes to mitigate the number of customers that don’t show up is critical for the future sustainability of the hospitality sector.

Northampton Pub Regulars Rally To Bike Loving Care Home Residents A pub in Northampton and its regulars have surprised a local care home with a motorbike rally after learning of its biking enthusiasts residents.

Publican of the The King Billy Rock Bar in Commercial Street, Northampton town, Rachel Nash and six of the pub’s regulars who are all avid motorcyclists traveled from the pub to Ashurst Mews Care Home in Moulton to surprise residents.

The visit came after a team member at the home who helps to run entertainment and classes for residents saw other biker runs that the King Billy Rock Bar has done in the community.

Knowing that some of the residents would love to see the bikes up close and chat to the bikers, they reached out to the pub who rallied the regulars together.

It was a multi-generational rally too with publican Rachel’s eightyear-old granddaughter also riding pillion.

Rachel Nash at King Billy Rock Bar, said: “We were able to take some impressive Harley Davidson and Yamaha bikes to the residents who could then spend time chatting to the bikers and everyone was sharing stories.

“We are a real pub family at the King Billy and the regulars who took part enjoyed it as much as those at Ashurst Mews. We do a lot in the community and for charities locally, especially using our bike rallies, but this is the first visit to a care home.”

Rachel took on a temporary lease from Star Pubs and Bars to run The King Billy in January 2023 but also worked at the pub prior to this. She has grown up around bikers her entire life and got her own license at 40, before having to give it up due to health reasons.

The pub also runs other community initiatives including an annual Santa Dash taking presents to local teenagers in Northampton care homes. However, Rachel says that the current economic situation for pubs is putting these types of community and fundraising efforts at risk and appeals for people to visit their local pub as closures will have a significant impact.

She said: “People must visit and support their local pubs because it’s more than a place where people drink. Across the UK, local pubs will also be community hubs that do everything from food banks and fundraising nights to putting on free food for local grassroot sports clubs. The impact therefore of a pub closing will be felt across the whole community.”

Des O’Flanagan, Co-Founder of PubAid, the industry voice for pubs and their positive contribution to society, said: “Pubs raise more than £100 million every year for charities as well as being at the heart of their community. The King Billy and Rachel are a prime example of how a pub does much more than serving food and drink. Activities led by pubs, publicans and regulars just like the bike rally are taking place across the country every day but as more pubs face closure these will stop. This is in addition to them being places for people to socialise and helping combat issues such as loneliness. People can be part of a pub family and for some, they wouldn’t see and speak to people if they didn’t have their local pub.”

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On Trade Christmas Countdown CLH Digital

Issue 191

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This past week has seen a decline in sales as pubs simply couldn’t compete with the single BIGGEST sales day of 2022, England’s Quarter Final Match vs. France in the 2022 World Cup, according to the latest analysis by Oxford partnership.

This week we have also seen footfall flat versus 2022, except for Saturday & Sunday which both fell vs. 2022. Hardest hit were City Centres where footfall was down -1.6% versus 2022, hit again by train strikes during the week. Suburban and Rural areas fared the best with Friday the strongest day.

This has resulted in a decline in overall Draught Pint Sales which were down -2.1% versus the same week last year.

Average consumer dwell time grew at a total level to 127 mins vs. 122 mins in the same week last year (+4.1%) with City Centres driving the highest growth +5.8%, but the dwell time is down vs. last week. All locations benefitted from an increased consumer visit length vs. last year, with Suburban outlets +2.4% and then Rural +3.4%.

However, Friday is starting to grow its share of weekly sales with an increase in friends and family occasions in the run up to Christmas.

The big winners in the past week have again been the more traditional winter drinks (Stout & Ale) with Stout seeing the biggest gains of +15.4%, and Ale +9.6%.

Last year saw HUGE Lager sales driven by the World Cup Quarter Finals, meaning that the knock on effect this year is a total category decline of -5.4%. Within the category the biggest to lose out are Core Lager -7.8% and World 4% -7.0%.

Alison Jordan, CEO of the Oxford Partnership, commented: “I guess it’s not a huge surprise to see a decline versus this time last year – a World Cup Quarter Final is a very hard act to follow! What is pleasing is that the decline this week hasn’t been too big as the volume data from Vianet shows, and we should hopefully see the trade starting to improve now that the festive season is well upon us and there are no more strikes to come.”

Proper Pubs Awards Three Community Heroes With £1,000 Prize Proper Pubs has announced the three winners of its Community Hero Awards. Each winner, who has been nominated by fellow members of their community, has been awarded with £1,000 to donate to charity of their choice.

In June 2023, Proper Pubs launched its Community Hero Awards in search for the unsung heroes in communities across the UK. The Group encouraged members of its local communities to nominate fellow residents, whether they’re a customer of the pub or not, to be entered into a competition recognising the efforts of those going the extra mile.

Each winner has gone above and beyond in recent months to support local causes close to their hearts. In Nelson, Lancashire, Paula Blades was nominated by customers at The Station Hotel for caring for a fellow patron of the pub throughout his battle with cancer.

Paula chose to donate her £1,000 to Pendleside Hospice, where her friend was cared for through until the end of his life.

Ken Jarvis in Merseyside was nominated by customers at the Boar’s Head in St Helen’s for his dedication to litter picking to keep his local community clean. Every morning Ken collects rubbish, separates it and then takes it to the appointed drop off points to ensure the waste is recycled responsibly. On behalf of his grandson, Ken donated his prize to Zoe’s Place, the children’s hospice where he was cared for.

In Wigan, Jayne Jacko was nominated by customers at the New Inn for knitting over 20 blankets for end-of-life patients and premature babies at a local hospital. Despite already making such incredible progress, she has no plans to stop any time soon. Jayne has split her prize equally between Daffodils Dreams and Refuge.

Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, commented: “On behalf of myself, and the whole team at Proper Pubs I would like to thank Paula, Ken and Jayne for their incredible contributions to their local communities. I’m blown away by their efforts and absolutely delighted that we’ve been able to recognise some of the unsung heroes across the UK. It’s so important to us that we support both our pubs and the local communities they serve so we’re continuously finding ways to give back to them and I feel this is a little something to show our appreciation.”

Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an array of events and charity fundraising initiatives ranging from Easter Egg collections to local foodbank donations and charity walks. The Group has also been recognised for its defibrillator fundraising and installation campaign – which has already saved nine lives – and is a finalist in the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards 2024.

In the run up to Christmas, operators across its 200 pubs will be collecting Christmas selection boxes to donate to local charities.

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

What Does the Government’s Latest Announcement on Immigration Mean for the Hospitality Sector?

By Mandie Sewa, Head of Immigration at Brevis Law (www.brevis.co.uk) The Government’s announcement about changes to immigration legislation this week has understandably caused a furore in some quarters. For businesses and organisations across the UK that rely on an overseas workforce, the changes may be catastrophic. The first paragraph of the press release announcing the new rules issued on 4th December says, ‘The UK Government will introduce a plan to deliver the biggest ever cut in net migration and curb abuse of the immigration system’. This phraseology alone is alarming. Now more than ever, following Brexit and the devastating economic impact of COVID-19, the hospitality sector relies on migrant workers. Any cut in migration will therefore disproportionately affect recruiters and business owners in the industry. It’s also important to note that the vast majority of people who come to the UK on visas that entitle them to work are simply not abusing the system. These are not small boat migrants - they are vital to the UK’s infrastructure and economy.

of almost 50% above the current threshold.

WHAT IS NET MIGRATION?

From Spring 2024 only postgraduate students on research-based programs will be allowed to bring their dependents with them. Unlike under the present system, dependents will not be able to work or study in the UK. This further limits the pool of workers who are prepared to work in ‘lower skilled’ jobs. So for hospitality - an industry where vacancies are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels -this will have a significant effect: it will further restrict businesses from operating at anywhere near their full capacity, as they remain under-resourced operationally.

Put simply, net migration is the amount of people coming to a country minus the amount of people leaving. In 2019 the Tory manifesto committed to reducing ‘overall’ numbers. But the net migration figure for that year was c.219,000. In 2022 it hit a record high of 745,000. While the figure in June 2023 is estimated to be lower at 672,000, the numbers are staggeringly high compared to their target of below zero. This week’s new reforms therefore seem to be the government’s knee jerk response to the continuing spike.

THE CURRENT SITUATION The points-based immigration system was launched on 1 January 2021. The salary threshold for Skilled Workers at the time was £25,600. For the hospitality sector, Skilled Workers were considered to be hotel managers, bar managers and restaurant managers. Roles such as kitchen staff, kitchen porters, baristas and cleaners were not included. Therefore, in an industry where the majority of workers are considered ‘lowerskilled’, it was already exceedingly difficult to recruit.

THE IMPACT OF THE 5-POINT PLAN The government’s new 5-point plan, expected to be implemented from Spring 2024, consists of 5 main changes, 4 of which will directly impact the hospitality industry significantly.

1. The minimum salary for foreign skilled workers will be raised from £26,200 to £38,700.

The government’s aim is to stop migrants undercutting British salaries. There will be a new immigration salary list with fewer occupations. But if a company has to pay a migrant worker a higher rate because of visa conditions in order to recruit and retain them, it may force a reduction in settled workers’ salaries to balance overall wage bills and maintain profit margins. There is a risk therefore that employers should consider - any disparity in wages as a consequence of workers’ immigration status (where the overseas worker receives more pay in order to ensure they reach visa thresholds, for example) could lead to discrimination claims under employment law.

The general salary threshold for sponsoring a Skilled Worker will be raised from £26,200 to £38,700. This is above the current gross median earnings for full-time employees in the UK, of £34,963. It is also an increase

The impact of such a substantial increase to the salary threshold is that only very senior members of many medium-skilled occupations will continue to qualify, and some occupations in the hospitality sector will simply be priced out.

2. The Shortage Occupation List will be reformed and the current 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations will be abolished.

The current shortage occupation list regime will be scrapped. This means employers will no longer be able to fill labour gaps by offering 20% below the going rate for jobs. This is likely to have a limited effect on the hospitality industry as the current list does not consist of roles within the sector and it is highly unlikely that the new Immigration Salary List will feature such roles.

3. The rules on students bringing family members to the UK will be tightened, plus the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will be commissioned to conduct a full review of the Graduate visa route.

The Graduate visa route is for international students who have successfully completed a degree or other eligible course in the UK. It allows them to stay and work here for at least 2 years for any employer, without being sponsored. Under the new reforms the Home Office will commission the Migration Advisory Committee consider options for reforming this visa route to provide a clearer pathway into high quality jobs for graduates. However several international graduates choose to stay in the UK on this visa to experience living and integrating in the UK, before considering where they want to continue their professional working lives. Such individuals are happy to work in sectors such as hospitality as a way of doing this. The reforms will mean that the talent pool for employers in the industry is even further restricted.

4. The minimum income requirement for a spouse or family visa will be raised from £18,600 to £38,700.

Any British or settled person wishing to bring their overseas partner to the UK to join them will need to earn at least £38,700. According to ONS statistics the average salary in the UK for the tax year ending 5 April 2023 was £34,963. With average salaries for hospitality jobs in London being reported to be £29,000, even if a business is able to recruit a worker in the hospitality sector, and the worker is able to apply for settlement after 5 years, it will be highly unlikely that they will be able to bring their family to join them.

The government has urged the hospitality industry to improve conditions and increase pay. This is simply not a viable option for most employers. The recent changes will reduce the availability of workers in an industry that will be crippled without overseas workers, unless businesses can pay increased costs to deal with the skills shortage. Sadly, for a number of businesses in the sector, this may not be a viable option.

In summary, the implications of the Government’s announcement are far reaching, and have the potential to be deeply damaging to the hospitality sector. Business across the industry could face a tighter market for recruitment, as the UK becomes less appealing for international workers. The Government must change course if it wishes to protect the British hospitality industry from further disruption, after the difficult challenges of recent years.

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expressed Simon Rose, Managing Director of Pro Auction. "This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire furniture from one of the city's most iconic hotels."

The first phase of the auction is scheduled for December 19th, 2023, featuring an array of furniture from the hotel's guest bedrooms, including beds, bedside tables, wardrobes, desks, chairs, and more. Subsequent sales will occur every five weeks starting from March 2024.

Don't let this extraordinary chance slip away. Mark your calendars and participate in the live and online auction on December 19th to secure your slice of luxury from The Grand Brighton. To preview the available lots, please schedule an appointment directly with the auctioneers.

The live auction sale takes place at the hotel commencing at 10..00am promptly, online bidding is enabled and interested parties can register at Pro Auction Limited | The Grand Brighton Sussex Hotel Furniture Fittings and Equipment (FF&E)- Guest Bedrooms (bidspotter.co.uk)

www.proauction.com

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NTIA CEO Questions True Value of Covid Inquiry to Taxpayers without Industry Representation Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, has made a statement on the ongoing COVID Inquiry:

diverse landscape of businesses within our sector. The scheme’s narrow scope margin-

“The current COVID inquiry must ensure that it includes representation from the hospitality and cultural sectors to truly address the questions and issues that people are seeking answers to. Without a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by businesses in these sectors, the inquiry risks falling short of providing meaningful insights.

Omitting representation from the nightlife and cultural industries would not only undermine the credibility of the investigation but also render it a futile exercise, ultimately wasting taxpayers’ money.

and leaving many businesses unsupported. The lack of consideration for scalability in the

“It is surreal to witness the celebration of initiatives like ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ as saviours of the industry and job creators when, in reality, they failed to encompass the

perpetuating misconceptions but also compromises the inquiry’s ability to deliver the

alised wet-led establishments and late-night venues, offering disproportionate support financial models used during the program has resulted in a broad-brush approach, burdening numerous businesses with debts that will linger for years to come.

“For a comprehensive and effective inquiry, it is imperative to include voices from all sectors affected by the pandemic, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by businesses in the hospitality and cultural realms. Failure to do so not only risks answers and solutions our industry urgently needs.”

Meet ‘Fantastic’ Alex, The 2023 KP Of The Year BaxterStorey’s Alex Maphalala tops the hugely competitive 2023 KP awards The search is over and Winterhalter has revealed the 2023 KP of the Year: he is Alex Maphalala, who works for BaxterStorey at Health Service Laboratories, London. His nominator, general manager Praveen Gujra, describes him as “truly amazing. He’s vital to our team and lets us shine in a way that we wouldn’t be able to without him.”

Judges were impressed by Alex’s innovation and creativity as well as his promotion of ‘an enjoyable working environment where mental health is prioritised so everybody can thrive.’ He is very committed to sustainability, and is especially passionate when it comes to food waste. Praveen says, “He regularly collaborates with the head chef to repurpose food waste into different soups and broths for the kitchen – and even his own special chilli sauce! He was instrumental in reviewing our client’s waste management method, which enabled us to introduce a new recycling system that encourages waste separation.

ly to hear that I’m making a real contribution. When you work in a nice environment with a supportive manager, it’s easy to enjoy what you do!”

Along with the prestigious title of Kitchen Porter of the Year 2023, Alex wins £1,000 in vouchers plus a celebratory event for family and friends. To make his life a bit easier, he also wins a new Winterhalter machine for his kitchen.

Stephen Kinkead is managing director of Winterhalter UK, the company behind KP of the Year, and was also one of this year’s judges. He said, “Alex is a brilliant KP – in a hugely competitive field, with many outstanding entries, he absolutely stood out. Kitchen Porter of the Year is all about celebrating the amazing contribution that KPs throughout the UK make to our industry. As Praveen said in the presentation, Alex is an inspiration. I’m delighted for him.”

“He has so many skills, being a KP is a fraction of what he does and he’s central to the success of our team.”

The two runners up each receive £250-worth of vouchers. They are Elisabetta Cenderello of 21 Hospitality Group, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Consti Istrate, who is a KP at the Manchester Central Convention Complex. All the KPs who were nominated this year receive an exclusive KP of the Year apron in a presentation tin.

“I’m one of those people who comes into work with high energy,” says Alex.

“Helping the team to get whatever needs to be done is a good feeling, and it’s love-

For more information on the KP of the Year competition, visit kpoftheyear.com.

Solid November For Managed Restaurants, Pubs and Bars Ahead Of Crucial Christmas CLH Digital

Hospitality groups achieved year-on-year sales growth of 4.0% in November, the new CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

Restaurant, pub, and bar groups have now achieved 14 months of like-for-like sales growth in a row. November’s figure marks an increase from October’s figure of 3.2% and is close to the current rate of inflation in the UK, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

The Tracker—produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK—indicates an equally solid month for pubs, where like-for-like sales were 5.0% ahead of November 2022; and restaurants, where growth reached 4.9%. However, sales in bars were 6.9% down year-on-year to continue a dismal 2023 for the channel.

For the first time in 2023, total sales growth in the Tracker was slower in London than the rest of the country. Groups’ sales within the M25 in November were 3.5% up on last year, slightly behind the increase of 4.2% elsewhere.

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “November’s solid

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growth raises hopes that consumers are starting to spend a little more freely, and that hospitality might move into consistent real-terms growth in 2024. However, with the sector still besieged by relentlessly high costs, conditions will stay challenging for some time to come.

Christmas trading can make the difference between a modest year and a good one, so all businesses will be hoping that consumers’ celebratory mood translates into confident spending on eating and drinking out.”

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said: “Given the miserable weather that dampened spirits in the early weeks of November and the tough comparisons with 2022’s FIFA World Cup boosts, these year-on-year increase in sales will be viewed with quiet optimism as the Christmas party season gets into full swing. Large businesses are shunning all-staff corporate gatherings which are being replaced with smaller team celebrations, sparking a surge in bookings for pubs and restaurants which are better placed to host such events.

After years of Covid restrictions, operators are all set for partygoers to splash their cash this December despite an uncertain economic outlook.”

Savoy Educational Trust And Springboard Join Forces To Promote Hospitality Careers Savoy Educational Trust and Springboard have announced a three-year partnership to promote hospitality careers to more than 300,000 prospects.

They will offer industry training, put on activities in schools and colleges, and market hospitality careers to those searching for work across the UK. Savoy Educational Trust will be funding three key areas of Springboard’s work between 2023 and 2026: Employability Training Courses – supporting 1,156 disadvantaged people per year through a Springboard Training Course, in which they will receive soft skill development, hospitality training, accredited qualifications, CV and interview workshops, work experience, and guaranteed job interviews.

Careers & Education Activity – allowing 3,128 students and school leavers per year to participate in hospitality takeover days, career hub sessions, and summer school training programmes.

CareerScope Promotion – attracting 100,000 people per year to the CareerScope portal, where they can learn about hospitality careers, join a Springboard course, or apply for one of over 20,000 jobs or

apprenticeships.

Angela Maher, Chief Executive of the Savoy Educational Trust, said: “Partnering with Springboard allows us to make a meaningful impact on the future of UK hospitality by investing in key areas that promote education and employment opportunities.”

“We believe in the transformative power of education, and through our funding, Springboard will be able to deliver essential employability training courses for disadvantaged individuals, fostering a passion for hospitality among thousands of students and young people, and using CareerScope as a bridge between individuals seeking employment and the wealth of opportunities within the sector.”

Chris Gamm, Chief Executive of the Springboard Charity, said: “We are thrilled to team up with the Savoy Educational Trust in this ambitious and inspiring three-year partnership. By combining our expertise and resources, we aim to open up exciting opportunities in the hospitality industry for more than 105,000 individuals per year; and build on our fantastic work together delivering the Springboard to 2022 project, in which we helped 10,384 young people secure hospitality jobs.”

All I Want For Christmas Is… Family CLH Digital

Seeing family around the festive period has been voted the best thing about Christmas, according to new national research by pub company and brewer Greene King.

Commissioned to identify the best and worst things about Brits’ festive spirit, data revealed that a third of Brits (28%) place family above all else at Christmas time, with other top festive traditions voted as Christmas decorations and visiting the pub for a festive meal.

Throughout December, Brits visit the pub an average of 4 times, with over a third of the nation (35%) considering the classic pub as the perfect place to have a festive celebration. What’s more, almost a quarter (24%) view the pub as the most important place for the local community at Christmas.

Shockingly, Christmas themed music, a staple of the festive period, did not make the top five favourites. In fact, when quizzed, over one in ten Brits (12%) said they’d ban “All I Want for Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey – a song played so often it reportedly earns the singer between $2.5-3 million in royalties each year.

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When it comes to festive traditions we could do without, almost one in five (20%) would vote to ban Christmas jumpers (18%) with a further 13% voting to ditch the tradition of Secret Santa. Other traditions that the nation is tired of include singing Christmas carols (7%) and Christmas themed music (6%).

As with recent years, the cost of living continues to impact Brits’ festivities, with a quarter of people hosting Christmas dinner planning to charge friends for their attendance. Despite this, an overwhelming seven in ten (68%) say they’d be happy to pay, with a fifth (25%) saying they’d happily pay up to £20.

Andrew Gallagher, Marketing Director for Greene King Pubs said: “As a nation we’re big on tradition, and it’s fantastic to see that despite the ongoing pressures, Brits still place the pub at the heart of the community.

“Aside from the welcoming festive atmosphere, one of the main reasons that our pubs resonate so well with communities across the UK is that they’re accessible to all, and provide the perfect place to connect with loved ones at such an important time of year.”

Proper Pubs Celebrates Landmark Milestone As 200th Pub Opens Proper Pubs, the community-wet led operator division of Admiral Taverns, has opened its doors on their 200th pub this Christmas!

The Chrystal Bell, in Gallowgate, Glasgow is one of its newest openings, that officially opened its doors on Friday 1st December, following a £220,000 investment, just in time for the busy festive season.

Mark Brooke, Director – Proper Pubs, commented: “This poignant milestone marks a very proud moment for our team. We have experienced continuous growth in 2023, which is testament to the hard work from everyone, including all our dedicated operators. We truly have the best people in our pubs who are always finding new ways to support their communities.

“The magic of Proper Pubs is that we are community obsessed!

The team are constantly raising money for local charities and organising amazing events. This isn’t only one of our core values, but is central in all our plans, and underpins our ambition to be the number one community pub operator in the UK.” Proper Pubs’ latest opening in Gallowgate is a great example of the Group’s vision, with the pub having undergone a complete interior and exterior transformation. At the helm of the pub is community hero and passionate operator, Angi McKean who has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the hospitality industry.

She has already started to collect food for a local food bank and donations to install a defibrillator. The pub will also host regular entertainment, including Karaoke and DJ nights.

Across its estate, Proper Pubs is continually supporting local communities through an array of events and charity fundraising initiatives. In the run up to Christmas, operators across its 200 pubs will be collecting Christmas selection boxes to donate to local charities. The Group has also been recognised for their defibrillator campaign and is a finalist in the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards 2024, for defibrillator fundraising, saving nine lives within their communities.

Chris Jowsey, Chief Executive of Admiral Taverns, commented: “Reaching our 200th pub across our Proper Pubs division marks a fantastic milestone for Admiral Taverns and I would like to extend a huge thank you to the entire team. We strongly believe in creating long-term sustainable pubs that sit at the heart of their communities and support all aspects of local life.

“We want to ensure that every pub can thrive and make a positive difference within its community, which is why an active investment programme forms a core part of our strategy and are delighted to have invested over £10 million into Proper Pubs in 2023, with further investment planned in 2024.”

Seasonal Hospitality Workers Need Assurances Over Pay 12

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By Borja Perez, SVP at CloudPay, the pay and payroll solutions specialist (www.cloudpay.com) Recent labour market data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) revealed that although vacancies remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, employers in the hospitality sector are adopting a more cautious approach to recruitment due to the economic challenges they face. This is, however, translating into longer times to hire, which can impact the ability to attract seasonal talent at a time when we see a pick-up in consumer spending in the lead-up to Christmas.

INCREASED SPENDING Often the worker demographic that employers across the sector are trying to attract are casual staff who need work to supplement their income to cover the added costs that arise during the festive season. Indeed, the purchase of non-essential items has already started to increase significantly as highlighted in the latest UK Spending Report from Barclays. Credit card spending was found to be up 2.9% year-on-year in November, a jump from the 2.6% seen in October and the highest it has been since April 2023.

FLEXIBLE PAY OPTIONS To attract the number of seasonal workers required to help meet these spikes in consumer demand, hospitality employers need to consider an Earned Wage Access (EWA) or ‘pay-on-demand’ option for new recruits.

This payment model could prove to be a real gamechanger in ensuring that a companies have adequate cover as it allows them to offer pre-Christmas payment to seasonal workers. If a potential recruit has multiple job offers for seasonal shifts, they are likely to be influenced by which employer can pay them first, providing a prime competitive advantage.

TIME SAVINGS Given that employers are already leaving it late to hire staff, the recruitment challenges they face are further exacerbated due to the delays with advance payrolls and the processing of payments that many will face with

new recruits. It takes time and resource to get workers onto payroll systems that are potentially outdated, but technological innovation means that employers can now utilise more flexible processes without the added pressure on resources.

FASTER TALENT ATTRACTION While such an approach can make a big difference to hiring outcomes now, the benefits of flexible payments in hospitality go beyond meeting seasonal needs. In fact, this can be an effective talent attraction and retention tool in its own right for a sector that so often relies on temporary workers. Flexibility is key for businesses and staff alike. Onboarding new hires can be a significant burden for employers if turnover rates are high or high levels of agency staff are being used.

PUTTING PLANS INTO ACTION Nandos Singapore is a prime example of an employer which has benefitted from this approach. The business had faced challenges recruiting in a skills-short market and needed a solution that would provide flexible pay, support its hiring and retention and boost its EVP. Like many other hospitality employers, it had issues running advance payrolls for its employees ahead of festivals like Christmas, Eid, and the Chinese New Year. Nandos adopted pay-on-demand and was able to provide all of its employees across Singapore with instant access to their earned wages, meaning they were supported ahead of potentially costly holiday seasons. The firm also gained from a knock-on reduction in recruitment and retention costs from less use of agencies, advertising and other fees.

STRONGER EMPLOYER BRAND EWA models can help hospitality employers attract the labour resources they need for the hectic holiday run-in, while alleviating the financial pressures on individuals. But they are not just for Christmas or seasonal requirements. They can also play a pivotal role in employer branding and Employee Value Propositions (EVPs) as a way of differentiating themselves in a competitive market and securing those sought after skills that continue to be in such short supply.

Given that we have instant, online access to so many things, such as music, films and, of course, online bookings in hospitality, is it not about time we also modernise our payroll systems and bring ‘pay-on-demand’ to people’s pay?

Edinburgh Expansion For European Hotel Group International hotel operator MEININGER is expanding into Edinburgh after agreeing a deal with property development company S Harrison, which will see a 1970s office building in the Haymarket area transformed into a stunning new hotel.

York-based S Harrison acquired Osborne House in 2018 and has worked with Edinburgh based architect Comprehensive Design Architects on the transformational plans for the building, which will include 157 bedrooms and incorporate a bar and lounge area on the ground floor.

The building, which is located just West of Edinburgh’s city centre, is close to the Haymarket tram stop, and only a short walk from Princess Street.

Since MEININGER unveiled its first hotel in Berlin in 1999, it has grown considerably and now offers more than 19,000 beds in 26 European cities such as Kraków, Cologne, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, Rome and Vienna.

The 157-bedroom Edinburgh hotel will have 549 beds in a mix of rooms including classic doubles, and private multiple-bed rooms. It will also have a taxi drop off area, disabled parking and secure cycle store.

Work will start on the new hotel early next year.

further strengthen our investment portfolio.

“MEININGER has established an enviable reputation for offering modern, well-designed hybrid hotels in key cities throughout Europe that appeal to all types of guests.

“When all this is combined with Osborne House’s location, in a very vibrant area, just a five-minute walk from Haymarket station and close to both Murrayfield Stadium and Edinburgh city centre, there’s no doubt it will become a very popular hotel.”

Ann Scott, managing director at S Harrison said: “We’re very pleased to agree this deal and look forward to seeing our vision for Osborne House begin to take shape. Edinburgh remains one of Europe’s most popular destinations for tourists and business travellers, hence our decision to hold this asset to

Ajit Menon, CEO at MEININGER Hotels added: “We are excited to bring the proven and successful MEININGER hybrid hotel concept to Edinburgh, reentering the United Kingdom and further expanding our presence in Europe. We believe that Edinburgh, with its lively, diverse and unique nature resonates with the MEININGER culture. Edinburgh attracts families, couples, backpackers, school groups, friends and business travellers alike, making the city a perfect fit for our brand.”

The Aura commercial flatware collection by Corby Hall provides a cost effective high end service for your restaurant or pub. Available in mirror or satin finish and featuring a 13 piece item range, the Aura pattern is

the perfect solution for high volume foodservice operations.

Corby Hall, a US based tabletop supplier with strong Yorkshire roots, supplies 3 – 5 star hospitality operations globally. Please contact your local distributor for pricing. www.corbyhall.com

Corby Hall

The Burnt Chef Project Encourages Operators to Boost Their Colleagues’ Morale This Christmas CLH Digital

The team behind The Burnt Chef Project has joined forces with Morale, the world’s kindest social networking platform, to encourage hospitality businesses and operators to share some festive cheer and praise their colleagues this Christmas.

The new initiative, a first for the hospitality sector, allows individuals to anonymously send messages of gratitude directly to their colleague’s mobile phones, for free, from a dedicated online website or app. Designed to boost the wellbeing of individuals, in what can be a stressful time for those operating in the hospitality sector, the Morale Boost idea is a simple, yet effective way to recognise an individual's value at one of the busiest times of year.

Research has shown that simple acts of gratitude are a great way to make people feel valued, while the impact of positive feedback is known to mitigate the negative effects of stress on a person’s performance. The same research, undertaken by neuroscientists, has shown that a human brain receives positive verbal affirmations in the same way as it does financial reward. In fact, giving a compliment is as much of a boost to dopamine levels as receiving a compliment.

On the partnership with Morale, Kris Hall, Founder and CEO of The Burnt Chef Project comments: “The Christmas and New Year period can be one of the most stressful times of year for those working in

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hospitality. That’s why, we’ve partnered with the team from Morale, the networking platform, to deliver a little bit of cheer and positivity at Christmas.

Foodservice managers and operators can use the dedicated website to choose their morale-boosting message and quickly send this directly to their colleague's phone for free – showing them just how much they’re valued and appreciated. The messages are regularly changed or updated, meaning multiple messages of gratitude can be sent across the period.”

By simply visiting the site, selecting a chosen message and adding a number, the anonymous message is sent in seconds and completely free of charge.

On the partnership, Aldwyn Boscawen, Founder of Morale adds: “We're thrilled to be partnering with The Burnt Chef Project to support the morale of those working tirelessly in the hospitality industry this Christmas time. We know just how gruelling this time of year, in particular, can be for the sector and so by spreading positivity, we know we can help the morale of the teams and individuals working so hard to serve their customers.”

To share your gratitude to your colleagues or your team, visit www.moraleboost.co.uk/bc or to find out more about the work of The Burnt Chef Project, please visit www.theburntchefproject.com.

Aberdare Pub Reopens Following £250,000 Makeover The Bush Inn on Commercial Street, Aberdare, reopened on earlier this month after a major investment of £250,000.

The pub is part of the Proper Pubs division at Admiral Taverns and has undergone a complete interior refurbishment, boasting a brand-new look with fresh décor to appeal to all of the local community. Inside, the pub features a brand-new bar, flooring, and furniture throughout.

For opening night, customers celebrated with a soft opening on Thursday, followed by an action-packed weekend of live music, karaoke, and a DJ, as well as plenty of live sports. Operator at The Bush Inn, Delith May, said: “Opening night was fantastic, it was amazing to see all our customers, old and new, coming to see what the pub has to offer!

“The feedback we received from our community was amazing, and we can’t wait to see them again soon!”

The Bush Inn provides a wide range of drink offers, including cocktails, wine and fizz promotions, as well as

a full sports package of Sky Sports, TNT Sports and Horse Racing. Customers can also expect to enjoy regular weekend entertainment, such as Karaoke and DJ nights.

Operator, Delith, is keen to support local causes, including the local foodbank and will be initially aiming to raise money to install a lifesaving defibrillator at The Bush Inn. Matthew Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said:“The refurbishment at The Bush Innlooks fantastic –the team has worked really hard to ensure it is a success for the local community.

“On behalf of the Proper Pubs team, we would like to wish our community hero, Delith, every success for the future in making The Bush Inna fantastic hub of the community.”

Proper Pubs is always supporting its communities through an array of events and charity fundraising initiatives, from Easter Egg collections to local foodbank donations and charity walks. In the run up to Christmas, pubs across its estate will be collecting Christmas selection boxes to donate to local charities.

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How Can Hospitality Businesses Implement Talent Development Programmes That Drive Success?

By Suki Sandhu OBE, CEO and founder of diversity and inclusion consultancy and global network INvolve (www.involvepeople.org) Talent development programmes are an effective way of supporting the careers of diverse employees. Not only do they provide employees with the tools and guidance to better fulfil their jobs and advance their own careers, but they are critical to increasing employee engagement and building a strong talent pipeline.

With an increasing focus on return on investment (ROI) for learning and development initiatives more broadly, it is essential that the content of these development programmes aligns with strategic objectives. Therefore, businesses in the hospitality industry must implement talent development programmes fit for purpose for employees and organisations as a whole.

TIMING IS KEY Ensuring that the timing of any implemented programme is in line with participants’ ability to practice new skills they have learnt is critical. Without the space and time to selfimprove, the investment a business makes in talent development initiatives risks becoming lost. Whether it’s during the programme or once it has been completed, effective planning for activities that boost skills and embed new ways of thinking is essential.

PARTICIPANT SELECTION Once the topics of a programme have been set, the next challenge is determining how participants will be selected. While many businesses have methods of defining ‘high potential’ talent, those processes, unless carefully assessed, can be subject to unchecked biases.

To address any potential bias, businesses can opt to democratise the process, allowing for self-selection which can widen the pool of applicants and removes external constraints. This doesn’t eradicate bias completely but is one way to help mitigate it across broader talent development and DEI initiatives.

Businesses also need to be aware of how they may unintentionally convey the types of people they ‘value’ or

are ‘suitable’ for development, and how this may skew the self-selection process. Examples of this can be who or what groups are spotlighted for praise over others, and how cultural differences, extroversion and differing personality types can see some employees more readily put themselves forward for opportunities. Therefore, business leaders need to be mindful about relying on self-selection processes alone and ensure that they are working as allies to put forward those who may not always put themselves forward for opportunities.

LINE MANAGER BUY-IN Line managers often form part of the selection process, and their contribution to the success of programmes cannot be minimised. To enable line managers, businesses should implement coaching sessions to prevent the objectives of a programmes from failing and participants from becoming frustrated due to a lack of tangible support.

Talent development enhances the ‘E’ for equity in DEI, and organisations should communicate their intention to enable specific groups of people demonstrating a willingness to uplift those groups and recognising challenges these groups face within business. This outwardly demonstrates the value placed on those groups by a business as well as a clear understanding that equity is required to provide all employees with the tools for success.

DOES THE CURRENT SYSTEM SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT? Identifying factors and issues that evaluate whether the current system supports the development of its employees is a necessary step before even thinking about the programme or the participants. Talent development programmes won’t achieve any intended outcomes unless they are embedded within a business that is committed to seeing them work, particularly for those in the hospitality industry. Very often, the more junior levels of the hospitality industry – chefs, waiters, bartenders, concierges - tend to be highly diverse, with the diversity quickly decreasing in the more senior ranks providing an insight into potential talent pipelining challenges or barrier to progress within the industry. Be Inclusive Hospitality’s ‘Inside Hospitality Report’ released earlier this year found that 83.8% of its 3,000 respondents agreed the sector offers good career opportunities, however white respondents were mostly likely to hold managerial positions and occupy full-time positions than any other ethnic group.

Talent development programs in hospitality are pivotal for diverse career growth, boosting employee engagement and nurturing a robust talent pipeline – especially where staffing shortages continue to plague the sector. Systemic support for this development remains essential, and will both ensure inclusivity and nurture diverse talent through all levels within the industry.

2024 Craft Guild Of Chefs Awards Open For Entries She has already started to collect food for a local food bank and donations to install a defibrillator. The pub will also host regular entertainment, including Karaoke and DJ nights.

Proper Pubs, the community-wet led operator division of Admiral Taverns, has opened its doors on their 200th pub this Christmas!

The Chrystal Bell, in Gallowgate, Glasgow is one of its newest openings, that officially opened its doors on Friday 1st December, following a £220,000 investment, just in time for the busy festive season.

Across its estate, Proper Pubs is continually supporting local communities through an array of events and charity fundraising initiatives. In the run up to Christmas, operators across its 200 pubs will be collecting Christmas selection boxes to donate to local charities.

The Group has also been recognised for their defibrillator campaign and is a finalist in the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards 2024, for defibrillator fundraising, saving nine lives within their communities.

Mark Brooke, Director – Proper Pubs, commented: “This poignant milestone marks a very proud moment for our team. We have experienced continuous growth in 2023, which is testament to the hard work from everyone, including all our dedicated operators. We truly have the best people in our pubs who are always finding new ways to support their communities.

“The magic of Proper Pubs is that we are community obsessed!

The team are constantly raising money for local charities and organising amazing events. This isn’t only one of our core values, but is central in all our plans, and underpins our ambition to be the number one community pub operator in the UK.” Proper Pubs’ latest opening in Gallowgate is a great example of the Group’s vision, with the pub having undergone a complete interior and exterior transformation. At the helm of the pub is community hero and passionate operator, Angi McKean who has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the hospitality industry.

Chris Jowsey, Chief Executive of Admiral Taverns, commented: “Reaching our 200th pub across our Proper Pubs division marks a fantastic milestone for Admiral Taverns and I would like to extend a huge thank you to the entire team. We strongly believe in creating long-term sustainable pubs that sit at the heart of their communities and support all aspects of local life.

“We want to ensure that every pub can thrive and make a positive difference within its community, which is why an active investment programme forms a core part of our strategy and are delighted to have invested over £10 million into Proper Pubs in 2023, with further investment planned in 2024.”

Forged Irish Stout Hits the Drinks Market Running New stout brand 'Forged Irish Stout' is making huge waves across the drinks industry, achieving remarkable success with over 500 installs in the UK since going live with LWC at the start of October, and is experiencing a huge surge in popularity. The brand has not only gained significant popularity across ASDA stores and Beerhunter, having sold over a million cans through retail so far, but has also rapidly expanded its presence in pubs across the United Kingdom and seems to be captivating all who encounter the product.

Having recently secured a partnership with LWC, the award-winning and largest independent distribution company in the UK, as well as launching in the off trade, entering the shelves of Asda earlier this year, Forged Irish Stout has achieved unprecedented sales figures across the board. Its popularity has led to store shelves at Asda being cleared, with customers eagerly demanding more.

Furthermore, the stout is now available on draught in over 500 pubs, pouring in over 20 cities. To celebrate this remarkable journey, which has taken place in little over a month, launch parties have been held all over the UK, including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, and numerous other locations, where enthusiasts can't seem to get enough of Forged Irish Stout.

Doug Leddin, Chief Marketing Officer, expressed his excitement about Forged's success, stating, "Forged is

performing beyond our wildest expectations, and we have no intention of slowing down anytime soon. The brand has grown phenomenally in such a short amount of time, which is down to the sheer quality that you don’t find with other brands in the market."

Forged Irish Stout’s unrivalled quality and 100% Irish ingredients has set a new standard for smooth, creamy, and fresh stouts that have left enthusiasts craving more. The stout's exceptional flavour profile is the result of a meticulously crafted blend of malts, including pale malt, crystal malt, Munich malt, black malt, roasted barley, and wheat. This unique combination creates a stout with unparalleled depth and complexity, setting Forged apart from other stouts in the market.

They’re not here to take part, they’re here to take over, and the way Forged is moving, their quest for takeover certainly won’t take long.

Contact your local depot or LWC account manager for more information https://www.lwc-drinks.co.uk/contact/ Visit www.forgedirishstout.com for details.

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Clarifying Compliance for Hospitality Businesses

By Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve Business Group (www.evolvebg.co.uk) Every day, hospitality businesses from local pubs to global hotel chains handle credit cards, emails, contact details, home addresses, and other sensitive data from millions of customers, making them a target for hackers. PCI standards help protect consumer data and other sensitive information, but can easily cause confusion for any business faced with meeting them.

Here, Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve Business Group, cuts through the confusion to set hospitality firms on the path to PCI compliance.

The hospitality industry processes billions of transactions annually, making it a prime target for hackers and financial fraudsters. In recent years, big names including Marriott, The Ritz, Choice Hotels International and Omni Hotels have all fallen victim to hackers. Hospitality businesses of all sizes are vulnerable to attacker, whether it’s a household name with higher turnover that’s seen as a prize, or a lower profile business that’s considered an easy target – and all need to meet PCI standards.

This is particularly true in the hospitality industry, where staff often have low security awareness. According to one recent survey 67% of accommodation and food businesses have experienced a cyberattack, and 97% of respondents are not actively training employees in cyber security.

Aside from exposing consumer information - which puts them at risk of scams, identity theft and having personal data sold to third parties - the consequences of a data breach for hospitality businesses can be farreaching, long-lasting, and costly.

Data breaches cost UK businesses an average of £3.2m, with the UK ranked the sixth most expensive country for data breaches, but the impact such breaches have on trust and reputation can be even more damaging.

The Forbes Insight report found 46% of surveyed companies had suffered reputational damage following a data breach, something much more difficult to recover from than a fine.

There are simple steps hospitality businesses can take to keep customer data secure. These include conducting regular staff training to educate staff on how to securely handle credit card data, and the importance of securing the information.

And because data security is constantly changing, it’s important to review processes to make sure sensitive information is being adequately protected and stored.

But perhaps the most important step is to ensure PCI compliance to safeguard and optimise the security of sensitive cardholder data. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) is a standard of guidelines for businesses to adhere to if they deal with the accepting, storing, and processing of credit card information.

These guidelines have been in place since 2006 to protect consumers’ credit card data and other sensitive information. They apply to all merchants that store credit card data, including restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, pubs, but can be incredibly confusing. Understanding some of the terminology related to PCI compliance can help.

TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW • Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV): To become PCI compliant, you’ll need a successful scan certificate from an approved scanning vendor to verify that you meet all technical requirements.

• Audit Log: A record of system activities ordered by date. This should be detailed enough to provide a sequence of events that lead back to the start of the transaction to the end.

• Cardholder Data (CD): Cardholder data consists of the full PAN – primary account number. Cardholder data may also appear with the following data: cardholder name, expiration date and/or service code.

• Cardholder Data Environment (CDE): Includes all processes and technology as well as the people that store, process or transmit customer cardholder data or authentication data.

• Encryption: The conversion of information into an unreadable form. Only people with a specific cryptographic key can access the information.

• File Integrity Monitoring: This determines whether or not files or logs have been modified in any way.

• Firewall: Protects network resources from unauthorised access by permitting or denying traffic between networks.

• Intrusion Detection Service (IDS): Software or hardware used to target and alert network or system intrusions. This system can include alert sensors, monitoring options and a centralised logging system to record events.

• Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS): Similar to the Intrusion Detection Service, IPS attempts to block possible intrusions detected by the IDS. • Penetration Test: These type of tests are conducted on network and applications as well as controls and processes around them in order to determine any vulnerabilities and the potential for access and security breaches. Penetration testing should include external and internal network tests.

• Primary Account Number (PAN): The primary account number is also referred to as account number or unique payment card number that identifies the issuer and cardholder account. It is typically for either credit or debit cards.

• Private Network: Private networks use private IP address space and should be access-protected by firewalls and routers from a public network.

• System Components: Network components may include firewalls, switches, routers, and other security appliances.

Server types may include web, database, authentication and other devices.

• Two-Factor Authentication: User authentication that requires two or more factors. For example, a hardware or software token, a user password or pin, or fingerprints and/or other biometric authentication method.

Understanding these terms is a good step towards following the 12 PCI DSS requirements with confidence, but the process can still be daunting. The best way to simplify PCI compliance is to partner with a trustworthy provider of products and services that help meet the requirements of compliance.

As a level 1 certified partner, subscribing to EvolveODM means your business will automatically meet PCI DSS compliance criteria, and the Evolve service can automatically answer the PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for you.

For hospitality businesses to survive and thrive in these very challenging times, it’s vital they remain PCI compliant and maintain a reputation for safely handling payments. We provide customised solutions with PCI Level 1 certification for payment security as Mako Network's only platinum partner - the only network management company in the world to qualify as a PCI-certified Level 1 service provider.

The Official Reopening Of The Royal Crown In Rochester Brings Plenty Of Christmas Cheers There was standing room only when Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, officially reopened its historic Rochester pub, The Royal Crown, following a stunning £1.2 million refurbishment this week.

Crown, after what is undoubtedly a remarkable refurbishment.

The Shepherd Neame steam wagon brought some vintage cheer to the streets of Rochester as it chugged its way from the Historic Dockyard, where it is based, to the Grade II Listed pub, heralding a steamy start to proceedings in the afternoon.

“Our team have worked incredibly hard to bring this project to fruition, revitalising a building steeped in history, which is now serving today’s customers with a warm welcome, in a stunning setting.

Many local groups and dignitaries were invited to take part in the celebrations, held less than two weeks before Christmas, while two local good causes were also presented with donations.

The Dean of Rochester Cathedral, the Very Reverend Philip Hesketh, pulled the first pint, to cheers all round, before blessing it and the pub with a specially-written blessing. The Dean also blessed a hop garland, provided by William and Caroline Alexander of Castle Farm in Shoreham.

Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame presented representatives from the Medway Queen Preservation Society and the Rochester City Centre Forum, which raised funds for the town’s Christmas lights, with donations of £1,000 each, to a hearty round of applause.

“I am certain that The Royal Crown, led by General Manager Tom Crackett, will continue to go from strength to strength.”

The Dean of Rochester, Dr Hesketh, said: “I was delighted to bless the first pint in the beautifully renovated Royal Crown – just a stone’s throw from Rochester Cathedral. It was also heartwarming to see Shepherd Neame giving back to the community with its two generous donations to local groups.”

Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are delighted to officially celebrate the reopening of The Royal

Prepare a Warm Welcome this Winter In the bleak midwinter, it’s not easy keeping a cheery face when toes are froze. Ensuring our venues remain open, and events go ahead as planned, is a full time job. Hotels, restaurants and event venues are often located in older, larger buildings which require a lot of maintenance and are rarely heat efficient.

But, having adequate heating and a solid back up plan should the boiler fail, is paramount to ensuring a comfortable environment for staff and guests alike.

These include Space Heaters, Radiant Heaters, Halogen Heaters and Industrial Heaters.

SPACE HEATERS

Perfect for cold spots, gas, paraffin or diesel powered radiant heaters work by radiating infrared light. A safer option in locations where children or vulnerable adults could harm themselves.

HALOGEN HEATERS Halogen heaters are favoured in an external setting and are typically used as patio heaters. Halogen heaters are also infrared and so only heat solid objects like you so there is no loss of heat when used as heat source outside.

Space heaters heat large spaces. They work by heating the air and are ideal for heating a marquee or large hall. Great as a fallback option should the boiler fail, they are either paraffin/diesel powered or gas fired and can vary in output. For convenience, we also supply trolley mounted models so you can easily transport the heat where it is needed.

INDUSTRIAL HEATERS

PRIME THE PUMPS

For instance, in larger buildings where airflow is limited, additional heating may be required to ensure a comfortable ambient temperature throughout.

For instance, a large dining hall 13m sq. with a 3m high ceiling would require a heat output of 34kW. The Clarke Devil 1600DV produces 36.6kW so is ample for heating a cold dining hall when the central is on the blink. To calculate what size kW heater you require, visit our simple calculator at https://www.machinemart.co.uk/stove-calculator and simply add in the dimensions of your room.

Clarke have a whole range of heaters which cater for all scenarios.

RADIANT HEATERS

Visit www.machinemart.co.uk/c/heating-ventilation to see our full range of heaters and pumps available this winter.

Our range of electric fan heaters is perfect for external buildings, heating up quickly and efficiently. A low heat setting can take the chill off an exposed conservatory for a comfortable dining experience.

Flash floods have become the norm recently, following snow and heavy rain, meaning cellars are at the risk of becoming flooded. Machine Mart’s range of Clarke Water Pumps painlessly remove floodwater from cellars and basements at subterranean levels even when working flat out.

NTIA & Parliamentarians Urge Home Office to Review Spiking Crime Categorisation 18

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NTIA is pressing the Home Office to support a renewed examination of a fundamental legislative change that classifies spiking as a distinct criminal category. This call comes in response to the debate led by the Backbench Business Committee, supported by Cross Party MPs. In today's debate facilitated by the Backbench Business Committee, the ongoing challenges associated with spiking incidents were discussed. NTIA is mobilising industry and stakeholder support for the classification of spiking as a separate crime, aligning with the stance of Cross Party MPs and key stakeholders.

Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA, underscores the critical need for robust data to effectively combat the rising incidents of spiking, highlighting the inadequacies within the existing legislative framework.

Despite the current administration's failure to recognise spiking as a distinct crime, a newfound optimism has emerged with the change in office and the introduction of the criminal justice bill as a potential solution. This renewed enthusiasm has garnered support from a diverse group, including cross-party MPs, the backbench business committee, and the former Home Secretary.

The optimism centres around addressing legislative shortcomings, with the objective of classifying spiking as a separate category. This classification aims to streamline tracking processes, improve intelligence gathering, and

enhance profiling of perpetrators, ultimately reducing society's vulnerability to this crime.

Expressing disappointment in the government's inquiry outcome, advocacy continues for a clear categorisation of this heinous crime. Michael Kill emphasises the challenges in tracking and assessing spiking crimes due to evidentiary difficulties and ongoing data issues.

Key requests made by the Association during the Home Affairs Inquiry on Spiking include a national overt campaign targeting perpetrators, the implementation of a consistent national training scheme, and the creation of specific legislation for this crime. Recognising the importance of data, there is a call for a deeper understanding of the characteristics, prevalence, and locations of those who commit these crimes.

Kill criticises the government's approach as short-sighted and predicts that retaining legacy issues in reporting and data gathering will pose ongoing challenges in eradicating this heinous crime unless fundamental changes are implemented.

There is a strong appeal to the current Home Secretary by the association, stakeholders like Stamp Out Spiking and Parliamentarians to consider this fundamental change in legislation and work towards eliminating this crime from society.

Prison Leavers Given Life-Changing Employment Opportunity Individuals in custody at HMP & YOI Grampian have been given a life-changing offer of employment after graduating from Scotland’s first prison-based ‘Greene King Training Academy’.

Following the success of the pilot, the course has been extended for a further 12 months – with the next cohort being the first ever mixed sex group.

The new partnership between the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), Greene King, and Aberdeen City Council seeks to improve people’s chances of successfully reintegrating into their communities upon leaving prison, reduce reoffending rates, and help mitigate recruitment challenges for the hospitality sector.

It is anticipated that in its first year, the training academy may see up to 20 individuals graduate into employment on their release.

The 12-week academy programme sees people in custody trained to work in a replica Greene King kitchen, by professional chefs.

Equipment for the kitchen was funded by Aberdeen City Council’s ABZWorks, which supports people living in the city to develop confidence, knowledge, skills or experience to help them attain employment.

HMP & YOI Grampian became the first training academy north of the border, following the initial conception of the programme at HMP Thameside in London.

Partnership working between SPS and Greene King began in 2022, when employability events were held for people in custody, which led to 18 individuals interviewed and offered employment.

In 2022, Greene King committed to employing 300 people leaving custody across the UK by 2025.

Ministry of Justice research has shown that people leaving custody with an offer of employment are less likely to reoffend than those without.

The training academy is the first time an external employer has provided prison-based training for direct recruitment of those at HMP & YOI Grampian.

On 6 December 2023, the first students graduated from the course in a ceremony in front of their family and friends, alongside senior representatives from SPS, Greene King, and Aberdeen City Council.

They were each presented with their own chef’s aprons to use in their new roles.

Brian McKirdy, Governor in Charge at HMP & YOI Grampian, said: “This initiative has made a real impact to the confidence and aspiration of the students. The effort and commitment shown by SPS and Greene King staff has been matched by the participants, and each should be proud of their achievement.

“We are very much looking forward to following the journey of those who have completed the academy as they move into employment with Greene King, and we are thankful to Aberdeen City Council for their support in bringing this ambitious programme to life.”

Assad Malic, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer at Greene King, said: “Our Releasing Potential initiative aims to provide employment for people leaving prison and in 2022 we set ourselves a target of recruiting 300 prison leavers across the UK by 2025.

“Working collaboratively with HMP Grampian, the Scottish Prison Service and Aberdeen City Council to install a training kitchen has been a fantastic experience, which we hope can now be replicated in other prisons across Scotland.

Students are given the opportunity to attain SVQ accredited qualifications that are recognised across the hospitality sector.

“As the largest pub operator in Scotland, we see first-hand the important role pubs play in communities and initiatives like this further demonstrate how pubs can drive social mobility and support people in building long careers in hospitality.”

Through a mix of classroom learning and practical sessions, they learn about food safety practices, kitchen hygiene and maintenance, allergens and Natasha’s Law, and the importance of time management and teamwork.

Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader, Councillor Christian Allard, said: “People leaving custody face significant challenges in securing employment.

All four participants of the pilot course have been given an offer of employment in a Greene King establishment, following their release.

For some, this will be their first chance of achieving meaningful and sustained employment.

“This partnership between Aberdeen City Council’s ABZWorks service, HMP Grampian and Greene King is a great example of how we can make a real difference to people’s lives and society.

“By working together with partner agencies and industry we are creating truly innovative and inclusive opportunities to support people into employment, ensuring no-one is left behind.”

New Award Winning Technology Can Save You 35% To 55% On Cooking Oil in Deep Fryers If you own a restaurant or a kitchen with a deep fryer, then you might be surprised at how much you spend every year on cooking oil. Have you ever calculated this direct cost? If you haven’t, then you should, because Canadian Company, Eco Friendly Chef Corp. is helping thousands of professional kitchen operators to dramatically cut their oil costs in half.

A new innovative product called OiLChef is revolutionizing the food industry. The award-winning OiLChef device is one of the most sophisticated technologies available in the world for deep fryers today. It is not a filter or a chemical, but rather a device which is simply installed in your deep fryer in less than 10 seconds!

Putting the OiLChef in your fryer will give you a competitive edge and attract more consumer pounds. Your fried food items will absorb less oil and therefore will contain fewer calories. Good for the consumer, good for the bottom line.

Reduce carbon footprint: It will minimize your environmental impact through a reduction in energy and oil consumption.

Faster service: Food cooks quicker.

Reduce food waste: Food is crispier and holds its shape and texture for longer. Great for food delivery.

Zero flavour transfer: It prevents flavour transfer between different foods being cooked in the same oil.

Kitchen smoke and frying odours: It reduces the smoke and odours of frying in your kitchen/restaurant. Creating a more pleasant working and dining experience and minimizes the workload on your air filtering systems and maintenance.

Health & safety: It reduces the smoke point of your oil, and thereby lowers the risk of a deep fryer fire. Also, staff interaction with changing the fryer oil is cut down by at least half, reducing risk of accidental burns and oil spillage.

Reduce operating costs: It gives you the opportunity to cut down or move away from costly monthly additives required to improve oil quality. Fewer people hours are required each month for fryer changes.

For further information visit www.oilchef.co.uk Contact Andrew Jackson – andrew.jackson@oilchef.com Landline: 01278 691327 Mobile: 07902 745435

14 dA y Mone y guAr BAck Antee .

3 ye A WArr r Anty .

new Award Winning technology can SAve you 35% to 55% on cookIng oIL in deep fryers.

REDUCING COSTS Increasing Margins

We strongly believe in cutting costs without compromising quality.

We look forward to the day that all food industries will join our Eco Friendly quest.

Until then we will provide eco friendly solutions that will help them all to reduce their carbon footprint.

Why spend all that money on oil, energy and labour when you can dramatically reduce these costs today?

www.oilchef.co.uk

Contact Andrew Jackson by phone or email: andrew.jackson@oilchef.com Landline 01278 691327 Mobile 07902 745435

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HMRC Crackdown On Businesses Hiding Credit And Debit Card Sales Commences With Raids On 24 Restaurants and Takeaways HMRC has commenced a crackdown on electronic till fraud, with raids on 24 restaurants and takeaways across the country by its Fraud Investigation Service, says Pinsent Masons, the international law firm.

These raids follow the end of an amnesty earlier this year, which allowed businesses to make a disclosure to HMRC and pay any tax that has been evaded through illegal ‘Electronic Sales Suppression’ (ESS) software.

ESS software is known to have been used by some high street businesses, takeaways and restaurants on their tills to evade tax to hide or reduce the value of purchases made via debit cards and credit cards at the point of sale. In some cases, the software automatically redirects a percentage of the income from sales into a hidden bank account, fraudulently reducing the income the business reports to HMRC. Sophie Warren, tax specialist at Pinsent Masons says that those who have used this software to reduce the credit or debit card sales going through their books should come forward and disclose any evaded tax, to avoid becoming the next business targeted by a HMRC raid.

HMRC has had increased information and penalty powers in relation to ESS since 2022, including the power to impose penalties of up to £50,000 for possessing an ESS tool. The penalties can be charged even if the tool has not been used to evade tax.

Sophie Warren says: “Businesses that defrauded HMRC using ESS software had an opportunity to come forward to HMRC by 9 April 2023 to avoid raids and criminal investigations. Those who didn’t come forward are now being targeted by HMRC and the financial penalties are likely to be far more severe.”

“HMRC will be looking at all businesses that could use an ESS tool, not just restaurants and takeaways. More investigations and raids are expected.”

HMRC classes the use of the software as tax fraud, meaning those who do not come forward are at risk of facing criminal investigation that potentially results in considerable penalties and even prison sentences.

“It is still vital for any persons making, supplying or promoting the use of ESS software or businesses who have used ESS to come forward and make a disclosure to HMRC. HMRC are likely to have a full ESS customer list, meaning it is likely just a matter of time before HMRC commence criminal investigations with a view to prosecution or carry out a civil investigation under Code of Practice 9.”

An earlier investigation into makers of the illegal software by HMRC is thought to have uncovered their full customer list. This means that the Fraud Investigation Service is now believed to have a comprehensive list of businesses to investigate over the coming months.

“Anyone considering making a disclosure to HMRC through their disclosure service or under a Code of Practice 9 should take professional advice before contacting HMRC to ensure that they get the best outcome possible. Businesses that contact HMRC unprepared will not be best placed to limit the penalties they face.

Inverness Hotel Awarded 4 Stars After Major Investment A hotel in Inverness’ historic quarter is celebrating being upgraded to 4 Stars, cementing 5-fold growth and millions of investment over the last 17 years.

The Glen Mhor Hotel and Apartments on the city’s postcard Ness Bank has moved from 3 to 4 Stars following a new VisitScotland Quality Assurance Report undertaken on the 6th December.

owners’ ethos and the business has committed to achieving Net Zero targets.

That investment has removed the hotel from the gas grid, with the exception of the Waterside Restaurant which will be moved over to renewable power within 18 months.

The recognition represents a huge boost to owners and staff, with the business seeing significant growth, including an innovative on-site Sustainability Centre powered by water from the River Ness.

Writing in the final Grading Report, inspectors stated: "Since the previous visit in 2022 there has been a significant amount of investment in upgrading the hotel, including further room upgrades and significant staff training alongside the behindthe- scenes costs of installing a groundbreaking energy centre.”

In the last 12 months, a programme of room refurbishments and staff development has raised standards further, despite tremors in the UK economy caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

Victoria Erasmus says the improvements at the Glen Mhor are reflective of a drive for high standards for guests and to ensure the business and staff have a solid foundation.

Owners Victoria and Jon Erasmus also opened the new Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery on the site this year; the first whisky distillery to open in Inverness since 1892.

“We’ve been future-proofing the business for the next generation – not an easy task given the current economic climate.” she said.

“This award is the icing on the cake in a challenging year when we are coming out of Covid and have also opened a new business venture and moved to a sustainable way of operating.

“It’s a real morale boost and testament to the dedication of our staff and management, especially our culinary team led by Executive Chef Andrew Lee, whose commitment to food quality is impeccable,” said co-owner, Victoria Erasmus.

Since the owners took over in 2006, the hotel has grown from 26 bedrooms to 120 bedrooms and apartments, achieved in part by the acquisition of neighbouring properties on Ness Bank.

Millions have been invested in the pioneering Sustainability Centre which uses shallow water wells to produce green energy, with the addition of Solar PV panels. Environmental sustainability plays a key part in the

“We are a family business operating, essentially, old townhouses in a historic area but we have managed to introduce sustainable technology and practices which ensures the local area and environment are protected for the future.

“This year, we have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in room renovations and equally invested in staff training, career development and Fair Work policies because our people are at the heart of everything we do.

"We are thrilled by this acknowledgment and eagerly anticipate the upcoming phases in our growth development plan."

Victoria was last week awarded a Wellness charter by charity, Hospitality Health, for measures introduced to support the mental wellbeing of staff and guests.

To Free From Food Amsterdam 2023 Celebrates 11th Edition in Amsterdam, Setting the Stage for a Healthy and Innovative Future The Free From Food Expo celebrated its triumphant return to Amsterdam, marking the event's eleventh edition. After the Official Opening Ceremony by Mrs. Pina Alivernini, Commercial Attaché of the Embassy of Italy in the Netherlands, this leading innovation platform for the free-from, organic, vegan, functional, and ingredient food industries drew in thousands of influential decision-makers from top global retailers and food manufacturers.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly growing functional food industry, valued at USD$186.22 billion in 2023 and projected to maintain a CAGR of 2.71% through 2028, the RAI Amsterdam buzzed with activity with the latest product innovations and future trends shaping the industry, with over 4,150 visitors from 58 countries. Attendees expressed their delight at reconnecting, exchanging ideas, and advancing the industry collectively.

Delegates delved into industry trends through conference sessions categorized into Free From Retail, Vegan & Plant-Based, and Supplier & Insights streams. More than 60 expert speakers, including NielsenIQ, ProVeg International, Wageningen University & Research, Euromonitor International, and FMCG Gurus, provided insights into the latest research, analysis, and trends.

Sessions at the Free From Retail Conference, including presentations about circular packaging as well as

extensive market analyses, attracted significant interest. The Vegan & Plant-Based Theatre explored the challenges and opportunities of the plant-based market, while the Supplier & Insights presentations covered a diversity of topics, ranging from gluten-free subjects to a start-up pitch event.

The Awards ceremony highlighted outstanding contributions to the industry.

Ecuadorian plant extract pioneer Nunalabs claimed the Best New Brand Award, while Dutch gluten-free manufacturer Smaakspecialist won Product of the Year for its Consenza Glutenfree Breakfast kit. Kombucha Rudy’s received the Newcomer of the Year award, and Pasta Nature Gluten Free secured Most Innovative Italian Free From Product Award.

Ronald Holman, the event director, expressed overwhelming satisfaction with this year's exhibition. He commended the positive atmosphere, successful business interactions, and the vibrancy that permeated the industry. Plans for the next event in Amsterdam, Free From Food & Ingredients: A natural & healthy food exhibition, scheduled for November 5-6, 2024, are already underway, with 65% of the exhibition space already re-booked.

For further details on Free From Food, returning to the RAI Amsterdam in November 2024, visit https://amsterdam.freefromfoodexpo.com

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The Strangest Cancellation Reasons Revealed 22

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New RESEARCH has revealed 10 of the “strangest reasons” people provided for cancelling a reservation in the hospitality industry.

Taken from booking trends seen by Zonal across the UK, some of the top reasons to bring some light relief to a damaging topic include ” seagull problem” and “I wanted to ruin my fiancé’s birthday”.

THE TOP 10 ARE: “Seagull problems” “I wanted to ruin my fiancé’s birthday” “Sorry! Changed our minds after having breakfast!”

“My sister wants to eat at home” “Na” “My friend has an unexpected council meeting” “My kids don’t care” “Went into labour” “Still in the queue for the London eye” “My date cancelled on me last minute” Aside from these more unusual reasons, analysis of the data shows that over half (52%) of cancellations

occur due to customers making a mistake on the original reservation. For example, over a third of this group said they had booked the wrong time, date, or venue. Other issues included the group size or dropouts (17%) or being double booked (9%).

The next most common reason for cancellation given was ‘illness’, with 19% of people mentioning this. While 12% said that a change of plans meant that they were unable to turn up to their booking. Nearly a quarter of people didn’t provide any reason for their cancellation – however that is still better than those who don’t cancel their bookings at all and simply don’t turn up.

These are called ‘no-shows’ and, according to a survey conducted by Zonal in partnership with CGA by NIQ earlier this year, the behaviour is on the rise – doubling since September last year. In fact, 12% of consumers are no-shows, which costs the sector £17.59bn per year in lost revenue and even more once wasted food and staff costs are taken into account.

Commenting on the findings, Olivia Fitzgerald, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Zonal, said: “Although some of these cancellation reasons are funny, the issue of no-shows is no laughing matter for the industry. With the most common cancellation reason revealing itself as customers making a mistake with their booking, it’s really important for venues to put solutions in place to prevent this. Making it easy for people to amend their booking or sending timely reminders to customers, are just some of the ways operators can help minimise booking mistakes and in turn, decrease the likelihood of no-shows, which are so damaging to an operator’s bottom line.”

Greene King's Popular Tub2Pub Recycling Campaign Is Back recycling the polypropylene tubs into granulated plastic in the UK. The resulting plastic granules can then be used in new, UK-made products.

Greene King is running its successful Tub2Pub initiative again in the new year so customers can recycle their empty plastic confectionary and crackers tubs, saving waste from landfill and raising money for charity.

Vance Fairman-Smith, Greene King’s supply chain director, said: “Our customers have shown they really welcome this scheme which stops the plastic tubs they have left over from Christmas going to waste.

Each year, we have collected more and more tubs as Tub2Pub is more widely known and supported. It’s a simple and effective recycling solution which is good for our customers, the environment and our charity partner, Macmillan. Let’s keep building on the success of Tub2Pub and see if 2024 can be another record-breaking year.”

The annual campaign has become more and more popular over the years as it offers customers a recycling solution for the thousands of polypropylene sweets and biscuits tubs sold over the festive period.

Over 5,000kg of plastic, almost 50,000 tubs were collected through Tub2Pub over the past two years and the money raised for Greene King’s charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support, totalled £11,308.

Peter Goodwin, co-cre8 managing director said: “It’s a fantastic project that captures the imagination of people in local communities wanting to recycle more, guarantees that used plastic tubs are recycled in the UK and raises much needed funds for a great cause – a win, win, win, what’s not to love! We want to challenge ourselves each year and hope that our 2024 campaign will be bigger and better than ever!”

Customers can take their clean and empty plastic sweets and biscuits tubs to 1,600 Greene King managed pubs nationwide. These tubs cannot always be recycled at kerbside waste collections so the network of pubs provide convenient drop-off points for customers looking for a recycling solution.

Tubs can be dropped off between 1 January and 11 February, 2024.

This is the fourth year Greene King has partnered with co-cre8 to run the Tub2Pub campaign. Recycling solutions experts co-cre8 facilitate the Tub2Pub campaign, working with DCW Polymers who specialises in

Smashed Drinks - Rethinking Drinking Drink Natural, a key player in the soft drinks sector with a decade of experience, has recently acquired the fastest-growing premium craft AF 0.0% brand, Smashed Drinks. This strategic partnership has set the stage for Smashed Drinks to revolutionize the market with its range of Craft Beer, Ale, and Cider using a vacuum distilled process, which is the only one of its kind in the UK. With a focus on low calorie content, vegan and gluten-free options across its cider range, and Halal certification, Smashed Drinks is poised to redefine the concept of alcohol-free craft beverages. With the slogan "REAL BEER, REAL CIDER, REAL TASTE, REAL AF," and the enthusiastic endorsement of CEO John Hodgson, Smashed Drinks is ready to disrupt the industry and reimagine the way we drink.

CRAFTSMANSHIP AND INNOVATION: Smashed Drinks has quickly gained recognition as the fastest-growing premium AF 0.0% brand, owing to its unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. The brand's range of Craft Beer, Ale, and Cider showcases a depth of flavors that rivals their alcoholic counterparts. Through the vacuum distilled process, Smashed Drinks achieves a remarkable feat: preserving the authentic taste and essence of traditional craft beverages while ensuring a complete absence of alcohol. This innovative approach sets Smashed Drinks apart from other alcohol-free options, providing a real and satisfying experience for consumers seeking an alternative to

For more information go to https://www.tub2pub.co.uk/tub2pub/ which lists participating Greene King pubs. traditional alcoholic beverages.

HEALTH-CONSCIOUS OPTIONS: Recognizing the growing demand for healthier beverage alternatives, Smashed Drinks goes above and beyond to cater to a diverse range of dietary needs and preferences. By being low in calories, Smashed Drinks appeals to those who are mindful of their calorie intake, without compromising on taste or quality.

Moreover, the brand's commitment to vegan and gluten-free options across its cider range ensures that individuals with dietary restrictions can enjoy the full range of Smashed Drinks' offerings. This dedication to inclusivity and health-consciousness sets Smashed Drinks apart as a brand that truly understands and respects its diverse consumer base.

CONCLUSION: Smashed Drinks is at the forefront of redefining the concept of alcohol-free craft beverages. With Drink Natural's acquisition and a focus on craftsmanship, innovation, and inclusivity, the brand is leading the charge in disrupting the market. From their range of Craft Beer, Ale, and Cider to their unique vacuum distilled process, low calorie content, vegan and gluten-free options, and Halal certification, Smashed Drinks is setting a new standard for AF 0.0% beverages. With the enthusiastic support of CEO John Hodgson, the brand is poised to reshape the way we think about drinking, offering a real and satisfying experience to consumers seeking an alcohol-free alternative that doesn't compromise on taste or quality.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

Sustainable Solutions Help Improve Waste Management at Expowest Cornwall 2024 To improve its sustainability values, the Expowest Cornwall trade show is leading the charge in responsible waste management. Beyond the vibrant showcase of hospitality and catering innovations, this year's event prioritises minimising environmental impact through strategic partnerships.

Passmore Cleaning Company, who are exhibiting at the show for the first time, will spearhead the collection of waste from stands, along with cleaning the show, while TQuality takes on the responsibility of recycling cooking oil used during the show.

Biffa, the waste management experts, will be playing a crucial role in ensuring the responsible disposal of the various wastes generated by a trade show, including food waste, glass, cardboard, and mixed general waste. All this will be either recycled appropriately or taken to a waste plant for conversion into electricity.

Taking place on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th March at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge, Expowest Cornwall brings together buyers from the hospitality, catering, and food retail industries, offering a unique opportunity to explore a diverse array of

food and drink brands all under one roof.

Mike Anderson, Managing Director of show organisers Hale Events, expresses the commitment to waste reduction, stating, "We are constantly striving to better manage the waste produced at our trade shows. It's great to be working with Passmore Cleaners, TQuality, and Biffa in Cornwall to enhance waste separation and removal, with a focus on recycling as much as possible."

This pioneering initiative aligns with the broader vision of Expowest Cornwall, which not only offers free attendance for trade buyers but also promises two unparalleled days of networking with the leading producers, service providers, and distributors in the industry.

Register online at www.expowestcornwall.co.uk or call 01934 733456 to be part of this innovative and sustainable trade show experience.

Hospitality Urges Welsh Government to Provide £50, Rates Relief Lifeline 24

Issue 191

CLH Digital

UKHospitality Cymru is calling on Welsh Government to boost beleaguered pubs, hotels and restaurants in Wales and provide vital business rates relief in next week’s Budget.

The trade body is asking Finance Minister Rebecca Evans and the Welsh Cabinet to at least replicate the measures introduced for English businesses in the Autumn Statement to support hospitality, leisure and retail businesses.

Without any action to extend relief and freeze the multiplier, the Welsh hospitality sector is facing an additional £50m in costs.

David Chapman, Executive Director for UKHospitality Cymru, said: “We have seen in recent years just how critical our village, coastal and urban pubs are to local communities:

employing thousands, benefiting our wellbeing and contributing to our culture.

“A constructive package of business rates relief for the sector will be the difference between survival and closure for many – and between investment and stagnation for others. Freezing the multiplier and extending 75% relief of business rates will offer our businesses a lifeline in the current economic environment.

“Inaction would mean an average pub facing around £10,000 in additional business rate payments, which could shut their doors for good and stop pints being pulled.

“High energy costs, food and drink inflation and the squeeze on the cash in our customer’s pockets and purses are having their effect and any help our hard-pressed businesses can get right now would be invaluable.”

Pubaid Scores A Bullseye With PDC World Darts Championship Sponsorship Sky Business has donated shirt sponsorship of four players at the PDC World Darts Championship to PubAid, the industry voice for pubs and their positive contribution to society. The donation is a show of support from Sky Business for the hospitality industry, and pubs specifically, at a key time of year for the trade.

Steve Beaton is a former World Number One darts player and will feature The Bellflower in Garstang on his shirt. This pub won the Community Support Hero award for its work helping the local community including free Christmas dinners, sanitary products and school uniforms for local families struggling in the cost-ofliving crisis.

Starting on 15 December 2023 and running for three weeks, the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace will have the eyes of the world’s darts fans glued to the iconic tournament.

Ryan Royce won his first PDA title in 2020 in Milton Keynes and will feature the Dog and Parrot in Nottingham on his shirt alongside PubAid. This pub won the Community Regular Hero Award for the work one of its regulars, Glyn Hassell, does on behalf of the community raising money for charities of all sizes and local groups.

One of the players sponsored, Fallon Sherrock, was the first woman to triumph of the world’s biggest stage when she beat Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic in the 2019/20 World Championship.

Joining her with shirt sponsorship are Steve Beaton, Ryan Joyce and Luke Woodhouse. These three players will also have the name of each of the three winners of the last PubAid Community Pub Hero Awards in 2022 on their shirt to commemorate individual pubs and publicans as well as the industry body, PubAid, supporting them.

Tracy Harrison, Marketing Director at Sky Business, commented: “We have donated our sponsorship as we want to give something back and raise awareness of all the good that pubs do in uniting people and bringing communities together and there is no better organisation that communicates this than PubAid. Honouring the winners of Community Pub Heroes from last year also shows how important these industry awards are and the positive awareness they can raise.”

Luke Woodhouse, also known as Woody, is another favourite of the PDA crowds. The pub featured on his shirt is The Beeswing in Northallerton. This pub won the Charity Fundraising Hero award in 2022 for setting up the Cowtonbury Music Festival, which has been an annual charity event since 2014. The team hope the festival in 2024 will help them achieve a grand total of £200k raised for charity.

Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, added: “A lot of pubs will be busier over the festive period, but the hospitality industry does still need everyone’s support. This is such a great way to get the PubAid name out to a world audience. We’re here to tell the good stories and positive news from pubs and how they unite communities, especially through sport. Whether that’s pub sports teams or through getting together to watch the big games and tournaments in a variety of sports. We wish our players the best of luck and will be cheering them on throughout this competition.”

CAMRA Flagship Festival Postponed The Campaign for Real Ale’s Great British Beer Festival is taking a year off in 2024 but will return in 2025 with a bang! Work is now underway by organisers and volunteers to explore a variety of options for the future – and the festival will return better than ever before.

CAMRA’s Events Director Catherine Tonry commented: “While we are understandably extremely disappointed CAMRA’s flagship event will not take place next year, we are now looking at a range of options for its triumphant return in 2025.

“It has been a difficult decision to make as it is the highlight of our calendar.

Unfortunately, our current venue could not offer us the dates we needed. It is essential the Great British Beer Festival is the absolute best it can be for our valued volunteers, wider membership and customers.”

Ongoing building works could also affect CAMRA being able to host its flagship festival to the high standards

customers and members have come to expect.

Catherine added: “While other venues have been explored, due to timescales, costs and our requirements we have not being able to secure a suitable venue. While this was not a decision taken lightly, we will now look forward to the future and continue with plans for 2025, looking at a variety of options and venues.”

Work is also underway to look at plans for next year’s Champion Beer of Britain competition, which usually culminates at the national festival. This illustrious competition runs over a two-year period, thanks to the dedication of thousands of CAMRA members who vote across 12 beer styles each autumn.

Catherine also thanked everyone who attend or volunteers at CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival and looks forward to seeing everyone in 2025.

CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival Winter takes place next February and tickets are now on sale. This year’s festival will also be home to the prestigious Champion Winter Beer of Britain award, with the winners announced during the trade and press session. This annual festival taking place between 14-17 February 2024, brings together hundreds of UK beers, international beers and real ciders and perries.

Make It Tasty, Make It Easy, Make It Free From – Make It Meatless!

THE MEATLESS revolution is here, with 50% of consumers reducing their meat consumption out-of-home, is your menu catering for diners looking for great-tasting plant-based food?

The Meatless Farm range offers something for everyone, with a versatile range that makes it easy for you and your customers to swap out meat, without sacrificing on the flavour and texture they crave in their favourite dishes!

But making sure your menu keeps customers coming back for more doesn’t just stop at fabulous taste and variety. According to the Food Standards Agency, it is estimated that two million people are living with a diagnosed food allergy and 600,000 with Coeliac Disease. With these numbers increasing, more of us are looking for dishes that are safe to eat for those with food allergies - but these options must deliver on enjoyment too. Free From meals are often limited and can lack taste and imagination…. …Well look no further because Meatless Farm has it covered with our core range of Sausages, Burgers, Meatballs and Mince. Made with peas, these signature products are all Free From top allergens, low in fat and high in protein - making them a must for your menu!

Set taste-buds sizzling with Meatless Farm Sausages – bang them in a bun or serve on top of hearty mash!

Our plant-based Quarter Pounder Burgers are juicy and succulent – simply bung them in the oven or on the griddle!

Why not swap out beef and pork on the menu for our Meatless Mince in crowdpleasers, such as Lasagne – or give dishes a twist with Meatless Meatballs - perfect with pasta!

At Meatless Farm we’re on a mission to help people reduce their meat consumption by taking all the compromises out of plant-based catering and going large on the benefits. Our products are not only loaded with taste and texture – they are also frozen for convenience and super simple and quick to prepare.

The Meatless Farm range is a sinch for caterers to create a menu of tasty dishes that tick all the boxes. So, whether it’s a classic cooked English breakfast, a gourmet burger or a fiery chilli, everyone can get stuck in and enjoy Meatless made easy!

For More information visit https://meatlessfarm.com/professionals/

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Wales To Stage Biggest Ever Hospitality Skills Event In January Wales is preparing to stage the biggest hospitality skills event the country has ever seen early in the new year.

The Welsh International Culinary Championships (WICC) is moving to the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), Newport, which will become Wales’ Hospitality Hub from January 22-24, 2024.

The WICC, which was previously held in North Wales, brings together craft chefs, craft butchers and front of house staff to compete in three days of competitions. The event will be open free of charge to the public and hospitality trade.

In addition to individual class prizes, there will be coveted awards for the college awarded the highest number of points over the three days, the best junior learner and best chef in the open live classes Entries for the showpiece National and Junior Chef of Wales Finals have closed, after attracting record interest.

The opportunity to enter the WICC 2024 Green Chef Challenge and the Welsh Craft Butcher of the Year competitions remains open until January 12, 2024.

Organised by the Culinary Association of Wales (CAW), the 2024 WICC will also be hosting the Skills Competition Wales hospitality finals.

Skills Competition Wales aims to raise the profile of skills in Wales and is part of the Welsh Government funded Inspiring Skills Excellence Programme. Students, trainees and apprentices are given a chance to challenge, benchmark and raise their skills by taking part in competitions across a range of sectors.

Entries are now being accepted for all the WICC classes. Details can be found at www.culinaryassociation.wales/welsh-internationalculinary-championship-2024 .Entries close on Friday, January 12.

Climax of the WICC is an Industry Awards Dinner on the evening of Wednesday, January 24, which will showcase the best Welsh food and drink. Tickets are now on sale for the dinner costing £1,000 for tables of 12 or £100 for individuals.

Another first for the WICC is a Green Chef Challenge competition, which is open to all UK based chefs.

Teams comprising one senior chef and one commis chef under the age of 25 are challenged to create a three course, vegetable-based menu for six guests in three hours

CAW president Arwyn Watkins, OBE, explained that the WICC would be the launchpad for the road to Wales hosting the Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026 at ICC Wales. He thanked all sponsors and stakeholders who are supporting the WICC.

The WICC competitions, which are for chefs and front of house staff, include the Cygnet Gin Cocktail Mixology class and the Wales heats of the Major Chefs Challenge and the 2024 Riso Gallo Young Risotto Chef Challenge.

“The WICC will become an annual hospitality hub open to the public and hospitality trade, showcasing Welsh food, drink, hospitality and skills over three days and providing a real opportunity to have a conversation with the industry,” he said.

Winter Trends for 2023

Outside of the festive fervour there are a number of trends which are becoming popular as we enter the colder period of the year. The key themes we have identified are casual dining maximalism and minimalism and premium dining maximalism and minimalism.

CASUAL DINING MAXIMALISM Casual dining maximalism is all about embracing life, vibrancy and excessiveness. Allowing for a huge mixing pot of colours, patterns and textures to be embraced and showcased it is a case of go big, bold and bright and do not shy away. The only advice we’d give is ensure the rest of your venue follows suit too, if you have a bold restaurant then double down and chose a vibrant table setting to further embrace the perfection which exists within the chaos. Churchill’s wide variety of Stonecast colours is the perfect place to start when looking to incorporate this trend.

CASUAL DINING MINIMALISM Simplistic, refined but stripped back is the way to nail casual dining minimalism. The trend predominantly relies on white crockery with occasional pops of neutral light shades to build a subtle flow of tones through-

out your table offering. With this theme you must let the food do the talking so ensure your dishes are vibrant, well dressed and visually stunning. A great range which can help you achieve this is Vintage Med Tiles from Churchill.

PREMIUM DINING MAXIMALISM High end, premium maximalism is a contemporary theme which draws on the eccentricity of high society dining and the art deco scene in Miami during the 1980s. The idea is to be bold and visual and allow the colours and patterns to take centre stage.

The trend is exciting and somewhat limitless allowing you to go beyond the table display and bring in elements from the wider restaurant such as plant foliage, internal architecture, and other such textures. A glassware range which is perfect for this is Villeroy & Boch’s New Moon

PREMIUM DINING MINIMALISM Premium dining is where minimalism shines. Elegant whiteware combined with subtle accents of colour with a shimmer of discreet gold is the best way to capitalise on this trend. To clarify, this does not need to be boring but rather wants to evoke the feeling of a clean canvas with just a hint of colour allowing the food to be visually elevated to a higher aesthetic level. If you are wondering where to start regarding accented tones, we’d suggest either tying in colours from your current venue theme or select monochromatic visuals to offer a bolder contrast. A perfect place to start for this trend would be with the Spyro range from Steelite.

For further information see the advert on page 10 or visit www.allianceonline.co.uk

New GM at DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre Adam Flint has been named the new General Manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre, bringing more than 20 years’ experience to the business.

It’s his first position with Focus Hotels Management Ltd, which has operated the hotel for more than a decade, and he said it’s a very exciting time to join the Focus family.

He said: “Focus Hotels is a small-to-medium-size business with big ambition and is currently investing in the infrastructure for growth. It’s a very good time to be joining Focus.”

Despite coming from a family which has spent five generations in dentistry, Adam was bitten by the hospitality bug early and has never wanted to do anything else.

He came through Marriott’s fast-track management graduate programme and has worked at that group’s hotels in Regents Park, Heathrow, Swindon, Leicester and Birmingham.

He has also worked for EQ Hotels and Hilton and then the Doyle Collection, a private Irish business.

He won a prestigious Acorn Award in 2003, which annually recognise the 30 brightest under-30-year-old prospects in the hospitality industry, which he said was a “big moment” in his career.

While his brother and cousin have kept the family dentistry tradition going, Adam said it was the variety of

roles and experiences that drew him to hospitality.

“I enjoy having to be a ‘jack of all trades’, getting involved in everything from accounting to sales, marketing to food, the hospitality industry has enabled me to dip my hand into so many different areas as well as to move all around the country.”

It has now brought him to the DoubleTree by Hilton Bristol City Centre, which earlier this year celebrated its 50th anniversary, and which was the city’s largest hotel when it first opened.

Adam said: “We are looking to build upon our strong ESG credentials and do everything we can to make this hotel the preferred place to stay in Bristol.

“We’re in an excellent location, with Temple Meads rail station on our doorstep and the historic harbourside just a ten-minute walk away.

“This hotel has a rich history going back 50 years, but there is so much investment and development going on in this part of the city that I am very much looking to the future, and for this hotel to be a major player in the vibrant heart of Bristol.

“I am passionate about hospitality, I live and breathe it, and will be bringing that into all that I do in this exciting new role.”

Devin Grosse, CEO of Focus Hotels, said: “We’re excited to welcome Adam to the Focus family and look forward to him bringing his infectious enthusiasm for our industry to a hotel which has been a beacon of hospitality and hope for more than fifty years – and counting!”

Christmas Is Coming – And What a Year it Has Been at Littlepod HQ The festive season is upon us and in East Devon, the LittlePod team have much to celebrate as they reflect on 12 memorable months.

Richard (Operations Manager) and Laura (General Manager) have both proved themselves to be excellent additions to their operation. But that is not all…

Far from it in fact, for during a year like no other, LittlePod have also: • Won the King’s Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development).

• Visited Made and the farmers at our collaborative orchard in Indonesia.

• Enjoyed an audience with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.

• Launched a whole host of new products (with more in the pipeline).

• Seen their Campaign for Real Vanilla go from strength to strength overseas (in Japan and Germany, in particular).

There’s more, of course (too much to mention here and now), but be it celebrating International Real Vanilla Day in beautiful Bali, launching the LittlePod Real Vanilla Gift Set or bringing their new pod packs (featuring Tahitian, Indonesian and Madagascan vanilla) to market, there can be little question that recent days, weeks and months have been hectic, and that at LittlePod HQ things have never been busier!

Janet Sawyer BEM MBE – Managing Director & Founder of LittlePod says, "There will be so much to celebrate in the coming weeks, but nothing greater than this, the difference that YOU have helped LittlePod to make in 2023.

"To the farmers on the Equatorial Belt and to LittlePodders everywhere, we send vanilla hugs, our thanks and best wishes for the festive season…

"Christmas is coming. What a year it has been!"

Cleaning and Hygiene

CLH Digital

Issue 191

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Five Star Levels of Hygiene for All Hotels, Restaurants, Cafes and Public Houses Hygiene and cleanliness are important in many areas of business but are perhaps most pertinent in the hospitality sector where first impressions really count. Guests visiting hospitality venues both expect and demand these facilities to be clean and inviting and judge this as being an integral part of their experience.

team of Field Service Engineers are strategically located throughout the UK to enable them to easily visit your site to carry out regular service visits and any repair work, if required. Each Engineer is a full-time employee of the company and has been fully trained to work on your Rotowash.

We appreciate that flooring surfaces will differ from location to location within your facilities and that each area presents unique cleaning challenges. The Rotowash floor cleaning machine has been specifically designed to tackle all these difficulties and to deliver the highest standards of cleanliness.

We offer all our customers a preventative maintenance agreement (PMA) operating on a rolling twelve-month basis at an extremely competitive price. Each PMA covers you for all call out and labour costs in the event of emergency repairs being required, as well as two planned service visits carried out on a five-month cycle.

Uniquely, the same Rotowash floor cleaning machine can be used to clean both carpets and hard floors, guaranteeing not only a quality finish but real value for money. Coupled with this, our machines are built to last, particularly if they are cleaned after each use and maintained regularly.

We are committed to providing you the best in customer care and see selling a machine as only the start of the journey. Our

As well as customer care, health & safety is extremely important to us. The design features of a Rotowash machine helps to work injuries by reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, although we believe that Rotowash machines are easy to use, we offer free training to all operatives for the lifetime of the machine.

For more information, please visit at www.rotowash.com

Make Sure Your Business is Legionella Risk Assessments Compliant with Legionella Testing Regular testing for legionella in hotels and catering environments is of paramount importance. Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water systems such as those found in large buildings, including hotels and catering establishments. By conducting regular testing, potential sources of Legionella contamination can be identified and appropriate measures can be taken to mitigate the risk of infection, safeguarding the health and well-being of staff and guests.

Regular testing allows for the early detection of any contamination, enabling prompt action to be taken to eliminate the bacteria and prevent their spread. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of an outbreak occurring and helps maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Regular testing for Legionella in hotels and catering environments is also crucial for compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It also helps to build trust and confidence among guests, who can be assured that appropriate measures are in place to protect their well-being.

In conclusion, regular testing for legionella in hotels and catering environments is essential for preventing the spread of Legionnaires' disease, ensuring the safety of water systems, and complying with legal requirements. By proactively monitoring and managing the risk of Legionella contamination, these establishments can prioritize the health and safety of their staff and guests, while also maintaining their reputation and avoiding potential legal issues.

Legionnaires disease can cause serious illness and even involve hospitalisation including ICU and even death. Public death, it was named after the 1st major recorded outbreak Health England confirms there were 503 cases of at a conference/gathering in the United States.

Legionnaires' Disease in 2019 for England and Wales – an The bacteria are present in all water and become an issue average of almost 10 cases a week. (Latest available data).

when the right conditions for them to proliferate exist.

These are; an ideal temperature and some stagnation, the perfect temperature is mid to high 30 degrees C. Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L8 recommends that an initial Legionella risk assessment is carried out and then a suitable water management scheme is put in place and followed. This will include monitoring of outlets and water tanks and may include regular water sampling and disinfections. The Legionella risk assessment needs to be carried out to BS8580 by a competent, i.e. trained, person.

The bacteria is ingested by human beings in the form of an aerosol and then infects the lungs, the symptoms are similar to flu and also Covid 19. The mild illness is called Pontiac fever and will generally be flu-like and may dissipate without treatment. The more serious illness can

The most common sources are from showers or other equipment, such as cooling towers, that produce an aerosol. Stagnation is also a major factor in increasing the risk, to mitigate this any low use/seldom used outlets should be run off weekly. Temperature monitoring is also advisable, both of these actions MUST be recorded.

In summation: A current Legionella risk assessment and appropriate water hygiene management and monitoring scheme will prevent the bacteria proliferation within the systems and therefore significantly reduce the risk to Staff and public health.

Steve Dillon (Advanced WMSoC Legionella Risk Assessor) Managing Director Stokefield Water Treatment Ltd See the advert on page 2.

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Products and Services

Choose Your Path For Assured, Sustainable Hot Water

Upgrade Your Air Freshener System To Keep Washrooms Constantly Fresh

Restaurants, bars and hotels have an often uniquely businesscritical need for hot water to ensure smooth daily operations.

With hot water demands generating up to 30% of a business’ daily energy use it is a prime candidate for addressing carbon emissions and climbing operational costs.

Unless a new build, which will be electrical-based, most refurbishments will look to either improve on existing gas systems or aim to completely replace them with electrical alternatives, typically heat pumps and/or directelectric heating. The latest generation of electric boiler, such as Adveco’s ARDENT, offers new levels of resilience, with multiple immersions in a protected sealed indirect loop arrangement that dramatically cuts issues associated with limescale damage in hard water areas. Digital controls and monitoring ensure 24/7 operational service.

Adveco Live Metering of the hot water demands of a building is a quick, non-invasive, and extremely cost-effective means of gauging needs. It also provides application design which enables owner/managers to develop realis-

tic and sustainable development strategies which deliver active results today with low to no impact on ongoing operations.

The process helps to avoid the common, and costly pitfalls of system oversizing, for immediate capital savings. Combining heat pump pre-heat and electric boilers will cut carbon emissions, by as much as 70% compared to equivalent gas-fired applications, so is a big tick in the box for business sustainability.

A correctly sized and installed solar thermal system will reduce UK annual energy requirements of a business on average by at least 30%. Southern/western counties could expect to offset most hot water energy demands in the summer months with a solar thermal system. With a less than 10-year return on investment now possible, solar thermal, as a proven renewable should be on any list of net zero technologies being considered as part of a wider sustainability strategy. www.adveco.co See the advert on page 7.

LeisureBench Ltd, is proud to introduce its new sister company SGM Recycled Plastics Ltd. Made from 100% recycled plastic, our new ranges are designed and manufactured at our new premises in Granthan using the latest technology.

From picnic tables to planters, the growing range of products are ergonomically designed for the commercial sector at affordable prices and most items come with a 25-year construction guarantee.

Introducing our new stylish side chairs available in several colours, they are both comfortable, and at a starting price of just £99.45 +vat in black, they represent excellent value for money.

Our new website www.sgmrecycledplastics.com has automated muti-buy discounting. Discounts start from

as little as two of the same product for exceptional value.

We believe we are the most competitive in the market.

Our in-house design team can design bespoke products for our clients and no job is too small or too big. Customer service is key to our success.

We welcome visitors to our factory showroom at Old Wharf Road, Grantham, Notts, NG31 7AA. SGM T: 0333 0112314 Calls charged at local rate.

E: support@sgmrecycledplastics.com SGM W: www.sgmrecycledplastics.com LeisureBench W: www.leisurebench.co.uk We all want to see less waste plastic and sustainability; our products are a small, but not insignificant, step in right direction. Thank you. See the advert on page 9.

FRNHZ Linen

website www.kangaboxuk.com.

We are also leading suppliers of European manufactured Stainless Steel items such as Sinks, Gastronorms, Accessories and other products.

In addition Catering Equipment Ltd are also the UK's largest specialist supplier of European manufactured gastronorm containers, ice cream containers, sinks, hand wash and restaurant equipment.

See our extensive range of products on our website clickonstore.net.

Catering Equipment Ltd are a family firm that has been trading for almost 30 years. Our commitment is to our customers you are the most important people in our business.

Our promise is that you can count on Catering Equipment Ltd to help you and that our team will do their utmost to ensure that dealing with us is a pleasant and worthwhile experience. Call the team on 0121 773 2228 now.

See the advert on the inside front cover.

The bath linen collection from FRNHZ is equally impressive, featuring an array of plush Face Towels, Hand towels, Bath Towel, Bath Sheets, Bath Mats and Bath Robe. FRNHZ's commitment to quality extends into the kitchen, where its linen collection includes essential items such as kitchen towels and cloths, contributing to a functional and aesthetically pleasing culinary environment.

SGM Recycled Plastics Ltd.

Catering Equipment Ltd Catering Equipment Ltd are the authorised UK Distributor for the range of Kängabox thermoboxes that keep items Hot or Cold. Kängabox is a revolutionary new high density EPP series of containers in which hot or cold items can be transported with an average temperature loss of less than 1°C plus or minus per hour within a temperature range of -40°C to +120°C. Kängaboxes are available in a range of capacities and attractive colours. Kängabox are available in eight different designs and four different depths.

The various gastronorm, pizza, ice cream and euro norm formats are available.

Our Transport Boxes perfect for keeping food HOT or COLD whether delivering food, running an event or managing extra food production in the Kitchen.

Comprehensive product details can be found on our

Blaze Signs Blaze Signs is a name that’s widely recognised in the signage industry; we are one of the largest signage businesses in the UK after all, offering a full turnkey solution from concept, design and planning through to manufacture and installation. We offer unparalleled capabilities and expertise, from project management, creative design services, manufacturing equipment and talent, and professional nationwide installation teams.

However, our talent and facilities mean we can provide far more than just standard signage for your business…

We have worked with countless customers spanning multiple sectors and industries to design and produce a variety of non-signage specific items. This includes:

• Bespoke fixtures, fittings and furniture • Feature lighting – inside and outside • Building cladding • Working with specialised materials – e.g. glass and wood With Blaze Signs, you can fit-out your restaurant, office or commercial outlet from the signage to the

table, lighting fixtures and mirrors.

Our promise of the highest quality service and product extends to these additional business solutions, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll receive the same standard that we’re best known for in the signage industry.

ESG is a huge focus for Blaze, and our dedicated group of employees who belong to the Blaze People&Planet working group are continuously looking at ways to reduce our environmental impact, create equitable solutions, take better care of our employees, and drive broader change within the industry and our communities.

So, for those potential customers out there not currently talking to us, we would love you to. It could prove to be the start of a highly rewarding experience!

Call: 01843 601 075 Email: info@blazesigns.co.uk Website: www.blazesigns.co.uk See the advert on page 9 for details.

Washrooms are the biggest source of complaints, accounting for over 45% of the complaints that facility managers receive.1 In addition, recent research from Tork tells us that 67% of employees say they’re more likely to complain about a washroom than any other aspect of their office.2 Therefore, it’s crucial that washrooms are run efficiently to ensure a standard of cleanliness that makes people feel cared for.

A NEW AIR FRESHENER THAT DISTRIBUTES SCENT EVENLY AND CONTINUOUSLY Tork has launched a new system that makes keeping your washrooms constantly fresh much easier. It uses a unique, high-tech technology that is propellant free to neutralise odours continuously and evenly. Research shows that the most important factor customers state when selecting an air care product is the “long lasting performance”3. The Tork Constant Air Freshener can last for up to 90 days before needing a refill, with a range of scents that eliminate bad odours, creating a consistent, fresh washroom experience, which helps facility managers to avoid washroom complaints.

FRNHZ Linen supplier are holding the esteemed title of one of the largest suppliers of bed linen, bath linen, Table Linen, kitchen linen, Chef wears, packaging items and refreshment wet towels.

In the Sphere of bed linen, FRNHZ's extensive collection is a testament to its dedication to transforming bedrooms into havens of luxury. From premium bed sheets to elegant duvet covers, each product is crafted with meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to unbeatable quality.

A SYSTEM THAT IS EASY TO MAINTAIN AND REFILL 71% of cleaning staff agreed that if washroom dispensers were quicker and easier to refill, they would have more time for other cleaning tasks2.

The Tork Constant Air Freshener dispenser is certified ‘Easy to use’ for speedy refilling.4 Its flexible placement at reachable heights also allows for easy maintenance. Refills and battery changes can also be planned into existing cleaning routines to save staff valuable time.

IOT CONNECTED DISPENSERS With Tork Vision Cleaning, the world’s leading datadriven cleaning solution, cleaning staff will now know exactly when and where to refill all Tork dispensers in the washroom. The new air freshener dispenser will enable them to keep the dispensers replenished and save time by avoiding unnecessary checks.

It’s easy to provide a great washroom experience with smart, sustainable hygiene management from Tork.

For more information, please visit Tork.co.uk. For more information on Tork air freshener, please visit Tork.co.uk/airfreshener. or see the advert on page 13.

The first-class collection of premium linens for clients all over the UK. Experience the luxury of our table linen, designed for a soft and sumptuous feel that adds a touch of elegance to any occasion.

Simplify your restaurant operations with our easycare table linens. Our fabrics are resistant to wrinkles and stains, making maintenance a breeze and allowing your staff to focus on providing excellent service Beyond hotel textiles, FRNHZ extends its reach into Chef Wear, recognizing the significance of highquality and durable garments in various professional settings. The brand's workwear line is designed to meet the rigorous demands of industries, providing both comfort and durability for individuals in their work environments.

In a unique and thoughtful addition, FRNHZ also stands out as a supplier of refreshment wet towels and packaging items. This offering caters to the need for convenient and refreshing options, providing a practical solution for various settings, including hospitality and travel industries.

For further information call 01234 910 660, visit www.frnhz.com or see the advert on page 7.

Elevating Hospitality: UK Hotels Embrace Walter Geering's Innovative Floating Dispenser Collection In a landmark decision reflecting a commitment to sustainability and guest experience, UK hotels are increasingly turning to Walter Geering's cutting-edge floating dispenser collection. Established in 1903, Walter Geering has evolved into an industry-leading supplier for hotels, holiday parks, and accommodation providers nationwide. Specialising in eco-friendly toiletries and welcome packs, including kitchen and bathroom essentials, pet packs, games night packs, birthday packs, and more, Walter Geering stands at the forefront of the hospitality supply chain.

A LEGACY OF ECOFRIENDLINESS Walter Geering's ascent to a leading supplier is grounded in its unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility. Acknowledging the hospitality industry's reliance on single-use plastic, particularly in toiletries, Walter Geering has pioneered eco-friendly alternatives.

Despite the allure of convenience, the company remains dedicated to supporting its clients in reducing plastic consumption, aligning with a broader global push toward sustainability.

TOILETRIES AND WELCOME PACKS REDEFINED Walter Geering has consistently led the toiletry and amenity market through innovative products and ecofriendly initiatives. Their extensive toiletry collections boast bottles and tubes crafted from oxo-biodegradable plastic, post-consumer recycled plastic, prevented ocean plastic, and wheat straw. Spring 2023 witnessed the launch of the ground-breaking floating dispenser system,

a simple yet ingenious solution designed to fit any bathroom seamlessly. Priced at just £4.28 per product per room, the system features a tamper-proof locking mechanism, with a discreet matchboxsized bracket creating the illusion of a floating dispenser.

KITCHEN AND CLEANING WELCOME PACKS Beyond toiletries, Walter Geering extends its commitment to sustainability into kitchen and cleaning welcome packs. Recognizing the imperative of a circular economy, the company invests in reimagining and redesigning its packaging. A new range of packaging types aligns with existing or foreseeable recycling infrastructure, facilitating consumer reuse or recycling. The practicality of their kitchen packs addresses guests' unspoken needs upon arrival, ensuring essentials like washing up liquid, bin bags, sponges, and cleaning cloths are readily available for the first few days.

SPECIAL OFFER: CLH10 FOR A 10% DISCOUNT Walter Geering invites accommodation providers to join the movement towards eco-conscious hospitality.

Contact them today and quote CLH10 to avail of an exclusive 10% discount on your initial order. Elevate your guests' experience while contributing to a sustainable future—Walter Geering, where innovation meets responsibility.

W:www.waltergeering.co.uk P:01233 658085 E:sales@waltergeering.co.uk See the advert on page 11.

Food Safety

Diners Offered Allergy Lifeline

The restaurant had included nuts in Kate’s meal, despite being told that she was severely allergic.

A woman who developed a life-changing service for allergy sufferers after her friend was served nuts, is hoping it will help save thousands of others.

After speaking to her friend, Juliet realised this was a communication issue between front-of-house staff and restaurant chefs.

Juliet Moran, the founder of AllergyMenu.uk created the service following an incident where her friend almost suffered a severe allergy attack whilst on holiday.

She created a website and app to help save those suffering from allergies customers can now see which items on the menu they should avoid and which dishes are safe to consume.

Whilst in Amsterdam, Juliet’s friend Kate informed the front-of-house staff about her allergies - including nuts.

With the number of those suffering with food allergies on the rise, Juliet hopes AllergyMenu.uk will be a life-changing addition for those eating out.

Despite getting the message across in both English and Dutch, the first dish to arrive was Kate’s meal, rich in peanuts. And, without thinking, she put her fork to her mouth about to take a bite.

It also helps restaurants streamline their booking services by flagging any allergy issues before diners arrive.

It wasn’t until her husband pushed his arm across Kate and shouted, ‘Stop!’, that she realised the dish could have sent her into an anaphylaxis

shock.

Juliet said: “I was out at a restaurant with friends including Kate who suffers with a nut allergy, and we were talking to the staff to make them aware of it.

“We were having a few glasses of wine and chatting away when Kate put

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her fork in her food, about to eat it when her husband suddenly put his arm over her and shouted ‘Stop!’ He’d realised the restaurant had put nuts in her dish.

“I was really taken aback about how serious it was and spoke to her about all these problems and came to the conclusion that it seems like a communication problem between the front of house staff and the restaurant chefs.

“Most businesses already have a chart with all the allergen information on but we’ve found that the real problem is that the chefs aren’t communicating with the front of house staff about what exactly is in the food.

“But putting the allergens into a proper computer system and giving the information directly to the consumer who downloads the app or looks on our website can instantly see what food substances are in their dish.

“Everytime I speak to users of our service, their only frustration is that not every restaurant is on it. I created this app to help solve this problem - and I’m doing this because I think it can help people out like my friend Kate.” https://allergymenu.uk/

Logicall: Elevating Food Safety Navigating Compliance: Owen’s Law and with Smart Monitoring Solutions Allergen Checker’s Seamless Support

In the bustling world of cafes, bars, and restaurants, Logicall’s temperature monitoring solutions aren’t just a luxury—they’re a necessity. Here’s why your establishment needs our innovative technology: Food Safety Compliance: Regulatory bodies demand stringent adherence to food safety standards. Logicall’s LoRaWAN temperature probes ensure continuous monitoring of fridges, freezers, and cold rooms, providing real-time insights into temperature conditions. This proactive approach not only prevents food spoilage but also safeguards your business against compliance issues.

Instant Alerts for Swift Action: Temperature breaches can be disastrous for perishable goods. Logicall’s instant alert system via text, email, or audible alarms ensures swift action in the event of fluctuations. This rapid response not only saves stock but also maintains the quality and safety of your food products.

Easy Deployment and Scalability: Forget the hassle of Wi-Fi dependencies. Our temperature probes utilise longrange communication technology, ensuring seamless connectivity across your entire establishment without the need for complex Wi-Fi infrastructure. This not only simplifies deployment but also makes scaling your monitoring capabilities a breeze.

Preventative Maintenance with Smart Sockets: Logicall’s smart sockets go beyond temperature monitoring.

They provide real-time data on energy usage and cold storage unit health, allowing you to proactively address potential issues. By optimising energy consumption and preventing equipment failures, you not only save money but also ensure uninterrupted service to your customers.

Logical Checks Food Probing App: Simplify your kitchen operations and go paperless with our Logical Checks app. Designed to digitise all your HACCP temperature checks, this user-friendly app streamlines your kitchen’s daily routines. Ensure compliance with ease, leaving behind the burden of manual checks and embracing the efficiency of digital monitoring.

Real-Time Display Screens: Take control with Logicall’s real-time display screens deployed throughout your kitchen. Monitor the status of your fridges and freezers in real-time, ensuring that your entire kitchen team is on the same page. This visual solution enhances communication and allows for swift corrective action, minimising the risk of temperature-related issues.

In summary, Logicall’s temperature monitoring solutions are vital for cafes, bars, and restaurants aiming for excellence in food safety, compliance, and operational efficiency. Invest in our technology today and secure the longevity of your perishable inventory while ensuring the highest standards in food quality and safety.

See the advert below for further details.

Recent court cases have highlighted the critical need for robust allergen management systems in the hospitality industry.

The legal consequences for breaching allergen-labelling laws have intensified: urging establishments to prioritise compliance and transparency.

One noteworthy case involved a Blackwood pub, fined for failing to provide allergen information, where the establishment’s stance was shockingly expressed as “We are unable to cater for customers with food allergies.”

This alarming case underscores the urgent necessity for a proactive and comprehensive approach to allergen transparency.

As the industry braces itself for positive changes with Owen’s Law within the next 12 months, Allergen Checker (www.allergenchecker.co.uk) emerges as an indispensable ally for establishments navigating this complex landscape.

Already a champion of compliance through its labelling function, the software positions itself at the forefront of the industry’s move toward enhanced allergen transparency.

Allergen Checker not only supports Natasha’s Law

requirements but anticipates Owen’s Law, offering a forward-thinking solution.

Picture a future where every ingredient, even beyond the standard 14 allergens, is meticulously accounted for.

Allergen Checker excels in offering this level of transparency, ensuring that compliance with Natasha’s Law and the upcoming Owen’s Law becomes an opportunity to enhance customer trust and safety.

Not only does Allergen Checker help those with allergies it also provides invaluable information to millions who suffer from intolerances. Listing every ingredient will only encourage your customers to trust what they are eating. All the information can be hidden behind a useful QR Code to be placed on your menu without encroaching on your menu design.

For those seeking a smooth transition and an opportunity to enhance their offering Allergen Checker invites you to explore its capabilities with a 14-day free trial.

Owen’s Law is not a challenge; it’s a chance to redefine how we approach allergen management, and Allergen Checker is here to lead the way.

Follow the link and step into the future with confidence. www.allergenchecker.co.uk

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Coffee and Beverage Systems

Consumers Ready To Spend On Hot Beverages in 2024 While some drinkers are happy to upgrade, The Hot Beverages Spotlight Report indicates others will be seeking more value in 2024. The research provides expert insights into the impact of price on decision-making, as well as the formats and flavour profiles that consumers want at both the premium and value ends of the market.

The Hot Beverages Spotlight Report, part of CGA’s Food Insights Spotlight series, delivers a bird’s eye view of the segment to help suppliers, wholesalers and operators sharpen promotional, pricing and ranging strategies, as well as pinpoint opportunities for growth. It sets out the latest hot drink preferences, habits, channels, as well as plus consumer demographics, drivers to purchase and much more.

Andy Hodgson, CGA by NIQ’s senior business development manager, said: “Hot beverages are an increasingly valuable part of On Premise drinks menus and they can unlock incremental sales in new dayparts. But with competition so fierce and consumers more knowledgeable about their drinks than ever, it’s crucial to understand exactly where, when and why these drinks are bought.

With spending likely to fluctuate widely between premium and value offerings, crafting the right ranges and hitting the pricing sweet spots will be the keys to success in 2024.”

The research shows well over a quarter (28%) of consumers expect to spend more on hot beverages in the next 12 months, while more than half (54%) say they are likely to pay extra for a better quality drink—a figure that rises even higher to 62% of adults aged 18 to 34. There is a particularly strong appetite for trading up in coffee, where the quality of beans has become integral to marketing campaigns.

Sanremo Coffee Machines Sanremo Coffee Machines is an Italian espresso machine and coffee grinder manufacturer that designs and produces professional equipment dedicated to coffee extraction enthusiasts. This strong passion has guided the company over the years and has now become its greatest sign of recognition. The ability to accept and respond to constant market changes with courage, ideas and products that are born from thinking outside the box, summarized in their philosophy “The Brave Inspire”. This philosophy simultaneously expresses a way of being and an invitation to be inspirational.

Sanremo’s machines are designed and hand-built in Treviso, Italy. Creating one of the widest ranges of traditional espresso equipment from a single brand in the world. From their entry-level CUBE machines perfect for the home enthusiast or small bar operations to their Café Racer range, the machines are designed to deliver the consistency and quality required for the busiest of speciality coffee outlets.

Design and technology are at the heart of how Sanremo construct machines, giving baristas the controls required and a workspace which enables them to be efficient. Matched with an engineering quality using the best materials available for the task at hand, with a focus on sustainable life-long components and high levels of insulation and thermal stability to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption and costs.

During 2023 Sanremo Coffee Machines opened its first global Hub in South Kensington, London. Creating a destination spot for coffee lovers and enthusiasts to create the best coffee possible. It showcases the full range of machines along with hosting events throughout the year to bring the UK and Global coffee community together. The Hub is open to the public and no appointment is required to come and experience all the brand has to offer.

With Sanremo’s unwavering passion and dedication to innovate, 2024 is again set to represent another milestone in its history with the launch of a new machine that completely reimagines what is achievable at an entry-level machine, matched with Sanremo’s distinctive design and customisation options. Called the D8 it will be launched in the UK at the end of April.

If you are interested in finding out more about Sanremo you can visit their website www.sanremouk.com or contact them via phone or email 01364 644445.

Exclusive Elegance and Quality by Design Benefiting from Fracino's extensive research and development programme, world class engineering skills and state of the art production technology, 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 curves and retro styling with contemporary materials and close attention to detail, ensuring a truly outstanding finish. Featuring latest technology 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 energy 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 technology enables discerning clients to choose a bespoke finish for their Fracino espresso machine. Our expertise caters for individuality – whether it be to enhance a theme or interior design, promote a brand - or simply to challenge convention.

Transforming the purely functional into an enviable work of art; that’s Romano! sales@fracino.com www.fracino.com

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

Have you ever thought about investing in a great coffee machine, but are not sure it would work for you?

All you need to do is watch your customers enjoy great coffee and your profits rise!

We are so confident that our coffee systems will enhance your business we will install a

LOAN MACHINE

Plus sufficient coffee

completely free of charge for a week.*

CALL US TODAY TO START YOUR COFFEE JOURNEY

0800 44 44 43 OR EMAIL BILL@FORWARDVENDORS.CO.UK *Terms and conditions apply.

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The Source Trade Show Preview

Unlock Culinary Potential at the Source Trade Show – Registration Now Open!

Calling all food and drink buyers in hospitality, catering, and food retail – save the dates for The Source trade show on February 6th and 7th at Westpoint near Exeter. This vibrant regional event brings together an array of food and drink brands, food service, equipment, and business services, making it a one-stop-shop for your needs.

As 2024 approaches, it's time to plan your menus and source top-quality ingredients, and essential equipment and services. Whether you manage a pub, hotel, restaurant, café, deli, farm shop, holiday park, or supermarket, the Source is tailored to meet your unique requirements.

In partnership with Taste of the West, this show facilitates direct orders from South West artisan producers and well-known companies such as; Bartletts, Chunk of Devon, Clipper, EPOS Buddy, Farm Frites, Forest Produce, Franke Coffee, Frobishers, Gusto Organic, Heritage Cider, House of Sarunds, Proper Cornish, The Cress Co, The Real Olive Co, Unox, Westaways,

Westcountry Fruit Sales, and Yeo Valley.

MD Mike Anderson expresses the essence of The Source: “It’s a show packed with reasons to attend; the best producers, market-leading business ideas, networking opportunities, a tourism conference, and it’s open to the entire food and drink industry.”

Attendees have 2 days to explore trends, network with industry peers, and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector in 2024. The Source is free for trade buyers, easily accessible, and has plenty of free parking. In addition, many exhibitors at the show will have exclusive show offers for visiting buyers, including discounts, free delivery, free POS items, and deals on service packages. It’s a great opportunity to get yourself a deal and increase your profit margins!

For more information about the show and to register to attend, visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk, or call 01934 733465. You can also follow the show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @SourceFoodDrink.

The Source Trade Show Preview

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The Moray Honey Company The Moray Honey Company is a family run business. Our hives are surrounded by lavender, wild flowers.

health properties, aroma and goodness.

We are based near Forres and have apiaries at home and throughout Morayshire and some surrounding areas to the Highlands.

We produce many products ideal for the hospitality, catering and hotel sectors and their customers, which will be on display at The Source Trade Show on Stand F9.

Our Honey is simply hive to jar, as nature intended keeping all the beneficial

Visit us there or see our website at www.themorayhoneycompany.co.uk

The Label Group

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

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

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

From laid back, seaside charm to cutting-edge design our extensive product range will suit your style and give your business the look that you want to achieve.

We have a huge choice of colours, fabrics and finishes and all our furniture comes with a two-year warranty.

Barton Reed & Co is a family-run business and we have been involved in the furniture industry since 1945.

Over the years we have forged strong relationships with our suppliers to give you the best furniture available with a service that goes above and beyond our customers’ expectations.

different names depending on their use. Labelling guns, price guns, pricing guns, label guns, coding guns and batch guns. Our range of products can meet all needs: Simple low use models, durable machines for industry.

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

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

See us on Stand H4 or call 01736 810334 for details.

Seven reasons why you should choose Barton Reed & Co to supply your contract furniture: • Wide range of styles • Easy ordering and re-ordering • Single point of contact • Short lead times • Direct delivery • After sales service • Two-year warranty on every item Get in touch to discuss your furniture requirements or to order our new brochure – we’re here to help.

Call us on 01409 271189, visit www.bartonreed.co.uk or email info@bartonreed.co.uk Alternatively see us on Stand H16 at The Source Trade Show.

Our Honey is simply hive to jar, as nature intended keeping all the beneficial health properties, aroma and goodness.

Phone 07727 148588 Email yogi@themorayhoneycompany.co.uk Web www.themorayhoneycompany.co.uk

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

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The Source Trade Show Preview Blizzard Refrigeration and Catering Equipment Experts in professional, affordable refrigeration and catering equipment Blizzard is excited to visit The Source show 2024 in February for the first time and show of some of the fantastic equipment we have to offer. Head over to Stand F26 to have a chat to our team about how Blizzard can help you, while you’re there why not take a guess on how many balls are in

our HSG40 to be in with a chance of winning a mini bar!

The Artisan Distilling Company The Artisan Distilling Company is born out of the award winning Devon Distillery.

Focusing on creating high quality, bespoke spirits for clients that would like to bring their dreams to life. With clients from the Royal Navy to local pubs, prominent brands to private events, the focus on quality and detail for each and every project if central to our process.

The Artisan Distilling Company also operate the only mobile stills in the whole of the UK, so the opportunities are endless when creating your own bespoke spirit, it can be made on your very doorstep, and indeed inside!

Make sure to visit them and start your journey of making your dreams into reality at Stand C15.

Say Goodbye to Plastic Lids THE ADVENTURE OF ARTISAN DISTILLING

01803 224856 artisandistillingcompany.co.uk See us on Stand C15

In 2023 the South West had over 18 million single use hot and cold drinks cups. The plastic lids and PLU lined cups equate to over 80,000kg of single use plastic waste. The hospitality industry sustains us but is also responsible for a large part of this plastic crisis. The is now a solution launching to the trade at Source 24. The Good Cup is a 100% plastic free hot and cold drinks cup with a unique integrated folding lid: meaning No More Lids! Fully compostable or simply recycled as paper. The Good Cup is being brought to the UK by Liskeard based No More Lids Limited and leading the change from our glorious South West.

The cup is available in 4 sizes and suitable for drink

and food service. Its unique aqueous lining ensures no leaks or soggy cups and even if the cup goes to landfill there will be no trace in under 6 months and ZERO negative impact on the environment.

The South West counties have the largest combined coastline in the UK and we know first hand the issues the single use plastic and increasing tourism waste can create on our beaches and wildlife.

It's time to make a change! Say Goodbye to PLU lined cups and plastic lids and say Hello to The Good Cup. Visit No More Lids and Swift Catering Supplies at Stand H7 to find out more.

Or visit www.nomorelids.com

The Source Trade Show Preview Let’s Talk About The Finance Your Business Needs To Grow CLH Digital

All businesses, no matter what their size, should have access to the funding they need to grow. Finding the right bespoke advice is often very difficult and this is where Asset Finance Brokers can be really valuable.

Colin Chastey is an experienced Broker with a wealth of business knowledge. He has a banking background but fiercely believes relationships and great customer service matter.

In his experience, small and growing businesses do not always know that there are so many more options than just traditional banks.

All businesses need a person to speak to. A person to help them understand all the options so an informed decision can be made… that’s Colin, the Asset Finance Man.

Asset Finance allows a business to buy or hire new or used equipment, machinery, vehicles etc and spread the cost over a period of time. It also

Rum and Reggae: Our Adventure So Far The seed of Rum and Reggae was born from our love for tunes and of course, rum. Blending the sunny sounds of reggae with our renowned rum punch was a no-brainer and we knew this experience needed to be shared. Venturing out, we hit the road to spread the Rum and Reggae joy at festivals and food events. And guess what? People loved it!

From punch to product, we crafted our signature ‘serious rum,’ a 40% abv golden tipple that shines in cocktails and pairs perfectly with your favourite soft drink. Our initial success paved the way for our next creation: a rum infused with honey sourced from rescue bees.

As the buzz grew, our reach extended to pubs, clubs, restaurants,

He works with a wide range of leading lenders to find the right solution for each business. Call Colin Chastey today on 07760 454244 – www.assetfinanceman.co.uk See Stand I33 at the Source Trade Show.

HS French Flint - The Glass Container Specialists HS French Flint Ltd are very pleased to be exhibiting at the Source Trade Show again this year and are looking forward to seeing Old Friends as well as New Contacts on STAND E17.

expand our range and have even more wonderful glass jars and bottles to show you this year.

Please have a look at our website www.frenchflint.com or give us a call on 020 7237 1750.

Having moved into a new and larger showroom overlooking the River Thames near Tower Bridge we have continued to

HS French Flint Limited, The Gallery, Springalls Wharf, 25a Bermondsey Wall West, London SE16

Continuing our flavour journey we recently released two new tantalizing rums – mango and coffee. With rave reviews already pouring in, you can be sure that even more innovative flavours are in the pipeline. Stay tuned!

Visit us on stand 567 at the Source Trade Show.

VISIT CLH NEWS ON STAND B20 AT THE SOURCE TRADE SHOW

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offers the ability to raise cash against assets already within a business.

and bars, revealing a demand for our rums with a difference. Our brand's visuals are a burst of excitement – simple, fun, and full of colour, they effortlessly capture the heart of Rum and Reggae whilst drawing in customers with their vibrant charm.

Now ready to spread sunshine nationwide through the hospitality trade.

Issue 191

Caribbean style rum, with a hint of spice and a touch of caramel, making it perfect to sip on its own, or mix with Ginger ale or cola.

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CLH Digital

Looking Forward to 2024 with Lanchester Wines

Lesley Cook is Lanchester Wines’ director of purchasing. We caught up with Lesley to look at what will affect the wine trade in 2024.

One of the biggest impacts to the wine trade in 2023 was the Alcohol Duty Reform which saw wine duty increase by 20%. This will continue to impact the trade in to 2024 and beyond, with further half percent

incremental duty changes due in February 2025.

This increase in duty has been very detrimental to every alcohol-related business over the last six months. Unfortunately, we can’t offset the costs; businesses in our position don’t make enough profit to offset costs so unfortunately these have to be passed onto our customers. But, where we had to increase our prices, this increase is 100% duty on every line and, of course, some products, such as Sparkling wines and lower ABV, have been reduced, which has also been passed onto the customer.

There’s a lot of admin involved in the importation of alcoholic goods – we’re an HMRC bonded warehouse and Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) which means we’re effectively an inland port. Our bond and logistics departments work through every single wine to ensure tax codes are implemented correctly and, if the Government continues with its plans for February 2025, it’ll cost tens of thousands of pounds in administration and computer systems not just for our business, but for every business in the wine trade.

Wine is an agricultural crop: the climate is heavily involved in determining the alcohol level (unlike beer and spirits which can be determined very

accurately on production). A hot growing season naturally increases alcohol by volume while cold, wet weather decreases it. This could mean that a wine from one vintage goes up by two or three duty increments from the previous vintage.

you can imagine, this takes a lot of planning, it can’t be done instantly and has to be changed while the grapes are starting to grow or before. But this ensures the wine still has the mouthfeel and profile you’d expect.

Customers want to taste a Pinot Grigio, not a watered-down version.

The alcohol percentage of wine, in my opinion, isn’t the issue. High ABV wines such as Barolo, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Amarone are high quality, expensive wines to be enjoyed for what they are and certainly not for binge drinkers.

I attended the World Bulk Wine Exhibition (WBWE) in Amsterdam last month and many of the vineyards are already planning to pick early next year. But this is a huge risk for them – if the wine doesn’t have the right flavour profile and they can’t sell it, then they’ve got no home for this wine.

It’s only the UK Government implementing these tax regimes; wine is sold across the globe, growers can’t amend their entire vineyards just to flex to UK requirements. At some point, someone is going to lose out – its unlikely the growers will continue to forfeit their crops purely for one country, so I guess they’ll look to sell elsewhere and the UK will suffer. The next twelve months will be crucial, so watch this space.

We’re currently lobbying Government to try and stop this from happening, as I’m sure other alcohol businesses and bodies are too. It is my thought that we can maintain a stepped alcohol duty but at a simplified scale: 1.Below 11% 2.11% - 13% 3.13% - 15% 4.15%+ This will not only maintain duty tax receipts but also save the UK wine industry millions of pounds in administrative fees. Although, obviously we’d prefer to leave the alcohol duty as it is.

We’ve introduced a couple of lower ABV wines within our own brand portfolio which will help minimise duty. I’ve tried a lot of lower ABV wines, all the wines you can think of, but the quality can suffer when you remove some of the alcohol and customers don’t want that - we don’t want that.

We’ve only progressed with Pinot Grigio and White Zinfandel because they’re both naturally lower in ABV and lowering by a percentage or two hasn’t reduced the quality. But some lower ABV wines can be green or tannic, you wouldn’t know what you were tasting. They’re not indicative of the varietal and I’m not prepared to lower our quality.

We started working with our producers as soon as we knew these duty changes were imminent – to achieve these lower ABV, the grapes are harvested earlier and the vines have been covered to reduce sun exposure. As

There is of course a glimmer of positive news, in that sparkling wines saw a reduction in alcohol duty. For Lanchester Wines, the time was quite fortuitous as we’ve just launched a new partnership with Domain Moutard, the renowned Champagne house and also introduced new sparkling Italian ranges; an organic Raboso Frizzante and Valdobbiadene Conegliano Prosecco Superiore DOCG, both of which are also lower in ABV (11%).

And these producers continue to innovate to ensure they remain relevant. For example, Domain Moutard has created a pair of Pet Nats (Pétillant-Naturel) from grapes grown in its vineyards in Tonnerre, close to Chablis in Burgundy. The Pet’ Mout’ wines, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir rosé, are produced according to the Methode Ancestral – an ancient method of making sparkling wines. These natural wines have gained popularity in recent years as an artisanal alternative to sparkling wines.

These Pet Nats signal an evolution. We have a world-renowned Champagne house growing grapes near Chablis and using an ancient winemaking method to produce cutting edge on-trend wines. This is really exciting. Moutard isn’t afraid to experiment and have fun with their wines, and what’s more fun than a farting sheep (a Péter Mouton) on the bottle?

Producer Celebrates a Meaty Haul at the National Craft Butchers Awards Cornish meat specialists Primrose Herd came away with an impressive haul at the National Craft Butchers Awards this year, receiving one Gold, three Silver and a Bronze from an experienced panel of expert judges.

Flying the flag for Cornwall, Primrose Herd’s Chorizo Hotdogs were their biggest hit at the hotly contested industry awards, securing a prestigious Gold for their outstanding quality and flavour.

Silvers followed for Sally Lugg’s Smoked and Unsmoked Bacon, and Cracked Black Pepper Sausages; a Bronze

www.primroseherd.co.uk

award for Primrose Herd’s traditional Pork Sausages completed the medal set.

Sally, who started the Primrose Herd butchery in 2000, said: “The National Craft Butchers Awards are the pinnacle of recognition in our industry. All products are tasted blind, so it really is just the quality of meat and production that’s being evaluated. I’m thrilled to come away with not just one, but five awards for our Cornish products.”

Primrose Herd are based in Newham, where their modern butchery facilities process prime meat from across Cornwall; cuts are carefully prepared by the skilled butchery team, bacon meticulously dry cured, and sausages made to exacting family recipes.

Primrose Herd meat is often name-dropped on the menus of top restaurants.

If you are interested in purchasing Primrose Herd products or have any questions regarding the wholesale side of our business please do get in touch at primroseherd@tiscali.co.uk

Lanchester Wines Put Focus on Sustainability At Primrose Herd we know how important quality is to you and your customers. We supply the finest pork individually prepared to a wide range of customers throughout Cornwall and beyond. These include pubs, hotels, restaurants, farm shops delis, cafés, and box schemes.

Customers can buy in confidence knowing they are dealing with a family business that is dedicated to them.

So whether its belly pork, dry cured bacon or even a bespoke sausage you want for your menu our dedicated and experienced team are here to help.

If you are interested in purchasing Primrose Herd products or have any questions regarding the wholesale side of our business please do get in touch at primroseherd@tiscali.co.uk

Tom van der Neut is business unit controller at Lanchester Wines.

While carbon offsetting is relatively mainstream, more and more businesses are looking at how they can introduce carbon insetting when companies invest in carbon reduction projects within their own supply chain. By engaging in carbon insetting, companies are investing in making their own products, practices and supply chains more sustainable.

The good news for operators is that the wine trade has focused on insetting for centuries. As the wine industry spans (literally) the globe, insetting has to be apportioned to the different elements of the wine process. You can firstly start by looking at the winery; how its adapted to its environment and social surroundings, and used the resources available from water conservation to soil management, vineyard grazing through to community projects.

Next, is the transportation of wine. Bulk shipping has many benefits, both monetary and sustainably: a Flexitank containing 24,000 litres will fit in a 20ft container, while the same volume in bottle would require two 40ft containers. With this comes a significant win on the environmental front, with CO2 savings of 37%

(bulk vs bottled at source) which is around 2kg of CO2 per kilometre travelled.

Then look at how your importer or merchant has implemented their insetting programmes. There’s no one size fits all solution to sustainability, so its important to understand what each business has done to minimise their own specific impact on the environment.

At Lanchester Wines, we started our insetting programme back in 2011 with the installation of our first wind turbine and solar panels shortly after – we’ve now invested over £13million in renewable energy and heat generation projects at sites across the North of England and our business is powered almost completely by wind and solar.

Lanchester Wines also actively seeks business partners and suppliers who share our vision to proactively improve their sustainability. Each of our wine suppliers has adapted to their environment and social surroundings, and used the resources available to them – from water conservation to soil management, vineyard grazing through to community projects.

In simple terms, it’s absolutely vital that every business implements carbon reduction programmes as soon as possible. Depending on budget, depending on suitability – but it’s vital to do what you can where you can.

Lanchester Wines has created a Sustainable Bulk Wine Partner Portfolio which can be downloaded from our website and shows the commitment from each of our partners, so our customers can be assured the wine in their glass truly is sustainable. https://www.lanchesterwines.co.uk/ what-we-do/sustainable-wine-business/

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Chef's Buyer's Guide

Winning Cheese and Whiskey Pairings from Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the food world’s best kept secrets, with artisan cheese makers and passionate producers providing an array of different types of cheese and an abundance of gastronomic delights. Through a combination of age-old traditions, local connections and diverse natural landscapes, this little corner of the world hosts a whole legion of diverse, award-winning producers. From velvety triple-cream bries and complex ale-washed cheddars to smoky whiskeys and rich, aged balsamics. This interconnectedness is not only a regional characteristic; the symbiotic nature of these lovingly crafted products is such that when paired together on a plate, an explosion of taste is enjoyed.

Cheese pairings have come a long way from the retro marriages of cheddar and pineapple. They are now more sophisticated, more inventive, and certainly more flavoursome. Why not take some tips from Academy of Cheese and pair them with some of the region’s best spirits?

Kearney blue with a tot of Mourne Dew Distillery Pooka Hazelnut Poitin

- this delectable spirit is infused and distilled with roast hazelnuts to give a strong, rich nutty flavour which complements the flavour of the poitín. The rich notes of fruit and nut chocolate cream fit seamlessly with the subtle spiciness and salty blue cheese.

Mike’s Fancy Cheese Young Buck with Dunville’s Three Crown Peated Irish Whiskey - The Three Crowns, winner of many awards, is a peated vintage blend of selected aged malt and grain whiskeys with a subtle wisp of smoke. Incredibly accessible, it has a creamy bite finished with a kiss of heat that perfectly complements the savoury notes of the Young Buck.

These unusual marriages certainly break with the traditional cheese and wine pairings. That said, they do satisfy the common rule of matching ingredients from the same geographical region, and when that region has the mighty smallness of Northern Ireland, they are certain to delight you and your guests.

Visit buynifood.com and academyofcheese.org.

Riso Gallo – High Quality Rice, Produced Efficiently, Sustainably And With Great Care To Protect Our Natural Environment Established in 1856, Riso Gallo is the oldest Risotto rice producer in Italy and has been delivering premium rice to consumers around the world for over six generations.

Excitingly, Riso Gallo is also now the first International rice brand to produce rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium best-selling risotto rice fully sustainable from field to fork!

All of the Riso Gallo premium rice varieties are produced from sustainable agriculture, as certified by the international “Farm Sustainability Assessment”. Their high quality Carnaroli and Arborio grains are grown just a short distance from the company's headquarters in the Pavia area, and cutting edge technology works in harmony with a skilled workforce to build a modern, robust agricultural model which respects both nature and the farming community itself to create a wonderful natural balance.

Riso Gallo take great pride in collaborating with farms that respect their workers’ rights, and guarantees fair and stable prices to assist their farming suppliers with planning, which are agreed and confirmed before sowing begins.

British Premium Meats

Sustainability and a commitment to plastic that is suitable for recycling are key to Riso Gallo’s production, and they have uniquely created their own Circular Economy within rice production, collaborating with various innovative start-ups to give useful new life to by-products from the rice mill. See the QR code for more information on these exciting new developments.

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

The excellence of the products and the high quality standards of the Riso Gallo supply chain are guaranteed and endorsed by BRC, IFS certifications and the Sustainable Rice Platform scheme, which leads to total reassurance for consumers who are certain they are buying 100% Italian rice which can be tracked throughout its entire supply chain, from cultivation to packing.

Visit www.risogallo.co.uk or see the advert on this page for details. service across a large part of the country including parts of Wales, Monday to Saturday.

The business operates across all sectors of the industry and has a vast knowledge and experience of supplying to all sectors including leading brand hotels, restaurants, event caterers, contract caterers and many others.

British Premium Meats is a family run Foodservice meat supplier which has been trading since 1986.

Orders can be placed daily via phone, email and we also work with a number of EDI platforms.

The company operate from two separate facilities the main production and distribution hub in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, as we well as a second distribution only facility in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Across the two depots the business operates a fleet of over 70 refrigerated delivery vehicles and also holds AA Grade BRC at the Welwyn Garden production site.

From these premises, the company is able to offer a day one for day two delivery

or visit www.britishpremiummeats.com

Call 01707 361 370 Email info@britishpremiummeats.com

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Spirits and Mixers

Spirits and Mixers: A Soaring Success Story In the dynamic landscape of the UK hospitality and licensed trade, there's an enduring star that continues to captivate patrons and drive business growth: spirits!

From classic spirit & mixer, from cocktails to innovative creations, spirits have cemented their position as the cornerstone of this thriving industry.

It would be fair to say that the on-trade category has not been without its recent “challenges, the disruption of Brexit, the closure of the industry due to Covid, and the current economic climate, however, there are bright spots on the horizon, spirits continue to grow in popularity in the UK generating £12.4 billion GBP (£) alone last year.

Furthermore, the UK has a strong and vibrant hospitality sector, irrespective of the challenges, with spirits being an integral part of our socializing and drinking culture.

In fact, a recent survey revealed that 62% of leaders say they feel optimistic for their businesses over the next 12 months, according to the new Business Confidence Survey from CGA by NIQ and Fourth.

Additionally, the proportion of leaders feeling confident about the hospitality market in general has climbed to 45%, demonstrating a ‘welcome vote of confidence’ in the sector despite pressure on consumers’ disposable income.

Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: “Leaders’ optimism levels are impressively high at such a difficult time for UK businesses and consumers.

“It’s encouraging to see businesses of all sizes looking to the future with such confidence, and with strong underlying demand for pubs, bars and

restaurants, the outlook is good.

According to data from statista, by 2027, 55% of spending and 20% of volume consumption in the Spirits market will be attributable to out-of-home consumption (e.g., in pubs bars and restaurants), with volume expected to amount to 350.90m L by 2027.

The market for Spirits is also expected to show a volume growth of 4.0% in 2024. This trend is not just a statistical anomaly; it reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences and the industry's adaptability.

Since 2016, the number of gin distilleries in the UK has tripled in size, with Gin becoming the "it" spirit of recent years. Gin continued to be popular despite the disruption in the previous two years, as indicated by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's (WSTA) report of a 22% increase in sales from the previous year, in particular with the growing popularity of sub-segments of flavoured gin capturing consumers' interest and fuel impressive growth.

PREMIUM IS KING

This has created a favourable environment with customers maintaining a loyalty to mainstream brands but at the same time showing an increasing interest in premium and craft spirits, seeking unique and high-quality products that offer a distinct flavour profile and often “provenance”. If you ask most licensees, they will agree telling you that consumers are ‘drinking better, not more’ They want quality, authenticity and taste!

Data from the wine, beer, and spirits sector indicate that luxury and premium quality alcoholic beverages have started to become the core elements of post-pandemic drinking. According to Bacardi's report on cocktail trends for 2022, 50% of bartenders world-wide said that customers are choosing more premium drinks.

This shift in preferences can be attributed to the rising consumer awareness about the production process and ingredients used in spirits.

Customers are also becoming more adventurous in their choices, exploring different types of spirits, and flavoured spirits.

CONCLUSION

WHISKY A heavyweight in the spirits category, As more distilleries are emerging, more products are being blended and aged in casks whisky brands have started adding new innovative and stimulating flavours and textures like Sherry into their age-old favourites to augment the taste. It is helping them to attract more new and younger customers.

GIN BOOM

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

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

This aromatic succulent clings to the cliffs surrounding the island and marks the high tide line on its majestic beaches. Like the kiss of a mythical mermaid, saving sailors lost at sea, the rock samphire signalled to shipwrecked sailors and smugglers that they were safe from the raging seas.

Alongside Mermaid Gin, we produce subtly sweet, naturally flavoured Mermaid Pink Gin, infused with fresh

Furthermore, as consumers become more health conscious are consuming less alcohol but of premium quality.

The spirits and mixers segment in the UK on-trade is riding high on a wave of success, with a decade of remarkable growth and unwavering popularity. As consumers continue to seek unique and memorable drinking experiences, on-trade establishments have a golden opportunity to capitalize on this trend. By embracing the versatility of spirits, celebrating both mainstream and craft offerings, and tapping into the festive spirit, businesses can raise their glasses to a prosperous future in the spirits and mixers market. Cheers to the art of mixology and the craft of hospitality!

Island strawberries grown in the rich and fertile microclimate of the Arreton valley and Mermaid Zest Gin, a citrussy and herbaceous blend of Mermaid with island bergamot, grapefruit and wild-foraged coastal rosemary.

Mermaid Salt Vodka (a favourite with mixologists), is crafted using salt harvested from the flood tide off the island’s southern coast, while our latest addition, Mermaid Spiced Rum, blends Caribbean rums with local fruits and spices, including honey from our beehives and fresh white cherries from Godshill Orchards.

Our spirit range also includes HMS Victory-branded Navy Strength Barrel-aged Gin and Rum, which incorporates real oak from the famous warship, in a unique and exclusive partnership with the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

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

We are passionate about protecting our island and the planet. As part of our commitment to sustainability, conservation and a circular economy, we’re proactive in helping to protect the environment, actively working to reduce our carbon footprint and supporting reforestation and seagrass meadow restoration projects.

Awarded first place in the IWSC Design Awards and certified as plastic-free, our Mermaid range is crafted from recyclable glass, with a sustainably sourced natural cork and compostable tamper-proof seal. In 2022, we achieved another sustainability goal of becoming a B Corporation, joining a global, progressive community of organisations using business as a force for good, balancing profit with purpose and people. We are a purpose-driven distillery; inspired by the natural world to create premium, hand-crafted spirits, working in connection with nature.

Contact: office@isleofwightdistillery.com +44 (0)1983 613653 Web: www.isleofwightdistillery.com Social: Facebook: @iowdistillery | @mermaidgin Instagram: @isleofwightdistillery | @mermaidgin LinkedIn: Isle of Wight Distillery

Add A Festive Finishing Touch With Mixologist’s Garden Mixologist Garden’s unique new range of innovative, ready to use fruit garnishes created to help bartenders create the perfect serve – will give customers a drinks experience to remember while adding a little festive magic to bar sales this Christmas and New Year.

The six freeze-dried fruit options - Lemon, Lime, Orange and Strawberry slices, as well as whole Raspberries and Blueberries are the ultimate bar hack enabling staff to quickly and easily deliver a memorable perfect serve for customers within seconds.

Hand selected for their superior quality and then freeze-dried to capture 100% flavour and appearance, these jewel-like fruits enable bartenders and mixologists to enhance the flavour and appearance of almost any drink - including cocktails, mocktails, sparkling wine, spirits and soft drinks - without having to buy, store, prepare and ultimately waste fresh ingredients.

Available in resealable 100g pouches, they quickly rehydrate on contact with liquid in the glass and with a long shelf life, can be stored at ambient temperatures without the need for refrigeration. Each 100g pouch contains the equivalent of approximately 1kg of fresh fruit.

“Customers who go out to enjoy a drink are seeking something more than they can make for themselves at home – these fruit garnishes quickly and easily elevate all sorts of drinks from the fairly ordinary to the simply amazing,” commented Stuart Findlater, business director at Mixologist’s Garden. “They’re the essential addition to any busy bar especially at times of peak demand, enabling bar staff to add a truly memorable finishing touch to a drink in just a few seconds.”

Research carried out by Mixologist’s Garden showed that whether serving an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink, for the occasions that demand a perfect serve, 90% require a drinks garnish. The research also revealed that 98% of consumers are willing to pay 5% more for their drink if it is served perfectly.

“While people buy with their eyes, their drinking enjoyment is enhanced by appearance and flavour,” added Stuart. “Equally importantly though, our fruit garnishes give operators a valuable opportunity to maximise profits at such a critical trading time of year.”

For more information, please visit the website: www.mixologistsgarden.com

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Hospitality Technology

Technology To Enhance Hotels Sustainability The last few years has been one of the hardest periods, if not the hardest, for the hospitality industry worldwide. Lockdowns, staffing issues, war on the European Continent and unprecedented energy costs have all put pressure on the on the industry.

When looking at reducing operating costs in a hotel, optimization comes as a very handy word; optimize labour, optimize training, optimize energy, optimize maintenance…but we many times fail to address the way to achieve this “optimization”.

As in life, information is the starting point to approach the problems we aim to solve, so gathering information about what is going on in our building becomes essential to optimize the way the building – our hotel – works. Once we have the information, we need to actually control those variables to be able to change them, and this is where technology can really make a difference.

Starting with the rooms, sharing information between the hotel PMS (such as if the room is booked for that day or if the guest has already checked-in) and the HVAC control system (room occupancy for example) help reduce energy waste to a minimum as the AC will only turn On when the room is occupied and the guest is checked-in, but not if the hotel staff gets in the room before the guest has arrived to the hotel. This can be applied to all room controls (lighting, TV, sockets…) but also to common areas, and bearing in mind energy accounts for 3 to 6% of an average hotel running costs, eliminating energy waste can really make a difference.

Following on to the hotel staff, housekeeping is many times overlooked with teams left to wonder through the

hotel looking for rooms to clean. Monitoring “Make Up Room” and “Do Not Disturb” signals (MUR/DND) in a centralised system help increase the overall efficiency as teams can be assigned to those parts of the hotel that require more immediate attention. Combining this information with room occupancy and access controls enhance guest privacy and provide deeper knowledge of how our hotels work, for example giving information on how much time it takes to clean each room.

Another big cost centre control systems help reduce drastically is Maintenance, as these solutions allow the use of predictive and preventive policies. Sorting issues before they become fatal or even before they appear decreases the amount spent in replacing broken units (for example AC units) but also minimizes the risk of refunds to guest because things are not working or because there has been an AC leakage nobody noticed before.

A robust long-lasting control system combined with a Building Management System (BMS) that integrates with our hotel’s PMS is vital to get to know how our building operates to optimize all those little things that end up costing several thousand every year.

These are the type of solutions Zennio develops and delivers in over 100 countries, helping hotels all around the world become more efficient and sustainable and supporting all projects locally and remotely to make sure everything works every day.

For further information see the advert on the facing page.

Hospitality Technology That Helps to Avoid Losses and Increase Profits Keeping bar tabs has always been a good idea. In doing so, staff can spend more time with customers, upsell and build valuable relationships. But it has not always been secure to hold customer's bank cards. Plastic wallets and till points have proven insufficient in ensuring that bank cards are safe, but that has changed exponentially in the past twenty years since the launch of CardsSafe®.

The innovative technology is specifically designed to securely retain customer credit, debit and ID cards while the cardholder runs a tab. It protects against credit card fraud but is also a significant deterrent for walk-outs and allows for checking the validity of bank cards. In a nutshell, CardsSafe® helps hospitality businesses avoid losses and increase profits by assisting with secure bar tabs.

The CardsSafe technology has revolutionised how hospitality businesses manage their customers' payment obligations. Their wireless technology can be safely tucked away behind the bar and work alongside POS. The units are easily installed, require minimal training, and the system does not capture data, so it never breaches GDPR. Customers will also feel more relaxed knowing that

their cards are securely held while they enjoy the facilities.

CardsSafe helps pubs, bars, and restaurants avoid losses, and it helps increase profits by allowing staff to upsell to their customers. That's why over 5000 venues trust CardsSafe to manage customer food and drink tabs. From Young's pubs to Hilton Hotels, the London Golf Club, Lord's Cricket Ground, and numerous restaurants and bars utilise the CardsSafe system.

Timothy, Young's Bar Manager, explains, "Average spending is up, and chargeback has virtually disappeared after we installed CardsSafe, which really puts our customers' minds at rest."

CardsSafe is affordable, too. Each unit contains ten card drawers that can be hired for just £9.95* per month. In addition, each hire comes with customer service troubleshooting and free replacement keys, and additional units can be added at any time.

For more information, please visit www.cardssafe.com Or contact the sales team on 0845 500 1040 *Plus, a sign-up fee of £39.95 (plus VAT) for new customers.

MCR Systems MCR Systems has over 40 years of experience in providing hospitality, catering and leisure organisations with enterprise management solutions that directly improve the efficiency of their business operations. We do this by combining high-quality software

and cutting-edge EPOS technology.

MCR Systems T: 0116 299 7000 E: enquiries@mcr-systems.co.uk www.mcr-systems.co.uk See the advert on page 40.

Castra Solutions - Wired and Wireless Solutions At Castra Solutions, we understand the importance of reliable and high-speed WiFi for businesses of all sizes. Our WiFi solutions are designed to provide seamless connectivity and exceptional performance, ensuring that your employees and customers can stay connected at all times.

In the hospitality industry, having a reliable and highspeed WiFi network is essential to meet the needs of guests who expect seamless connectivity during their stay. With the rise of mobile devices and the growing importance of online reviews, hoteliers cannot afford to overlook the importance of providing a top-notch WiFi experience.

One of the biggest challenges in hotel WiFi is providing coverage throughout the entire property, from guest rooms to public areas. This requires careful planning and optimization of the network, including access point placement, signal strength, and interference management. By working with Castra Solutions,

hotels can ensure that their WiFi network is designed to meet the unique needs of their property and guests.

In addition to providing reliable WiFi, hotels can also use their network to enhance the guest experience and generate revenue. For example, hotels can offer premium WiFi services for guests who require faster speeds or more bandwidth or provide access to streaming services and other entertainment options.

In conclusion, providing a reliable and high-speed WiFi network is essential for hotels looking to meet the needs of their guests and stay competitive in today's digital world. By working with a Castra Solutions and taking steps to optimize and secure their network, hotels can provide a seamless and enjoyable WiFi experience that enhances the guest experience.

Call us today on 0300 124 5005 or visit www.castrasolutions.co.uk

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Hospitality Technology

Boosts Customer Experience and Business Operations with Cloud Telephony Running a business in the hospitality sector has many communication challenges. Utilising cloud telephony enables you to face these business challenges by making informed business decisions and provides you with the time you need to focus on your customers.

them to contact you via WhatsApp, Email, or Live Chat.

• What is a Property Management System integration? Offer simple solutions to enhance guest experience with guest voicemail, wake-up, maid status and guest call charges.

Evolve IP provides a range of products to help ease these business pain points. But without understanding the value that these technologies bring; how can businesses be expected to invest? Cloud telephony is more than making a phone call, it’s everything else around it that enables a business to collaborate effectively internally and externally with the customer. All of these moving parts to a business's operations seem small but once you see how disjointed they can become, it slowly evolves into a much bigger business challenge. We look at how we can help you better understand how cloud telephony can help your business.

TRANSFORMING OPERATIONS WITH CLOUD TECHNOLOGY

Focusing on Customer Experience From taking payment, managing bookings, and responding to queries across a range of communication platforms, the front-of-house team is a busy department. Utilising cloud telephony brings all day-to-day administrative tasks into one space. For example, tools like business analytics, call recording, CRM integration, Property Management System Integrations and even an

omnichannel contact centre all support these intertwined platform communications. Providing your team with focus whilst also optimising the team operations effectively.

How do these technologies help? Understanding the wide range of technologies can be a challenge.

Utilising a service provider to act as your trusted advisor will help you with managing this element of your business is invaluable.

• What does Call Recording mean? Access sentient analysis to identify trends and pain points within the business. E.g., “unable to make a booking”.

• How can Business Analytics help? Identify business times within the business and ensure you’re sufficiently resourced.

• Why is a Contact Centre important? Be where your customers are, enabling

Airwave Upgrade the Royal Society of Medicine’s TV System

Situated on the corner of central London's Wimpole Street and Henrietta Place, The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is one of the UK's leading providers of postgraduate medical education.

Delivering multidisciplinary, specialist and general education to a global network of 20,000 members, the RSM brings together healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, offering learning resources, specialty events, club facilities and a hotel.

THE HOTEL Domus Medica, offers 47 member only guestrooms set within a hotel environment on the RSM's first floor.

Stylish, comfortable accommodation complements amenities such as a restaurant, lounge bar, meeting rooms and library - providing a welcome respite for members staying before or after a RSM meeting.

Members also benefit from the hotel's fabulous location, set within a few metres of London's iconic Oxford

Street.

THE TECHNOLOGY Having previously supplied TV technology to the London venue, Airwave was delighted to be invited back to upgrade and refresh the hotel's TV system.

As the typical Domus Medica guest uses the guestroom for sleeping and bathing only, a simple Freeview system was all that was required on this occasion.

Airwave installed an IPTV headend, updating the network infrastructure and providing access to on-demand content and an extensive selection of TV and radio channels.

32-inch LG LT661H Series displays were wall-mounted on tilt and swivel brackets ; the LT661 Series is run on LG's WebOS 4.5 platform, and offers fully customisable hotel TV features.

For further information on Airwave, see the advert on the front cover or visit www.airwave.tv

Technologies available to the hospitality sector come with unique requirements for each business and providers need to work with each business to better help alleviate those pain points. Investing in technology will ultimately increase your revenue and customer retention long term. Onboarding your team and business to the cloud is a worthy investment into your communications strategy which will give you the tools to grow and scale your business efficiently.

Capturing live data and your current business output gives you a full view of the business and empowers you to invest in the correct areas of the business. To find out more about cloud telephony and how Evolve IP can support your business visit evolveip.uk.

See the advert on the previous page for details.

HotelREZ Increases Revenue and Market Share for Accommodation Providers HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts is one of the UK’s leading hotel representation companies, dedicated to connecting independent properties with bookers.

With market-leading sales, marketing and revenue teams, combined with cutting-edge technology, HotelREZ helps hoteliers achieve their commercial potential by working closely with their customers to produce high-rated revenue from the most suitable target markets at an attractive cost of sale.

Partnering with over 600 UK independent hotels, aparthotels, pubs with rooms and hotel groups, HotelREZ drives more direct bookings via distribution systems through its’ best-in-class booking engine ‘REZbooker’, meta, OTA and GDS travel agency system. A dedicated account manager assists to secure additional incremental income from corporate travellers, RFPs, and chain level agreements with global TMCs, consortia and agency networks alongside niche marketing programmes. To generate greater demand and reach a wider audience, HotelREZ gives access to its leisure subsidiary brands, World Rainbow Hotels and Best Loved Hotels.

HotelREZ focuses on exceptional support, speed to market and cost effective interfaces to PMSs, channel managers, RMS, payment gateways and unique booking widgets.

ADVANCING OPPORTUNITIES HotelREZ representation, technology and its’ in depth distribution knowledge, helps properties gain greater market share at an increased value per reservation by strengthening the quality of its global exposure.

In 2024, HotelREZ will be rolling out a newly enhanced WebServices division, including a marketchanging retail booking engine to help hoteliers sell more than just rooms or F&B, expanding into upgrades, amenities and external products like transfers and tours.

The HotelREZ team has a proven record of consultative, communicative account management where you speak with a real person, committed to helping your hotel generate increased revenue at an attractive cost of sale. Open a world of new booking and revenue opportunities. Learn more https://www.hotelrez.com/

SumUp Launches End-To-End Product Package For Quick-Service Businesses The quick-service package from SumUp includes a range of solutions for coffee counters, takeaways and everything in between—all at a discounted price.

Kitting out your business with tools that support your staff and satisfy your customers improves the flow of your venue.

SumUp is launching an all-in-one setup for quick-service businesses that transforms how these businesses operate. The quick-service package includes a range of SumUp solutions with savings on hardware, software, transaction fees and more.

Each included product optimises a different customer or staff touchpoint, simplifying orders and payments, reducing queues and relieving staff—especially during those busy periods.

Point of Sale Pro One POS solution for all of your daily tasks.

SumUp Kiosk Customers order and pay freely, while your team focuses on the food.

Solo card reader Never miss a sale with reliable payment acceptance.

Kitchen display screen Give your kitchen staff the boost they deserve.

Point of Sale Pro, SumUp’s most extensive POS solution, is the central hub within this package. Made up of easy-to-use hardware and software, staff can take orders, accept payments and make important changes in a few clicks.

The POS system provides valuable insights through data and reports, and is integrated with tools like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Xero—ensuring businesses have everything they need in one place.

Orders can also be accepted via SumUp Kiosk, a self-service terminal where customers order themselves—reducing queues by up to 50%. The kiosk suggests add-ons to customers at checkout, potentially upselling on every order.

When it comes to payments, kiosks have an integrated card reader so customers can pay right away. The package also includes a Solo card reader, which can be used to accept flexible payments with POS Pro. All orders—including those from delivery apps—are synced with the kitchen display screen, a separate display that supports staff by organising orders on-screen in real time.

With these solutions, SumUp provides an ecosystem of tools that work seamlessly together at an accessible cost.

All of these individual products can now be purchased as the quick-service package, priced at £599 (instead of £1,929).

Software costs are reduced to £59 per month (instead of £118) and card reader transaction fees are discounted to 0.99%. These fees are guaranteed to never be increased.

Businesses can access their daily earnings made via SumUp the next day at 7am—even on holidays and weekends.

See the advert on the facing page for details.

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Issue 191

CLH Digital

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

South Coast Catering Equipment Ltd If you are a Chef, Restaurateur, Hotelier or Entrepreneur, we have the experience and expertise to help with Feasibility Studies and the Design and Installation of all your Catering Requirements

South Coast Catering Equipment Ltd a family business was formed in 1970 and is now in its 53rd year. To trade for over half a century through three recessions is a remarkable achievement and founder Mike Barnes says it’s down to giving reliable service at competitive prices. Our engineers are on call 365 days a year, and it is with great pride that the company has held the service contract with East & West Sussex County Council School meals division for 48 years. Our customers range from large hotel groups, a wide variety of high profile clients, restaurants, small cafes, schools and care homes.

The areas which we cover are East & West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey and even as far as the Channel Islands. 2020 proved to be a difficult year, but we maintained our presence and our service division was busy throughout the whole of lockdown. Our design office with our New Cad System can provide a design layout very quickly, and when service drawings are provided it means our clients can obtain correct quotations with each company tendering quotes like for like. This in turn means the client gets the correct price and the equipment as specified on the design drawing.

We are main distributors for New Equipment Including Rational, Falcon, Lincat, Williams and Foster Refrigeration. We also produce Extract Ventilation Systems and purposed manufactured stainless-steel tables & sinks. Our engineers are fully trained on all this

equipment.

In the year 2020 we set up our ‘New Factory – SCCE 36 Station Road ‘producing refurbished equipment.

There are over 300 items of refurbished heavy duty catering equipment at our showroom in Hailsham and it has proved very popular with our customers who are on a fixed budget, as in many cases there can be savings of over 70%. Many of our customers mix new and refurbished equipment in their kitchens and because we offer a guarantee and service back up, this is enjoyed by many of them.

Tel: 01323 444530 www.southcoastcatering.co.uk sales@southcoastcatering.co.uk

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising Tel: 01323 444530

Established 1970

SOUTH COAST CATERING EQUIPMENT LTD Sales, Service, Design and Installation of Commercial Catering Equipment

Commercial House, Units 4 & 5 Apex Park, Diplocks Way, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 3JU

www.southcoastcatering.co.uk | sales@southcoastcatering.co.uk

THE LARGEST SELECTION OF GUARANTEED REFURBISHED CATERING EQUIPMENT IN THE SOUTH Gas & Electric Combi Ovens, Gas & Electric Ranges, Fryers, Chargrills, Griddles, Glasswashers, Pizza Ovens, Pasta Boilers, Stainless Steel Tables, Stainless Steel Sinks, Dishwashers, Coffee Machines, Gas & Electric Grills, Hobart 20 QT Mixers, Microwave Ovens, Tea Boilers, Freezers, Refrigerators, Display Serve Over Refrigerators, Refrigerated Multi-Decks, Slicers, Potato Peelers.

HUGE SAVINGS OF UP TO 70% ON REFURBISHED EQUIPMENT

We also supply and design complete new kitchens including extract ventilation canopies

Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

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Blast Chilling Is Best When It’s Fast Chilling Nationwide Equipment Training Williams Refrigeration has released a new versions of its reach in blast chillers and blast chiller/freezers which provide significant improvements over previous models. Blast chilling is a key process for cook chill systems, allowing businesses to safely chill and store food in batches before regeneration is required.

The new models ensure chilling food safety regulations are followed by rapidly chilling food from +90°C through the danger zone where harmful bacteria can grow, to a safe storage temperature.

The range now uses natural hydrocarbon refrigerant which has low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential. As the charge is less than 150g it falls beneath the threshold for hydrocarbon equipment, which means there’s no need for costly insurance or zone control and allows it to be installed directly on a cookline.

Chilling and freezing times have been reduced compared to previous models, while a powerful food probe sensor can save energy by stopping the cycle as soon as the food reaches the required temperature. The probe can be stored away helping to avoid damage when not in use. A powerful self-regulating system protects the compressors while cooked food is being loaded by cooling down the system before the program cycle is activated.

While some manufacturers promote a maximum capacity for their blast chiller/freezers, this is often smaller for freezing than it is for

On-Site Kitchen Rentals Ltd On-Site Kitchen Rentals Ltd supply temporary kitchen units, catering equipment and refrigeration solutions across the UK, Europe and occasionally worldwide. Supplying to a variety of industries from events and festivals to the hospitality sector, fast food companies and many more.

With over 40 years of experience in the industry, we have a fastpaced, hard-working team with an infrastructure of assets and resources to find the best solutions for all types of catering and foodservice requirements.

We are a supplier with a proven track record and a long list of completed installations with a wide and varied number of satisfied

chilling. However, Williams blast chillers have the same capacity regardless of whether it is being used to freeze or chill.

The overall design has been improved, with a sleek new door and the popular, easy to use Williams EasyBlast (WEB) controller. A simple 1-2-3 interface makes it easy for staff to program the cycle, while a clear digital display shows the elapsed time and the food probe temperature.

The door can be configured to be either right or left hand hung. A full-length integral door handle provides an easy to use, non-slip grab that is designed to be easy to clean, with no potential dirt traps.

The reduction in chilling and freezing times helps to deliver significant savings in energy compared with previous models. Efficiency is further improved by the 75mm high density polyurethane insulation which helps to maintain operating temperature in ambient conditions up to 43°C. Williams blast chiller and chiller/freezer ranges are available in both reach in and roll in models in a variety of capacities. Its new range of reach in models are available from the compact 10kg undercounter unit up to 50kg cabinets while roll in models start from 70kg capacity up to 320kg.

Williams Refrigeration offers a comprehensive range of commercial refrigeration including gastronorm cabinets and counters, specialist bakery equipment, coldrooms, multidecks and blast chillers.

To learn more about Williams extensive product range visit www.williams-refrigeration.co.uk. clients from local businesses to major international names.

Our recipe for success is based on keeping things simple. We believe that all our contracts have been gained because we listen and advise on what's right for the client.

All our customers are very different with differing priorities.

However all have a few things in common, such as government regulations, hygiene restrictions and probably just as difficult to please, professional chefs and catering managers.

We pride ourselves on meeting every client's specific requirements. Each of our kitchen installations is a bespoke solution designed around your needs. www.onsitekitchens.co.uk 01253 863305 info@onsitekitchens.com

At Nationwide Equipment Training, we're qualified, accredited consultants specialising in catering equipment training. Based in Staffordshire, we cover the whole of the United Kingdom and have over 60 years of industry experience.

We deliver training on all types of catering equipment from a range of manufacturers and suppliers. We take pride in our ability to offer the highest standard of catering equipment training for businesses across the country.

WHY CHOOSE US? • We specialise in commercial catering equipment training • Full UK coverage • Reactive to short notice requests The services we offer can be used on an ad-hoc or continuous basis, depending on the needs of your business. We provide individual and/or package requests and support for your existing team(s).

We deliver the information so that it is easily understood by the end user, we have the skills to assess what learning style is best. We ask the right questions to ensure that the information provided, or the processes demonstrated have been fully understood.

REFRESHER TRAINING: Refresher training is hugely beneficial, ensuring that colleagues are kept up to date and routines and processes are embedded.

Over time colleagues may start to take shortcuts, when this happens, it is usually detrimental to their equipment,

their customers, and their due diligence defence. This may result in an avoidable cost to your business.

Bad practices in almost every case will cost your business money.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER: • Provision of on-site equipment training (suitable as a 1-2-1 or group sessions) • Able to support equipment roll outs across the whole of the UK • Able to provide ad hoc training requests • Able to support your existing training team during times of greater demand, sickness, maternity etc • Offer training days (suitable for end of project new builds or refurbishments) to include facilitating the training day, delivering training and coordinating supplier attendance Your training can be covered with our flexible approach to training.

Contact Nationwide Equipment Training Ltd:bookings@netltd.uk www.netltd.uk

PLEASE MENTION CLH NEWS WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

NATIONWIDE EQUIPMENT TRAINING LTD Supplying kitchens to the Pub and Restaurant Industry

For all your catering equipment training needs We are accredited consultants specialising in catering equipment training with full UK coverage and over 60 years of industry experience.

• Equipment hire for breakdown appliances.

• Kitchen hire for planned refurbishments.

• Kiosk hire for additional revenue. www.onsitekitchens.co.uk • Cold-room hire for additional space or breakdown.

01253 863305 info@onsitekitchens.com

You might need us one day.

Telegraph House 59 Wolverhampton Road Stafford Staffordshire ST17 4AW

Email: bookings@netltd.uk

Phone: 07957 938243 Web: www.netltd.uk

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Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Blue Seal Fryers and Oil Filtration

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

At Impact Hygiene we specialise in all cleaning services related to commercial kitchen cleaning, including kitchen deep cleans, the canopy, filters, and extract duct.

We also clean air handling units, and building ventilation systems.

We work to tr19 guideliness and our teams are fully qualified.

For a free no obligation quote call Hannah on 0161 274 9572 or email support@impacthygieneservices.co.uk

www.impacthygiene.co.uk

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Evolution Fryers and Filter Units

The Premium Fryer and Burner System The ultimate solution for any catering establishment, perfect for pubs, hotels, restaurants, cafes and much more.

www.blue-seal.co.uk

Operators should consider when purchasing a fryer and their oil, the oil capacity against production rate, burner efficiency and recovery rate, as well as a true cool zone in gas fryers to help prolong the oil life. Blue Seal V ray Gas Fryers are our premium fryer 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 fryers. Our Evolution range gas fryers GT60, GT46 & GT45 have a premium feature benefit of all using our patented “V’Ray” burner system. This system uses infra-red technology radiating the heat into the tank, only heating the area of oil the baskets are sitting in. This promotes incredibly fast recovery 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 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 particles down to 0.5 microns – this is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand. Daily filtering of fryer 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.

There are significant advantages offered by the New DrainMajor C (Combi Oven Pump) manufactured

by Pump Technology Ltd. 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 particles before the reliable start/stop operation of the pump is affected.

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

The build quality of the submersible wastewater

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

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

It looks like the New DrainMinor C is a real winner!

The New DrainMinor C (Combi Oven Pump)

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Kitchen Equipment and Fit-Out

Gamechanger: Winterhalter’s New High Volume Conveyor Dishwashers as extra wash zones, allow the machine to be tailored exactly to individual requirements. If new wash items are added that are difficult to dry, due to their shape or material, the MT can be retrofitted with additional drying units. In addition, Winterhalter offers neutral zones that mean the MT can accept extra-large wash items, such as crates or containers.

The neutral zones do this by extending the draining distance between zones. They also enhance the machine’s performance.

Winterhalter has launched new versions of its MT (Multi Tank) high volume conveyor dishwasher systems. The company says these MTs set new benchmarks in terms of performance, sustainability and adaptability.

Stephen Kinkead, managing director of Winterhalter UK, believes the new MTs are a ‘gamechanger’ that will help designers and operators meet the demands placed on commercial kitchens today.

“Functional and energy efficient technology, clever spatial planning, economical operating processes, ease of use and maximum hygiene safety – the MTs deliver in all these key areas,” he says.

There are two models of MT conveyor systems. They are the MTF flight machines, where dirties are loaded directly onto the conveyor, and the MTR rack machines, which use racks to carry the ware.

The MT’s high performance washing system produces first class results while the superior, multi-filtration process minimises running costs, by lowering water use and thus reducing the energy needed to heat it. MT systems have a huge washing capacity – the largest MTF can handle 8,000 plates per hour, while the equivalent MTR has a capacity of 355 racks per hour. As well as cleaning efficiently, the ‘air knife’ and standard drying zones deliver optimised drying results, so that ware can be handled efficiently and quickly after the wash.

The new MT is based around a versatile modular system that allows machines to be configured to very precise specifications – so that it can be constructed to exactly match the application, and designed to match the shape and size of the room it is intended for. The basic structure of the machine consists of the pre-wash, main wash and rinse zones, plus an inlet zone, positioned upstream, and loading and unloading zones. Additional zones, such

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Fridge Seals Direct Fridge Seals Direct proud to be UK's no1 supplier of replacement fridge and freezer seals. We fabricate for a wide variety of commercial fridge & freezers.

The management team at Fridge Seals Direct have over 30 years of experience in the refrigeration industry and have each spent many of those years installing gaskets and hardware for a range of styles, brands and sizes of fridges.

From restaurant kitchens to food warehouses - we

have experience in dealing with fridge & freezers of all sizes and scales. To learn more about fridge seals, be sure to explore our range of extensive guides on how to replace a refrigerator door seals. Otherwise, find your specific guides in how to identify, measure, install or maintain your fridge or freezer door seal.

Our reputation in the industry along with our commitment to providing a high-quality gasket without having to buy from the factory allows us to have competitive pricing and fast turnaround time.

Try us out, order your door gaskets from us and discover a better way to do business. We are here to help you. www.fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

• Be ready for your inspections • Damaged fridge seals are unhygienic • Make your fridge more energy efficient with a good seal on your fridge • We provide custom seals for cold rooms, discontinued models, and units with no identification information • Next-day delivery service • Discounted prices on large orders

WhatsApp, phone, and email support

07936807320 sales@fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

fridgesealsdirect.co.uk

The adaptability doesn’t stop there – the MT can be modified if business requirements change. For example, extra wash zones can be retrofitted to increase capacity.

Sustainability is at the heart of the new MT, with a variety of features and options to minimise both environmental impact and running costs. Typical are the heat pumps and exchangers that not only recycle the energy from waste water and water vapour, but also minimise the heat and steam emitted by the machine, enhancing the work environment and reducing the workload on the ventilation system.

List prices for the new MT start from around £51,000.

Winterhalter provides a total solution for dishwashing and glasswashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance, with sustainability fitted as standard. Alongside its market-leading dish washers and glass washers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, and cleaning detergents and rinse aids. For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, visit www.winterhalter.com/uk-en/ or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.

Caterquip Ventilation Caterquip Ventilation Ltd is proud to be celebrating their 23rd Anniversary this year.

This Warwick based company offers nationwide coverage for all your commercial catering needs: free site surveys, quotations and designs (CAD), quality bespoke and standard fabrications, specialist knowledge of catering ventilation systems including input air, odour reduction (carbon filtration and ESP) and sound attenuation.

Affiliated members of Constructionline and CHAS, Caterquip Ventilation have a strong hold in the marketplace often advising industry professionals on ventilation systems to a DW172 specification & BSEN:6173.

They have strong relationships with all leading kitchen

equipment suppliers, and they offer a kitchen design service to help you build your ideal kitchen.

Projects undertaken have included Olympic Villages, Basildon Hospital, The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court, The Truck Stop at Anglesey, The Lodge at Old Hunstanton, Colleges, Schools, Hotels, Restaurants and Public Houses. They ensure their systems are compliant with the current guidelines whilst maintaining an efficient and dynamic facility.

With extensive knowledge of manufacturing and installing ventilation systems, they can help you design the best kitchen within the space available.

Call: 01926 887167, visit: www.caterquipventilation.co.uk, email: info@caterquipventilation.co.uk

Design & Refit

Do You Need a FAST, Easy-Fit Washroom Upgrade?

RapidFit by Rearo is an instant solution for washroom surfaces.

Designed to accommodate time-constrained commercial washroom projects, Rearo’s ‘off-the-shelf’ RapidFit range is the perfect, fast solution for projects requiring toilet cubicles or vanity units.

Washroom design plays a vital role in the overall appearance of your company branding and can have a lasting impression on visitors – that’s why Rearo offers a dedicated core range of nine high-pressure laminate décors within the commercial washrooms range.

The RapidFit finishes were hand selected by the Rearo design team, with colours and textures chosen to ensure compliance with The Equality Act and future-proofed for a minimum of three years. The colour choices take into consideration the needs of people with disabilities, including visual impairment, by ensuring neighbouring expanses of colour, such as walls and doors, are distinguishable by using contrasting colours. Particularly popular within the hospitality sector, RapidFit washrooms are ideal for pubs restaurants and hotels.

RapidFit toilet cubicles, vanities, and IPS are available in either an MR MFC or Compact Grade Core.

Supported by a five-year manufacturer guarantee, MR MFC is ideal for light to medium-traffic spaces.

For higher traffic areas requiring a little added durability, choose the RapidFit Impact range. Completely water resistant, this solid-grade laminate core is ideal for humid and wet environments and backed by a comprehensive ten-year guarantee.

Cubicles are supplied as a flat pack, ready for a quick and easy installation and all RapidFit components are available to buy individually to offer a variety of installation possibilities. Matching IPS can be made to order in only 3-4 weeks.

Ask your fitter/joinery/plumbing contractor or architect to get in touch for free sample packs and design and specification assistance. Or, order your RapidFit washroom now.

0141 440 0800 commercial@rearo.co.uk www.rearocommercial.co.uk

Just Artificial - Plants • Trees • Flowers

Established in 2004, Just Artificial have many years’ experience as one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high quality artificial plants, trees, silk flowers and related accessories, which we offer at competitive prices.

We have a range of fantastic options which will set your space apart from the rest, allowing you to create an indoor Eden. Our products are highly realistic, durable, and designed with particular care and attention by our master craftsmen, all of whom are experts in their field.

Our range is always growing, supporting current modern trends as well as traditional needs, for indoor and outdoor use, tailored to complement any business.

We offer a complete product range including silk flowers, floral arrangements, artificial

plants, trees (even palm trees), topiary, exotics, plant and tree displays, hedges, fruit, hanging baskets, ivy garlands and other foliage, synthetic lawn grass and astroturf, planters, pot pourri, organza ribbon, decorative butterflies, essential oils, oasis foam, metal wall art, and Christmas supplies.

Whatever your choice, we have the design experience and the tools to make your space stand out.

Whatever the case, we have the perfect solution for your décor – one which will transform your space into something extraordinary.

Contact (01524) 858888, sales@justartificial.co.uk or visit www.justartificial.co.uk

Artificial Plants & Trees for Businesses

At Just Artificial, we work with interior designers, decorators, set dressers, architects and more to set your premises apart from the rest. Our artificial plants, flowers, and trees are highly realistic to look and touch, as well as being durable and attractive.

Our master craftsmen construct each one with painstaking care and attention to create an exceptionally ‘real’ artificial flower, and we offer bespoke solutions to suit the needs of your space, business and tastes.

(01524) 858888 sales@justartificial.co.uk www.justartificial.co.uk

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CLH Digital

Design and Refit

How to Weather-Proof Your Trade

Many hospitality establishments found their trade impacted by unpredictable weather conditions in 2023. This has led to more businesses looking into how they can make themselves less weather reliant. Woodberry are sharing some top tips on weather-proofing your trade so that you feel confident in welcoming customers rain or shine!

Invest In a High-Quality Shelter Investing in a high-quality shelter that meets all your customer’s needs is a great way to encourage them into your space, even if it’s dark and raining. Investing in a shelter will give your customers as a warm, dry and atmospheric space to sit all year round. Your shelter can also be used for holding events or hiring out for parties which offers you another way to bring in profit during quieter times.

Set the Atmosphere The atmosphere of your establishment will help people decide if your space is the right one for them. During the warmer months you may want to bring in brighter colours and faux plants to create a relaxed but fun envi-

ronment. You might also want to consider string lights and patio heaters as people stay outside longer. In the winter however, it is a good idea to provide throw pillows, blankets and mood lighting to create a cosy atmosphere.

Use Indoor-Outdoor Furniture Indoor-outdoor furniture offers you an extra element of flexibility so you can easily move the chairs in or out depending on your customer’s needs.

A lot of commercial indoor-outdoor furniture is light weight, stackable and easy to store which also makes it an ideal investment for establishments that occasionally hosts events.

Woodberry offer a wide range of outdoor shelters that can be tailored to your needs and furniture for indoor and outdoor use. Call our friendly team for any advice on which outdoor shelter is best for you.

01928 889922 mail@woodberry.co.uk www.woodberry.co.uk See the advert on the back cover of this issue.

It's Not Time To Sit Down Yet

Well at the end of a busy night it is, and for your hard-working customers it's essential that they have something welcoming, comfy, and attractive to rest their weary bones. Investing in new seating for your premises during unclear financial times can be a tough decision, but with small new bars, restaurants, cafes, and fast food establishments opening all the time, and with new trends appearing, it might be exactly what you need to either attract a new crowd or keep existing customers. We can either work with you to come up with designs for your seating or take ideas from your interior designer and build your dreams efficiently, effectively, and on time within budget.

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

ABOUT DRAKES BAR FURNITURE Drakes have been providing bars, pubs, restaurants,

cafes, clubs, and hotels with high-quality furniture and fixtures for decades. We employ over 15 joiners, upholsterers, polishers and designers who are capable of installing fixed seating and bespoke joinery, new bars and full refurbishments, or simply making stools for the front of the bar, or providing quality tables that last.

Our dedicated team are either timeserved officially trained craftsmen or externally based professionals.

Got you interested? Let us give you a free quote or ask for professional advice. We are available for a chat Monday – Thursday: 9.00 am > 4.00 pm and Friday: 9.00 am > 12.00 pm on 01422 839 690. If you prefer, email us at sales@askdrake.com, and of course please visit our website www.askdrake.com to see some of our range and past work. We are also available on Facebook and Instagram, so give us a follow!

Design and Refit

CLH Digital

Issue 191

Battling Staff Shortages?

Here’s How A Service Lift May Help

By Mark Chapman, General Manager, Stannah Microlifts Staff shortages have been a challenge for British hospitality businesses, with data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing a 56% increase in staff shortages in the accommodation and food service sector compared to pre-pandemic levels.

To tackle this issue, businesses have had to turn to technology to ensure they can operate efficiently with fewer staff members. One option that can be easily implemented is the addition of service lifts to business premises. These lifts can move items like food, beverages, laundry, and luggage more efficiently between floors, reducing the manual time and effort required for tasks. This can help businesses run smoothly even with smaller teams, preventing waiting times from becoming unacceptable for customers.

Service lifts like the Microlift or Trolley lift can also reduce the risk of injury for staff and improve staff wellbeing by reducing physical strain, making the workplace more inclusive for those with disabilities or mobility

Mayfair Furniture Mayfair Furniture will be celebrating 11 years this year of providing the UK’s fastest and affordable commercial furniture. Supplying all kinds of establishments from high end hotel chains to small local takeaways.

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

We are not just a supplier; we understand that from time to time hospitality and leisure establishments like to give themselves a fresh new look. That's why not only do we supply contract furniture, but when it's time for your establishment to go through a refur-

issues.

Many business owners may be under the impression that a service lift is expensive and disruptive to install, but this is often not the case at all. Microlifts from Stannah are compact, structure-supported and quick and easy to install. These reliable and hard-wearing products are designed for operation 24/7, 365 days a year, supported by regular service visits from our expert local engineers.

So even when staff shortages bite, great service can still be provided to your customers - without the heavy lifting. With a durable and reliable Stannah lift sharing the load, your staff will be well-protected every day and able to do more than ever before.

As manual handling is such a risky business, Stannah has compiled a comprehensive Manual Handling Guide detailing how business owners can reduce the risks of staff injury and prevent further shortages due to injury.

For more information visit: resources.stannahlifts.co.uk/manual-handling

bishment we also offer a complete clearance service.

We'll organise everything from a suitable time and date, professional clearance staff to remove contract furniture whether fitted or unfitted. 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.

01733 310115 sales@mayfairfurniture.co.uk www.mayfairfurniture.co.uk

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Design and Refit

Get Ready For a Golden Year of Sport in 2024 With Euro 2024 kicking off in Germany on June 14th and the ICC T20 World Cup and the Olympics and Paralympics also taking place next summer, 2024 is set to be a fantastic year of sport. With popular annual fixtures on the sporting calendar such as the Six Nations Championship, the Premier League and the FA Cup also going on, there’s never been a better time to show the big event in your venue.

Trent Furniture supply a great range of stylish, contractgrade furniture, perfect for giving everyone the best possible view during the big match and for enjoying food and drinks long after the final whistle has blown.

Stacking chairs are a must when planning for the extra footfall that big sporting events bring. Trent Furniture’s Monaco Stacking Chair is the perfect solution for overflow seating to accommodate sports fans in comfort.

Available in a range of wicker, aluminum or wood finishes, this hardworking chair is suitable for indoor or out-

door use and pairs perfectly with the big screen in your bar or beer garden.

At quieter times, or in the winter months, it’s easy to stack away.

Poseur tables are a great way to offer your customers a place to congregate and rest their drinks as they concentrate on the action on screen.

The simple modern design of Trent’s Chrome Pyramid Poseur Table makes it a firm favourite, while the Single Dolphin Poseur Table is the perfect choice for any traditional British pub interior. Trent also supply a great range of tall bar stools, from the modern Tall Boston Bar Stool to the traditional charm of the Tall Captains Bar Chair.

Please call us on 0116 2989 927 or visit www.trentfurniture.co.uk

In 2023 the Contract Furniture Group created a Refresh, Rejuvenate and Refurbish service to offer pubs, bars, restaurants, bistros and hotels a way of reinvigorating hospitality spaces that is both cost-effective and eco-friendly. Our dedicated UK furniture refurbishment facility means we can deliver an end-to-end service that means logistics, disposal of irreparable items, reparations and replacement of tables, chairs and a host of other types of furnishings can all be taken care of quickly and

simply.

Throughout the year, our collaboration with household names like Harvester and Pizza Express have marked a series of triumphs in nationwide initiatives. A recent highlight was our engagement with The Barn in Chichester, where Harvester’s ongoing efforts to revitalise its existing sites and commitment to sustainability came to the forefront of the program. Beyond elevating guest experiences, Harvester prioritises environmental considerations by implementing a refreshing approach. Instead of replacing worn furniture with new, the brand has embraced a conscious strategy of refurbishing existing pieces. These furnishings are expertly handled by our skilled team, where frames underwent rejuvenation and reupholstering, returning them to their original integrity and aesthetics. This enhancement strategy not only reduces waste but also minimises environmental impact, underscoring Harvester’s dedication to ecofriendly practices. Beyond the sustainability benefits, this approach enables Harvester to maintain a consistent visual identity and safeguard the distinctive character of its establishments.

Visit our website – www.contractfurniture.co.uk

Cost Effective Care from the Contract Furniture Group

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Design & Refit

New Stock Chair Ranges from ILF www.ilfchairs.com email terry.kirk@ilfchairs.com

With the continuing success of the ILF Chairs website, 2023 has seen an increase in their STOCK chairs to 11 ranges available in different Faux and Velvet upholstery and selection of frame colours, plus a 12 colour STOCK range of Egger laminated 25mm table tops in a selection of sizes and colour finishes. A full range of table bases in metal and stainless steel are also kept in STOCK. In addition, ILF now also have a comprehensive range of STOCK outdoor seating and tables to suit all budgets plus real wood table tops and real wood table bases for indoor use.

More STOCK ranges coming soon please check the website.

Their online website offers both indoor and outdoor

seating and table solutions.

Divided into Contemporary seating, Boutique, Lounge Seating, Period Seating, Outdoor seating and tables plus Indoor Dining & Coffee height wood tables, creating a great selection of products to view at your leisure.

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.

Enquiries can be sent to ILF directly from the website and they will reply within 24 hours. ILF hope you will enjoy the experience of viewing their easy to navigate website and they look forward to helping clients get the best products for their hospitality site.

Increase Your Revenue with a Commercial Shading Solution The battle for customers is tougher than ever, but with recent research suggesting 40% find the pub garden their Ultimate Happy Place, now is the time to make the most of your outdoor space and turn it into a haven for customers and a true talking point.

Whether it’s covering a terrace bar, expanding your seating area or providing a truly unique standalone outdoor experience, our commercial awnings and Louvred roof systems can create a unique feature for your business and add not just a significant WOW factor, but an area to be used again and again.

At Roché we offer award-winning retractable wallmounted and freestanding awnings from leading German manufacturers Markilux and Weinor, as well as the stunning Louvred Roof systems from both Renson and Weinor. Our team of experts have over 20 years’ experience in advising businesses on the right shading solution to suit a variety of outdoor spaces, and can help you maximise potential revenue by increasing usable floorspace, both kerbside and in

any garden areas you may have.

All our products are made-tomeasure and completely customisable to meet your exact requirements, with powder coated frames in a range of RAL colours and hundreds of weather-resistant fabrics to choose from. Take advantage of accessories such as lights and infa-red heaters to create a desirable location for customers to relax and be comfortable while they enjoy evening meals or drinks. For an added wow-factor you can add signwriting to help reinforce your brand and drive people into your premises who may have otherwise walked by without noticing.

Our teams of engineers and surveyors are based nationwide and use their experience to ensure each installation is completed to an extremely high standard.

Call us on 0800 060 8844 to arrange a free site survey or visit www.rocheawnings.com

CLH Digital

Issue 191

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Issue 191

Property and Professional

CLH Digital

Best Practice Property Disposal

to the sale. This might involve securing business rates rebates, or overseeing maintenance and repair obligations, licensing and regulatory requirements.

Determining the best marketing price is also impacted by the owner’s priorities in terms of timing: some will opt for a quick sale as an opportunity to move on, whereas others will decide to hold out for the best price or a potential uptake in demand. An understanding of the market is crucial, and so we would always recommend that when any

By Paul Johnson, Head of Corporate Sales at Leaders Romans Group (LRG) (www.lrg.co.uk) property valuation is by an RICS qualified valuer.

Understandably a concern about selling is that the chain may break and all progress will be lost. So bear in mind Hospitality was the sector most affected by the pandemic and many businesses were that there are companies which provide a guaranteed sale. Although full market value is not necessarily achieved, forced to take out loans to continue. In many cases, consistently rising interest rates many offer an additional payment if they are able to sell within a defined time or price bracket. have compounded that debt.

PWC’s Hotels Forecast 2022 – 2023 precited that real terms growth is likely to fall by -0.6% to -9.4% for all UK regions except London, due to continued volatility of trading conditions and rising operational costs.

Many hotel and catering businesses are being repurposed or restructured. Faced with a rapidly changing landscape and a variety of potential scenarios, some of which may be unfamiliar, it is important that business owners with substantial property assets consider the variety of options carefully to gain maximum return.

Our Corporate Sales division advises on options for property disposal – and options to avoid it where possible. This takes into account timeframes, adversity to risk and

flexibility.

REVIEW THE OPTIONS A viability study is the first step. This involves ascertaining current market values, proposed disposal options and understanding the demographics of best target market and future investment values/yields.

A valuation will determine whether any sale should be structured as a portfolio investment, or marketed as individual assets. Many larger hotels will have the potential to be sold as separate businesses – for example, a health spa may be sold separately, retaining the central services of the hotel as a business in its own right.

External factors and changing propensity to risk as the situation evolves will invariably impact on these decisions and, economic circumstances may change – so reviews are best revisited regularly.

EQUITY RELEASE THROUGH PROPERTY / PROPERTY SALE If a sale is considered the best route, the price achieved can be considerably increased if the asset is stabilised prior

Great Potential for Hotels in 2024 We, at Sidney Phillips, are currently experiencing high demand for licensed properties - in particular those providing accommodation, despite the present state of the economy. Interest rates have consecutively risen for 14 months up to the current rate of 5.25%, which is the highest in 15 years. With increasing interest rates we would expect the market to suffer, with less investment in commercial property, however, there has not been a notable fall in either demand or prices for our listings.

Commercial property remains so resilient because it is versatile to changes in the market. This has been proven following the pandemic, despite the rise in the cost of living. The adaptability of this type of property remains a key strength as owners can easily adapt their business’s use and purpose to changes in customer demand. An example of this is the increasing number of gastropubs appearing as customers want good quality food at good prices, in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Furthermore, with typically longer-term leases than residential property, freehold owners are provided with committed tenants, ensuring increased financial security with a stable and greater income. This enables higher rent than residential property fuelled by the opportunity for tenants to make profits. In this way, commercial properties can sustain appreciation of long-term value and have healthy cash flow positions, making them less reactive to the increasing interest rates we see now.

The industry continues to draw in first-time buyers, particularly those with management or chef experience seeking their own ventures. Currently we are seeing a particular interest in hotels and properties with letting bedrooms,

EXETER, DEVON

CHAGFORD, DEVON

SOMERSET TOWN

Manageable Character Café & Tearoom

Landmark Inn With 16 Letting Rooms

Desirable & Vibrant Location

Tearoom (22), Catering Kitchen

Bar & Restaurant 82+, Kitchens

42 Seats Inside, 18 Seats Outside

2/3 Bedroom Owner’s Apartment

Owner’s Apartment, Car Park

First Class Purpose Fitted Unit

Easy Daytime Hours, 5 Days A Week

Free Of Tie Leasehold

New Free Of Tie Lease Available

Tremendous Potential

Impressive & Profitable Business

LH £39,950

2150

LH £69,950

4829

SOUTH HAMS, DEVON

SOUTH CORNISH COAST

DARTMOUTH, DEVON

Stunning Country Village Inn

Free Of Tie Village Pub/Restaurant

Impressive Waterside Restaurant

3 High Quality Letting Rooms

Stunning & Profitable Business

Extremely Profitable Business

Character Trade Areas 64+

Impressive Bar & Dining Areas 94+

Restaurant 32+, Catering Kitchens

External Seating 98+ & Parking

Gardens, Parking, Owners Accom.

2/3 Bed Family Sized Apartment

New Free Of Tie Lease Opportunity

Excellent Reputation & Reviews

Town Centre With Stunning Views

LH NIL PREMIUM

4844

LH £45,000

4850

LH £125,000

2158

LOOE, CORNWALL

SOMERSET VILLAGE

DARTMOOR, DEVON

Coastal Town Licensed Restaurant

Stunning Country Inn & Restaurant

Lucrative Letting Business & Home

Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartment

3 E/S Letting Rooms, 2 Bed Owners

Set In 14 Acres With Stables

Trading Just 8 Months Of The Year

Bar & Restaurant Areas 82+

Spacious 6 Bedroom Owner’s Home

Exceptional Business Opportunity

Commercial Kitchens, Gardens 40+

7 Individual Letting Properties

Potential To Develop Business

Impressive Multi-Faceted Business

Idyllic Lifestyle Business

LH £79,995

2161

FH £525,000

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

Another planning route is change of use. Change from commercial to residential may result in a much more favourable price being achieved. Alternatively it might return the asset to a more viable position and provide a new income stream for the existing owner.

Change of use can now be achieved through permitted development rights. Amendments to planning legislation were introduced during Covid specifically to help struggling businesses. Class E was created to assimilate a number of previously separate planning use classes (shops, financial and professional services, food and drink; office space; clinics, health centres, creches, day nurseries, and day centres; gyms and most indoor recreations, and research and development or light industrial town centre use). This enables those individual uses to be changed, providing they remain within Class E, without the need for a full planning application. In 2021 legislation enabled a Class E building to be changed to residential use, again without the need of a planning application (providing certain conditions are met). So a restaurant or hotel can be changed into a home with a relatively straightforward planning process.

LEASEHOLD ARRANGEMENTS Finally, whether the use of the building changes or remains, there may be tenants in place. A property consultancy can negotiate new leases and tenancy agreements as necessary, protecting the interests of both parties and ensuring minimal disruption. It is important to note that existing leases can impact substantially on viability, and so a review of leases is a necessity. The same applies to any outstanding rent or other debts.

Selling a business or a property asset can be difficult for anyone, and so its important to get the right advice, from the strategic overview, to the detail of the sale. especially in rural and semi-rural areas as buyers can profit from surrounding affluent villages. In the present economic market, there are numerous reasons for this increase in interest from vendors as the segment experiences huge consumer demand for British hospitality. Following the pandemic, the hotel industry showed its durability with its fast recovery and demand levels remained consistent throughout. The resumption of business travel, weddings, and leisure travel has continued to boost demand for inns and hotels.

Freehouses have a unique opportunity to diversify by providing letting rooms to benefit from more income security. Tenants can alter room rates to provide protection from rising inflation as they can be adjusted each day. Again, being flexible as a commercial property, hotels can adapt through branding and a change in management to encourage demand and ensure profit.

2024 hopes to bring even more positive news for the commercial property market where we expect to see a continued rise in the rental market for public houses and for free of tie leases. As well as further demand for properties with accommodation, including hotels, properties with rooms to let, campsites, and guest houses.

Call 01981 250333 for more information or visit www.sidneyphillips.co.uk

Why Use a Specialist Hospitality Consultant?

With over 30 years of industry experience in the Hospitality sector, The Bowden Group’s Managing Consultant David Hunter will work with you to address the following elements: Profitability, Operational Strategy, Staff Management, Marketing and The Future of your business.

Licensed Restaurant & Bar

2162

Depending on timing and resources, there is considerable value in investing to increase the value of a hotel. For example, if a hotel has substantial grounds, this might involve seeking planning consent for additional buildings.

Answer: because we can help your business to succeed.

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

LH £35,000

CAPITALISING ON PROPERTY / LAND VALUE

4848

DUCHY LH £995,000

6013

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

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 Service and Kitchen staff, your team needs careful and skilful Management, Motivation, guidance and Development.

PROFITABILITY & OPERATIONS

MARKETING

Our experts will analyse your entire operation and also its key operating figures if they are available. We then help you to identify strategies to manage costs and overheads associated with the core Profitability of running a Hospitality business.

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.

Budgeting, Forecasting, Menu Management, Stock

We will help you build a workable, planned Marketing Strategy. From Digital Marketing, such as Social Media marketing, Websites, eMail Marketing and online advertising, to print design, Promotions and offline advertising, your Hospitality business should be constantly working on ‘’ all things Marketing’’.

If your business is actually struggling, or if you just feel that it could be doing some things better, give David Hunter a quick call on 07831 407984 to arrange a ‘’Free of Charge’’ initial consultation (please quote CLH Offer), when David will discuss with you what could be achieved if you ask us to work with you.

Are You A Chef Looking for Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance are three words that do not often come up in a chef’s vocabulary but are regularly used by the chefs employed

by Care UK. Care UK are currently looking for chefs of all levels to work in our care homes across the UK. We are looking for people who want to make a difference to residents’ lives every day. When you join Care UK, you’ll be joining a team who all share the same values: caring, passionate and teamwork.

Life as a chef with us means that you will be preparing rosette level dishes in our state-of-the-art kitchens using fresh ingredients, for our residents and their families. We also have an exceptional track record in catering team career progression with countless examples of chefs pro-

gressing from sous chef level to head chef positions.

We have our own Catering Academy to provide excellent training and induction programs for all new Catering Staff and we will give you all that’s needed to have a successful career as a Chef with us.

Our high quality, innovative training and coaching will support the development of your skills throughout your career with us.

We are committed to recruiting diverse, talented people, who share our passion for helping others. We see the potential in everyone, let us help fulfil yours.

You can find out more about our rewarding careers by visiting careers.careuk.com

Call 01981 250333 for more information www.SIDNEYPHILLIPS.CO.UK

THE SALWEY ARMS, SHROPSHIRE, FREEHOLD: £1,100,000

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A LICENSED PROPERTY? THE WYE VALLEY HOTEL, MONMOUTHSHIRE FREEHOLD: £675,000

Sidney Phillips is a company of Chartered Surveyors established in 1898.

We offer national coverage via a network of regional branches. We deal with sales, acquisitions, and finance of licensed businesses.

PENRALLT HOTEL, CEREDIGION LEASEHOLD: £1,500,000

This includes but is not limited to: nightclubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, B&B's, guesthouses, pubs, bistros, cafes, leisure and development units and investments. wE ADVERTISE ON MORE wEBSITES THAN ANY OF OUR COMPETITIORS

RIVER HAVEN HOTEL, EAST SUSSEX FREEHOLD: £1,750,000

NO SALE | NO FEE